Glad to see that the K5 is still alive and well. This was my first decent amp. I used to use cheap topping tp-30 just to amplify my Fidelio X2 but compared to the K5, that amp is far from sounding clean. After the K5 I decided to upgrade to the Topping E50 & L50, which disappoint me yet again. So far topping is nothing but disappointment but the K5 will always be remembered as a great entry level DAC/Amp for me.

oh wait this is supposed to be a reply to u/exdigguser147 seems like I replied to the wrong person lmao.

I think it is kind of a preference, I heard because of this bass quality of the MDR-Z1R replicates orchestra hall pretty well. It just sounds more natural according to everyone that enjoys their Z1R. Sometimes being too "clean" makes it less natural. I have the ADX5000 and it kills all echoes and sound clean af. It doesn't sound natural but I kinda like it. I am aiming to get the Z1R next.

Balanced is not always the best I think, but most manufacturers simply put all of their resources to balanced output and input if their amp/dac has both single ended and balanced. At least for lower end amp/dac like the toppings. High end ones mostly have the same quality of sound between the balanced and single ended output or input.

There is a law of diminishing return and I think most expensive headphone are specialized in a certain aspect and most of the time the increase in sound quality that you get is so much less that what you expect considering the additional money you spend on them.

I suggest getting an entry level headphone, preferably below $300, and once you find a sound signature that you really like, it might be the right time to get something that is an upgrade to that kind of sound signature and move on to the more of the top of the line headphone. At that time you should be able to appreciate the small incremental increase in the type of sound that you really like.

Stax RTX 4070

Some people prefer that more pillowy bass including me. The clean analytical bass from the likes of LCD-X is great but not as fun as the pillowy non analytical ones for some people.

I can testify that Dekonis are poorly made especially their fake leather material. It peels off so quickly (not even one year of using them, bought them for my Fidelio X2). Not all pleather are made equal. In my opinion Dekonis are just too overhyped. Not to mention to my absolute disappointment they outsource their production to China, no wonder the quality is questionable.

Get Sony MDR-Z1R, made by the same company that made the playstation. I am sure it is PS5 compatible. wink wink

As meh as it is at least the venus could be a nice decoration on your desk.

Buy a FiiO K5 pro, it has a built in DAC and Amp in one device and you're good to go. Don't go with Toppings they are terrible. The treble sounds so harsh on toppings it is as if they boosted treble and bass to get that artificial clarity and dynamic punch.

Edit: Or if you're in the US perhaps Schiit products would be a better pick than Chi-fi products. Get a magni+modi stack or if you want an all in one solution (with DACs and amp inside), Schiit Fulla & Hel will do a great job.

Agreed, I also think that there are things that we've yet to measure and prove scientifically regarding how music sounds on different gears. Frequency response are one of those that we could already measure and have a standard measurement for but that doesn't mean that it is the only aspect that determines how music sounds on different gears.

We could only be scratching the surface on how to measure sound that is coming out from the audio gears that we use nowadays, but some people are just so certain that the frequency response graph is the only measurement that matters to determine how something sound.

I honestly think that is quite narrow minded of them.

Before gravity was researched and measured by Newton scientifically, does it mean gravity doesn't exist?

I hope in the future there will be someone dedicated enough to research this subject and discover what has yet to be measured now with the current knowledge we have.

he was 69% sure

Yeah headphones are of course the first thing you should consider changing normally since they give the most significant changes. I guess I just have an unhealthy attachment to this particular headphone. LoL

The FiiO K5 Pro certainly doesn't sound as sharp with this headphone even though they are both the same sigma delta type of DAC. I am sure it is not the headphone this time.

The treble response used to be even sharper when I paired the E50 with L50. Now I have switched to a supposedly neutral amplifier marketed for professional use, the Lake People G111 MKII and it subdues the peaks quite nicely. It used to sound so shouty even when I am just listening to dialogues from game or movies.

I don't know about that . It is my first time experimenting with separate DAC and amp. Used to use an all in one solution like the FiiO K5 Pro. So I think I would experiment with other DACs and see if it made a difference. In this hobby one should trust their own ears.

Thanks for sharing!

Austrian Audio Hi-X65, was fine before with my FiiO K5 Pro, but the bass is not as satisfying on that DAC/Amp. The amount of treble is perfect on the K5 though.

Thanks for sharing!

very cool thanks for the information

what is DSP?

Grado has that industrial look to them that machinist would probably like. Sounds good for older people too cause they are less sensitive to high frequencies.

Edit: Just read that he likes to move around, perhaps IEM would be a better choice? I am not that well versed in IEM though. But Grado has their GW100 bluetooth headphone, you can look into them if you're interested.

Aint that super accurate, no families, no gf, just headphones, amplifiers and DACs. That actually doesn't sound as bad as it sound, or is it? 🤔

Having a hobby can be a lifesaver! It's been 8 years now and I'm so deep in my hobbies I forget to get a girlfriend altogether, people thought I am gay!

But gay means happy in old english so I guess it is kinda accurate?

Cheers mate for being happy in this hobby!

Clicky knob gang, anyone?

lmao why do we that has this headphone hobby tend to like fountain pens and custom keyboards too. Such a funny coincidence