Sometimes yeah the drawback with headphones is your ears will hear but not the rest of your body. When you turn on speakers your whole body will feel the vibrations and the positioning will determine your sound stage.

I think what you'll need to get is a DAC+amp that has both headphone out and preamp out so you can connect both headphones and speakers to the same unit. On the unit itself you can choose to switch between headphone output or preamp output.

For all intents and purposes, the Audioengine D1 can work well for your setup. The RCA out at the back can be used for your speakers, and if you plug in your headphones in the front it will automatically mute the RCA out at the back. The JDS Labs The Element seem to have good reviews too but I've had no experience with them.

The FiiO E10 is an ok ok unit. I don't think it is a big improvement over on board sound.

i get my fiio e10k yesterday and work really good with my Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro.

but kinda disappointed when paired with Ostry KC06A. is it becoz impedance is low on ostry?

anyway, if i buy lighting to USB female from apple store, can i use e10k on my iphone 6?

Thank you sifu for your prompt reply, you've cleared my doubts, i will go for the D1 then, maybe down the road i will get the element for that sexy knob or whatever is trending then.

THANKS AGAIN!

Current setup: Huawei mate 9 + TFZ king

Looking for suitable amp/dac.. budget below 500

Fiio Q1 Mark II

what do u guys think with this 3 type of pairing .. which one better

1. HD700 + Chord Mojo
2. HD700 + iFi micro iDSD
3. HD700 + iFi micro iDSD Black Label

im portable guy btw .. hate desktop set up
preferences - a lot of details / wide soundstage

I never had HD700 but we had all three of them in my house in the past. My take is Mojo performs better with stock HD800 because it adds more warmth while maintaining the detail and clarity. Whilst, idsd bl is a better pair with hd650 because it really opens up the sound, better soundstage and bass. Idsd is not as good when compare to the other two.

IMO HD700 + Chord Mojo is the best option.

thanks bro will keep that in mind

any other opinion from hd700 owner

I dont have a hd700, but i do have a beyer t1 before. Beyer t1 imo has Problems with the highs (hd700 too imo), and the combo with ifi idsd was not good.

The common problem with the amp section on both silver idsd and black label is that they sounded dry, and it can exaggerate the peaky highs to sibilant territory

Ya it may be too bright for some people but i find it pleasing
(Lot of hate for hd700)
Seems not a good pair if the highs elevated too much with iFi
Btw the ibasso dx90 drive the HD700 quite well for now
And i do found the treble overpowering .. Listening for long time do cause headache

The amp section btw the silver idsd and BL is quite diff IMO. Not dry or peaky at all even with my HD800.

u meant the bl ver mind to elaborate on the sq

The amp section on the BL version is less dry, but i would still categorize it as dry sounding. I wouldnt recommend getting just the ifi idsd black label for HD700. You are better off pairing it with iFi iCan Micro that has noticeably better amp section and less rough on the highs. Also, other than the 6khz peak, I personally have no qualms with the highs on the HD800 despite me being treble sensitive. HD800S has none of the peak. Therefore the BL is still a great pairing for HD800/S as mobile setup. Cant say the same about the HD700 or the Beyer T1 (metallic highs). Chord Mojo is a good alternative. The amp section not as powerful, but its smooth sound signature complements well with HD700. If I have a HD700 and have to choose between BL or Mojo, i'd go for Mojo. If I have other cans, i'd go for BL
Oh well, your mileage might varies, but from my experience, dont pair the BL with headphones that are rough on the highs.

This post has been edited by G_KeN: Feb 4 2018, 07:23 PM

Guess the ifi out from list then

Fiio Q5 is coming soon. Maybe wait and demo first

Looking at your wishlist. I guess you're on the right track

I would not say that idsd or idsd BL a bad choice for HD700 or HD800 but the vocals and tonal balanced with mojo are never cease to amaze me. However, I love HD650 pair with idsd bl compares to mojo. It's just a matter of synergy and preferences.

Just in case anyone looking for comparison between iFi nano and micro BL

https://ihearwhatihear.com/2018/02/06/ifi-i...abel-contender/

Hi, can anyone suggest alternatives to the Fiio BTR1? Preferably cheaper and/or water resistant

Nice review bro.

I might buy the Nano.
Every weekend packing the R2R11 between my home and workplace is very troublesome.

How do you like the dac section of r2r 11 btw?