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Empyrean Headphones/Sennheiser HDVD 800 + 'what DAC'?

I have a great setup in my sound room w/ tube amp, DAC and speakers but looking to set something up in another room that is a bit more portable.  I already have the headphones & headphone amp listed above but looking for the right DAC.  Would a Dragonfly Red or Cobalt be a good fit, or some other compact DAC?  Opinions/Advice??

labelman
soix
8,681 posts
 

Are you planning on continuing to use the 800 as an amp/DAC and want another amp/DAC that is truly portable, or are you looking for a better DAC to feed the 800?

patrickdowns's avatar
patrickdowns
497 posts
 

I have a good headphone amp in my DAC/preamp, but for portable use (with Senn HD650) I use a Dragonfly Cobalt and my phone, streaming Tidal. I think it sounds excellent, very close to my rack unit.

labelman OP
14 posts
 

The Sennheiser is an HDVD- it's only a headdphone amp- but a damn good one.  It drives my Meze Empyrean headphones.

soix
8,681 posts
 

I used the Dragonfly Red for a while when I was getting started in HeadFi and still use it for when I’m on the move, but your system would benefit from a better DAC IMHO.   What are you using for a DAC now (if any), and what sound characteristics are you looking for and are most important to you?  

yage
399 posts
 

Doesn't the HDVD 800 already have a DAC built in?

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