Reddit mentions: The best car audio amplifiers

$3 - $4k will get you an awesome setup.

I've gone through this process many times. I've had more speakers and amps that I can keep track of. I've heard a lot of the stuff out there in this price range. So hopefully I can help you out. I would, however, like to let you know that you should try to find a dealer and listen there. That will most likely be your best bet. I can tell you all about speakers all day and tell you what my favorites are, but if they get there and you don't like them, then that doesn't mean they aren't good, it just means that they aren't for you. There's no way to know in advance.

So, let's start with some basics. You said you like bass. That means you'll want a sub. Even tower speakers won't do what you want in terms of bass. A lot of people think that towers make tons of bass compared to bookshelves, but that really isn't the case. Here, let's do some examples with some of my favorite brands: Bowers and Wilkins as well as KEF.

We can do B&W first. They have a 600 series, 700 series, and 800 series. The higher, the better. In those series, there are different speakers. 707, 706, 705... The smaller the last number, the bigger the speaker. the 707 are small bookshelves, while the 702 are large towers.

Let's say we have a budget of $2000. In the 600 series, you could get a pair of towers for $1800. These go down to 48hz. There's a good chance you'd want a sub with that. I definitely would.

Now, what if we jump up to the 700 series, which will give us better sound? We've actually got two options for the price.

First, we could get a pair of 706 bookshelves. They're also $1800. They go down to 50hz. That's 2hz different than the towers. You'd still want a subwoofer.

Another option would be to get a pair of 707 bookshelf speakers. They're $1200, which leaves you with and extra $600 for a nice subwoofer. So, in the end, these would give you the best full-range sound when compared to the towers or the bigger bookshelves.

-----------------------------

Let's take a look at KEF.

KEF has the Q series, which is the 'budget' series, and the R series, which is a step up from that.

These are KEF Q series towers. They're $1800. They get down to 44hz. Pretty low, but I'd still want a subwoofer.

These are the R series bookshelves. They are $2000 and only go down to 52hz, but that doesn't matter, since you were going to buy a subwoofer for something that goes to 44hz anyways. So you'd get better sound from these than the towers.

----------------------------

Basically, with towers in this price range, you're paying for loudness rather than extension. However, once you climb up in price, towers become stand alone, and don't require subwoofers. But at your price range, that isn't usually the case.

Anyways, you said that you want them for your living room. I don't know what size it is, but usually towers are better for a living room than bookshelves since they can get louder easier, and if you're watching TV/Movies, loudness is pretty important.

So, let's talk about the setup.

First things first: turntable. I have a Rega Planar 2 and it works great. The Rega Planar 1 should be pretty similar. It should work great. I used mine with a NAD PP 2e for a while until I got an amp with a phono integrated. It worked great. I have a lot of Schiit stuff and I like it all so one from Schiit would probably be great as well.

That leaves us with a bit over $3000 for amp, speakers, and a sub. Ideally 2 subs, but probably not. We'll see.

A Yamaha Integrated amp would be great. It has an integrated DAC so you can use it with your TV much easier. It also has 100wpc, which is plenty.

A Marantz could be good as well, but no integrated DAC. I have Marantz and I like it, but I use it with an external DAC. Here's one of those for you. Either amp will work well. The Marantz has 40wpc, which isn't as much as the Yamaha. I would probably go with the Yamaha, but that's just me. Also the Yamaha comes in silver, which looks pretty awesome in my opinion.

Now we've got about $2600 left. I would personally cut it up like this: ~$2000 for speakers, ~$500 for a sub, and then save up for a second sub. We'll get to that later.

Speakers in the $2000 range are good. I'll give you some of my favorites.

Quad S-5. I've heard the S-4 and the S-2, and they're both phenomenal for price to performance. I have a pair of Quad Z-3. I spent months listening to different stuff, some stuff that was thousands of dollars more. I like the Quads better than the B&W 600, 700, and 800 series. I like them more than Martin Logan. I like them more than KEF. etc. The Z series is just the next step up from the S series. That being said, the S series is still some of the best. I'm actually going to swap the LS50s on my desk out for a pair of S-2 bookshelves. They're that good. They have a great ribbon tweeter, that gives you all of the detail you could want but none of the fatigue. Multiple smaller drivers means clean and punchy bass. Not a ton of extension, but you've got a sub, so that doesn't matter. Vocals are absolutely fantastic on them. They're just all around a very clean and great speaker. They sound good quiet and loud, which isn't that easy for a lot of speakers to do. Anyways, they're hard to find. I ended up ordering mine through tenacious sound. If you call you'll talk to a guy named Frank. He seems pretty knowledgeable on a lot of stuff. I'm not sure what they'll have in stock, but they'll be able to order them for you since they're a Quad dealer. Also, they have weird hours. Tuesday, Friday, Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Super weird hours but I've never had a problem getting in touch when I need to order anything. Anyways, these Quads would be my first choice. That being said, if you feel like extending your budget, the Z-3 would be better. Larger ribbon tweeter to make the highs just a bit cleaner, better drivers to make everything just a bit faster, and a larger cabinet to add more bass extension. Either of those would be my pick.

Next, we can look at B&W. Unfortunately, if you want a sub, this will be tough. I'm not a huge fan of the 600 series. They aren't the best price to performance in my opinion. The cheapest 700 series tower is the rest of your budget, and doesn't go down very low (48hz) so you'd want to add a sub, but you wouldn't have the budget for that. Let's talk about it anyways. The 700 series are a bit warmer of a speaker. The bass is a bit boosted and the treble is a bit laid back, but they have a metal tweeter so even though it is just a tad laid back, you still get great detail. As I said, B&W is one of my favorite brands. It's not for these though. It's for their flagship 700 series as well as the 800 D3. Those are both very good. Unfortunately, they're both quite outside of your price range. I think the 600 series could work for you, but there are better options for the same price.

KEF R700 would be fantastic. They are all around great performers. They're a tad on the bright side, but they do it well. They have some of the best imaging I've heard, which makes them a joy to listen to. KEF is also one of my favorite brands. I've got a few pairs and they're all really fun. These are a fantastic price as well. $1700 each originally down to $1100 each is nice. They just came out with a new line which is why these are so cheap. I like KEF a lot, so you really can't go wrong with these.

I really like the Ascend Acoustics Sierra. I haven't heard the tower version of them but I assume it is very similar. They have a soft dome tweeter, which makes them a bit easier to listen to. You can get a ribbon if you want that awesome detail and transparency like the Quads have. Anyways, the Sierras have really good bass. Clean and tight. The bookshelves sound great at all volumes. What these do really well is midrange. The midrange is extremely sweet and musical. Voices are fun, and instruments in that range sound textured and beautiful. The bass guitar in "My Melancholy Blues" by Queen sounds really nice. It's like a real bass guitar is right there in the room with you. Loads of fun.

1. It will make a difference compared to a MacBook's line-out, or compared to most PC sound cards. If you have a very good sound card, it's possible it has a good DAC and good components/construction and you may not be able to tell, but many don't live up to the standards.
   

• Quick question - what kind of PC, what kind of sound card (if you know) and how are you connecting everything?
  
  

2. You absolutely can get a DAC that will improve your sound for around your budget. The step from default line-out to any DAC is huge, probably the biggest effect of all; the step from low-end DAC to high-end DAC is both more subtle and more costly. But make that first step!
   
   The major factor will be the quality of your other components—but with the B&W and the Rotels, if your ears are good you should be able to tell.
   
   Recommendations:
   
   

• nuForce - pretty much anything, the uDAC-II is their latest offering and is US$129 over here. It has a headphone amp built in, but the line outs are excellent as well.
  
  
• the HRT MusicStreamer - designed more for direct USB to Amp connectivity (basically what you're looking for) and gets good reviews. Has the extra advantage of being "asynch" if you believe in that sort of thing. US$149
  
  
• Firestone Fubar II Mk 2 - I had the first version of this little DAC and enjoyed it, but ultimately I like the nuForce uDAC better. The Mk 2 may be better, it advertises new components and a better signal path. US$169.
  
  
• This Creative X-Fi USB box looks pretty nice, and reviews give it high marks for fidelity, but looks like it might have some flaws in installation/setup. US$99.
  
  I currently listen to the nuForce uDAC-II, with both headphones and studio monitors, and I like it very much. As I said above, it beats my (first-revision) Fubar II mainly in the stereo imaging and musicality departments, especially when used as a desktop DAC with the line outs. The Fubar was accurate as anything, but was a little flat to listen to for my taste. The Mk 2 may have improved things and in any case it's a very good DAC for desktop use. The others I have not listened to, but I hear very good things about the HRT MusicStreamer, and the Creative X-Fi product is bound to sound great, barring any difficulties you might have with installation.
  
  Any of those DACs I am confident will give you an improvement in sound. Listen in the details; the tightness of the bass, the smoothness of voice, the sparkle of the treble, the placement of sound in the stereo image; all of those will be clearly and (hopefully) obviously improved with a good DAC if you're comparing from a default line-out. The first time you hear the difference it'll sorta knock your socks off...
  
  Then again, if you don't hear a difference with your Apogee Duet II... perhaps it won't be that big a deal, and you can save yourself the investment. Also, is there a reason you can't use the Apogee with the PC or do you just want a dedicated connection for it? Another factor will be the source material, so make sure you're putting through CDs or lossless audio files, or at the minimum very high quality mp3's. Low bit-rate mp3's will sound pretty much the same regardless of the DAC you put them through...
  
  tl;dr: In my experience a good DAC makes a huge difference, there are lots in your price range, make sure you'll be able to hear the difference in the investment, good luck, let us know how it turns out :)
  
  (P.S: if it's ok to say so I'd be happy to sell you (or anyone else ;) my Fubar II (original version) for US$100. PM me if you want it!)

I'm /u/whitefeather14's friend. If it's solely for headphones and you're not looking to spend a lot, then I would strongly recommend something by Fiio. I have an older one, the FiiO E7. They don't sell this one anymore, but they have a newer one called the FiiO E70k. I haven't personally used it, but I can only assume it's like mine but better.

If it's a little more than you want to spend, then I'd look at the Q1. I've heard good things about these as well.

These are nice, because they double as a USB dac and a portable headphone amplifier. Which means if you're traveling or something you can plug your phone into it and still get the amplifier out of it, no need for a USB source.

If that doesn't interest you, then there's the FiiO K1, which is just a USB DAC, and does not have an analog 3.5mm input, only the micro USB.

Now, understand that any of these aren't going to be the greatest DAC ever. Sub $100 is pretty cheap for a DAC, and I'm pretty sure these are all 24-bit, with 32-bit being more or less the best you can get (There's some debate on whether or not you can hear a difference, but that's entirely a different conversation.)

If you do want something a little more pricey and nice, the Schiit Modi DAC and Magni amp are really quite nice. They also have a Amp/DAC combination for $80 which I haven't heard anything about, but Schiit is pretty good.

The one /u/whitefeather14 said is a PreSonus AudioBox USB. You probably don't want this, as it is primarily an audio interface for recording instruments and microphones, and isn't a dedicated DAC, though the DAC is pretty nice, and as a bonus has a 1/4in headphone out as well as two 1/4in outs for L/R powered speakers, such as studio monitors, if that's of any benefit for you.

As for the SMSL one you posted, I have also heard good things about that one, though it's a desktop unit and does not have an analog 3.5mm input.

Let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to help.

This will be my second time typing this out, since I hit the fucking Browser-Back shortcut on my mouse.

I wouldn't recommend the Koss Plugs as a set of mixing phones, even while travelling. The clarity is simply nonexistant. My suggestion is just to use them as a second pair to check out your bassline before you finalize a track. For something more balanced, you might want to set aside an hour or two and drag your eyeballs over this thread over at head-fi.

As an off-the-cuff recommendation, Velodyne vPulse have gained quite a reputation in the under-$150 category. they have plenty of bass output, but it's much tighter than the Koss, no muddiness. They also get plenty of compliments on the detail in the midrange/treble.

/r/Audiophile is a great resource, as is /r/Headphones, but to save yourself from shame, I will tell you ahead of time, anything called a soundcard will almost certainly get you laughed out.

Puts on top hat and monocle, raising a cup of tea with the pinky out

>A gentleman uses a DAC with a seperate Headphone Amplifier.

In all fairness a soundcard is nothing but a DAC with a built-on amp, though the integrated amp circuits are terrible, in terms of audio reproduction.

You can get a DAC and feed an amp with it, or you can get a DAC/Amp combo, which is a popular place to begin, and is a great solution for a personal digital studio, especially if you use your laptop as a creative device away from home. The most recommended (for good reason) is the FiiO e7. It performes both the DAC and amplifier functions, as well as including an input jack and a battery so you can stick it in your pocket and connect it to your ipod/phone/whatever and increase the quality of your portable listening as well (This bypasses the DAC and only uses the amp). The only drawback to the e7 is that the amp is kind of puny. Mind you it is still more powerful than whatever is built into your devices, but it can leave you wanting if you have some high-end, high-impedance headphones. To solve that, you can either get a FiiO e9 amplifier to leave on your desk and dock the e7 to when you are at home, or you can pick up a FiiO e17 which is almost identical to the e7, but with more juice to the amp. You mentioned a speaker setup at home, so you would also want a FiiO l7 line out plug so you could run the un-amped output of the DAC to your speakers. Keep in mind, none of this passes as "Audiophile grade" hardware, but it's certainly (digital) studio quality.

All in all, an e7 and a pair of vPulse IEMs would set you back about $150, give you the low-end you need, a full-up system you could pack in your pocket while you're on the move, and also boost the quality of your 8400's, and whatever monitors you choose at home.

I'll get off my soapbox now. Hopefully that gives you a head start on your research.

.

.

.

^tiny ^disclaimer: I don't work for FiiO, I'm not trying to sell you FiiO stuff, I don't even use FiiO myself. They just have a great reputation, and market at a reasonable price-range.

Sounds a lot like how I use my closed VModa M100s. They're a bit bassy though and at $300 I really can't justify suggesting you stretch the budget. It's not really worth the $50 on top unless you get a lot of utility from the fact they collapse so small for easy transport, the super hardcase you get, detachable cables, etc. Sound alone you can do the same for less.

Such as the Beyerdynamic Custom One. They can be bassy if you want, less so than the VModas, but have adjustable ports to move towards the "open" side of headphone world. Which might be nice for later nights in the office when you're not so worried about sound leaking in. Also the Beyer DT770, which is the earlier forerunner to the Custom. They are both super comfortable for long periods (so is the VModa).

The Custom One has a detachable cable while the DT770 has a typical studio long-as-heck cable. Those are bits to keep in mind if you're going to, say, roll from the office to public transit to the home office. You don't want a 12' cord with you.

Speaking of 12' cords, the ATh-M50 will of course get mentioned. Also very comfortable. More bassy than it should be for a monitoring headphone but I've noticed that changes with dacs/amps. Taking the M50 right out of my Macbook there's a lot of difference between it and the VModa also running out of the macbook. put a Fiio E07K in the signal path and the differences get cut down a bunch. Not entirely sure why as I just noticed this over the week. But wanted to put that FYI out there.

If you stay with these choices, and/or other 32 ohm and less models, you don't need an AMP or a DAC/AMP, but they can make a solid amount of difference. But perhaps not in the sense of "I can't believe I used to listen straight from my headphone jack." These headphones will themselves make the biggest impact with regard to quality difference in the sound. The amp or amp/dac will do more of the Quality Control side.

To me, especially if I'm seated in an office for a long period doing computer work uninterrupted, getting quality full sound out will keep me from putting the volume up too high to compensate for any SQ shortcomings derived from the computer, power requirements which change the power going to the headphone out, etc. Plus, I can EQ some bass away if the closed office headphones necessitated by the isolation requirement remain too boomy for the music de jour.

Things like the Fiio E07K or E17 are great and cheap, so is the Schiit Magni/Modi stack or the o2/odac. While the E07K is probably the only bit that would fit with headphone at a combo price in your budget, they are all interesting $100 bits to add to the setup later to up the sound quality (from the sound card). Not a ton of difference between them all so I would just go on price/feature basis. Or just collect them all. I have a Fiio stuck in my bag for mobile and a schiit magni now at the office, which is easy to connect to the Fiio as a DAC. Probably will grab the modi at some point because stringing cables to the Fiio isn't always "office friendly" in appearance for days where it shouldn't look like I was soldering at my desk, but I am really happy with the setup and work flow it creates. YMMV but hope that paints a complete picture which perhaps can help you judge other recommendations relative to your planned usage.

What kind of music? I use an ATH-M50X with a Fiio E07K DAC/amp. Your experience depends on multiple things:

1. Your headphones. Shitty headphones will sound like shit, no matter what you do. Earphones aren't very good either except maybe the super high-end ones, and even then you won't get much bass out of them due to how small they are.
   
   
2. Your sound card. A DAC (digital to audio converter) converts your music, stored digitally into analogue signals that your headphones can play. Sound cards are basically DACs (I'm not sure if they ARE DACs or have DACs built into them, but whatever, that's not important). Most computers come with really shitty DACs which don't do a very good job. One way to fix this is to buy a better sound card and install it. This is a bit of a hassle though since you'll have to open up your PC and install it, so what I have is an external DAC/amp that plugs into my PC via USB. An amp is a device that takes signals and, well, amplifies them. High-end headphones require lots of power to sound best; your phone/PC usually won't output enough power by themselves, which is why the amp is there to amp your signals. The Fiio E07K is a device that is both a DAC and amp (you can also buy separate DACs and amps but they're a bit more complicated). So basically I plug my E07K into my PC via USB, plug my headphones into my E07K and boom, good music.
   
   
3. Music bitrate/format/quality. Your hardware isn't all - your music files need to be of good quality. Bitrate is how much information goes through every second and is measured in kbps (kilobits per second). If you have a song that's 90 seconds long and has a bitrate of 320kbps it'll be 320*90 = 28800 kilobits large, which is 28800/8 = 3600 kB large. You can try this out yourself on your songs. Songs with higher bitrates sound better. You won't be able to tell the difference between lower and higher bitrates using shitty headphones on a shitty setup but it becomes more obvious once you get good headphones. Generally, 192kbps is acceptable, but not amazing. 320kbps MP3 is pretty good. However, MP3 files are lossy, which means that information was lost when they were created (MP3 files are rather compressed). Lossless formats are formats like FLAC, ALAC etc which lose no information when they are created and thus offer really high quality audio. That being said, I can barely tell the difference between FLAC and 320kbps MP3 files, but it's nice to have good quality music. Remember that your headphones will reproduce your music exactly how it sounds - if your songs are at a really low bitrate, they will sound awful on your headphones.
   
   
4. Equalizing. One thing I love about the Fiio E07K is that it has a very basic equalizer that lets you adjust bass or treble. Not as good as a full equalizer but it does the job pretty well. Software equalizers (the ones built into music players) usually aren't very good and cause distortion, but the equalizers built into DACs are really good. I notice almost no distortion when cranking bass up to max. However, I do notice a slight hissing noise during silence when turning up the treble to max. The hissing is unnoticeable while listening to music but becomes obvious during pauses or really quiet scenes.
   
   I would highly recommend going to a store with some good quality music on your laptop and trying out some headphone/dac/amp setups. There are a lot of reviews on Head-Fi that will help you out. For some, the change in music quality is mindblowing and impossible to return from. For others, it's not worth the money. If you mostly listen to podcasts it's probably not worth it unless you have a voice fetish or something. But if you spend a lot of time listening to music and have money to spare it's great. Oh, and don't expect too much portability. The ATH-M50X are quite portable but most DACs are USB only. Mine does have a 3.5mm jack which lets you plug it into your phone using a female-female 3.5mm plug, but this disables the DAC and turns it into an amp only so your music won't sound as good. It's also a bit bulky. Some headphones are not designed to be outside, period. Such as the Grados - they leak so much sound they're basically loudspeakers on your ears, and some are massive or ugly as hell. Make sure you do your research on them.
   
   Good luck! Audiophilia is fun. JOIN US
   
   EDIT: I rambled so much I forgot to answer your question. The ATH-M50X is 169 USD and the Fiio E07K is 89 USD. That's a good budget for entry-level headphones. IMO the headphones cheaper than that aren't really worth it (I'd rather save up), but it's up to you to decide.

Actually most of what I listen to is classical. I <3 Mahler.

They definitely sound better than the SR-60 headphones. Do they sound $250 better? Of course not, but it's diminishing returns, and you really have to admit that any headphones over $100 are a luxury item. I'm very happy with them.

I'll admit that I didn't try any other headphones over $200, but I was so happy with the SR-60 (especially compared to any other comparably-priced model) that I trusted Grado there. I probably should have tried some comparable Sennheisers (like the HD-600), though, and I agree that Audio-Technica makes some great cans too.

Yes, I am using an amp, but if you have a good audio source you don't need one with these. However, in this case, my computer is the source of the music, and since it's a Dell workstation with cheap onboard audio, the sound quality isn't great, so I needed an external DAC and amp. I bought the FiiO E10. Aside from my original SR-60 headphones, it's probably the best $70 I've ever spent on audio equipment. It's a USB DAC with built-in amplifier, and it has excellent sound quality.

I recently bought a pair of DT 770 80 ohm's with a Fiio e10 amp and an antlion modmic for right around that budget. I love the whole setup

The DT 770's are VERY comfortable, I could wear them for basically the whole day without any fatigue.

I am not personally familiar with your music, but after a quick sampling I think the DT 770's would serve it well being a bass and treble centric headphone.

DT 770 pro 80's for 149.99

Fiio e10 for $59.99

Antlion Modmic for $32.95 + shipping comes out to be like $50

This has you WELL inside of your $300 budget. This is the setup that I personally use, I play MOBA and FPS games and listen to a wide variety of music from metal --> electronic --> rap. Voices in teamspeak are clear, and the antlion modmic is SUPER clear (and more than capable of voice detection use).

I would recommend getting an amp, while I can power the DT770's off just my motherboard, they do sound much better when being powered off the amp and when you feel like turning them up having the ability to go a bit louder is nice. I was not aware however this setup will be MORE than able to go into "do serious damage to your ears levels" so be careful

I second the external USB sound card/device. Depending on how high quality you want to go and what kind of amplification you want, there are lots of options.

Turtle Beach makes one for slightly cheaper that looks decent.

The soundblaster above is probably a pretty good bet.

There are a whole bunch of off-brand USB sticks for around $15 that probably won't cut it.

There are external boxes, like the Creative Labs X-Fi soundblaster box, in the $60-80 range but probably better.

And for real good fidelity, you start getting into the USB DAC range. Highly recommended if you have good ears/headphones. These can range from $100 to over $500 depending on what you want... a few recommendations:

• The Audiophile Products FireEye II (Dac+Headphone Amp, $97)
  
• NuForce uDAC-II $129 (or uDAC-II-HP for headphones only, without RCA outputs, $99)
  
• FiiO E7 USB DAC/Headphone Amp ($99)
  
  If that's in your price range then you'll enjoy the sound out of any of them, but check reviews and shop around, see what people think. I have the nuForce uDAC and really enjoy listening to it, so I can definitely recommend that based on experience.
  
  Best of luck!

Thanks for the reply. that sucks about the budget, a lot of others found setups that were well within my constraints.

> First, make sure to check all your resources before popping over to your local sound shop and letting them convince you to buy some overpriced shit.

>Amazon and Ebay are your friends! Use crutchfield and sonicelectronix for info and standard >pricing, then check Amazon/Ebay for the BIG discounts. Tell crutchfield or Amazon what you're driving and they'll give you a list of parts that fit.

>Second, even with only listening to rock music, trust me you will want a small subwoofer to fill out your system. Nothing major, it doesn't have to blow your head >off or anything. Just adds a little low end to balance out your sound.

>So, if I were to build a decent budget system for your Ranger, this is what I'd do:

> Head unit (radio). Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC are really the only brands I would consider. Here's a decent Pioneer for the money. ~ $68

> You'll also need a wiring harness for your aftermarket radio to work in your truck. Not a big deal. ~ $4

> Okay, speaker time. Crutchfield says your truck has 5 1/4" in the doors, 6 1/2" in the kick panels and some random speaker behind the seat. For our purposes, let's say you just disconnect the rear speaker as it will be completely unnecessary. Here are some Rockfords for the doors that won't break the bank. ~ $62 / And here's some 6 1/2" Alpines for the kick panels ~ $62

> Subwoofer. Okay, now you may reach this point and say, "You know, I'll be fine with just this! Listen to how much better it sounds!" Trust all of us, a woofer is a good investment. For your purposes, I've tried to leave some wiggle room as far as budget goes to allow for a decent sub, box, amp and amp kit. A lot of these people will say build your own box, and if you're handy and would like to try, then go for it! I'm just not as averse to prefab as most people around here, so I say just find a decent prefab wedge box that will fit behind your seat. A little browsing and Bam! box and woofer. That's perfect for you. ~ $109

> Amplifier. You don't need anything crazy. Keeping with the Rockford theme, here's a decent 250w amp for that sub. ~ $103

> Amp kit. ~ $33

>And the grand total is: ~ $441 ($196 without the stuff for the subwoofer)

>Now, obviously you can play around with the pieces of this system for preference and price, but this was just what I could throw together in 20 minutes or so. Research, research, research. Half of this game is finding parts you like and reading/forming opinions about brands, etc. Hope I helped.

and

>Oh I can answer this one easy. My first truck was Ranger.
>You can easily get a nice sound system going for cheap. Check out Crutchfield for getting equipment. They make >it dead simple to install most components.
>I recommend getting a CD player.head unit that has bluetooth and usb inputs. You can get a pioneer or kenwood for cheap. Or spend a little more for an Alpine.
>Replace the stock speakers with stock sized aftermarket ones. You don't even have to spend a lot of money. Honestly, you could get away with spending less than >$250 on the whole set up.
>You will have a solid system at this point. You can then research adding a sub for the bass.

>Here is some that fit your truck;

>Head Unit

>Door SPeakers

>Additional Rear Speakers - these will need boxes since there is no spot for installation.


>Total of about $220.

I'm sure there can be good setups found for my budget?

I've been thinking about buying a pair of semi quality headphones for a while now. The DT770 seems like the best choice for it's price but I'm very new to all of this so I don't really understand most of this stuff.

Budget: Around 250€, but for a good reason I can up it a bit.

Source: PC only. Probably.

Isolation: I'll use them solely at home so not too necessary. Though it would be great if it blocked out my roommates voice(from the next room) if we're in the same voice chat.

Type: Full-size.

Balance: A bit of bass is alright but I'd like them balanced.

Past headphones: Some cheap <50€ stuff..

Preferred Music: Any and everything.

So unless you guys have so brilliant ideas I think I'm going with the DT770, but I'd need some advice with the amplifiers. A friend of mine suggested the FiiO E07K but since I'll almost definitely will use it only on my desktop would something like E09K be a better choice? Like I said, I'm fucking clueless when it comes down to these so all help is appreciated.

Links for clarity:

E07K

E09K

Or both?

Thanks in advance.

Your first step should be to get off onboard sound. The two easiest routes here would either getting a dedicated sound card or a USB DAC/amp combo.

If you decide on upgrading your sound card, something like the Asus DG/DGX will do fine to start with; they'll clean up the sound nicely and will be good enough to drive an efficient set of headphones. Later when you upgrade your headphones, you can then upgrade to the ST/STX and get yourself a proper amp like the Matrix M-stage or 02. That would imo be the better option in the long run.

The USB DAC/amp combo like the Fiio E10 will be a better option if you plan on getting slightly harder to drive headphones from the get go, e.g. Senns, Beyer...

That leaves you with around $250-$300 for the headphones. For your uses(movies and rock), an open pair of headphones like the AD900 would be a great all rounder; great comfort and very efficient. Also have a look at the Beyer DT880, also a good choice within your budget. These would have a wide soundstage perfect for movies and be versatile enough for most music. An open set will generally sound more natural than a closed one.

If you really need closed, the Brainwavz HM5 would be a good choice and way under your budget, enough left over to get yourself a set of Grado SR80. Grados are known as the hardest rocking headphones around, with a fast energetic and upfront sound that goes great with rock/alternative/metal/anything fast paced.

As some others mentioned, the Beyer DT770 are a nice set but a bit too bassy for my liking. I much prefer the DT250-80, which have a great smooth midrange.

> good alternatives to these headphones with good bang for my buck

I got a chance to demo those Sonys. Can't say enough good things about them.

Also worth looking into Audio-Technica AT-M70X ($223). AT's new flagship monitor headphone with an amazing sound. Definitely gives the Sonys a run for their money, especially with such a competitive price. I might even like them better.

I'm also quite fond of NAD Viso HP50 ($249). Just an incredible closed-back can.

>amp designed for headphone listening, that I can plug into my Macbook pro and that is hopefully less than $100.

Nothing really worth looking at under $100. Maybe Creative E3 ($99) or Topping TP30 ($99).

However, if you save money on headphones by going with the AT-M70X or the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 (which are on sale for like $149), you could put the money you saved towards a better amp/DAC.

So if we assume a budget of, say, $200 for an amp/DAC, you can step up to something like Creative E5 ($189), Fiio E17 ($139) (it's even portable!), or Topping TP32EX ($159). Fiio probably makes the best offering in this range.

Budget - About $200 can go a little higher if there is a real increase in quality.


Source - An amp ( The Amp ) and hten into my phone or computer. I will buy a desktop amp in the future.


Requirements for Isolation - They are for use at home at my computer mostly there is no real isolation requirement.


Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized.


Preferred tonal balance - I like my sound to sound crisp and defined. I also like good bass that you can feel. I really hate it when songs sound almost muffled. My EQ's usually end up being a parabola shaped (u shaped). I hate it when the good bass sound comes at the cost of the rest of the audio quality. I also hate it when bass just ends up being a constant rumble (like what happens sometimes with the bass guitar) instead of sounding like punches if that makes any sense, but then again that may just be the songs themselves and not the equipment. I also like my guitars to great so when a crunchy guitar riff comes on I'm able to hear it well. Lastly I like vocals too. A well balanced sound with emphasis on the bass if it does not come at the cost of the quality of the other areas is what I'm looking for.


Past headphones - Siberia v2: Admittedly I did not buy these for music, they really suck in that department even with my portable amp they do not get loud enough and they have far too little bass and while they play the music nothing really stands out as good about them.

Sennheiser HD 7 DJ: I bought these last week somewhat an impulse purchase and I am not exactly happy with the sound, while it's better than anything else I own currently (I own Razer Hammerhead Pro's, Sennheise cx-300's and the siberia v2) I still don't think it sounds great. My car has pretty good sounding speakers. When I play a song in my car I can get both defined sounding guitar and great bass but with these headphones some songs guitar and/or vocals (most commonly guitar though) sounds like absolute crap. No matter what I do with the EQ I can't get it to sound right. I have 3 more weeks to return these if I choose to do so.

Preferred Music - I listen to a lot of different stuff, Most commonly metal, rock, rap and pop. I however also listen to trance, electronic, jazz, and folk from time to time. I'll post a few examples below.

Metal

Metal

Rock

Rock

Rap/Hip-Hop

Rap/Hip-Hop

I need to adjust my exemptions, I've owed the last two years and probably will this year.

However, if I can give you some unsolicited advice, don't get Beats headphones. To be blunt, they're overpriced garbage. Sure, they sound good, but you're primarily paying for the brand, not quality. Personally, I'd rather pay for quality than the brand.

If you're looking for headphones, you can't do better than the AudioTechnica M50X headphones for the money. If you're looking for earbuds, I highly recommend the Shure SE215 earbuds. Both of them sound amazing, though if you really want to hear how good they sound, a headphone amp like the FiiO E07K "Andes" will really bring out what the headphones can do. Creative makes some great portable headphone amps as well, though I found that the FiiO (which is surprisingly hard to find now, was easy a year ago) gets digital audio from my iDevices, which is fantastic.

If you want the best sound for your money (within your requirements) you should check out the MrSpeakers Mad Dog and Fiio E10. You will get sound from plugging it into the iPad Mini, which would be fine for listening to YouTube videos but not really for listening to music; you're Macbook Pro will drive them quite easily but you will get much improved sound quality using an amp. They isolate well but are really too big to wear out and about - they would be perfect if you shared a dorm room or for studio use. They are super comfortable with huge ear-pads, and have a great clean neutral sound.

If you want to be able to use these on the go the Sennheiser Momentum is a good choice. They are more consumer-grade headphones, but you would get way more out of these with the iPad and the Macbook. They are not as comfortable to my ears, but they are much lighter. They are quite neutral with a slight bass emphasis to my ears.

1. What is your budget?
   
   
2. 4K is still being worked on and improved. What you're describing is almost impossible and super expensive.
   
   
3. Don't do SLI. People have a lot of problems and they don't always work with all games anyway. Stick with one good GPU, like a 1070.
   
   
4. There's really no need for a Titan X unless you're a professional videographer or graphics editor. That's beyond overkill. A 1070 is more than enough for any gamer today.
   
   
5. You went overkill on some parts but only listed 16 GB of RAM. You should go with 32.
   
   
6. You didn't include your audio options like a DAC, amp, or speakers, and could have listed a better headset. I have the Sennheiser PC 363D (Amazon link) for gaming and watching TV/movies, and it's awesome. For listening to music, I use Sennheiser HD 598 SE (Amazon link). For your PC audio, you want good speakers. Check out the JBL LSR305 (Amazon link). You want a decent DAC, so check out the Schiit Modi 2 or Modi 2 Uber (Amazon link for Modi 2) (Amazon link for Modi 2 Uber). You could even get the Schiit Bifrost. Depending on what headphones you get, you might also want an amp like the Schiit Magni 2. Many people call it a Schiit-stack when you have both a Schiit DAC and amp together, usually the Modi 2 and Magni 2. You could also check out the new combo DAC/amp, Schiit Jotunheim. I found some great deals on eBay and paid about half the retail price for a Schiit Bifrost Uber DAC. Some other options are: JDSLABS Objective2 + ODAC Combo, Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS v2, Micca OriGen+, Fiio E17K, AudioQuest DragonFly, and Audioengine D1. Some great people helped me learn about audio from /r/BudgetAudiophile /r/audiophile /r/Audio.
   
   
7. Make the list with PC Part Picker Australia so it's easier for everyone to see.

This amp performed really well on the amp dyno. It a Chinese board, a lot of people don't like messing with Chinese but I feel like I could give this amp a choice.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009NLL68C/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1494378079&sr=8-16&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=soundstream+amplifier&dpPl=1&dpID=31pytKGMJsL&ref=plSrch
This amp is a Korean board which is typically the more reliable and reputable option. Skar has had customer service issues in the past, but it's in the distant past and I don't really think they issues are relevant anymore. Worth noting this amp did a little underrated on the amp dyno but it will be plenty for your subs. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TKE7APU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494378238&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Skar+audio+amp&dpPl=1&dpID=41IfkL4-AuL&ref=plSrch
A lot of people are recommending this amp, it's worth noting there is no subsonic filter. Idk where it's board is from, seems Chinese but I could be wrong. Im sure it's a good amp.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CLFM596/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494378383&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=pioneer+amp&dpPl=1&dpID=51YozvhmIYL&ref=plSrch
This amp is also recommended regularly on here. It is a Chinese board, actually it is the same board as the soundstream amp. I recommended up top. This amp seems solid and people. Like it. Great price point.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005KW10ES/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494378510&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ppi+amp&dpPl=1&dpID=41xpN3VUPGL&ref=plSrch


The Sundown amp that they priced you is a great amp, better than all of these, but for me bot worth the price difference. These all do plenty of power for your subs, and some you might even have to back off a tiny bit. If you want a warranty, you don't want to get it off amazon. Find them online from certified dealers. I know for the Skar amp you can buy it just as cheap right from the Skar Internet site. The other can be found on down 4 sound or woofers ect

It really depends on your budget.
You can get a decent DAC like this one on a budget http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-M2-Portable-headphone-amplifier/dp/B00KL3SACQ/ref=sr_1_18?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427350827&sr=1-18

But I'd recommend the the monoprice AMP/DAC brick http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-111567-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00KVVX2QW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427350898&sr=8-1&keywords=monoprice+amp+dac

For the money, it's got everything you'll probably ever need and is actually pretty damn good.

The most expensive "desktop" DAC I'd recommend is JDS Labs ODAC http://www.jdslabs.com/products/46/standalone-odac/

It's basically as good as a DAC can get before you start getting into the receiver world.

As for what standalone DAC/AMPs actually "do," the best way to sum it up is that a good DAC will eliminate any sort of noise being generated by your PC and accurately translate your digital signal to an analog one. Better DACs will give you a more accurate signal to work with but there's only so much you can do before you're just wasting money.

AMPs on the other hand, vary wildly in what they do. Some amps, specifically tube amps, will "color" the signal to be warmer. Some people like this as it takes the "digital edge" off of music, but they're really nothing a good EQ couldn't replicate on a neutral AMP/DAC combo. Bad AMPs introduce tons of noise and distortion into your signal, good AMPs don't. Good amps also offer better separation between the left and right channels. The sky is really the limit on AMPs when it comes to price to performance but the bulk of that performance is going to be in raw power rather than in quality.

A good standalone AMP would be the Schiit Magni 2 http://schiit.com/products/magni-2

Their DAC the Modi 2 is also REALLY good, especially for the money. I have the Modi v1 on my desk right now and short of buying an ODAC, I don't think I could be happier with my setup.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the reply :D I currently have a Creative Sound Blaster Z in my PC at the moment. I didn't know a huge amount about sound cards or how they improve audio quality when I bought it, just that it did improve sound and that I loved (and desperately needed) the audio control panel and how easy it is to switch between speakers/headphones. So I guess I have that going for me. And when I say $60, I mean that's what I have in my pocket at the moment that I'd feel comfortable spending, not my be-all end-all budget. Now that I think about it, I'd much rather wait and save up instead of getting something that I'll inevitably replace with something better. I've learned and learned and learned not to cheap out on audio equipment. Do you imagine I'd see enough improvement with the E07 and my phone to be worth it, or do you think I should eventually get a dedicated music player as well? I plan to get a desktop amp later on, I just feel like my mobile music rig could be greatly improved. :)

looking at your rabbitears it seems that the stations that are south of the home are weak... but as an added bonus the broadcast towers that are south of you are pointing their signal south and away from you... so thats good if you don't want to be infiltrated by evil tv waves... but

one thing you have going for you is even your strongest signal from the northeast is weak its about 35db and most tvs will max out at about 90db but really you give yourself another 10db or so of buffer because these signal levels are approximate they could be slightly higher or lower.

so a real large and strong antenna will give you about 12-16db of boost... so you have your 35 + 15 = 50db ...

so that means you can use a strong preamp on that antenna like a ChannelMaster 7777 30db gain amp... the brand new ones are 26db i think not sure if you're gonna get a older one someplace.

so that will get you 80db of power maybe on your strongest signal maybe... and bring the other signals up to the 70's ... maybe... which is pretty good...

but power and signal quality are different.. you have to have signal for it to be amped and if the signal is flaky then you are amping flaky signal... but if the signal is flaky because it drops weak a bit then maybe a preamp right at the antenna will help a lot.

I am 60+ miles out in a few directions.... I picked 2 of those directions and pointed the very large full size 9 foot long and wide antennas at these broadcast towers.......... I then added CM7777 amps to each antenna... I combine them with a special coax splitter and then I run that cable to a distribution amp that has 8 ports to feed the rooms.. the distribution amp bumps the signal 4 more db .. So I have my 12db antenna + 30db of amp + 4db of distribution amp... I only have one splitter to combine the two antennas...

My strongest signal is 36db my weakest signal that i get really well is 7db .. I do at times get signals rated below 0 depending on weather conditions... normally rain makes things better because the signals that would bounce out into space bounce back off the clouds and to the ground... which is weird... also when a storm is behind a distant station it bounces that signal back towards me.... but those stations are not dependable only the ones about 7db and higher I can count on to be available all day every day.

loose wire crimps or improperly made crimps on wires are a big factor... they have to be good. that white plastic center insulator should come into the connector until its flush on the bottom when you look inside the connector.. it shouldn't be recessed.. it should be on the inside floor of the connector with the center copper wire poking all the way out of the connector about 1/4 inch. and they have to be tight and not spin on the wire or be loose.

then ummmmm splitters... splitters suck all the life out of your system so you have to use a distribution amp when you have low level signals. a regular 2 port out splitter will steal 50% of your signal.. the more ports the more they steal -3.5 to -11db .. not good so you run your antenna directly to the distribution amp and then you feed each room off the distribution amp.

If you need to (you don't) use a combiner / splitter like i am to combine 2 antennas you only use special power passing splitter to let the dc power for the amps to get through.

....................

so ... big antenna (you have no hopes of fox without a big antenna outside on the roof) pointed southeast at 125deg .. big amp... distribution amp... check your cable connectors.. don't use extra splitters

Big antenna like this

https://www.amazon.com/RCA-Universal-Outdoor-Element-ANT3036Z/dp/B00009W3BW

PreAmp

https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-CM-7777-Antenna-Preamplifier/dp/B000GGKOG8/

Distribution Amp

https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-Distribution-Amplifier-Antenna/dp/B001PI09SE/

but like I said your signal is bad and in some cases its pointed away from you.

good luck :o)

edit as for you... you need the same (the strongest you can get) and maybe a small tower

If you want good sound people here have nailed it pretty good. Sansa Clip sounds pretty good even out of the box.

Cowon are known for having good sound as well. I would recommend at some point if you want something that sounds really good - look at getting a DAC or DAC/AMP combo - these things really enhance MP3s - they will make you say "oh wow..." especially if you are using good headphones. I have 3 DACs and I recently just heard the FiiO E17 and was really impressed with it - particularly for 100 bucks.


Get the sansa and look later into a DAC/AMP combo. Even with the DAC you are under 200 bucks. :)

FiiO E17 - 121.99 http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E17-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW

Also look at FiiO E10 - I have one of these, very happy with it.
http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E10-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005VO7LG6/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1373074173&sr=1-10&keywords=FiiO

Hey guys,


The DAC and amp guide here seems a bit old and I'm a bit of a newbie so I figured I'd ask here.


Here is my current equipment at my work desk:

• Dell E1505 laptop - crappy, giant, old school enterprise laptop. Only audio output is 1/8th headphone jack and the sound card is awful
  
• M-Audio Studiophile AV-40 Active Studio speakers with built in amp
  
  
  These are currently connected using a simple 1/8th to 1/8th audio cable, but the end result sounds awful and looks ugly as well since the 1/8th cable has to be plugged in to the front.
  
  
  I would like to hook up the laptop to send audio to the speakers, I don't usually use headphones. The speakers use RCA and 1/8th as input, but I'd like to use RCA because those inputs are behind the speaker and won't clutter my desk. In an effort to accomplish this AND improve the sound quality a bit, should I get a DAC? And should I consider switching speakers or do you guys think these are ok?
  
  
  
• Audio source: laptop.
  
• Audio type: music, mostly metal, some IDM, some hip-hop.
  
• Willing to buy used: yes.
  
• Budget: ideally <$150, the lower the better.
  
  
  
  Ideally, I'm looking for the DAC to run off of AC/USB power since I intend to leave it plugged in 95% of the time. A rotary volume dial would be ideal but isn't strictly necessary. Do I need something like these? And if yes, which one would you recommend?
  
  
  
• Syba USB DAC
  
• Nuforce Icon UDAC-3
  
• Modi USB
  
• Fiio E10
  
• Audioengine D1
  
• DAC destroyer
  
  
  
  
  PS - Could something like this Fiio D3 work maybe? Not sure what kind of adapter would be needed, but it seems unlikely.
  

Well the higher the impedance the harder to drive the headphones, thats the basics of it. In DT990s case the 600ohm is the best sounding one, but not by much. The DT990 250ohm premium is almost as good. The DT990 32ohms is also pretty good. You will only be able to tell the differences when listening to all three of them at the same time. But i think the one you were considering must have been the Pro 250ohm model, which is quite a bit different compared to its premium counterparts. It is more uncomfortable, has a smaller soundstage with muddier bass. It is also the cheapest at 200$. If I were you I'd go with the Premium 250ohm or 32ohm models. They both cost around 300$ new and run around 200$-250$ used(on Amazon via Amazon warehouse). If you get the 32ohm model you CAN skip getting an amp, as it wont be necessary, it will certainly improve the sound but wont be necessary. With the 250ohm premium an amp becomes a necessity. If you're going with a brand new 250Ohm premium then just get that along with a AMP+DAC like the E17 or if you want to go cheaper get the E11(it is the same amp as the E17 but without a DAC). You can skip getting a E9 as it wont give as much benefits and would unnecessarily push you overbudget. This should cost you about 440$ if you buy from Amazon(New DT990 Premium 250ohm + Fiio E17 or E11, with the E11 you'll be in budget but will loose on getting a DAC. Or you can get a used DT990 Premium 250 ohm(check out the 4th listing that lists it as like new, if Amazon says it is like new it means it will impossible to differentiate it from a brand new one) with a E17 to stay within budget

I'm not sure if Frys sells it or not but I'd say to go with the BOSS R1100M amp. This subreddit will disapprove of it but it's $55 and will do what you want it to. Here it is on Amazon. I don't think you can do any better in that price range. Be careful not to blow the sub you get with it though. (If you get something rated lower) If you go with the pioneer, you're looking at $110 + $55 + $15 for wiring. Grand total of $180 for your subwoofer. You still have 120-170 left for a head unit so you should be able to get something nice. I would just try to save as much as I can on the stereo though & just put the money towards another mod/maintenance on your car. I'm guessing your plan is to just have your passenger to just put their feet on top of the subwoofer box? This could be risky (damaging it) but you don't know until you try it.

Here's another option for a compact sub if you want to save more money. I've heard good things about skar audio so maybe it's worth a try.

Skar audio sub 12" 2ohm

It's also 2ohm vs 4 on the pioneer so it'll be more efficient. There's a 10" version if you prefer that for $10 less.

http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R250X1-1-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HX8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462994649&sr=8-1&keywords=rockford+r250

This amp

That sib in the enclosure should work, but double check your behind the seats measurements.

http://www.amazon.com/KnuKonceptz-KCA-Complete-Gauge-Installation/dp/B0050I6KII

This wiring kit should work, you might have to trim it a bit and/or cut the length slightly to fit in your truck, but all that means is you can use ask that extra wire to do a big three! Menards sells some dope ass 8/6/4/2/0 terminals, they're silver and like five bucks for 2 but they are amazing. You can crimp them on with a bolt cutter (be gentle) and back fill with solder (electrical, not plumbing) to make secure connections. It's copper clad aluminum, so it poetically won't work well to upgrade to, say, 1000 watts, but for 300/500 it'll work.

Head unit is good.

I'm sure you did the research on the harness, but did you get a dash kit? You'll probably find it around the place you got the harness.

Same thing with door spekkers. Disconnect the rear pair though, you'll have better staging just using the front anyhow. In the future, you may wish to amp them, but for now they should be okay. Skip the kick panels, your probably not going to care much about the extra noise.

http://www.amazon.com/KnuKonceptz-Knoise-Kolossus-Deadener-100Mil/dp/B009KXF9MW

This sound deadener could make up for any missing volume I'm sure, but you probably won't need 30 sq ft, you might try they're 14 sq ft door kit. Make sure you clean the surfaces with alcohol and lint free towels first before applying it.

You could just skip that last one though, probably not worth it. .. but the Option is there.

So, in conclusion, measure, double check, triple check, then order.

Oh wise audiophiles,

Forgive me in advance for any ignorance, this is going to be my entry-level purchase into the hifi world. This is not necessarily a 'puchasing advice' inquiry, but more of a knowledge inquiry on what I need to power my setup. I'm looking at buying KRK Rokit 5 G3s and the Beyerdynamic DT770 250 ohms purely for near-field music listening (no producing, mixing, DJing, etc.) at my PC. I was recently gifted the Xonar DX 7.1 PCI sound card for my rig which I believe is a sufficient DAC for Rokit 5s (correct me if I'm wrong), but I'm unsure if I'm losing some quality by hooking my monitors in with an unbalanced line via an XLR or 1/4" TRS to 1/8" TRS. Further to that, the Xonar DX does not split to mono inputs so I would need an adapter to plugin directly to my soundcard. I do enjoy having an external interface to control my sound devices and a friend suggested I buy a mixer such as the Behringer XNYEX502 as another possibility.

First question: is it worth buying an external DAC/mixer for my Rokit 5s compared to using only a Xonar DX soundcard?

I also understand that they DT770s need an amplifier to be properly used. The recommendations I've researched typically consist of the fiio portable headphone amplifier series or the O2/ODAC JDS Labs combo. I do not need a portable amplifier as these headphones will live at my station and I have separate headphones for portability. The O2/ODAC combo sounds like a great piece of hardware, but at $279, they greatly exceed the price of my DT770s.

Second question: Are there other solutions that I can look into that aren't portable or expensive?

If the O2/ODAC combo is recommended and is worth the price in combination with the DT770s, then I'm perfectly fine making the purchase. Just want to be sure it's not overkill.

Now for the (longshot) third question: Since I'm potentially looking into both a DAC and a headphone amplifier, is there a piece of hardware that can satisfy both in one tool? Seems like I could find a way of mitigating the cost by purchasing a device that could be both a DAC/mixer for my Rokit 5s and a headphone amplifier for my DT770s. If not, is there a stack I could purchase that have similar designs that would look aesthetically pleasing on my station (I'm a fan of clean looking and matching hardware)?

Again, sorry for any groans I may have caused and thank you in advance for your expertise.

600 watt RMS amplifiers aren't as common, so they're usually a bit more expensive. The sweet spot for amplifiers in term of prices is 500 watts RMS (for entry level systems), so you'll be able to use your system at its loudest without worrying about frying your subwoofers, but your amplifier will run hot, since it will be at full power most of the time. Usually reputable amplifiers will be able to handle it though.

Here are two suggestions for 500 watts RMS:

Alpine MRV-M500

Rockford Fosgate R500X1D

Most people would rather overcompensate when it comes to the amplifier, so alternatively you could step down the power of the subs and go with two of these, and run your amplifier much cooler with the gain turned down a bit, which will prolong its life.

Basically it comes down these 3 options:

• Running a cheap amplifier hot while getting the same subs
  
• Running a cheap amplifier cool while changing subs and lowering power slightly
  
• Running an expensive amplifier optimally while getting the same subs
  
  Personally, I had the WXv2 subwoofers for 4 years, and they worked great. Plus, they're meant for sealed enclosures, and the W0v3s are meant for ported enclosures. Ultimately, it's your choice though! Hope I was of some help, and enjoy the system!

The Sennheiser HD598 DrAquafresh linked is a great pair of headphones. Super clear, very comfortable, with that nice Sennheiser warm sound. Two problems though: they benefit from an amp, which is difficult for making them truly portable, and they're open, meaning they let a lot of sound in and out.

So, if you can afford a cheap portable amp like this FiiO, and aren't in loud areas, they're definitely the best option for you.

If you need noise isolation, I highly recommend IEMs. They will isolate sound much better than any "noise cancelling" headphones, while actually producing high quality sound. I have to say: avoid Bose if at all possible. There are much better options for the same price. See this buying guide to find a pair of IEMs for you.

If you don't like the idea of IEMs, most closed headphones will be pretty good at noise isolation. That buyers guide has a bunch of options.

So I’m sort of new to the audio setup thing, but I recently bought the AKG 7xx on Massdrop:


https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones


And I also bought the Fiio E11 (that I can return):


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053KWDES/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


And I was wondering, should I get a better amplifier? The 7xx came with a large jack that looks like it goes into a guitar amplifier, while the E11 only has 3.5mm jacks ins/outs. I like the 7xx’s form factor and it’s very comfortable so I want to keep it, but I am not attached to the E11 at all and was wondering if I should replace it. Portability doesn't mean much to me, since I will use it mainly as an amp on my desk when I'm using my desktop.


Also, should I get a sound card for my desktop? Or is just plugging into 3.5mm jacks on my tower good enough for the most part? My budget is flexible but I want something that will do my current set of headphones justice.

• Budget - ~$200 - $300. Getting a headphone amp, if applicable, would factor into the price.
  
• Source - ASUS Xonar DS Sound Card. Mostly FLAC and MP3 320 CBR.
  
• Requirements for Isolation - None, there's little ambient noise around me, and what noise there is I don't mind seeping in.
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone - Full-sized, Over-Ear/Circumaural. I'll be wearing them most of my waking day so I'd like for them to be comfortable for the long term.
  
• Preferred tonal balance - As balanced/neutral as is possible, I do listen to a lot of bass heavy music, but that doesn't mean I want it to overpower the mids and highs.
  
• Past headphones - Sennheiser HD595, Shure E2, Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 Pro
  
• Preferred music - Electronica (IDM, Hardcore, Ambient, Chiptunes), Acoustic (Classical, Romance, Piano), Occasionally Rock or Folk (Tuvan throat singing because, why not?).
  
  A few headphones that have piqued my interest are:
  
  
• Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 Ohm - A few concerns are the need for a headphone amp and the curled cord. Also, it's reported to favor highs and lows. Great price though.
  
• Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro 250 Ohm/32 Ohm - The 32 Ohm version according to the reviews doesn't sound as good as the 250 Ohm versions.
  
• AKG K 701
  
  I don't want to replace my HD 595s with the newer HD 598s as the design flaws, and cheap plastic, still seem to be an issue. After about 7-8 years of daily but gentle use my 595s have cracked on both sides (not my picture, but similar damage) and now are only held together with duct tape =). Also, I wouldn't mind an upgrade - as long as it lasts a decade or longer.
  
  For the headphone amp, I was considering the Schiit Magni, but I'm open to suggestions.
  
  Thanks!

First, make sure to check all your resources before popping over to your local sound shop and letting them convince you to buy some overpriced shit.

Amazon and Ebay are your friends! Use crutchfield and sonicelectronix for info and standard pricing, then check Amazon/Ebay for the BIG discounts. Tell crutchfield or Amazon what you're driving and they'll give you a list of parts that fit.

Second, even with only listening to rock music, trust me you will want a small subwoofer to fill out your system. Nothing major, it doesn't have to blow your head off or anything. Just adds a little low end to balance out your sound.

So, if I were to build a decent budget system for your Ranger, this is what I'd do:

• Head unit (radio). Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC are really the only brands I would consider. Here's a decent Pioneer for the money. ~ $68
  
  
• You'll also need a wiring harness for your aftermarket radio to work in your truck. Not a big deal. ~ $4
  
  
• Okay, speaker time. Crutchfield says your truck has 5 1/4" in the doors, 6 1/2" in the kick panels and some random speaker behind the seat. For our purposes, let's say you just disconnect the rear speaker as it will be completely unnecessary. Here are some Rockfords for the doors that won't break the bank. ~ $62 / And here's some 6 1/2" Alpines for the kick panels ~ $62
  
  
• Subwoofer. Okay, now you may reach this point and say, "You know, I'll be fine with just this! Listen to how much better it sounds!" Trust all of us, a woofer is a good investment. For your purposes, I've tried to leave some wiggle room as far as budget goes to allow for a decent sub, box, amp and amp kit. A lot of these people will say build your own box, and if you're handy and would like to try, then go for it! I'm just not as averse to prefab as most people around here, so I say just find a decent prefab wedge box that will fit behind your seat. A little browsing and Bam! box and woofer. That's perfect for you. ~ $109
  
  
• Amplifier. You don't need anything crazy. Keeping with the Rockford theme, here's a decent 250w amp for that sub. ~ $103
  
  
• Amp kit. ~ $33
  
  And the grand total is: ~ $441 ($196 without the stuff for the subwoofer)
  
  Now, obviously you can play around with the pieces of this system for preference and price, but this was just what I could throw together in 20 minutes or so. Research, research, research. Half of this game is finding parts you like and reading/forming opinions about brands, etc. Hope I helped.

I'd definitely opt for the T440s over the T440p. The T440p is quite a fat system, at 1.3" thick. I mean maybe you're into thick stuff, but I find the T440s' 0.80" to be much more attractive. It's also half a pound lighter (or about the same weight when you config it with the 6-cell rear battery). Here's how I'd config one:

• 4th Gen Intel Core i5-4200U Processor (3MB Cache, up to 2.60GHz)
  
• Windows 8.1 64
  
• T440s 14.0 HD+ WWAN (1600x900) - Upgrading to the 1080p screen might be worth the $120, but that's a personal preference call you'd have to make
  
• Intel HD Graphics 4400 with docking connector
  
• 4 GB DDR3L - SDRAM 1600MHz Base (They want $80 for the 4GB upgrade to 8GB total, which you can do very easily yourself, aftermarket, for less than half that)
  
• 256GB Solid State Drive Serial ATA3
  
• ThinkPad Battery 3 cell Li-Polymer (23.2Whr) Front
  
• ThinkPad Battery 6 cell Li-Ion (72Wh) Cyl HC Rear
  
• 45W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
  
• Intel Dual Band Wireless 7260AC with Bluetooth 4.0 (upgraded WiFi b/c I'm sure at some point during the life of this sytem, you'll want to use the speed of AC, and it's only $30)
  
  Price: $1,164.60 when you sign in via the Barnes & Noble gold discount site (which you can create for free here: www.lenovo.com/barnesnoblegold)
  
  The only downside is the video performance would not be as good as the T440p with a discrete graphics card inside. The HD4400 will run Skyrim, but not very well. Here's a list of games and how they perform with the HD4400 and here's the GT730M for comparison. That's the trade-off really. There do exist systems that could game, somewhat portably, but I just don't think the GT 730m in the T440p is worth having to deal with such a heftier system. I think the durability, portability, and redongculous 14 and a half hour battery life (as tested by Laptop Magazine) outweigh some casual gaming. As far as audio quality goes, most laptops have the same internal sound cards. Fortunately there's some decent portable USB DACs on the market (like the Fiio E07K), if you're looking to upgrade your sound performance.
  
  Also keep in mind that the Lenovo Y40 is just around the corner (probably May?) if you're looking for something with some more gaming prowess that'll be in your sweetspot of portability. It won't have quite the durability of a ThinkPad, nor battery life, but its keyboard isn't far off from the ThinkPad's, and its gaming performance would be far more significant than anything a ThinkPad could offer.

A pair of these Pioneer Slim Prefab Subs and one Pioneer GM d9601 would cost about $475 with all the install wires.

Alternately a single prefab 12 & Pioneer GM d8601 would run maybe $275 or less with installation wires.

Another option is a prefab sealed box ($20-50) and a shallow woofer like the Sundown or Dayton UM. With a sealed box, I'd recommend two subs. I rock a single 12" Dayton UM in a small sealed and it sounds awesome, but it's not quite loud enough for some songs, and two sealed or a larger ported box would be ideal for a sub like this or the Sundown.

You mentioned $200, not sure what you meant. A good ported box could run over $200, as does a nice woofer. Dayton UM subs are good and under $200, but I'd recommend a ported box or TWO sealed boxes, plus the 12" models are sold out 'til May.

Subs- Sundown SA-12 $398
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003ZWBG7Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1415981560&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

Amp- Rockford Fosgate R1200-1D $233
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004T0YAMG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1415981758&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

Amp wiring- Knukonceptz 4awg $26
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0050I6KII/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1415981794&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

Head unit- Look for a Alpine UTE-42bt or 52bt on eBay. I picked my 42BT up for $80.

And I would recommend building a box to the specs of the Subs. Go to here and it'll tell you http://www.sundownaudio.com/index.php/products/subwoofers/item/sa-series.html

I know it's a little over budget, but it's the best of the best. If you would like I can adjust it. Your total should be around $737 and whatever the mdf costs. You could honestly just drop one of those subs and it cost you about $538 and still sound amazing.

OK, Here is what I would do. This will give you the flexibility to connect a variety of sources.

You will need to get an amplifier that can provide a "bridged" speaker output. A Bridged output will allow you to input a stereo signal (from your chromecast, projector, or other source) and output a mono signal to your speaker. Search Amazon for "Bridged amplifier". You will not need anything too powerful as you will only be driving a single 4 or 8 ohm speaker. This Rockford amplifier looks like it will fit the bill nicely, although at 150W it is probably more power than you need http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R150X2-2-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HY84/ref=sr_1_204?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1419695728&sr=1-204&keywords=bridged+amplifier

Replace the speaker and wiring, and possibly the volume control. An 8 ohm speaker is standard. Search amazon for "8 ohm speaker", and get one that matches the size of your current speaker.

For the volume control, it is simplest to adjust the volume from the amplifier, but if you want to keep the volume control in the housing, get a single turn resistor that will fit into the same mounting holes. I think this one is probably too physically large to fit, but you get the idea http://www.amazon.com/Single-Resistor-Control-Ceramic-Rheostat/dp/B00JR6GCSW

What I would do is turn the volume control switch into a switch for lights. This is not my area of expertise, but I would go to an automotive stereo store near you as they might be able to make some suggestions for how to mount some LEDs in between the speaker and the grille, and they will probably have a variety of options.

As for the projector, Benq right now is my favorite brand for quality vs price. I have used some of their consumer and professional projectors and been very happy.

Like people have said vinyl is a for those who love to tinker, and to hunt for that new record or upgraded component. If you just want to be able to listen to great sounding music and not worry about the stuff in the middle, download some FLAC files, buy a nice USB DA converter and enjoy, there is noting wrong with digital audio. If you still want to see what its all about, surf the craigslist list, get a turn table. then get a $30 pre-amp from Amazon, and a small headphone amp. the one i linked to actually has a built in USB DA converter so you can get your good sound card too. That will be the cheapest way to get in to vinyl, for just over $200 if you end up having to pay a high price for the turntable on craigslist list. those components i linked to with a decent vintage turntable and your nice headphones will sound great.

Pre-amp: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-PP400-BEHRINGER-MICROPHONO/dp/B000H2BC4E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1422075043&sr=8-4&keywords=phono+preamp

headphone amp: http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-111567-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00KVVX2QW/ref=sr_1_23?s=audio-video-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1422075678&sr=1-23&keywords=headphone+amplifier

This is the setup I am saving for. I don't have near the amount to spend on it, but it's a goal of mine to save enough. I want to set up a Turntable>Integrated Amp>Speaker station. Here it is:

U-Turn Orbit Plus ($309.00 USD) Or even a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon.

Mies i100 Integrated Amplifier ($312.18 USD) OR Marantz PM5005 Integrated Amplifier ($499.00 USD)

JBL LSR305 ($290.72 USD)

I'm thinking about spending $1,000-$1,500 which would be ideal for me. I really don't want powered speakers though, so can anyone recommend some passive speakers for around the same price? Any other suggestions would be nice.

Cheers!

At $200 you don't have a lot of options for Spotify capable DAPs as you surmised. An AMP/DAC would probably be the way to go if you're looking to put a little more juice into your current IEMs. FiiO is definitely well regarded in the price range you are looking at. I think the next best portable amp I see recommended regularly is the Oppo ha-2 at around $300 new. Like I said, I had buzzing with the my E18, but /u/AV3Nguyen didn't. I've seen others [claim to have this issue](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/5386ko/fiio_e18k_gsm_interference/ too, suggesting that it has to do with GSM networks, so it might not matter to you either way. Otherwise the E17K is a perfectly fine option. You'd even have the option to upgrade to the docking unit if you wanted. Your mileage may vary with all of this, of course, since a lot of IEMs aren't very power hungry. You might not notice much more than a bump in your potential volume, but it will future proof you should you want to pick up something that needs a bit more oomph.

The third option would be to put the money towards a slightly better phone with the features you want, unless there's a reason you'd prefer to have your music on a separate unit. The LG v10 and v20(not yet out) have good DAC/Amps, so those might be options if your carrier allows, though I don't know how much you were going to spend on the phone.

Yeah, they're probably fine. Check the seller's ratings to make sure that they've been positive. I don't know if you'll want the very cheapest one, but maybe a rechargeable one or something. For example, the Tiger one that is rechargeable, it's seller has a positive feedback of 100% of 963 customers. That's really fucking good. You'll want to look for at least 95% or above, and hopefully more than 100 customers minimum.

Also, if you want to use one of these, that's fine and all, but it's just an amp, not a DAC. Most of the time, you're really going to want both of those things. Seriously, look at this one. I have it, it works well.

http://www.amazon.com/E07K-Andes-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00A9LHLQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370971156&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+e07k

Normally you spend money on the front speakers and even go without rear 6x9's
That being said you can also save a few bucks on a 2 channel amp to run the just front speakers.

Shoving a pair of 6x9's in the rear dash when you have a 15 inch subwoofer in the trunk can sometimes be counter productive when you can leave the 6x9 rear speaker holes empty to allow the bass to more easily make it inside the cabin of the car.

Considering I have a round about estimate of your budget this is what I would do:

Sub amplifier:
https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R500X1D-1-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HYDE/ref=sr_1_48?ie=UTF8&qid=1468928854&sr=8-48&keywords=3+channel+amplifier

Subwoofer:
https://www.amazon.com/E-12-V-3-D2-Sundown-Subwoofer/dp/B01CZ4M9RA/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468929161&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=sundown+e12+d2

Subwoofer box:
https://www.amazon.com/Atrend-12LSV-12-Inch-Subwoofer-Enclosure/dp/B0013MWT12/ref=sr_1_10?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1468929607&sr=1-10&keywords=12+inch+subwoofer+box

Front speaker amp:
https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R150X2-2-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HY84/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468929435&sr=8-3&keywords=2+channel+amplifier

Front speakers:
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-DB651-Certified-Speakers/dp/B000P0PF9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468929479&sr=8-1&keywords=polk+audio+6.5

or if you can spring for a few more bucks:
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-DB6501-6-5-Inch-Component/dp/B000P0R6LQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468929479&sr=8-2&keywords=polk+audio+6.5

You will still need an amplifier wiring kit:
https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Rockford-Fosgate-Amplifier-Installation/dp/B00PB4BEE6/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1468929693&sr=8-12&keywords=amplifier+kit

Why do I recommend this setup?
For the money you are spending and the music you are listening to this will be the best value.

The 15 inch kicker subwoofer you picked is ok but the 12 inch Sundown subwoofer will play lower and hit harder in the proper box. Ive installed both of these subs in the past and the 12 inch Sundown is a phenomenal sub and the Kicker is no comparison.

Subwoofer box:
The subwoofer box you picked out isn't really that expensive when talking about the cost of a quality built sub box. However, the box you picked out is a small sealed enclosure. This will limit the really low frequencies your subwoofer could produce if in a larger box. A lot of the time it is better to opt for a smaller size sub in a larger ported enclosure for producing low frequencies such as rap and dubstep than a larger sub in a small sealed enclosure.

Amplifier:
You picked out two different amplifiers. The sub amp I recommended has a higher rms output rating and better quality components. The amp for the full range speakers has the same better specs. You also picked out a 4 channel amp which is a waste of money when you can get more out of a 2 channel amp. 2 channel amps can still power 4 speakers if wired properly. Although, I would suggest forgetting about upgrading rear 6x9's and upgrade the front stage.

Front speakers:
The front speakers I recommended are some of the best sounding speakers I have installed at their price point. The front speakers are the most important more over the rear speakers because that is where you are setting. I recommended the 6.5 because I believe those are the requirements for your car. If not then opt for the 5.25 of the same line

Note: I am a professional installer with 22 years of experience and have installed more systems than most people ever get to hear in a lifetime.

Here are some thoughts.

• I would go passives but I'm a big fan of changing out my gear. The ones that you mentioned are all active speakers for the most part. While they may be good I don't have that much experience with them.
  
  
• I would do what ctfrommn suggested or I if you want a 2.1 setup look at this
  
  
• Here is a sample of a 2.1 that you could do. BIC DV32 $60 and a Dayton Sub 800 $100 running through a Lepy 2020 $30, Lepai 2024 $20 or a Lepai 168 $35.
  
  
• Yep the amp choices above aren't great but if you're looking for something for your computer they should work just fine. I have used them for plenty of computer builds with not problem. The one good think about those little amps is they have tone controls. Yeah they don't work great but sometimes you can make things sound just a bit better using them.

I use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250ohms coupled with Schiit Magni and Modi for my headphone amp and digital/analog converter combo. The magni/modi combo is great for flat sound i.e doesn't add any extra sound qualities in the conversion or amplification (pro for some, con for others) and they power the 250ohm version of the DT-990 pros wonderfully. The DT-990 pros themselves are great metal headphones in my opinion. First off, they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever put on, I've worn them 8 hours a day for the past 2 months and sometimes forget they're even on. The soft velour earpads are fucking superb. Sound quality wise they're amazing as well. Massive soundstage, when I got them one of the first songs I played was Inside the Particle Storm- Dark Tranquillity and I was motherfucking blown away, and it doesn't hurt that they're good for FPS gaming as well. Amazing, punchy bass, but not overdone at all like you find in some DJ headphones. Good mids and nice highs. Some people find the treble on the dt-990s to be fatiguing but I've yet to come across that and even if I did I could get rid of the problem through the equalizer.

Basically, there's two components to think about. An amplifier takes power and audio input (as stereo RCA plugs or a 1/8th inch jack) and outputs amplified audio (almost always as binding posts or clamps for speaker wire). Speakers take amplified audio as input (again, as binding posts/clamps for speaker wire) and make noise.

Active or powered speakers just means that you're buying the amp and the speakers integrated as one unit. M-Audio AV40s are a good example of this. Scroll down and you can see a picture of the back of one speaker. Power cord, RCA inputs, and speaker wire output to the other speaker.

Passive/unpowered speakers mean you're just buying the speakers, and you need to buy an amp separately. A good example of this is the Micca MB42x and Lepai LP-2020. Again, look at the back of each one to get an idea of how they're connected.

If you want simplicity, go for a pair of powered studio monitors. However, what you trade off with that is upgradeability - because monitors are integrated all-in-one, you can't easily add to them later on.

If you want to go the component route, I'd recommend a 2.1 amp (meaning it has outputs for 2 speakers plus a subwoofer) such as the Lepai 168HA. Add in some unpowered bookshelf speakers like those Micca MB42x, and you've got a great system for less than half your budget. Depending on how much room you have on the floor near your desk, you can also add a subwoofer, either now or at some point down the road. The Dayton Audio SUB-800 for example is small enough to fit under a desk pretty easily, and would still be within your budget.

I made a separate post for this first before a kind user pointed me here so bear with me if you already saw this.

I've been hovering on the edge of deciding whether to invest in good headphones for awhile now and I need the final word in whether or not to do it. I own a pretty powerful desktop and do a lot of gaming; I also have hundereds of gigs of music and enjoy listening to all kinds daily. Quality is pretty important to me and I love it when a song can fully immerse me. I listen to many different genres ranging from alternative/rock to electronic/ambient. I currently own a pair of Grado SR 60i's right now and they do the trick for casual listening but I feel like I could be getting more. I did some reading and based on some reviews I picked out some new headphones along with some peripherals to enhance my listening experience. I would really appreciate it if you fellas would weigh in on my choices and let me know if I am making the right decision with my purchase.

Headphones- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042A8CW2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Sound card- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TMZ1BK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Amp/DAC- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005VO7LG6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A13BNE3P7C8THK

Is there anything I am missing? Something I am skimping on? Will the headphones suit my needs(in a head-fi article I read that 598's were great for gaming as well)?

I noticed some have advised replacing the DISH splitters with regular splitters. That may or may not be necessary; if it's an older dish system the splitters it used may be perfectly capable of splitting the signal from your antenna. On the other hand, if the dish had multiple LNB's on it then you probably will need to remove and replace all the Dish Network splitters. If you can post a good, clear picture of the splitter(s) we can probably tell you if they will need to be replaced.

However if you are in an area where all your received signals are a bit on the weak side then you may instead want to replace any splitters with an amplified splitter such as one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PI09SE?keywords=channel%20master%20splitter&qid=1449601660&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Note they come in 2, 4, and 8 port models so you can match the number of outputs to the number of TV's you are feeding. The idea is to eliminate the loss normally associated with splitting the signal. On the other hand, if all the signals you want to receive are very strong, then adding one of these would be overkill and you can just get by with a passive splitter. If you post a link to your TVFool report we can give you better advice on this.

There is a way to do it, yes, but it will be a bit more complicated than your description. I had a similar situation in my house when I cut the cord. I put the antenna in the attic with a distribution amplifier similar to this. The in-wall coax is definitely ok to use with either antenna or cable service.

One output of the amplifier was connected to a TV in a room immediately below. The other output went to the original cable which dropped through the walls to the basement where the original cable signal had come in. Another distribution amplifier there distributed the signal to four other rooms with TV jacks. (Note that the line from the antenna became the input signal to the basement amplifier; it was originally connected to one of the outputs.)

If your signals are strong and/or you don't need to split the signal at the antenna, you may not need the first distribution amplifier at the antenna.

This works well for all the TVs, getting about 35 channels. We are about 20 miles from most of the TV transmitters.

Hope this helps!

Someone lit the TSR signal, and thus I am here :P

I bought the Aura bass shakers and a Lepai LP-168HA 2.1 2 x 40-Watt Amplifier. My Bass shaker is rated for 50W, where the Lepai amp only comes with a 3A PSU, so I picked up a 6A PSU on the recommendation of someone in this subreddit, and it's been working fine (hasn't burned up or anything). I'm currently attaching it to a ford cobra seat, but just from the limited test use I've done so far, it works great. Definitely shakes my entire apartment when I turn it up.

The entire kit came out to about $90 after shipping, which I figured was a great price. I've seen someone recommend getting 4 amps and 4 transducers and mounting them on the corners of my seat, then running SimVibe to simulate each wheel independently, but I haven't tried that personally. Nor have I tried the actual brandname buttkicker, so I can't say how this solution compares. But I will say it adds a huge amount of immersion to Assetto Corsa.

EDIT: Oops, forgot the parts list:


AuraSound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile Transducer by Aura Sound - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ZPTBI/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_VjzVtb1MV70BA

Lepai LP-168HA 2.1 2 x 40-Watt Amplifier and 1x68W Sub Output by Lepai - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070Z87YO/ref=asc_df_B0070Z87YO3169620?smid=A385A0XNQBW8HY&tag=pgmp-401-100-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395109&creativeASIN=B0070Z87YO

12v 6a Adapter Power Supply for LCD Monitor with Power Cord by LCD AC Power Adapter - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TUMDWG/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_tlzVtb1TKD73K?tag=viglink20241-20

I had it professionally installed but they had it done pretty fast and didn't complain too much about the install. As far as how hard does it hit, I have a RF 800x1 amp (at 2 ohms) running to it and it hits really nicely down into I'd say 50hz or a little lower. About half the time I run it by itself and half the time I throw in a RF 12" in bandpass that is ported realllly low and that hits really nice down into the 30hz range or lower (and the amp does about 1200w into this 1 ohm load). I think it really depends on the type of music you listen to. If you listen to a lot of rock or jazz or 4-4 edm like trance or house the 10" JL is great by itself. If you are really a bass head and listen to a lot of dnb or hip hop or old school "bass" music like I do and really want to pound, it might not quite be low enough or loud enough. But I do think it's probably the loudest single 10 on the market, or close, and the advantage of the single 10 in the front is the back seats can fold down for camping. If you put enough watts to it it really is an insane amount of bass for so little airspace. But yea, half the time I augment it with a 12" in a bandpass with one of the two ports blocked so it's tuned lower (as weird as all of this sounds) to really fill in that rumble.

edit: PS for the element I ended up installing 6.5" RF separates with the tweeters surface mounted. This pair: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008IB8RD0/ very loud and the tweeters can be angle mounted. I'll post a pic of the angle mounted tweeters when I get a chance, one of the best setups I've heard in a vehicle.

edit2: Rockford fosgate tweeter surface mount in Honda Element https://i.imgur.com/Zc7ejwt.jpg

Lets talk some talk.

Good

Better

Best

Going with "Good" you're looking at a simple subwoofer upgrade.
You're going to need about 500+ Watts RMS to overcome your back seat. Then You're looking at a ported box with maybe a 12" or 2-12" subs that can each handle good power. Lets go with amazon's stuff and a Single 12" for good measure.

The Rockford Fosgate P3D4-12 @ $130
http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-P3D4-12-1200-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B004UFHXNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464050827&sr=8-1&keywords=Rockford+fosgate+p3

An Atrend Box the 12SQV $65 http://www.amazon.com/Single-Vented-Square-Box-Enclosure/dp/B0007XV5G8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464050938&sr=8-1&keywords=12sqv

The Rockford Fosgate R500X1D Prime Amp @ $120
http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R500X1D-1-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HYDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464051007&sr=8-1&keywords=r500x1d

A REAL COPPER 5 Ga Wire Kit: XD-ACS60 $58 http://www.amazon.com/JL-Audio-XD-ACS60-Amplifier-Connection/dp/B0041MU7B0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464051265&sr=8-1&keywords=xd-acs60

A PROPER Line Out Converter LC2i $68
http://www.amazon.com/AudioControl-2-Channel-Converter-Subwoofer-Control/dp/B01EDFPNSG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464051367&sr=8-1&keywords=LC2i

So, This is the MINIMUM for just adding one sub, Without going with the crap out there.

You are currently at $441 of your $800 Budget Limit.

Lets calculate installation.

1. Amplifier Installation: $120
   
2. Line Out Converter Installation: $72
   
3. Load/Wire Subwoofer into Box: $24
   
4. Disable ANC: $48
   
   Labor is going to be around $264
   
   Labor + Parts = $705
   
   I have no idea how to make your car better with $95 except maybe put some sound deadening in your trunk.
   
   Keep in mind, these prices are at AMAZON's.... Not retail.
   
   $700-800 Sounds like a lot, until you realize that GOOD Labor isn't cheap.
   
   If you think that's expensive, Go ask your dealership how much it costs to replace your alternator... JUST your alternator.
   
   
   

Wow thanks for the quick reply much appreciated! Yeah Elite is one of the main reasons for getting this. I already have a DK2 and HOTAS so this is kind of the cherry on top for immersion lol. I don't know a whole lot about sound but I am above average with computers and quite handy with tools so I'm sure I will get it all going nicely. Thanks again for your advice I think it has pointed me in the right direction. A couple more questions though;

How important is the crossover? I'm looking at this one here http://www.amazon.ca/Lepai-2x40W-Amplifier-1x68W-Output/dp/B0070Z87YO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417740400&sr=8-1&keywords=Lepai+LP-168HA it's a little more but has a built in crossover, and some extra power, worth it?

My soundcard driver panel has an LFE crossover frequency thing outlined here http://www.manualslib.com/manual/414988/Asus-Xonar-Dsx.html?page=40 maybe this is enough and I don't need to spend the extra money on the other amp? Not that the few extra bucks will make or break it for me. Thoughts?

I have the Xonar DGX soundcard and I only use Headphones if that makes any difference in what to get or how to set it up.

I prefer Sound Blaster Z/ZxR's surround to Dolby. Dolby tends to sound like a tin can where the Z/ZxR sounds more natural in a gaming situation. Altho since I've gotten better gear and developed a more sensitive ear I might just look into some type of crossover system that basically combines the Left and Right channels by a small percent to remove the hard left/right panning when gaming. That is basically all Dolby Headphone and Sound Blaster Surround does is just combine the two channels and throw the effects in a way that sounds more spacious.


If you're going with such a nice pair of cans like the K702's I'd go this route:

Sound Blaster Z

Schiit Modi Optical

Shiit Magni


You're going to spend $200 on the ZxR why not just get the Z a amp/dac that will last you for decades. A Schiit stack looks amazing, sounds amazing, is made in the US and has a 5 year warranty + 15 day satisfaction. The Modi Optical isn't in stock but I asked their CS the other day and they are shipped some to Amazon so they should be in stock very soon.


Your setup will look like this with the Z and Schiit amp/dac:



Sound Blaster Z > Optical cable > Modi > RCA's > Magni > Headphones.


If you go that route you get all of the benefits of the Z sound card (surround, EQ, etc) but get to bypass their lower quality amp/dac and use your own which will last much longer and sound much better.

Well, according to a quick google search it looks like a really nice watch.

As far as turntable recommendations, it's hard to say without knowing how much you spend and how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. You say don't know much about vinyl - is it something you think you'll really get into? Or is it something that you think will be a part-time interest to you.

I'm not saying that to be elitist, there's no right or wrong answer. But it helps to put some thought into now so that you can "future-proof" your purchases.

For much less, this and this will blow away what you listed. Pro-ject and Marantz are two top-tier names in home audio, and while this is sort of cookie-cutter and mid/entry level to snobs like me, I guarantee the average person will be very impressed by the sound it puts out.

Just to push the envelope, for example, if you're looking to spend a little more, the Clearaudio Concept (for about $1200) is often hailed as one of the better record players under $3k. But it's very far from user friendly, and while it's worth every penny I wouldn't recommend it to a hobbyist. And, truthfully - the average listener will hear very little difference between this and the Clearaudio. But to somebody like me? Hell ya, worth every extra penny.

So it's your call my man. I'd do your research a bit, and stay away from "all-in-one" kits. For even $2k, you can get a very nice turntable and receiver that would make a lot of people jealous.

I see. You will need to get an extra amp if you decide on getting an external dac, but why is that not the case if you buy an internal sound card? Also is this a good choise for a noob audiophile like me, or are there better combos for under 100$? Thank you for the excellent explanation btw.

That conversation can go so many different ways...

Google can point you at a number of 'best amps for vinyl' lists. Many will have built-in preamps (and hopefully decent ones if they make it to that kind of list).

If you want to stay in the 'good bet and available on Amazon' mold, I had considered something like a Marantz PM5005. It's not trying to be a home theatre, it's not trying to be a radio, it's just a solid amplifier without a lot of bells and whistles. You can plug the turntable right into it (so you don't need the preamp).

If you felt like going vintage (or at least second hand), the amp can be a safer bet than a turntable sometimes, and if you happen to be in the Seattle area I can probably hook you up. PM me if you want more info.

Grab the Monoprice amp from Newegg. $100ish. Great sound for price, mine died fast, but I'm in the minority there.

Grab a Modmic. $60ish. Absolutely fantastic.

And, the headphones themselves..... HD 599s. Decent price, good sound, absolutely atrocious looks. And a removeable cable.

You can upgrade all of this (except the modmic, that's basically perfect) for even better, but there's a good start.

I'm currently working on sourcing and testing all the "external sound cards" I can get my hands on (i.e., DAC/AMP with mic pass-through) but I don't have full data there yet.

my previous post was wrong, sorry. it appears to NOT be the same as the k702.

various places say it comes with an adapter from 1/4 to 3.5 (which is what you need). for example, expand the Q&A section - dig down to http://www.amazon.com/this-laptop-accessory-need-Thanks/forum/Fx2DFM1I2D6PFWZ/Tx312LIISGRN9SD/1/ref=cm_cd_ql_tlc_al?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B000EBBJ6Y the adapter will look like this http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-3-5mm-Stereo-6-35mm-Adaptor/dp/B003R70OA4 (but a bit prettier).

those adapters are large, a nuisance, and can put a strain on sockets. you're better off with one of these - http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-MHE100-5-Headphone-Adapter-Extension/dp/B000068O6B - or similar, which has a flexible cable in the middle.

ps amazon currently have the k702 cheaper than the k701 by the looks of things. they're the same headphone, basically, but black (arguably not as nice looking), and the cable is the other way round - a small plug with an adapter to make it larger - which makes a lot more sense.

pps on the amp... these headphones are not very sensitive, so tend to need amplification. but it depends on taste and your computer and may not be necessary. so you might want to start without one and see how you like it. anyway, there are many to choose from. search for "headphone usb dac" (these actually include a dac, which converts from digitial to analogue, and so replace the sound card in your computer, as well as being an amplifier). i own an audioengine d1 and am pretty happy with it, but amazon don't seem to have that. here's an example of what i found on amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E10-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005VO7LG6

if you search here for "headphone dac" or "headphone amp" you'll find lots of discussion, i suspect.

awesome. I didn't know much about them but just did a little research and that sounds like a pretty good idea. Do you know what the difference would be between using a DAC compared to just the sound card?

EDIT: I was looking around reading forum posts and reviews and came across this. Any good?

/r/audiophile is a great resource.

If you want to keep the price low, I bought an Asus Xonar DG, which has a headphone amp built in. Huge improvement in sound quality over the built-in audio on my mobo. Obviously this is only for desktops.

If you have a laptop, you would get an external unit, like the Fiio E10, which is a combination DAC and headphone amp.

These are both low priced options that are pretty great for the money. As I'm sure you're aware, the sky's the limit for how much you want to spend on audio gear.

that means you need to get a better amp, also for the love of god dont buy a prefab box... pay a friend to build one if you have to. the box is the most important part of your install.

EDIT: this amp will be better than that jl anyday just set your gains right and you will be fine

http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-Prime-channel-Amplifier/dp/B004T166L8

7506 @ $70 is a wonderful price. I say keep them and enjoy them until they're noticeably getting older. If you're new to headphones you will not be disappointed.

I will suggest investing in a udac to improve the sound quality from your computer. These honestly do make a huge difference. I've heard good things about the nuforce udac2.

Hmmm...

Yea I was considering my options and I could get a single 600W RMS P3 12" (with nice ported box) for $179. Or I could get two P1 12" that are rated at 500W total RMS for $220-ish.

The first sub I'd never really be able to push to it's full potential with the amp I want. The Fosgate R500X1D is a sweet little amp for $120 bucks. It's rated at 500W RMS, but the certification sheet that comes with most of them is bench-rating them at 620-640 RMS. Now, I'd never want to push it more than 520W both for my cars sake, and for the amps sake, so the first single 600W sub option would never really be used to it's full potential.

The dual P1's I could probably make better use of that 520W was my thinking. 80W might make all the difference on that P3... I wish I could test both XD

The HD598 is good, but I'd also look into the AD900X if you liked your old headphones. The bass and treble extension should be much better, and the soundstage will remain very nice and open.

A good amp/dac to consider is the FiiO E07K which has EQ settings for bass and treble, so you can flavor your music even more to your tastes.

I don't even use the base because the battery pack gets in the way.

So I can't find the 32hom version anywhere but I did find some deals for the 80 ohm, cheap enough that I could get a portable amp, such as this.

The prices I found were:

used

refurb

used a few times - - looks like 250ohm, better?

wholesale from China

Any you recommend trusting or not trusting? Any other places you would recommend?

As /u/MasterBettyFTW pointed out, you might want to take a look at a Headphone Amplifier. A relatively inexpensive amplifier that you can hook up to your PC would be the Fiio E10. I'm no expert, but this is only one of the few that I've personally tried out and was pretty happy with. I'm sure the other veterans here will have better suggestions.

Goodluck!

Parts list:
Woofa
Amp
ANL Fuse Holder
Ground Terminal
8AWG wire
Carpet

Combined with some wire I had on hand for the speaker and 12v connections - I like southwire for price/performance.
All connections crimped, soldered, and marine heatshrinked.
I tapped into an open KOEO fuse on the trunk's fusebox for the amp remote line. Unfortunately this means the sub turns on and off with the key, not the headunit, but I'm fine with that.
Wired the voice coils in parallel to end up with a 2ohm load.
Box internal volume is 10.5"x12"x18" - about 1.3 cubic feet. Image Dynamics recommends 1 cu. ft. in a sealed box, but 1.8 cu.ft. for "audiophiles" in a sealed box. I'm assuming that the audiophile in this case just means if we're going for only sq and not spl? I split the difference to end up with 1.3 cu. ft.
Running at 500w RMS it's pretty dang solid. Actually got off my butt and set the gain with a meter and 50Hz tone and not just by ear like I usually do.
My big challenge is that I need to figure out how to adjust or bypass the stock sub crossover from the OEM headunit/gateway. It's way too low, and I have a big ~40Hz hole in my bass. If anyone has insight as to how that works on the w211 Harmon Kardon system I'll be in your debt. Haven't dug into it yet.

$500 or under will be nearly impossible for a system with a headunit with built in navigation unless you go with used gear.

This is what I'd go with on a budget of $1,000.

Headunit $650

Box $135

Sub $73

Amp $115

Total is $973. It should end up a little over $1,000 after you buy your wiring harness and wiring kit, and I'm not sure if you need an expensive dash kit for that car. The new headunit should improve the sound of your stock speakers by giving you a lot more eq options so you can shape the sound to your liking. I added the sub because bass is usually what causes distortion in stock speakers, so with a sub you can change your crossovers on your headunit so your speakers only play your mids and highs and the sub handles your lows, which should also help to clean up the sound.

If you're not set on navigation though I'd suggest you get a different headunit. You can get a unit with comparable features minus navigation for half the price. I normally listen to my music from my phone with bluetooth and google maps just plays through the speakers telling me where to turn. Works really well for me since my unit doesn't have nav.

Well, the HD 558's are actually fairly easy to drive to adequate volume levels, but they benefit from a headphone output or amplifier with low output impedance - from the reading I did, it seems like the output impedance of the Xonar DG is fairly high.

If you're upgrading, you could go for something external with a DAC, like the Fiio E07K.

That said, expect the differences between the DAC and your sound card to be fairly subtle - at most you can expect bass that is a bit tighter and tidier. The HD 558's are fine headphones, but aren't in any way what I would consider high end.

(Also: Your question would probably have been better in /r/headphones)

I don't know if this is the cheapest or simplest option, but you could have chromecast audios at the receiver, TV, and PC ($35 x 3 = $105). This would allow you to turn on/off media for the three systems from any device with chromecast support, and you could set up a Plex server if you want to use your own library of content in addition to streaming sources.

Issues:

Can you give the model numbers for the TV, receiver, soundbar, and PC speakers? That would probably be easier than listing their inputs and features individually.

How do you connect the TV to the soundbar? If it doesn't accept multiple inputs, you'll have to go through the TV, which could be a problem.

For the PC speakers, you'll probably need a y-splitter to combine the PC and chromecast inputs so you don't have to switch between them.

The two-zone receiver is trickier, because I don't know how you could control A/B/A+B from your phone or PC. If that level of control is a deal-breaker, then it might be easier to get something like this for the second zone, which requires another chromecast as well ($105 + $35 + $25 = $165).

I've been thinking about doing something similar (3 amp+speaker systems in different rooms), and this is the simplest solution I've been able to find.

I've been thinking about doing this for a while, just because I want to be able to display some custom gauges. You'd need a good touch screen + an install kit + a wiring adapter at the very least. For me, I'd also get something like this since the audio output quality from a Rpi has received mixed reviews at best. Then you'd need to figure out the best software to use, which I'm not very familiar with yet.

If you don't want to get into anything custom, a Pioneer Appradio would be much easier and probably cheaper too: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/ch.AppRadio.Compare

Yep, you'll pick up the split. That's where getting the antenna up as high as you can and doing everything you can to minimize signal attenuation after it hits your antenna comes into play, because you're not receiving either broadcast at full strength with a directional or yagi antenna at that point.

I actually came up with a solution at my grandpa's house (one of my earlier antenna installs) because I was running into so much signal loss in his older home with the way the attic was finished off, with chicken wire embedded in the old plaster: an antenna array. I used two antennas, one pointed north and one pointed west, that run into a splitter/combiner. THAT did the trick, after a year of dicking around with different aerials and positions in the attic following the initial digital broadcast transition. Trick was that feedlines to the splitter/combiner have to be EXACTLY the same length so there's no interference. I found out later on when I got my amateur radio license that this is something done commonly with ham radio setups, but you don't see it often with TV antennas. Since then, I've borrowed from my ham radio knowledge pretty heavily for OTA TV antenna installs and it's been very valuable.

Now, if you're ever looking to serve more than those two TVs, you'll need this. This is a little lower end model, but does the job just fine for 90% of people. No need to go with an Arris just for OTA TV. Love 'em and will absolutely use 'em when they're left behind by the cable company, but they're not necessary in most cases.

In the near future of buying some pc stuff and other peripherals, i came across a thought of "which DAC for my dream speakers should i use?" So I plan on getting these sweet puppies:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H0MQYW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=17VDCKL4LO5IJ&coliid=I5C4DPHEWA9D4
But obviously to get the best sound, I'll need a DAC or an amplifier.
Here's some I have in mind:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IPH5H2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=17VDCKL4LO5IJ&coliid=I1S7F043SU6CQK
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5FRNS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=17VDCKL4LO5IJ&coliid=I1FYZ24Y1G14AO
Help me choose? i want to get a good DAC but I really want to get the cheaper option. HEALP

EDIT: Here's the original thread for better formatting.

Honestly the mix amp and the fiio e10k most likely wouldn't output enough power to power anything over 64 ohm. Your best bet would be to get this monoprice amp that's $10 more then the fiio but is rated to power 16 to 600 ohm headphones with a gain selection. This would at least help future proof you for any headphones you get in the future. I hope this helps.


Monoprice desktop amp:

Monoprice Desktop Headphone Amplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVVX2QW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_g0LQCbY27BTDN

Okay, great! Thanks for the response! This sounds like an excellent thing to do while still planning for the Nexus.

Question though. Once I get my Nexus installed, how do I connect the Subwoofer to the speakers? This is the USB DAC I was planning on getting. How should I wire this up?

Nexus > USB OTG > USB DAC... then what? Is has Coaxial out and Line out. Would I just run a 3.5mm> RCA converter, then put splitters on those to get all my speakers? Then how do the subs connect to the speakers?

Sorry, I'm so confused and stressed about this. I already have the Nexus and really would like to just have it in and done.

I have a pair brainwavz b2 and I think they sound great. I use a e11 amp with them, but they sound pretty good out of the box as well. Also the cable looks cool

Yep Schhiit dac and amp are fantastic and the HE400 is as well. Can't go wrong with that combo!


Schitt Modi


Hifiman HE-400

Getting into magnetic planar speakers will get you into a whole other class of audio.

Magnetic planar speakers love power so a Magni wouldn't be bad either but that's over the $500 mark but it's not really required. Also the modi have rca outputs so you'll need something like this http://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Stereo-Female-Y-Cable-6-Inch/dp/B000I23TTE

EDIT:Skip the modi and just get a Fiio E10 Sorry screwed up on the dac deal but the HE-400 is still worthy by and the Fiio E10 will perform as a good dac and amp.

I agree with pagonda, I'd return them.

I went to best buy about 2 weeks ago and bought the 6.5" kicker speakers for my 01 and they were great. I have an alpine head unit and the sound difference is night and day. I have the same setup in my 06 LJ too. If I can make one suggestion for the subwoofer. I got a single 10" shallow sub and it bumps pretty hard. It was the Rockford Fosgate shallow 10 and I recommend really highly. Amazon has it for cheap, get an after market head unit, decent sized amp, and power the one speaker. You'll never get clipping or static. The amp won't over heat (as long as you get the right ratings)

This sub

And this amp

You should definitely get an amp for those. Something like the Fiio E11? (I'm sure others can chime in with better suggestions).
Also, don't forget to let them burn in.


In terms of gaming, you want an open headphone since they give wider soundstage.
If you need a mic, Modmics are popular or you can get a desktop mic.

With all that being said, DT770s are definitely an upgrade over most if not all gaming headsets so enjoy!

Tek Syndicate also have videos relating to this topic

I think you should consider getting a USB DAC along with the speakers. Even something simple like this would add a lot to your enjoyment of those speakers:

http://www.amazon.com/NuForce-uDAC-2-Black-Headphone-24bit/dp/B003Y5FRNS

Edit:

These will absolutely crush those Audioengine speakers - i'm using these in my office system and with a good source they make for an EXCELLENT hifi solution. Until you start getting into $2-3k active monitors you can't find much that will keep up with these QUADs.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1314806562&/QUAD-11L

edit again: Looking again, those aren't the active variant of those speakers, so they won't really work for you unless you get an amp setup. If you can find some 11L-Active speakers and a decent DAC, though, you'd be set.

how much power are you looking to push? a sundown sa-12 is in that price range. the Rockford p3's are known for their nice low bass while still being nice and responsive. jl's I've found to be super overpriced. sub comparison for the p3 and w3. IMO, I'd choose the p3 and a really nice custom box. id also recommend the rf r500x1d to wire at 2 ohms

That's still for a computer, though. Looks too big to fit in your pocket. [This] (http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B003N0XDT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344016364&sr=8-1&keywords=Fiio+e7) however would be good if you really wanted to take your huge ass audiophile headphones on the go and have them sound good. More than anything, I find that my headphones (Sennheiser HD 380s) are just too big to walk around with.

But if the device used to play is a computer, then Arve ,your comment looks pretty awesome.

This was what I was running before I purchased a receiver: LP2020A+ Amp and Dayton Audio B652

This is only 2.0, but it sounded great and it was less than $100.

You would most likely need something like this if you plan on getting a passive subwoofer, or this if you plan on running a powered subwoofer.

I highly recommend anyone new to home audio head over to /r/zeos and then /r/hometheater

Never seen that website before. That would be a bit overkill. The speakers look good tho.

If you're looking to save money you can go with something like this.
Amp
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BF6HY84/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1502328240&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=2+channel+amplifier&dpPl=1&dpID=510stvQfv1L&ref=plSrch
Speakers
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000P0PF9G/ref=mp_s_a_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1502328354&sr=8-23&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=6.5+coaxial+speakers

Now if you go that route you'll need an amp install kit. Knu koncepts of very well loved here. I have this same kit in my car.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005CIJBKK/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502328557&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=knukonceptz+4+gauge&dpPl=1&dpID=51T-yGZf9YL&ref=plSrch

This will give you plenty of wire for when you add the sub + amp.

8 ohm is not so much special as it is uncommon in car audio. your home speakers are going to be around 8ohm but most car audio subs are 2ohm or 4ohm. so here is a very cheap but good car audio amp: http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R500X1D-1-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HYDE/ref=sr_1_4?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1406508052&sr=1-4

this amp will do 300W at 4 ohm or 500W at 2 ohm. at your 8 ohm speaker this amp will do around the 150W range at best. so your sub is rated at up to 500W. this amp will run this sub for now and if you ever want to upgrade in the future you will have 500W at 2ohm to play with.

if an amp can produce 1,000W on a 1ohm speaker if you hook a 2ohm speaker to it that amp will then produce around 500W. if you attach a 4ohm speaker to it that amp can then produce 250W of power to that sub. if you hook your 8ohm sub to it that same 1KW amp can dish out around 125W of power to that sub. roughly

I would recommend you buy a fiio andes.

http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E07K-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00A9LHLQ6

It is powerful enough and you won't really be missing out on anything.

At any rate, you are always better off buying better headphones and getting a good enough amp than buying ok headphones and getting an all-star amp.

It depends, what are you gaming on?

If you're on PC, you won't have any trouble but to get the best you need an amp or dac. You can find that for cheaper at other places, it's just one that I had on the top of my mind since I know it's a good one.

I actually use an expensive (For me) Sony pair of headphones and a clip-on Zalman Mic (Recommended to me).

Yeah, sorry about sounding condescending. It's kinda hard not to when talking about something related to a product that one bought.

Tough first build I hope it comes out sick.

I’d suggest stretching the budget a hair and getting Image Dynamics ID10’s

Or going a hair bigger on the enclosure and getting image Dynamics ID12’s

They’re nice budget SQ-ish subs that do well in sealed enclosures.

Feed them with about 750watt amp at 1 ohm and they’ll sound very nice.

Something like this or this
Or this

Would pair up nicely

Ported isn’t going to work in that amount of space.

My vote goes to this Soundqubed sub and either this Fosgate amp, this Alpine amp, this Kenwood amp, or this Pioneer amp. All those amps are good brands and will be decent. As for the box, make your own. Shouldn't cost more that 50. Also will need wires, KnuKnoceptz makes great wire for cheap, this 8 guage ofc wire kit that would match up perfectly with all these amps is like 34 bucks for quality wire. Sadly all this will add up somewhere around 300 but if you find the amp used you might be able to slide under 250. If you go used make sure you get a quality brand. Don't skimp on the box or wire either, they are both just as important as a good amp and sub combo.

Budget - ~100-150£ (could push it a little for and EXCELLENT deal in amazon if you find one)

Source - FiiO E10 that I still haven't bought, so it could be changed

Isolation - As much as possible, as I will be using the headphones at work

Prefered type - full-sized

Preferred tonal balance - probably overall balanced sound. No idea, really

Past headphones - Denon AH-C360, Sennheiser PX100, so nothing major. Didn't like that Sennheisers were on-ear, hence new choices (denon and now full-sized)

Preferred Music - classical music (eg Tchaikovsky, Mozart string quartets, etc.) , Jazz (big band), classical jazz (Coltrane, Miles Davis, Monk, etc.) funk (Jamiroquai,..), metal (classical? eg. Iron maiden, ozzy) , rock (AC/DC, doors, ..), electronic/hip-hop (e.g. Tosca, Nujabes, etc.) - a full palette ;)

Location - UK



Unfortunately I wasn't able to listen to any of the headphones, but the two most obvious choices seem to be either Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro-80ohm or Sennheiser HD 380 Pro (links for prices, etc.) Which ones should I choose?

I'm not sure I particularly care about very heavy bass, especially with all the classical music I'm listening to. It should be fun with funk / electronic and similar though..

Oh and comfort is of high priority!

What would be your recommendations? Any is advice appreciated!

For those who are interested, the cans are V-Moda Crossfade LPs that can be picked up on Amazon for half price from retail (my particular pair are Gunmetal, but they come in other colors). The ear shields on the sides are interchangeable and can be custom ordered and laser engraved from the official V-Moda website in various colors, and this is the image I used for engraving... cost around $50 for the custom etching if memory serves correctly.

On the nerdier side of audio, the headphone amp/DAC (digital audio converter) combo sitting on the left is a portable FiiO e07k Andes, all being played from a Google Nexus 10.

Out of the box, the LPs are a bit bassy (or "muddy" as some people call it), but using an amp really cleans everything up, in my personal opinion, and pushes the cans to their potential. For those who don't really consider themselves "audiophiles" or whatever you want to call it, headphone amps make a pretty big difference on mid - high range audiogear... near night and day in my opinion.

Hope this answers any questions about the set up! :D

Rule of thumb, you get what you pay for and if it’s too good to be true it probably is.

Example boss claiming 1100 watts for $44.99 when others are selling 1000 watts for $180 or 1200 watt for $330 should be a big red flag that something isn’t right with that boss. That’s not to say you can’t get a deal on an amp that’s worth a damn or that you need to pay extra for a name it’s just an example that some things are to good to be true. That “1200 watt” boss amp would be lucky to make 400 watts on a good day.

I agree with the other commenter, don't go with that one. The good amps are CEA-2006 rated for the power they advertise. Other amps may say they can put out a certain power but it may not be true.

​

This link is for a Rockford Fosgate (name brand) amp that puts out 300W+ RMS at 4 ohms. I have a RF 1200 watt amp and its birth sheet said it really is capable of 1250W of clean RMS power. If you get this one, it will have something similar, it may be certified for 520W (@ 2 ohms) or something, which would be over 300W RMS for 4 ohms.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_67758_Rockford-Fosgate-Prime-R500X1D.html

https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R500X1D-1-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HYDE/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=car+audio+amplifier&qid=1555008509&s=gateway&sr=8-6

​

This amp is Alpine, good brand, I've owned one in the past, but allows speaker level inputs if you need to do that.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_76304_Alpine-MRV-M500.html

This one is a Kenwood amp that also puts out 300W RMS, but it costs more than the RF and Alpine ones above

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_69691_Kenwood-KAC-5001PS.html

Personally, I don't bother with high-quality music on the go, but Fiio makes some affordable headphone amps that are the same size as a phone like this.

Schiit is an American company that makes excellent headphone amps and DACs but will be primarily for desktop use due to size.

Just so you know, a headphone amplifier is only necessary for phones that have a high impedance (the sum of resistance in the headphone's circuitry). From my own experience, my Sennheiser HD598 with an impedance of around 50 ohms does not require a headphone amp (one does help a little bit but it's not night and day), while the higher level Sennheiser HD650 (300 ohm impedance) definitely requires an amp to sound "good".

I don't really know much about IEM or Closed Headphones (my HD598 is an open-end design) which is what you would probably want for listening on the go.

I got the Prime 500x1 and it’s pretty solid. Good sound and the spec sheet say it’s pushing over 600 watts. Seems like a good value for about $130...


Rockford Fosgate R500X1D Prime 1-Channel Class D Amplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BF6HYDE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NgG3Db1MM47Y2

Thanks, that does look like a good option. How would this NuForce compare? It seems to have the save 24bit/96kHz spec and I like the fact that it has a headphone jack.

I've got the FiiO E17K which can currently be found at $100 @ amazon.

It's great for my needs. I mostly use it with the desktop at work and with my Asus Transformer everywhere else. With the Transformer I usually deactivate the charging function so the DAC won't drain the laptop battery. As for headphones, I have the ATH-MSR7.

I don't really like using it with my phone as I find it quite uncomfortable to carry around both the phone and the DAC/AMP. And this is regardless of the size of it, it's just having two things with me... Meh, don't like. And the phone output from my Nexus 5 is more than decent (that's also because my headphones are very easy to drive, only 35ohm).

What I really like about this DAC/AMP is that it has a small equalization thingie (not like most of the devices which usually just have a bass boost switch). It provides +/- 10db of bass and treble in steps of 2db. For some reason, tweaking the EQ from the DAC instead of the PC player sounds better (maybe I'm just bad at EQ-ing). It also has two gain steps +6db and +12db. The overall build quality is great in my opinion. Only the volume scroll feels strange sometimes but I don't really use it much anyway.

Now, you didn't say much about your needs so I don't know if this fits your headphones requirements but it's an option. I also don't say you should buy this. Read around, see what's available and if you have the chance go somewhere and test some devices. You might like something else about a portable DAC/AMP.

I have a Fiio Alpen 2 that is supposed to work on OTG for digital transfer of the music to the DAC/AMP (which is how I use in on my PC) but I've never got that function to work. It comes with a short headphone jumper cable though. Has plenty of power for my ATH-M50x's which are 38 ohms, the Crushers appear to be 32 so it would work well.

My best use of it has been with a tablet so my wife and I can watch a movie on planes with a splitter cable. The battery is good for 10+ hours on a charge.

I couldn't find an affordable buttkicker brand package but I did find a great amp and transducer on amazon for 2/3 the price of the Gamer 2 (cheapest buttkicker) at just about $100. It works fantastically! I'll post links to the products if you care to see them.

Edit:

AuraSound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile Transducer by Aura Sound

Lepai LP-168HA 2.1 2 x 40-Watt Amplifier and 1x68W Sub Output by Lepai

12v 6a Adapter Power Supply for LCD Monitor with Power Cord by LCD AC Power Adapter

Received wisdom is that something like a Fiio E7 is the best way to go.

It provides a very good DAC and headphone amp, away from the "noisy" interior of the PC.

Background!

What I own so far:

• Logitech Z 906 5.1 Surround. Used for LCD TV, computer and gaming consoles for now.
  
• Audioengine A2 Powered Desktop Speakers (2) - Not in use. Bring stored for future.
  
• Fiio E09K Desktop Headphone Amp - Not being used. May connect to desktop rig eventually.
  
• Onkyo HT-S8409 7.1-Channel 3D Ready Network Home Theater System. Bought this with the intention of it being my home theater system. Probably outdated by now.
  
• Onkyo HT-RC430 5.1-Channel 3D Ready A/V Receiver - Not used prob going to sell.
  
• Sennheiser HD 595 headphones Main PC Desktop drivers.
  
• Sennheiser HD 600 Barely used! Want a good amp to use them with.
  
  What I'm looking to get/upgrade to:
  
  
• Better 7.1 system or at least receiver. I'm looking to prep with a decent 7.1 system for the future. Onkyo used to be really great but everyone keeps saying Denon is better.
  
• A really good tube amp that won't break the bank. The whole DAC/Amp thing confuses me. Would use it for audio out on my Desktop to Sennheiser headphones. Had my eyes on some stuff from Schiit such as the Lyr 3, Valhalla 2, but open to suggestions!
  
  Some extra info:
  
  
• Don't really care about internet streaming because I use Google Chromecast, Sonos etc that will hook into a receiver. Sonos does most everything but I have two Play:5's (old and new) with the 3.5 jack if needed.
  

You should definitely look into those two:

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

I have the ones from Audio-Technica and am fully satisfied. Back when I wanted to buy some good headphones I originally planned on buying the DT 770 PRO from Beyerdynamics but before I could order them a friend told me that the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 were currently discounted - so I went with them.

You'll most likley need a portable headphone amplifier like this one if you want to use the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO with your smartphone.

If your'e looking at portable amps I recommend this.

Edit: Forgot that it was a two piece set, this is the portable that goes a long with it, they work perfectly hand in hand.

Hey, that's what I've got! It sounds great. Perfect for an apartment. Lepai makes an amp with a 68 watt subwoofer ouput. Get that and a passive subwoofer and you've got a pretty bangin custom 2.1 setup.

http://www.amazon.com/ANV-515-Passived-Sub-Woofer-Speaker-Silver/dp/B005CKN00U/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.com/Lepai-LP-168HA-40-Watt-Amplifier-Output/dp/B0070Z87YO/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=0HC0W7NCWY0AQB7RQVDW

No experience with their speakers, but I like their head units. Better sound quality than Pioneer and Kenwood at their respective price points, just without some of the stupid useless features (looking at you, Pioneer). Their amplifiers are good as well, but they're a bit overpriced (Rockford Fosgate is my go-to brand for amps).

Rockford Fosgate offers a 500 watt (RMS, not peak) Class-D amp for under $150 on Amazon. I push a sealed 12 with it in my Explorer. Plenty of bass, for me at least. And it's clean. Link

I got a pair of these. Super cheap but surprisingly good. Originally intended to be temporary while I repaired the old ones, but after the break in I think they sound better than the old expensive ones.

Both in a ported box aimed up, pushed by this amp.

Ok i copied some specs of the same exact speakers on ebay.
Any 2 channel would work on these if you're only planning on amping them, but a 4 channel amp would be good for if you want to amplify all 4 speakers front and rear. I would recommend Rockford Fosgate amps, this one is nice. https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R150X2-2-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HY84/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481249591&sr=8-1&keywords=rockford+fosgate+2+channel



Ratings
Impedance 4 Ohms
Power handling 45w rms | 90w max
Technical Specs
Tweeter size 0.25″
Woofer size 6.5″
X-over point 3.5khz
Cone material IMPP NBR surround
Magnet size 90mm x 15mm
Magnet weight 14oz
Frequency response 50hz – 20khz
SPL 88db
FO 50hzMSRP: $249.99

Ebay listing

I purchased these in August 2014. They are both still like new in box condition. I recently upgraded my desktop to utilize TRS/ XLR because the RCA connections created a static background with my powered speaker while playing games. I never had any issues while listening to music or watching videos. If you don't use a powered speaker, or if you don't play games through speakers, this is an awesome DAC/ AMP pair.

I did use the E17 in my car for about a year to act as a signal amplifier to my radio input. But I always kept it in the case so it doesn't have any scratches. They look brand new. The only issue I would mention is that the LCD screen does show a "burn in" because I have used it almost every day and so the text "USB IN" is visible on the screen. If you don't understand what I mean by LCD Burn In just ask and I will try to get a picture of it.

I'm having trouble finding the specs on FiiO's website, so I'm including these Amazon links for reference. When I get off work I'll try to do a little more digging.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510938798&sr=8-2&keywords=FiiO+E17&dpID=41txNfEtYYL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Output-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B008J26ZL4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1510938798&sr=8-4&keywords=FiiO+E17&dpID=41CpZWsDoyL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I paid $248 for the pair of these, and I'm firm with my $150 price. Shipping will be $10 USPS Priority Medium Flate Rate. Paypal preferred, but I'll accept a check. They will ship once the check clears, which takes about 3-5 days.

I realize I'm new here, so I'm happy to use a middle man if that's a thing on this subreddit. I've done a few trades in both r/Starcitizen_trades and r/pkmntcgtrades

https://www.reddit.com/r/Starcitizen_trades/comments/6qummw/psa_confirmed_trades_thread_august_2017/dmdh1yz/?context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/pkmntcgreferences/comments/4yxrum/supremegunmans_reference_thread/

Any questions I'll try to get to after work.

Thanks

A digital to analogue converter (DAC) is anything that converts a digital signal to analogue, such as a 3.5mm port to put your headphones in a computer, ipod, phone, etc.

In the context of this subreddit however, we buy these to get better, cleaner sound than what an everyday laptop can achieve. We also get them because they usually double as headphone amplifiers that far exceed the volume and distortion capacity most devices have. You buy them when you have a good set of headphones or when their impedance is very high, mostly above 32 ohms. Here's a budget example, these things are pretty good for a start.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005VO7LG6

I would not get a contractor for this, as you don't need to put it in your roof. I put one in my attic and I love it. Here's what I got:

• antenna - my friends love theirs too
  
• stand - works like a charm
  
• booster
  
• ampifier
  
  The signal booster needs to be as close to the antenna as possible, so it is boosting the strongest signal. It took me an afternoon to install it all and run a cable down from my attic to basement. I already had the amp/splitter in basement, so that's why I ran everything there.
  
  My wife didn't want to get rid of cable, but she hasn't talked about getting it back and it's been almost a year. PM me if you have any questions.

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.

I've since procured one of these (an Onn ONA16AV004 Digital Signal Amplifier):https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076DL27Y9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And one of these (a Channel Master CM3414 4-Port Distribution Amplifier) to replace my existing passive splitter:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PI09SE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So, I learned there's a difference in VHF and UHF channels and the antennas one should get, and what used to be VHF around here, no longer is. Most of all my channels (in the 76102 area code) are in the UHF range, with just about 2 that remain VHF...and both of those are shown to be difficult to receive in my area.

I also ensured my antenna is facing the best direction, using my iPhone's compass to more accurately match what degrees the various websites say it should be facing.

And with the Signal Amplifier, I now get all the channels when I'm in the attic, with the VHF channels having about a 30% signal strength. The rest are about 50% - 75%.

However, when I test it out at the end of the line-drop before the splitter (which is in the basement, about 20-25 feet below), I lose all the VHF channels. The rest of the channel strength remain more-or-less the same (if they're degraded much, my TV isn't really showing me exactly how much. It pretty much just reads "bad/normal/good").

Now, with the Distribution Amplifier, I test at the end of those lines (basically, the living room and bedrooms) and signal loss is more substantial, and I lose more channels that were originally in that 50% range when in the attic. But at least I get a lot more channels than I did before...

Any suggestions of what else I could try (short of going up to the roof)?

​

To answer questions:I live in an ~100 year old house, so the walls are thick, but the gable where I placed the antenna in the attic is relatively thin (compared to the rest of the house). It just has to receive signal through douglas fur wood and asbestos tiles. The antenna is probably about 30' off the ground.

Most of coax is ran near to other power lines, and I'm considering adjusting those to ensure they aren't overlapping or touching. One of them is ran over fluorescent lights.

Here are the rabbit ear results:https://www.rabbitears.info/searchmap.php?request=result&study_id=22534

​

Thanks so much!

Hmmmm, looking at the Fiio E10K on Amazon after I made my last post and saw that instead of the normal $74.99 it sells for, it's now listing at $99. (I am hoping this is a temporary price jump).

The Monoproce Dac/Amp combo is $79.00 and gets some good love. It Might be worth a look.

For the headphones, I would recommend the Klipsch X10. Here is a review from Head-Fi. These headphones have a pretty good seal so you get excellent isolation and virtually no leakage.

As for the amp, I'd go with the FiiO E11. Solid build construction, and it packs quite a punch. It only has a 10 hour battery life though, which can get annoying if you listen to music a lot.

These two products combined cost about $182 on amazon, though I'm sure you can find a better deal if you look hard enough.

If you wanna go cheaper, I've heard great things about the Rockford Fosgate Punch 500w and plan to get it. For $120 it seems pretty great. The 750w version was clamped and did over 1000w, I've heard these are usually birthed around 650w.

i believe they do need an amp or at least heavily benefit from one. at that budget maybe a fiio e07k or the monoprice desktop dac/amp. a dac/amp combo like the two above are probably better than a pure amp (ex schiit magni) so the audio output from your laptop would be cleaner. the e07k might be a better overall option too as its portable and can be connected to usb out on android phones.

Hi, I know absolutely nothing about audio power amplifier and came here in hope for some help.
I have a Beyerdynamic 770 Pro and want to fix an amplifier to it, I have checked most of FIIIO E09K ( http://www.amazon.com/E09K-Output-De.../dp/B008J26ZL4 ) but every time I check up reviews or YouTube videos then fiioe17 is always included.
I'm guessing it's because the E09K is not DAC included, but I dont really know what kind of difference it makes. I understand it converts the signals, but I dont get what that does in practic.

So I decided to look at amplifiers with DAC included and came up with either FIIO E10K or Hegel Super(this one is more expensive but there's a 50% discount on it).

Which one should I choose? All help is greatly appreciated.

The headphones are connected to my computer, I'm not going to use an amplifier for my phone or laptop. And I dont have a sound card

Thanks for the quick reply. Told him he will need a better box.

http://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-Prime-channel-Amplifier/dp/B004T166L8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463443730&sr=8-1&keywords=rockford+fosgate+750+rms

Is that the amp you speak of? $210 on amazon.

Also what wiring kit? I see many posted here and I don't know which would be best for his specific setup.

http://www.knukonceptz.com/mobile-audio/amp-installation-kits/

I have a Fiio E7- works perfectly with Linux (pulseaudio under Fedora, Mint and Ubuntu) via USB (no drivers required) and has dual outputs and is portable. Sounds is great and works fine with all headphones as well. I paid $69 for it.

That would work perfectly. That way you aren't running the signal through two amp circuits.

Another option would be to go with a Fiio E17K, which has a 3.5mm line out which you could hook up to your speakers. It's smaller and more geared towards being portable, but I use the original E17 and it sounds great.

It would be difficult to find a proper headunit with a cassette, but i can give you a few items to go by.

Headunit - DEH-150mp

(dash kit, wiring harness and antenna adapter of course)

keeping budget in mind, and that that car has 4 4x8 sized speakers, i would get two sets of these adaptors to allow for 5.25 speakers.
I personally use 2 sets of Polk db522
and for the money they sound decent.

You could leave it like that and it would be enjoyable or you can go the extra step and get something like a RF4 channel amp, with amp install kit and be right around your 500 mark.

Keep in mind that i am far from an expert. Just wanted to give you a direction.

That PM100X1 was exactly the type of product I had in mind, thank you, but you're right, pricing makes it not worth it.

I had no idea LOC were a thing until you mentioned the concept, but yeah, it looks like that's the way to go.

So if I'm understanding what you're suggesting correctly, a setup may looking something like this...

1. Splice the +/- pairs of wires for all 4 channels coming out of the head unit and connect it into a 4 channel LOC (like this one)
   
   
2. Run all 4 channels over to a 4x100 amp using flex wire for easy wiring.
   
   
3. Re-splice in the factory wiring into the appropriate channels on the amp.
   
   
4. Done?

Thanks for the advice. Would it be better to get a better amp?
My friend suggested the https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-200-Watt-1-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B004T0YAMG/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1522975277&sr=8-1&keywords=rockford+fosgate+prime

or

https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-MRV-M1200-Monoblock-Watts-Amplifier/dp/B01K8F1168/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1522975317&sr=1-1&keywords=alpine+mrv-1200

I'm not sure if the m500 is sufficient

The M50s are fairly easy to drive, but ~$40 is a bit of a low budget for an amp, you could find a portable fiio amp used (like the e11) for about $40. As a matter fact, it is selling for $40 here.

However, I'd honestly recommend saving up some extra cash and keeping an eye out for something like the Schiit Magni used on Amazon or Head-Fi. I've seen them go for around $70 used, it has much more power output than the FiiO and it will be able to handle higher end headphones if you decide to upgrade later.

Yeah, I think a DAC/amp combo might be the best for right now. I was looking at the Fiio E10. And I'll definitely go with spotify premium, I've been considering the upgrade anyway. Thanks for the advice.

I have hd558s and use a creative soundblasterz sound card, and I am happy with the quality. But would something like a FiiO E07K be much better?

1
2
3

Here's three that are dedicated DACs and Amps. I own the e10 and it sounds great, and not just for its price.

Also, they didn't say that the dedicated amp would be able to drive high impedance headphones well. Keep in mind that they're targeting Beats headphones which have low impedance.

This is what i have. Has an amp to boost the volume, as well as the ability to adjust gain and an equalizer.

Im using Sennheiser 280 pros with this and its able to get very loud without distorting.

Edit:switched to amazon link

I did buy it a long time ago so there is probably a new version.

DAC: Schiit Modi

Crossover/DSP: Mini DSP 2x4

Powered Speakers: Emotiva Airmotiv 6S

Subwoofer: Polk PSW10

Headphones, open/inside: Sennheiser HD650

Headphones, bassy/portable: V-Moda M100

Headphones, IEM: Echobox Finder X1

Portable headphone amp: Fiio E07K

Bedroom speakers: Emotiva Airmotiv 4S (6S was the upgrade for the main setup)

If you're wondering what a DAC is, it's the processor that converts the digital music to waveform before it gets to the amp. Your sound card usually does this job, but you can spend $30-2300 on getting better sound - Behringer UCA202 for improvement over on-board sound to Schiit Yggdrasil for deep pockets.

Edit: Car: Audison bit.ten, Alpine PDX amps, Hertz HSK 165XL component speakers (4x100w), Image Dynamics IDMax12 subwoofer(1x1200w)

I recently purchased a Marantz PM5005 in Singapore. Looking at listings on Amazon, there seems to be a huge difference in price on Amazon US (499 USD) vs Amazon UK (162 GBP = 200 USD).

US: https://www.amazon.com/Marantz-PM5005-Integrated-Amplifier/dp/B00L1HN0FS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1483538586&sr=1-1&keywords=marantz+pm5005

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marantz-PM5005-Integrated-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LUKN2C2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483538590&sr=8-1&keywords=marantz+pm5005

Does anyone know why? Also I couldn't find much in the way of reviews online - would love to know where you all think it stands!

I originally did this install back in the day when these were first popping up and down, major credit goes to /u/zedix as I'm pretty sure he was the first one on Nasioc to start this whole trend for Subarus.

My first installation used a head unit that was tucked away behind everything. However the weak pre-amp, and the constant loss of settings (disconnecting battery), and lack on Steering Wheel controls really got annoying. So I set out on this Version 2 project.

*96svx.dc - David was an amazing resource with getting the required harnesses for an 08+, as my car came with a 24pin + 12pin adapter (premium nav) it was very hard to find 2 reverse harnesses that would make this install doable.**

• 2012 Nexus 7 - 1st gen
  
• Timur's USB ROM - in FI mode
  
• Typical Apps...
  
  
• Joycon CPJexr(CarPc Joycon Exr), converts steering wheel input into Keyboard strokes recognizable by the tablet. LINK
  
• Rockford Fosgate PBR300X4 - 300watt amp with Molex input/output LINK
  
• USB Dual 80mm Fans with protective grill - LINK
  
• 3.5mm inline to RCA (dual channel) - LINK
  
• FiiO E10 USB DAC LINK
  
• Amazon USB hubs, cheap and easy to hack into - LINK
  
• Monoprice USB Extension Cables - LINK
  
• SanDisk Cruzer Fit 32GB - Stores Music - LINK
  
• Monoprice Micro USB OTG Adapter - LINK
  
• USB Y-Power adapter
  
• JDM 2-tone AV panel
  
• 12v to 5v DC/DC converters (You will need a couple of these, as they are from China they might be DoA)
  
• Other various adapters, and 14 ga wire for all of this to work..
  
  I created a double din sized Acrylic box from 1/4" sheets cut to size by a local shop... Here are the outer dimensions if you are interested in making a similar box to hold all of this.
  
  
• [OD] - 4" x 7" x 5.75"
  
• [x 1] - 4" x 7"
  
• [x 2] - 6.5" x 5.5"
  
• [x 2] - 4" x 5.5"
  
  Hardest part out of the whole install was coming up with the wiring scheme, as all of this is fed off of 12v ignition. The tablet needed to be able to charge, and the USB hub needed to receive power separate from the OTG y-splitter. I simply spliced into the cheap-o USB hubs and made my own DIY 5v USB hubs.
  
  
  
  
  

Nice! was looking for either the monoprice one a friend told me it was great for the price, or the O2 from massdrop.

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-111567-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00KVVX2QW

https://www.amazon.com/Lepai-LP-168HA-40-Watt-Amplifier-Output/dp/B0070Z87YO/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=2.1+lepai&qid=1564026642&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Here's that same amp but cheaper.

Even with that amp or any similar amp it's not going to power the sub, but it can connect to it. A sub will have it's own amplification. A 2.1 amp like that will allow you to connect a sub that doesn't have high level outputs, like the MartinLogan Dynamo 300 for reference (has high level inputs but no outputs)

On the sub you linked, assuming you go with the Micca's and the Lepy LP-2020A:

Speaker wire from the amplifier to the subwoofer "high level input", then speaker wire from the "high level output" to the speakers. That sub allows you to connect it with pretty much any existing stereo setup.

I ordered the TH-X00 from Massdrop, and I would like a quality setup for both my phones and speakers. Would the Marantz PM500M be a good choice to pair with my headphones while also powering some bookshelf speakers? I'm new to the hobby and trying to upgrade my current setup. Thanks for any help!

I'm new to headphones, dacs, and amps and I had a couple of questions. Can I use something like this headset adapter to combine my headphones and modmic into 1 audio cable going to this dac&amp? I'm trying to reduce the amount of cables I have to run to my computer which is in a closet in my home theater room where I play a few games, stream videos, and watch blu rays. Also, can I add a USB 3.0 hub before the dac&amp? The hub would be helpful if I want to get away from my wireless keyboard and mouse. My plan is for this to all go into an armrest space in my recliner and just have one USB cable going to my desktop about 8 feet away. I'm completely open to other ideas to accomplish this if this sounds terrible.

Mostly just a question at the end. Asked and got advice on the topic before.
Budget: $300 +- 50

Source: PC, Sometimes HTC One M8

Requirements for isolation: None

Preferred Types of Headphones: Fully over the ear.

Preferred Tonal Balance: No clue really

Past Headphones: Bose qc15

Preferred Music: Listen to mostly alternative rock, some trap.

Location: US

QUESTION: So i found HD650s on ebay all around the price of 350 used. It is a little out of my budget but my last headphones lasted me 3 years so i dont mind the price. First question is do NEED an amp to use them, or can i just use my computer/phones output. Second question: is that price ok and do i have anything to worry about, should i just buy new HD598s? If i do need an amp or some other equipment what should i look up so i know what im doing/getting into. I have no clue what amps or anything else do/are. Saw this 2-1 on the reccomended page plus it looks like something i could carry around if i did want to bring them places :http://www.amazon.com/E07K-Andes-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00A9LHLQ6 , is this all i would need if i got the HD650's?

Edit: also are the HD598's outdated? I remember seeing them when i was looking at my bose qc15s

Edit2: Ok just looked up what Amps and DACs are and feel fine getting one, is the one linked above ok for now? Also do amps and dacs require an input that i would need prior knowlege too or are the settings easy to figure out

If you got the Schiit Magni 2 you definitely need an amp because it only has RCA input. Most people get the Schiit Modi 2 with it, hence why they call it a Schiit stack. The Schiit combo isn't very mobile at all.

If you are looking for something to also use with a phone as well as on the laptop I would suggest the Fiio E17k or if you just want a laptop setup (for like working in an office) you could consider the Schiit Fulla 2.

I wouldn't worry too much about trying to find the "perfect" amp because most $100+ amps will be more than enough to power most headphones. Your computer
is technically enough to power them though it would sound much better through an amp/DAC combo (either as a single unit or separate amp and DAC units).

I have the Fiio E07k. I really like it. Nice and small, fits in my pocket, great battery life.

Ah yea sorry I didn't notice that you only wanted closed lol. Well the best DAC/Amp (that is also cheap) I can think of is the Monoprice one.

> https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-111567-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00KVVX2QW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469992339&sr=8-1&keywords=monoprice+dac+amp

The reason this thing is better than most cheap dac amps is because it's not USB powered. So it might not be the best solution for a semi-portable set up, but I think it's good if you really need a DAC/Amp.

Compare to the FiiO E11 alone on many popular sites for $59.99 - The extra battery and charger are almost free if you're looking to get a portable amp for your audiophile headphones. Honestly, these make a difference for the standard headphones too - they just benefit the audiophile builds further. http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E11-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0053KWDES

Fiio makes some pretty nice budget and portable amps.

What are you looking for? For a introductory tube amp, I would reccomend the Vali + Modi amp/dac combo. They are made by Schiit, and their products are really good for their price.

From my personal experience, I jumped from the Behringer UCA202 to an Audioengine D1 now, since I bought a set of Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro's.

I played around with a friend's setup, and he really loved the Fiio E7 at ~$60

Portable, good looking and can handle your cans without breaking a sweat.

Ok so if you own these than you know that the earbuds meet at a hub. From bud to this hub the cords appear to be rubber and very flexible. Below that meeting hub the cord appears braided. The braided portion is relatively stiff and there are some users who report that it frays and/or kinks if repeatedly wound tightly.

I suggest you use the supplied carrying case and don't tightly bend the braided portion.

Now while these absolutely do not require any headphone amp to drive these things (a cellphone will easily drive these), I just for giggles paired them with my FiiO E17K that I use for my DT 990s and Sennheiser HD650s and they open up VERY well if not driven too hard.

This is my go to track to test any new headphones and earbuds I buy and the 1More Triples pass with flying colors.

This is a no brainer purchase if you are looking for sub $100 buds as long as you are careful with the cord.

What are you going to be connecting them to? A PC? TV?

You definitely need an amplifier/receiver, but what kind of equipment you use will depend on the audio outputs available on the device you'll be connecting them to. These are probably about the cheapest amplifiers that will support two speakers and a subwoofer, and they work well as long as you don't crank the volume up past 70-80%, but you'll need to be able to provide the audio signal through either a 3.5mm TRS (headphone) plug, or red and white RCA plugs. If you want audio from an HDMI source, you'll have to spend more (probably ~$100 minimum) for an AV receiver.

Sennheiser HD449.

If you really want an ear orgasm, combine them with any of FiiO's amazing headphone amps.

My combo: FiiO E11 + HD449 = ear bliss.

Detailed specs and frequency response chart:

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-449.php

Example purchase links:

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E11-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0053KWDES/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1348252469&sr=1-1&keywords=fiio+e11

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-449-Headphones-Black/dp/B005SNPV8K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348252455&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+hd449

Those are pretty cool, but fairly expensive. For seated experiences, a decent bass shaker and amp can be installed into most chairs for around $100.

This is everything I bought for my setup, and it's great for Driveclub, Eve, and Rigs:


Lepai LP-168HA 2.1 2 x 40-Watt Amplifier and 1x68W Sub Output https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070Z87YO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_p2hvyb1DQKT6T

AuraSound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile Transducer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ZPTBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Z2hvybK1X2MTF

Pyle PSC1250 12-Gauge, 50 feet Spool of High Quality Speaker Zip Wire https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZX8N44/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_G3hvyb889SGZP

Belkin Speaker and Headphone Splitter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000067RC4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_b4hvybN63W7CQ

StarTech.com MU15MMS 15 feet Slim 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable - M/M https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G3WCNK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_z4hvyb7PS049X

I heard the subpac was good too, as was the buttkicker. But the subpac is expensive and the buttkicker was sold out lol so I bought the budget tactile feedback rig (Recommended by another /r/oculus member.) which included these three things. It also took a few wires and some tweaking but after mounting it to a chair, I love it

What information are you looking for? I run four of these hooked up to this. I'm getting ready to hit the sack but if you can provide me with specific questions I can try my best to answer in the morning!

Hey guys, I recently got my first pair of "nice" headphones (Sennheiser 598 Cs) and was looking into getting a DAC/amp for them to use with my PC. I know this isn't specifically about headphones, but are there any good DAC/amp combos you would recommend?

Budget is ~$100, but any suggestions are welcome. My only caveat is it needs to have an AUX In port so I can route my mic through for reference audio. I've been looking at this one, but I have no experience in this area.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GPV7AH4/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_d0_g23_i1_sh

This is a super basic amp and portable. You may also want a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) as well assuming it's for a desktop computer setup.

This should be a decent intro level DAC/Amp combo: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A2QLPJM/ref=s9_hps_bw_g23_i2

I went with a Creative Sound Blaster. It replaced my broken headphone jack and improved audio. Just don't use the software. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004275EO4/ref=s9_hps_bw_g147_i16
And I also have this Fiio for using my Sennheiser HD280s at work. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RPD7KP8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

Speaking strictly functionality, that is what I want... but it's hideous. Lol. Thank you for the recommendation.

I think I'm leaning towards something along these lines but I still have to plug and unplug the headphones. At least it would be on top of the desk.

I got the black because those are the ones I wanted for the longest time and they match my setup nicely, but the ones you got do look pretty sweet. Right now I'm torn, between which DAC/Amp to get that fits within my price range. Right now, I'm looking at the Audioquest Dragonfly USB DAC or the Fiio E07K Andes USB DAC and Portable Headphone Amp.

you should certainly have an amp/dac to get the best out of those.

you don't even have space for something like the fiio e07k?

i use the modi/magni stack (about $180) for my HD650s

ok good, its a fine subwoofer in the right box (make your own, dont buy one) but get the d2 and wire it like this

And for an amp under $200 to power it, really I would say the Twisted Sounds 1k, but its a bit over your budget, but wonderful amp. OR, here is one right on 200 that does 750rms

Best you can do is something like this: http://smile.amazon.com/Lepai-LP-168HA-40-Watt-Amplifier-Output/dp/B0070Z87YO?ie=UTF8&keywords=lepai&qid=1465334470&ref_=sr_1_5&sr=8-5

It's a short term solution. At some point you are going to have to purchase a real receiver.

Ok I think I will put a 12 in my backseat now. is this the amp? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BF6HYDE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XlXqzbKCMPHC0

is this a good sub for the amp? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZWBG7Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BnXqzb188Y4KP

these wires? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050I6KII/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SoXqzbR928SJY

And is this box good? Single 12" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GUT3JOO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_GpXqzbKXFSYCR

Would this sub be better since the amp is only 500 rms https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UFHXNI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zqXqzb6PKAHB4

I don't have any drills or anything to make my own sub enclosure so that's why I'm asking if that box would be good enough or I can see if I can get someone to make one for me

This is what you want. Built like a tank and puts out 300W rms at 4 ohms, but you can adjust the gain down to match the sub. Your Kicker TC10 is actually rated at 150W rms at 4 ohms, 300W max. Idk where they got 500W from.

If you install the amp yourself, set the gains with a multimeter so you know exactly how much wattage is being sent to the sub. There is a link on the sidebar to tell you how.

Just adding. A box of RG6 cable is cheap so you may also want something like a distribution amplifier (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001PI09SE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Otherwise you may experience to much loss when connecting multiple equipment (tv, pvr, pc). For ex., I have three tv's and a mythbox connected to the one antenna.

Buy an antenna with nothing less than ~12db gain. Unless you living under their transmission tower ie.,

Late Edit: I see a link to tvfool below, it's a great resource (site survey).

> I just didn't want those crazy massive silver looking alien and antennas.

Well those silver alien antennas. Are the NORMAL average TV antenna that has been around for decades. Proven tech, and it works.

The newer flat antennas are new designs, and they have their time and place. In a metro environment where the TV signals are practically baking you.

At 50 miles, even amp'd you are pushing your limits.

The first rule of RF, anything RF. If you want it pretty, forget it!

> So my set up is a bit more complex and im still not done. I don't have a clue on how to ground it or anything or what to put where.

http://otadtv.com/installation/index.html#ground

>And I need my antenna to run to every coax cable in the house.

Do you have home runs to each antenna from some place?

You need something like:
https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-Distribution-Amplifier-Antenna/dp/B001PI09SE/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505307172&sr=1-3&keywords=distribution+amp

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Amplifier-Internet-Signal-Booster/dp/B001EKCGT8/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505307172&sr=1-5&keywords=distribution+amp

The thing is that you have an ACTIVE ANTENNA which needs power.

Antenna ---- cable--- lighting arrestor --- ground block --- power inserter for amp --- dist amp --- TV's


>Im not sure how u did everything in under an hour

Simple.. EXISTING DBS wiring was reused. Unbox antenna, snap elements into place, go to roof, loosen bolts on dish, pull up, throw off roof. Put in 6ft extension pipe in J mount, drill hole through J mount and pole, tighten. Put antenna on pole, aim, tighten, connect cable. Do scan on TV..Check! Tighten everything up good and tight. Tidy up cables with zip ties.. DONE! 55 channels, gross. That's everything of value and the cruft, minus a few LP/CD stations that are very low power and outside the beamwidth, plus one semi distant sort of next market/same market.

The thing is I've been doing RF work of some sort for DECADES. Antennas, cable, etc. is MY LIFE.

You mentioned you had a blueprint, is that a universal one that a craftsmen could use that would provide the best output or is it only for a specific spec/size?

Will check out those components, thanks.
To add onto this component, I saw these Polks on amazon for a good price.

https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-DB6501-6-5-Inch-Component/dp/B000P0R6LQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497924801&sr=8-1&keywords=POlk+DB+6501

Would these work with the Alpine amplifier?.. i'm assuming they'd work with the one you suggested. Also, I was told (idk if this is bullshit or not) that when you are running two amplifiers, you want to have them be the same brand... is there any truth to this? Not that it's necessary, but preferred.

I somewhat have a hunch that this place has some deal/discount with Alpine which is why they suggest their products so much.


ALSO is this the rockford amp you are suggesting? --- would get this one if the amplifiers matching thing is bs

https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R500X1D-1-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00BF6HYDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497925174&sr=8-1&keywords=rockford+500.1+amplifier

A DAC/AMP combo will make a huge difference. I have almost the same headphones as you at work, and love my Aune T1 http://i.imgur.com/O9cVWal.jpg . I listen about 4 hours a day so it was a worth while investment for me at $200. I put a better Genalex Gold Lyon tube in it for $35 too. Sounds incredible, can't belive what I was missing.

A Fiio EO7K would be about half that at $89. Portable, pretty good sound but you really got to crank it with my DT990s.


Aune T1 - http://www.amazon.com/Aune-T1-Generation-Amplifier-Decoder/dp/B00A2QJMRY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411543816&sr=8-2&keywords=Aune+t1

Fiio EO7K -http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E07K-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00A9LHLQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411543301&sr=8-1&keywords=E07k

I have a similar setup. Buy these:

http://www.amazon.com/iMBAPrice%C2%AE-PREMIUM-6-Feet-Stereo-Plated/dp/B001VIYYCK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448947514&sr=1-3&keywords=rca+cable

http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-111567-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00KVVX2QW

Have fun good sir, should be plug and play.

Yes I just upgraded, I will give an update when my audio setup comes in. I'm going with Cerwin Vega VE-5M's, Audiosource Amp 100, Nuforce Headphone amp to go with my M50's and Bose AE2's, and I'll stay classy with a vintage Pioneer SG-505 from 1985. Don't worry, it's being upgraded ;)

You want to separate the DAC and headphone amp and Speaker amp sections. Trying to find an all in one is never good.

I'd go Odac RCA version ($170) + FiiO E09K ($100) + Emotiva Mini X100 ($190)

That way you can use the 3.5mm and RCA outputs of the Odac with no splitters and feed both the E09K for headphones and the Mini X100 at the same time.

Have you considered the HD600's or HD650's? The 700's you should really listen to before you consider buying. They are a bit "unique" in their implementation and some people just can't get into the way it sounds (me included)

Tube Vs Solid state is a taste thing. If you can sample a few, do so. Just know tubes distort sound in a warm and loving way.. but are inaccurate. If you want accuracy you need a solid state.

If the amp didn't have to be HUGE the SMSL SA50 for $66 would also work

I've found two other options over the stack you're using and the Audioengine D1 I mentioned:

• http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-111567-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00KVVX2QW Small, minimal, looks nice, though only a few reviews (but all positive)... has a switch, which is awesome.
  
  
• http://www.mav-audio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1 Much bigger, doesn't look awful, but not the minimal design I like. That said, it has a shit ton of option, lots of expansion options, and a knob to select the source. Really good reviews. Though it's a tube system rather than solid state, which some people seem to either want or not want at all, and I haven't quite figured out why yet.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00INA8PD8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1464956653&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=powerbass+subwoofer&dpPl=1&dpID=4134ADBa8vL&ref=plSrch

I can attest to the fact that this sub is can take a beating from newbies. It's got plenty of power handling and it's a great value. When i was a bass head i ran two powerbass 12 inch competition subs and they refused to die. You could also go with the 12 inch variant http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00INA8XJY/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1464957007&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=powerbass+subwoofer&dpPl=1&dpID=41xxvDO8hWL&ref=plSrch which will be MARGINALLY louder, play a little bit lower (frequencies), but it will take up more room in your trunk.

For the box, i would go ported. It will maximize your volume output and also let you smell if you're burning up your sub. This guy should be fine http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0013MWT9O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1464956763&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=10+inch+ported+subwoofer+box&dpPl=1&dpID=51hYLJphMpL&ref=plSrch

The amplifier is the trickiest piece. You want an amp with lots of power, but buying from a reputable brand is super important in this hobby. If you buy a cheap amp it my say "10'000 jigawatts for $50!!!) but really it's only gonna put out 100 watts and then die in a month. The amp is usually the most expensive item in a build. You want your amp to have more power than your sub can take, because if you push an amp too hard it will break your subwoofer. I would really recommend this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003AILWGK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1464957714&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=rockford+fosgate+power+amplifier&dpPl=1&dpID=41Ap1V91JdL&ref=plSrch but you should be ok with this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004T0YAMG/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1464957802&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=rockford+fosgate+power+amplifier&dpPl=1&dpID=51Ib%2BxysflL&ref=plSrch as long as you don't push it too hard.

Hit me up with any questions

I imagine that you just need an amp like this. The specs are pretty darn nice for its size imo. Then you find some speakers with the same RMS rating.
https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fosgate-R400-4D-Full-Range-4-Channel/dp/B004T0WFVE

If u want 2 subs which I would recommend, you can get 2 mtx tn 12 inside a premade box for 150, then buy that same Rockford amp and a wire kit and if u have a stock headunit, a loc

amp
subs and box
wire kit
line out converter, if u don't have rca's from headunit

This is the best bang for your buck and its relatives super cheap, the is practically what I have expect I fucked up and didn't get the premade box. If your not looking to win competitions but want cheap loud good bass, get these

It's a P3D4-10 hooked up to a R500X1D. I was on the fence about getting an LC7i and getting a full new system but went with just the sub and everything else factory. I installed it using the high-level signal and it sound is amazing. Non-fender stock system is fine it just needed a little bit of a bass and a 10" sub in a sealed enclosure did the trick. Also saves on space.

Thanks man, but I am not familiar with your nomenclature there. What do you mean as Dac? Is that another amp?

And I am really impressed at the 60$ you're throwing at me. They're cheap for the quality you seem to express.

The schiit Magni is 99$, is it this one?

EDIT: Oh, DAC (Digital to Analog) converter?

With 140mW at 32 Ohm (2.1VRMS) you cannot drive an HD650. I highly recommend you upgrade to a more competent headphone amplifier.

For the HD650 you ideally want something with 3VRMS power or more, for example the Monoprice Desktop Amplifier.