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I'm clueless and want to buy some good gear, help?

Throsh

Throsh

New Member
Firstly, I'm sorry if you get sick of newcomers asking seemingly stupid questions and posting the same kind of threads, but this seemed like the best place to get some help. Right now I use an all-in-one Hi-FI system that I've had for years; it does the job, but it's pretty crap to be honest. I use a pair of Grado SR80i's for the majority of my listening, and I listen to CDs 90% of the time.

Now I'm employed again I'm looking to upgrade my system as I've been wanting to do it for years. The thing is, I really don't know what I need to get, or what I should get, so I hope you can help me.
My setup will have to be headphone only as I currently do not have the room to place speakers in such a way that will produce a good balanced sound.
I know for definite that I will be getting a Technics sl-1200 mk2 turntable, and I'm thinking of upgrading my Grado's to maybe the SR325is, but these are the items I have no idea about:
CD Player? do I buy a dedicated CD Player, or should I just use my Blu-Ray player, as I've heard that that's a good way of playing CDs?
Amplifier/DAC/Headphone amp? This is where I'm completely clueless. What do I need to/should I get? as I'll be using headphones only is a headphone amp the thing to get? I really have no idea what I'm talking about so I'll really appreciate some input here.

Thanks to anyone who even reads this :)
 
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You might first want to describe your listening room to us. Spending a lot of money doesn't make it better. What type of music do you listen to?
 
cableguy2 said:
You might first want to describe your listening room to us. Spending a lot of money doesn't make it better. What type of music do you listen to?
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He's not using speakers so I'm not sure his room size matters at this time.

cubdog
 
I would research DACs to begin. With a headphone setup this will be of great importance. Benchmark, Bel Canto, Wyred 4 Sound, among others would all be on my list of contenders.

cubdog
 
Yes, my room is tiny hence why I've decided to get a headphone setup. I'm in the United Kingdom, and I listen to a lot of different music, mainly metal, rock hip hop, pop and indie.
 
cubdog said:
I would research DACs to begin. With a headphone setup this will be of great importance. Benchmark, Bel Canto, Wyred 4 Sound, among others would all be on my list of contenders.

cubdog
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I've just looked those brands up and their products are way out of my price league, I'm looking at a couple of hundred pound maybe more for a DAC, amp, whatever it is I need.
 
estreeter said:
1. Slim and simple - 215 quid
http://www.amazon.co.uk/AUDIOQUEST-DRAGONFLY-DIGITAL-ANALOGUE-CONVERTER/dp/B00882U782

2. Larger but cheaper - 187 quid
http://epiphany-acoustics.co.uk/our...ure-desktop-headphone-amplifier-with-usb-dac/

Both are heavily reviewed (google 'ODAC' and 'OBJECTIVE2' for the second unit) and idiot proof. Oliver is a good guy - I have the first Epiphany O2 and it hasn't let me down.
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The second one looks interesting, but I'll be using this with a turntable and CD player so the USB one looks like it's not for me, although I'm probably wrong.

So what is the difference between a DAC and an amp/receiver? is a DAC definitely the thing to get for headphone use with a CD player and turntable?

Thanks for the recommendations.
 
200 british pounds is about 322 usd. For that price, your best bet are a nice pair of mid level Sennheiser phones or something like the Fostex T50-RP, coupled with an FiiO amp and DAC combo (FiiO e17 is good).

Mind you, to get good quality, you need a good source so you need good digital recordings in something like flac or very high (>192kbps) MP3 and a nice player (like the Sansa Clip+ with Rockbox software). Many smart phones, including iPhones, are also reasonable sources.

Fortunately, you can get a Sansa player for under 50 usd and rip your own flac files using your PC/laptop and foobar2000 software (free online).

With careful shopping you can assemble this kit and be well within your budget.
 
goldleaf said:
200 british pounds is about 322 usd. For that price, your best bet are a nice pair of mid level Sennheiser phones or something like the Fostex T50-RP, coupled with an FiiO amp and DAC combo (FiiO e17 is good).

Mind you, to get good quality, you need a good source so you need good digital recordings in something like flac or very high (>192kbps) MP3 and a nice player (like the Sansa Clip+ with Rockbox software). Many smart phones, including iPhones, are also reasonable sources.

Fortunately, you can get a Sansa player for under 50 usd and rip your own flac files using your PC/laptop and foobar2000 software (free online).

With careful shopping you can assemble this kit and be well within your budget.
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Thanks for your input. I'm not looking to buy gear to be used with digital files; just CDs and records. I have an iPod classic but I just use it when outside, and I'm really not a fan of digital. The FiiO amp you mentioned is for a portable setup right? I've researched those before but I don't think they're what I'm looking for.
 
Oh and I should mention the £200+ figure I mentioned earlier was just for the DAC if that's what I need.
 
One important thing to look for in a CD player is some form of "Digital out", either TOSLINK or sp/dif; also could be known as Optical Out, or Coax Digital Out. You need a digital output to connect to a DAC (The Digital in "D"). The USB input of a DAC is good for connecting a computer. You won't be connecting a turntable to the DAC, as it's an analog signal and doesn't need to be decoded.
 
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If you only want to play CD's and records, then use a straight headphone amplifier to your CD player/stereo outfit or use the headphones directly from the CD output. A good one is the HiFi Man EF-2A which uses tubes, accepts RCA input for direct CD or TT input (via a preamp of course) and still has USB input to future proof your investment. They go for about 170 usd stateside.
 
goldleaf said:
If you only want to play CD's and records, then use a straight headphone amplifier to your CD player/stereo outfit or use the headphones directly from the CD output. A good one is the HiFi Man EF-2A which uses tubes, accepts RCA input for direct CD or TT input (via a preamp of course) and still has USB input to future proof your investment. They go for about 170 usd stateside.
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Now I'm confused, I've been recommended both a DAC and a headphone amp, what's the difference?
 
The DAC and headphone amp are often included in the same box, sometimes sold separately. The HiFi Man unit is of the integrated type. Vintage units often have just an amp.
 
goldleaf said:
The DAC and headphone amp are often included in the same box, sometimes sold separately. The HiFi Man unit is of the integrated type. Vintage units often have just an amp.
Click to expand...

You mentioned a preamp in your previous post, is that something I need to buy separately?
 
Just for sh*ts and giggles, you could buy a Chinese-made tube heaphone amp.
I'm waiting for one as there have been some good reviews on them (bang for the buck) and I always like a new gadget (I barely ever use headphones, but what the hell...)

sku_147151_1.jpg
 
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