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In Reply to: RE: The AudioEngine is just a DAC same as the Modi if you go from the D1 RCA jacks to your Magni headphone amp... posted by Ivan303 on March 29, 2013 at 19:33:23
...and I'll get back to you on that particular comparison.
Follow Ups:
I performed the experiment, using the Audioengine D1 as just the DAC, and while the overall sound--and HD600 headphone handling--is indeed much better using the Schiit Magni amp, I still prefer the sound using the Schiit Modi DAC as well.
In addition to preferring the particular timbres and detail provided by the Modi DAC, the Audioengine DAC still gives me a feeling of "claustrophobia" -- like the sound is being "piped directly into my brain" as a two dimensional "wall of sound" rather than sound naturally occurring in an acoustic space , which is something the Modi DAC has provided as a very distinct and pleasant surprise (surprising to me anyway, as my usual experience with headphones has been disappointing in this regard). Using the Magni amp with the Audioengine DAC has helped some in this regard, but hasn't entirely eliminated the "problem", as I hear it.
My "quick and dirty" conclusion...
If you want to improve the overall sound and feeling of the Audioengine D1, the Schiit Magni amp does a nice job, though this brings the total cost up to $270 (plus an additional interconnect), yet still doesn't quite equal the overall quality of the Modi/Magni combination. I will say however, that the Audioengine D1 DAC section alone is less of a problem than the "headphone amp" section of the D1.
Additionally, perhaps with different headphones, that amp section may be less of a problem (in one or more ways), but I'd have to actually hear it to make up my mind. I do have a pair of tiny Sennheiser "in ear monitors", and while the Audioengine D1 does have a much easier time driving those than it does with my HD600, it's not exactly a fair comparison, and I still get that "wall of sound" feeling as opposed to the more natural "spaciousness" I feel with the Modi/Magni combination.
I took a bit different approach to solving the problem..
Low impedance cans designed for the meager output of the D1.
Seems to have worked, at least for me.
Thanks for the report.
I also prefer speaker listening over any headphone gear I've heard (but have not heard the Smyth Realizer yet). The Shiite products I've heard I liked and cost/performance puts Shiite in the lead pack. For my HD600 I opted for the Meridian Explorer because I wanted my headphone/notebook setup to be truly
portable for easy movement/travel. I like it, but is it as good as some dedicated headphone amps setups? No, but more than good enough and better to my ears than previous Dragonfly, and the Dragonfly was pretty darn good itself.
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