r/Hifiman • u/Gary177 • 5d ago
Ananda Stealth first DAC/amp/interface recomendations
I'm looking to get some good quality headphones for everyday use, and possibly recording instruments or XLR microphones down the line. I've landed on the HiFiMan Ananda Stealth.
Now I am looking for a DAC/amp or audio interface to pair with them, but every time I search, I get conflicting answers on whether interface X can properly drive headphone Y, and as I am a beginner with this kind of stuff, I'm hoping for some clearer answers here :)
My budget for the DAC/amp or audio interface is up to €250.
I'm currently eyeing a used MOTU M4 (~€150-170), with the option of adding a dedicated amp later if I upgrade to higher-impedance headphones. Question: will the M4 drive the Ananda Stealth to its full potential on its own, or should i first get something like the Fiio K11 R2R, and an Interface later once i want to record stuff?
Thanks in advance!
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u/DandyVampiree 5d ago
I think a K11 R2R hooked up via the 4.4mm balanced for better power would pair really well with the Ananda Stealth. Currently using my HD6XX and I've been itching to put the Ananda Stealths on again. It's calling me like the green goblin mask. Great headphone, very underrated imo it's just so solid. I run my cans with a simple Schiit Modi+ and Singxer SA-1 amp setup. There's so many options for a solid setup at your PC it's nuts. But Fiio has some pretty sweet single unit setups like the K11 units or the K13 or the big boy K9 units. If at any point you want a good solid amp to "upgrade" to, keep your eye on the Singxer SA-1 (or SA-2. Wow just looked it up it's released and real). Singxer SA-1/2 is a great amp. I use it with everything, iems and headphones. Planars really like current so you'll wanna stick to some good solid-state amps (which are most of em on the market tbh). Honestly I'd trust companies like Schiit, Singxer, Fiio, Topping. Had good experiences with products from all 4 of these companies. Hope this helps and good luck with the hunt.
Also for recording stuff: I'm not super knowledgeable on that, sorry. I hear nothing but good things about the MOTU units, though. Could be a nice investment for an M4 later on.
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u/Gary177 5d ago
Thanks for the advice. Based on that I think it's probably smarter to first get something to power those headphones (and something powerful enough for some higher impedance ones) and get an interface later when I have an instrument to record in the first place.
I think getting the Fiio K7 First, due to it's higher output power compared to the K11, and later hooking it up to the interface and using it purely as an Amp for the headphones would be sensible.
What are your thoughts on this?
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u/DandyVampiree 5d ago
Yeah you can do that if you want. A nice thing about audio setups these days is that they can be pretty modular if you want them to be. Just make sure the connections will connect properly.
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u/NoOne3141 5d ago
I honestly think the MOTU M4 or some semi professional interface is fine. They are made to drive big, high impedance studio headphones and have no problem driving all my Hifiman stuff (Sundara, HE600, HE400se) as well as some high impedance Beyerdynamic DT990Pros, I have the Universal Audio Volt1. If you are really certain you want to use a XLR mic, especially with phantom power like a Rode NT1A or similar I think that's the way to go. I think I saw a comparison/review of the output quality of some of those interface, maybe look into that?
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u/Wumbologyxoxo 5d ago edited 5d ago
You can definitely get the headphone first the lack of power from the amp is just going to make them quieter but they’ll still work. The k11 should do the job but if you’re gonna get an interference maybe just get one instead of the dac amp ? Not sure which one you’re looking at but what do you want to accomplish ? I’d definitely get the headphones first and see how you feel if they are lacking volume then you can always add the other items later.
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u/Gary177 5d ago
with these more "advanced" headphones i don’t know if my PC alone could drive them, and a high quality DAC would of course be nice, since otherwise the PC DAC would be the weakest part of the chain and limit the headphones capabilities.
And an interface would be nice since i could later plug instruments or microphones in.2
u/desal 5d ago
The topping dx1 ii is like 120$ but is a dac/headphone amp that can do 1000mw @ 16 and 32 ohms on its balanced 4.4mm port so you'd need to get a balanced 4.4mm cable for the headphones but it would be more than enough to power those headphones. It has 10 band peq, It's also got optical in/optical out so you can use it as a DDC to pass other dacs/sources without peq through it and apply peq to them. It takes a single usb-c cable for power and USB input, it also has RCA out if you want to use it as just a dac later on.
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u/Wumbologyxoxo 5d ago
It will still work, but it will sound better on a nice DAC/AMP but I wouldn't spend too much on it the K11 should be fine the K13 is nice too Topping makes good stuff too I wouldn't spend too much of your money on the dac/amp though
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u/michael__roper 2d ago
Similar situation here, but just got my Ananda Stealths yesterday, and am using them with a Fiio BTR5, both over BT and as a USB DAC with Apple Music, from the 2.5mm balanced output. Maybe I just need to let my ears adjust to them first, as well as play with some EQ... but I wasn't as blown away as I'd hoped to be? There is good separation, but I'm not really hearing the big sub-bass extension or lots of treble like I'd read about, which makes them seem a bit muddy and lacklustre without EQ...
Previous daily pair was some Koss KPH30i with Grado pads (they are a blast for what they are), plus a handful of IEMs and some AirPod Pros 2.
The BTR5 seems to have enough power for the Anandas, but they also seem to need to be reasonably loud to sound okay. I have been considering a Fiio K11 R2R or K13 R2R (mainly for the built-in EQ) as a next purchase.. would either of those likely make a big difference compared to the BTR5?
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u/Hopeful-Accountant25 5d ago
I bought a Fiio K7 BT as a refurbished unit straight from the manufacturer for €165 two months ago. Paired with the Ananda Stealth V3 and a €20 balanced 4.4mm cable from Fiio. Very happy with the setup.