Sennheiser 660s amp and dac advice

[Rafael Vaz]

Hi there,

So i ordered Sennheiser 660s with Apogee Groove Amp/Dac bundle to use on my PC.

I also just got a turntable, the Rega Planar P1+ which has a integrated phono pre-amp.

So my problem here is that I just realized that I won't be able to use the Apogee Groove with the Rega P1+ since the Apogee only has a 3.5mm and usb as input and output

I'm suposed to receive the 660s + Apogee bundle tomorrow so I'm wondering if it's just better to decline receiving them so they get returned right away so that I can get the 660s alone and buy a different amp and dac like the Schiit Magni and Modi. Does that seem like a good thing to do? Would that be a better setup for pc use than the Apogeee?

So which setup seems like a better quality?

660s into Schiit Magni and Modi into PC
or
660s into Apogee Groove into PC?

I also assume that the 660s 150 impedance is to high to use with just the Rega Planar P1+ phono pre-amp that has an output impedance of 100

Thanks

 

[swechsler]

You won't be able to drive the headphones directly from the turntable, not because of the impedance (impedance matching in general isn't all that critical, and 100Ω into 150Ω isn't that much of a difference anyway), but because line level outputs in general don't have enough power to drive headphones (also you won't have a volume control). I have no experience with the components you've mentioned, but yeah, you'll want at least one analog input in addition to a USB/digital input to run the turntable through your 'phones. The actual plug type is immaterial; if it has only a 3.5mm stereo jack input, you can use a standard adapter cable to connect the turntable.

 

[KarlK]

I'm suposed to receive the 660s + Apogee bundle tomorrow so I'm wondering if it's just better to decline receiving them so they get returned right away so that I can get the 660s alone and buy a different amp and dac like the Schiit Magni and Modi. Does that seem like a good thing to do?

Not really unless spending more money is your objective. Like @swechsler says you can easily use an adapter although this is not the ideal solution(see below). Now if you had more components to feed directly from DAC then the Schitt would be more appropriate. If I recall well the Modi is not usb-powered; it's called a USB dac all the same because of its connectivity with USB but won't draw power from the computer's PSU. My Hifiman EL-100 HP amp has such connectivity as the Modi (USB connectivity without USB power I mean) and I find it a little lacking in the power department (what possessed HFM to put a lamp in there is mystery to me, it can only drive microscopic speakers anyway.), as compared with a powerful USB-powered DAC/vintage receiver combo.

I specify "vintage" because most of today's receivers don't provide the voltage required at the HP out level to drive headphones efficiently but (most) vintage are wired in parallel so produce voltage swing to drive almost any kind of phones. You would need a miniplug-to-RCA adapter to do this, since you said the Apogee only has usb in and 1/8" out. Not really an issue anyway if you consider that connecting your DAC to a receiver will give you access to a much better phono stage (provided the receiver works good) not to mention the usual home audio controls and connectivity.

Would that be a better setup for pc use than the Apogeee?

For PC use the Apogee will get you more power (through an external standard amp or receiver as said above) since it's usb-powered from the rig's PSU and so already under power when it gets to the amp, which provide eve more power and most important, a TT input. So if good clean power is desirable to you you'll be just fine with the Apogee. Not that Schitt lacks power but it won't push as much IF (and that's important) you use a separate amplifier or receiver downstream. Using headphones straight off the Apogee won't make you go deaf that's for sure, I'm not even sure you'd actually hear them at all

That's unless the Apogee is designed differently than all other small usb-powered DAC's I know of, where the DAC gets the lion's share of the PSU-supplied power, at the expense of the HP amp. These amps are made for usage with smartphones and other small DAP's or, at the limit, tablets and laptops, it's no good as main phones setup. Typically only low-impedance phones should be hooked to those diminutive HP amps. For home use that leaves you with little choice: you'd need planars like the Hifiman HE400s to pull out what little juice is hiding in there. A 150-ohm dynamic will not sound good on such amps, if it sounds at all. Definitely not suited for HD660s.

So which setup seems like a better quality?

Depends what sort of "quality" you're after: power and punch or accuracy? I f you listen to loud rock, pop, country fusion or jazz-rock you'll want the punch so a USB powered would be better, especially with the 660's which are said to become airy when starved. Schitt does well with those as well, just not very loud. It's perfect for music that doesn't make use of "bassy" instruments.You won't save much by choosing the Apogee though, as you may require a new PSU and/or mainboard on your PC for it to sound "big". Of course there are Schitt models that got plenty of power by themselves, but they're not cheap. However if you need to upgrade PSU and/or mainboard (not to mention boosting RAM if required) it may cost you as much as an upscale Schitt. If that is the case I would chose the fancier Shitt without hesitation. They last forever.