Leyzar

Thank you very much for the useful info! Going to go for [h=2]iFi Audio Nano iDSD[/h]Now ... as you probably guess I'm a noob... I do not know what all this DSD / DXD / PCM mean... i read and read... but it seems the more i read the more confused i am. Could you guys maybe explain it in noob terms ? They seem to be described as audio formats ?... i always thought if i use FLAC 24 bit 192khz im good! What am i missing here guys ?

Hey guys, I want to purchase a DAC / AMP to use with my Audio Technica M50x and future hardware (Tannoy Reveal 502) My Budget is 200 $ (feel free to suggest other options) Now the thing is... also need a USB interface that will allow me to make better voice recording for my YouTube Videos. So here are my questions : 1) Can any of these two dacs/amps (Audioengine D1 ; iFi Audio Nano iDSD) be connected with the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 So when i just want to playback i can enjoy the quality of the dedicated DAC (which i am assuming is higher) And when i am recording i can take advantage of the Scarlett hardware and get better quality recordings. 2) Which of the DACs/AMPs would you chose ? i have no real way of chosing a winner since i can not test them out. Cheers guys!

Way ahead of ya. I found a awesome deal on a FiiO X3 (first gen) for 120 bucks! (used) still in warranty, flawless, etc. And it makes such a big difference if you ask me. And i can not believe it can go to full volume on my M50X without distortion (High Gain!) My JBL J88I sound like such garbage to me now... there is no going back is there ?... Connected it to the PC as-well. Result is More Power, More Clarity and even more Bass. Cheers for the epic advice! I am very pleased with the deal i made. Now.. for some Rammstein!

Thank You very much for the wise words. I really do appreciate people having the maturity to say such things straight up No BS. But... i will not stop! I am pretty much a tech junkie, this part of tech i never tackled and i will now. Been three days of full of listening to my M50X and maybe I'm going crazy but they seem to sound better and better... i pretty sure i am not imagining it but it makes no logical sense... After some research i am convinced that the E10K is the better way to go for actual sound quality. The audio interface will help me more with my voice recordings for YouTube. So i guess i'll get them both!... and a new mic (current one is on USB) and some speakers! Tannoy Reveal 502 (these sounded very good to me) Oh one thing guys... can i connect the FiiO E10k through the Focusrite Scarlett Solo so i can get the audio quality of the E10K but through the headphone out of the Scarlett Solo ? This puzzles me. Oh Oh one more thing! Was considering a portable music player! What do you guys think of the FiiO X1 ?

To late for that... did some research and i got a new dilemma bear with me please I am trying to decide between FiiO E10k vs Focusrite Scarlett Solo Both are roughly the same price where i live aprox 100$ What would i use them for ? 1) Voice Recordings : Well it is a bit tricky ... I do Live commentary YouTube videos and have been using a LD Systems D1013C USB mic. The results have been decent... but i know it can be better. So this will allow me to use a XLR mic in the future...XLR mics are better right ? 2) Playback In this category i would like to know if there is a big difference between the two devices (FiiO E10k vs Focusrite Scarlett Solo when it comes to actual sound quality and power. Also the Focusrite Scarlett Solo would allow me to connect some decent speakers in the future... maybe something like the Tannoy Reveal 402 ? My Current setup : Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum - Fatal1ty Champion JBL J88i Audio-Technica M50X Logitech Z5300 sound system LD Systems D1013C USB mic Any thoughts you can give me would be much appreciated!

Hey guys, thank you for the valuable input. After thoroughly scratching my head i decided "F this, i'm going to the store!" There i had the pleasure of trying out the HD 598 and the ATH M50X, at first i was shocked of how different they sounded from my JBL j88i. After the "WTF" moment i started playing some of my favorite metal songs (in FLAC format) and after about 40 mins of audition !? i decided on the M50X. While i am not a "bass head" (that's what it's called right?) i found that the HD 598 are lackluster in this department. I did notice them being a bit more... i don't know how to say this.. Clearer ? sharper ? bigger sounding ? Which i really loved but the bass is just not there...at least for my novice ear. So after i was all smiley face and ready to check out with a pair of white M50X's one of the bastards (in a good way, a very nice chap!) at the store hooked up the M50X to a FiiO E10k... and everything changed AGAIN... Now i absolutely need to buy one of these do-dads (AMP with DAC combo yes?) ... there goes my budget... wife is going to tear me a new one but at least i get to listen to my songs in HIFI while I'm eating fried dirt I got a feeling that i should have stayed away from this area of technology ... i can already see myself dumping some serious cash on some new "equipment" Again i would like to thank you guys for the input, much valued. I'll be around.

Hello there folks As the tittle says i am a noob among you guys and i could use your help. I got my brain fried by trying to figure out what to buy. I read through tons of articles, reviews, forums etc. So what do i want ? A pair of decent headphones max 200 $ (that's all i got) What do i listen to ? 80% Heavy Metal / 15% other Rock genres / 5% w/e my wife "forces" me to listen to. I also do a fair bit of gaming. I curently use : JBL J88i That being said, i am not sure if i need a AMP or a DAC ? This is the sound card i have in my PC : Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum - Fatal1ty Champion That being said here are some options i managed to scrape-off the internet : -Audio-Technica ATH-M50x -Sennheiser HD 558 -Sennheiser HD 598 -AKG K 272 HDAKG K 272 HD -Grado SR80e Feel free to make any recommendations you see fit within my budget. And i still have no clue if i should get a AMP/DAC... guess i have to figure out the Headphones first. I saw a lot of people saying Grado = Epic Rock ... but i really do not like the style as in ON-EAR so unless they are tons better then anything else i would not buy them. Thank you for the help, it is much appreciated!