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Topic: Sennheiser HD 560S headphones dac/amp (Read 291 times) previous topic - next topic
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Sennheiser HD 560S headphones dac/amp

Hi,

I am looking to do a dream upgrade to the best headphones I have ever heard and got a chance at feeling them in a store, The Meze Elite. But, in the meantime, before I have the money for them, I want to upgrade my equipment that I am using to run my current headphones, the HD 560S. Right now, I have an android smartphone, Galaxy A53 5G, a desktop with a MSI B550 Tomahawk motherboard with onboard audio - ALC1200 or 1220P codec, I don't know which variant of the codec, because it doesn't say and a Acer Predator Helios 300 PH-317-53 laptop from 2019. And I also have a Fiio KA1 dongle that was recommended to me by the guys in the store, the Meze 99 Classics. I didn't like those headphones and I decided to return them, but I kept the dongle, as I thought it was good to use it for my android device that doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, only usb-c. So I got that to use it to listen with my headphones when I'm outside or at work. But, I don't think I made a good decision, as that dongle is not enough to drive my hd 560s on the android device. I am almost max volume when watching a twitch streamer on my android device, so I don't think it's that good. The volume is plenty enough on both my desktop and laptop, though, which I don't understand why. Perhaps because the dongle just amplifies whatever internal dac components you have, wherever it's plugged. But Fiio KA1 market it to have ES Sabre DAC. So, why on earth is this happening, why isn't the internal DAC bypassed on my android device and the one in the Fiio KA1 is not getting used outside USB Audio Player Pro? Is it because android limitation? On my desktop and laptop with the HD 560S, I get to keep it at 6-8 volume, as going louder will hurt my ears. So, the DAC is getting used correctly in my desktop and laptop. Anyways, I do feel that the sound quality can be improved, on all of my devices, especially the mobile phone, outside USB Audio Player Pro. Because in that app, the sound quality is very good. But on twitch, youtube and other stuff, it's just worse.

I have listened to other DACs in a store, particularly the Fiio K7, the chord mojo 2 and ifi zen dac v2 and I liked the mojo 2 the most. Would that be a good purchase?

I have Tidal and Roon subscriptions and I have noticed a big step up in sound quality compared to when I listened to music through youtube, on my desktop and laptop devices.

But I still feel the sound quality on my desktop and laptops can be improved. I would like something portable, so that's why I am considering the mojo 2, but I know it's quite expensive. In my country, it's around $520. If I get a dac/amp, I think on my android device, outside usb audio player pro, it will still sound quite bad, because of the android limitation using the internal dac and bypassing any external dac that's being plugged in, right? So, my only choice would be to sell this phone and get the LG v60, which has a quad dac, amazing sound quality. What are your thoughts, recommendations?
 

Re: Sennheiser HD 560S headphones dac/amp

Reply #1 –
FiiO KA17
https://www.fiio.com/KA17

Plus:
Balanced Cable for Sennheiser HD598・HD558・HD560
Android FiiO Control APP
SHURE SRH1840, SENNHEISER HD660S2, SENNHEISER HD 490 PRO, DT 1990 PRO, HiFiMAN Edition XS, Bowers & Wilkins P7, FiiO FT5, 水月雨 (MOONDROP) 空鳴 - VOID, Nakamichi Elite FIVE ANC, SONY WH-ULT900N (ULT WEAR) (made a Upgrade/Balanced Cable by myself)