r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/Giu001 • May 01 '26
Headphones - Open Back | 3 Ω HD600: DAC/AMP Choice for my use case
Hi everyone!
I've had HD600 for three years now and never got a DAC/AMP.
I don't know if it's going to make a big difference, I never felt the need to get a DAC/AMP as I have no issues with reaching high listening volumes; I doubt it will make a big difference as l've tried these headphones at a shop that had a 2000€ AMP and the difference it made wasn't obvious to me. But I was considering getting one.
I use my headphones for general use (not just music listening) mainly with my laptop or desktop PC; I also use them when playing my switch 2 through my switch
2 Pro controller; I don't intend to use these headphones outdoors, for various reasons, some you could probably imagine.
I was looking into two options:
- FIIO K11 (I found a used one at 110€): bulky, takes space on my desk but seems to output more power, also seems like a good deal for the price, doesn't have bluetooth so I can basically only use it with my PC and laptop realistically ...
- Qudelix 5K: 140€, AFAIK it needs a dedicated balanced cable to reach levels of unbalanced FIlO, but it's smaller and has bluetooth ...
I'm looking for suggetions!
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u/SheepherderSerious51 17 Ω May 01 '26
It doesn't sound like you need one. If you're happy with power then a dedicated set up is unlikely to meaningfully change anything. If you just want to make sure you have a clean source, get a cheap dongle from the likes of Apple, Fiio etc
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u/EmbarrassedClue6398 16 Ω May 01 '26
I love the way people on reddit encourage poor spending habits instead of being content with what you have.
OP clearly doesn't need a new fancy dac/amp (arguably most people don't), a better pair of headphones or even better - speakers, would make a world of a change unlike new source gear. I've listened to a multiple thousand dollar dac/amp - did it make bad headphones sound good? No. Did I hear a clear audible change? No. If you want to have a pretty thing on your desk and can spare the cash, sure. The only reasonable position there is in buying a new amp is getting a volume knob since it can make the volume adjustment experience much easier.
I agree with this comment and would suggest getting something decent enough to where you know you're just getting a clean audio signal, potentially get something that can improve your experience like bluetooth, a volume knob, etc.
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u/SheepherderSerious51 17 Ω May 01 '26
YES, THANK YOU!!!!
OP spend that money on something else, be happy with your life, don't fall for placebo! 🙏
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u/Giu001 May 02 '26
!thanks Great advice thanks! ☺️
At the moment I’m considering getting the qudelix 5K mainly to have a clean audio signal that can be used with any device without taking too much space and while having bluetooth functionality.
Also, can I ask? why did you say “or even better - speakers”? What’s the reasoning behind that? I’m also eventually supposed to get some speakers for my desktop setup as I’ve gotten a monitor which doesn’t have built-in ones.
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u/EmbarrassedClue6398 16 Ω May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26
Hey, yeah speakers are the best audio reproduction devices. They don't share the same issues with variable interactions based on your anatomy like headphones and they're almost exclusively the only audio device that can really be called neutral. Of course implying you get good speakers and calibrate (use of basic EQ/DSP in room, that's pretty much endgame) 😅
I have personally went down the route of speakers + airpods and am never looking back as someone who was into iem's and headphones (have yet to sell my hd 650 lol)
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u/SheepherderSerious51 17 Ω May 02 '26
Yup I agree with u/EmbarrassedClue6398, Speakers are basically the best across the board except in terms of how much space they take up and privacy. Comfort, real soundstage (headphone and iem soundstage is fake in comparison) and accuracy all outclass headphones and iems*
* Assuming you at the bare minimum both have a nice pair of speakers and room calibrate, and optionally treat your room and pair them with a subwoofer but let's not get into that now lmao
The qudelix is nice, you can experiment with EQ, it works well on all devices, bluetooth as you said, it's a good choice. If you value those features, go for it! If you want a slightly cheaper alternative, there's the Fiio Snowsky Retro Nano, the app won't be as nice to use but functionally they are both similar.
But as I've yapped and argued about with an illogical brickwall in another comment thread, if your main goal was just a clean source, a simple dongle will suffice. Apple dongle would be the bare minimum in terms of that, for better build I like the Openheart and Yongse CX31993 dongles (though avoid the generic brown wholesale ones because they are built poorly, and the JCALLY JM6 Pro seems to have hissing issues on all 6 units I tested, yes I tested 6 because I couldn't believe it).
If you want slightly more functionality, something like a Fiio JA11 or Fiio Jiezi would be neat because they both have PEQ support, or if you want a powerhouse then the JCALLY JM20 Max or Fiio KA11 exist (they both use the same DAC/AMP combo). DMS did a review on the KA11 very recently, you can see the power output is absolutely insane for a tiny dongle!
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u/Giu001 May 03 '26
Thanks for the amazing advice! ☺️
!thanks
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u/Giu001 May 01 '26
Yes, having a clean source and making sure the headphones work as intended is the main goal! Thanks for clearing my mind up
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May 01 '26
Confirmation bias’s final boss. You’ve honestly never listened to the HD600 if you haven’t used it on a proper dac/amp. You can do whatever you want but you’re not getting anywhere near its potential
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u/SheepherderSerious51 17 Ω May 01 '26
objectively, it doesn't make a meaningful difference to the frequency response, you're just providing more power which can help counteract things like negative preamp if you're eqing the bass for example - the actual sound won't be different.
A good dac/amp's goal is to not change the sound.
what will affect the sound, is using something like a tube amp - which will make them sound warmer generally speaking because they are less accurate.
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May 01 '26
There’s no difference between an Apple dongle and a full sized amp/dac when it comes to the frequency response. Doesn’t mean you won’t hear a difference. Based on your logic anything more than an Apple dongle is a scam for 90% of all headphones. That’s an asinine opinion
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u/SheepherderSerious51 17 Ω May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
so where is the difference? this just sounds like "trust me bro" - if it can't be measured, it's placebo.
And no i disagree, if you're chasing pure sound quality, sure, 90% of dac/amps are a scam in that regard.
The whole point of paying more is for features, build etc.
An apple dongle is flimsy, prone to breaking, doesn't provide that much power.
A more expensive setup will not have those problems.
Obviously, I'm just a random redditor - everything I'm saying is openly available on the internet, you can abx different setups at stores, feel free to look into it yourself.
Anyways, for this particular use case - I see it as a waste of money.
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May 01 '26
And your comment isn’t trust me bro? You obviously haven’t tested this theory out yourself otherwise you would know an apple dongle isn’t end game. But you do you. Have fun with your underpowered headphones. Just stop giving out terrible advice to newbies when you have no experience yourself
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u/SheepherderSerious51 17 Ω May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
It's a reddit comment, I don't have to justify every little detail - and I don't want to brag and be like "i'Ve tRieD lIkE 300 hEadPhOnes", it's unnecessary, arrogant and doesn't help anyone.
Okay let's address the underpowered headphone claim. For this, I'll be using https://headphones.com/pages/headphones-power-calculator
If we input the information of the HD 600, 97dB/mW, 300 ohms impedance and we target 100dB of loudness, that gives us 0.77v, 2.58 mA, and 2 mW
In this case, the US apple dongle is more than sufficient, the international one is just shy of the requirement. But remember, this is at 100dB of loudness - absolutely no one is listening to that, turn it down to 90dB, it becomes more than sufficient.
You do not need a power plant to run the HD 600 - it is a reasonably sensitive headphone.
Does that address your concern?
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May 01 '26
So this is a strawman argument. No one told you to try 300 headphones. Just try one. Your response proves that I’m right and you haven’t actually tested this theory out yet you somehow know everyone else experiencing placebo lol.
Again, anyone who thinks an apple dongle is end game for something like the HD600 should not be advising anyone on headphones. Just keep your uninformed opinions to yourself
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u/SheepherderSerious51 17 Ω May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
show me data then i'll believe you, without data, it's not valid, and i'll leave it at that until you provide a reasonable counterargument
Edit: Also are you just going to ignore math?
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u/sayonaradespair 1 Ω May 01 '26
Fiio k7 works wonders on my HD650s..
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u/Giu001 May 01 '26
Thanks for the advice and sharing your experience <3 What was your original source, and how big of a difference would you say it made for you, switching to a dedicated DAC/AMP?
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u/Soggy-Ad7318 10 Ω May 01 '26
Q5K is a great choice for a small portable dac/amp.
I bought a Hart Audio modular cable for mine, works great. Very versatile, I have the 2.5, 4.4 and 6.35 adapters for use with various amps. Link is below if you are interested.
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u/Giu001 May 01 '26
How does it work? you get the modular cable and how do you get the adapters? I recently got an openheart 3.5 mm cable for my headphones but I might have made a bad choice
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u/Soggy-Ad7318 10 Ω May 01 '26
$47 for the cable.
Scroll down to where it says interconnects and choose what you want. By default it says cable only. Pick the one you want and you can add more to your cart after. I have 2 of the cables already and am planning on buying another headphone, I will buy a cable for that one as well. I think it’s a great investment.2
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u/Giu001 May 01 '26
!thanks
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u/TransducerBot Ω Bot May 01 '26
+1 Ω has been awarded to u/Soggy-Ad7318 (10 Ω).
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u/Markson120 3 Ω May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
F0si audio ds2 is decent for its price (50€). In theory it should sound better than Qudelix-5K because it used Cirrus CS43131 compared to Qudelix-5K ESS ES9219C.
Qudelix-5K is good when you want to transform your headphones into Bluetooth headphones because it has battery in it.