09-13-2011, 12:37 PM
ka jowct: the first one says it's intended for 600 ohm headphones. Are yours about like that? If not, the response could be a little off. Apparently they make a matching DAC for more.
The second one bypasses the Mac's DAC as well and provides up to 24/96 resolution for appropriate files---if you have any?
At least as far as those two are concerned, they are apples vs. oranges; not comparable. The former may be a better amplifier but the latter allows you to bypass a computer's plebeian DAC. There are many examples of boxes that do both, or are just amps or just DACs intended to by used with separate amps.
But like I said consider your source files and your headphones. Some earphones are more like 32 ohms and probably wouldn't be ideal for an amp designed for 600 ohm cans.
Yours---anybody's---first stop in learning more should be Head-Fi.org.
More:
headphone.com (company makes amps/DACs and sells headphones)
blog from Tyll Hertsens's latest venture
The second one bypasses the Mac's DAC as well and provides up to 24/96 resolution for appropriate files---if you have any?
At least as far as those two are concerned, they are apples vs. oranges; not comparable. The former may be a better amplifier but the latter allows you to bypass a computer's plebeian DAC. There are many examples of boxes that do both, or are just amps or just DACs intended to by used with separate amps.
But like I said consider your source files and your headphones. Some earphones are more like 32 ohms and probably wouldn't be ideal for an amp designed for 600 ohm cans.
Yours---anybody's---first stop in learning more should be Head-Fi.org.
More:
headphone.com (company makes amps/DACs and sells headphones)
blog from Tyll Hertsens's latest venture