dac/amp to pair with Sennheiser HD 650

Hello Sythe, I'm going to be ordering a pair of Sennheiser HD 650's very shortly based on a fair amount of research and positive reviews.

I was wondering if anyone could provide any insight into powering these (300ohms) headphones. Currently I'm looking at Schiit magni/modi combo because I like the $200 price point. Will that be a good place to get me started, or will I instantly regret not forking out for a better amp? As it is I'm already looking at spending $650 so I'm trying to pack it in a bit.

As a frame of reference I currently own a pair of audio technica ath-m50's. Plugged directly into laptop on-board audio/my ipod with nothing else. This will be a huge improvement for me =p

Forgot to note that this must be an external unit, as all that I have available to me currently is a laptop.

 

Glad you chose Sennheisers. They are one of my favorites when it comes to headsets. I recommend the C5D Amplifier+DAC. This is a really good amp and I have a few friends that use it. It costs $250 ($50 than what you are looking to spend), but I think it is well worth it. You may even find it cheaper than buying directly from JDS Labs.

 

Me too, I've looked at a lot of reviews and they seem like a great way to go. I'm just waiting to make sure that they're sufficiently comfortable (people say 650's can clamp on your head a bit) before I make the final purchase.

Really appreciate your comment, I'll go ahead and look into that!


edit:

1) Would there be any reason to go with the C5D amp + dac over a separate o2 amp + dac (other than portability)?

2) I know you probably can't say for certain, but sound quality wise is there a reason to go with the C5D amp + dac over the schiit magni/modi combo, or are you just recommending it for its portability?

 

1) o2 amp is great, but the C5D is still better in terms of quality and also portable like you said. With the C5D you will also beable to max out your volume and get all the benefits of your headset. The o2 (although with these you won't be able to max out your volume) is still a great amp and is portable if you don't don't buy the combo with the ODAC. And as far as finding a seperate DAC, I'm not really sure what route you should go.
2) I don't know anything really about the schiit magni/modi combo. I have just always heard JDS labs makes really good products. And ofc portability is a plus in my book.