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What headphones or IEM's do you use for listening with your Audioquest Dragonfly?


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Just curious. I use the Sennheiser HD600 with standard 1/8 inch mini jack for music listening with the Dragonfly. Chris briefly discusses his experience with the HD600/DF combo(among others) in his product review of the DF. I was wondering what headphone/IEM others find to work best for pairing with the DF.

 

Esau

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Etymotic ER4P IEMs. Those with the Dragonfly, a MacBook Pro, and Audirvana+ make a nice travel rig.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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Denon D2000, Sennheiser HD 650 I like best with it. Controls the bass well on the Denons and brightens the HD650s. I was surprised the DF drives the HD650s as well as it does.

I also use the DF with my portable ATH ESW9a when I travel.

 

I'm a big HD 650 fan, your post now makes we want to go out and finally buy the DF!

Listening Room: ALIX.2D2 (Voyage MPD) --> Arcam rDAC --> Marantz PM-15S2 --> Quadral Wotan Mk V

Drinking Room: ALIX.2D2 --> M2Tech hiFace 2 --> Cambridge Audio Azur 740C --> Rotel RC-06/RB-06 --> B&W XT4

Home head-fi: Grado SR80i, Sennheiser HD 650

On the go head-fi: Sennheiser IE 8

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

...tried a few headphones with the Audioquest Dragonfly (Macbook Pro - Audirvana+).

Wanted some headphones with better isolation as my Stax setup, and easy to take along with Macbook Pro and little Dragonfly.

 

AKG 271 is o.k but nothing to get excited about. Is laying around as our television headphone, really...

 

Sennheiser Momentum was really nice + musical for bass and mids, but way to much treble roll-off. No sparkle. Saxophone, violin etc. just don´t sound real / live. Even though I wanted to like these, I returned them.

 

Next was Etymotic er-4p. Very transparent. However: dry sound which did not give me the feeling of embodied instruments. Like showing bones, but no blood, no muscles, no blood. Soundstage very in the head. Very clean separation with good air, but together with the small in the head sound this made them even more fatiguing for me. I would only recommend these with a warm amp with good soundstage. I found it a lesser match for the Dragonfly, except for mixing or mastering. Just too little enjoyment.

Brilliant with just a few good recordings, though.

 

Finally settled with the Ortofon´s e-Q5. Very happy with these + DF. More body and warmth (but not exaggerated). Soundstage separation not so clearcut as Etymotics but less in (or clinging to) the head. More natural for me. Bass-mids-highs all enjoyable. Some music (like Norah Jones) is really, really nice and more enjoyable as with my Stax rig (which is just really better with most stuff, though)...

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  • 3 weeks later...
With the Dragonfly, I avoid headphones with a lean low end like the Shure 1840. I get good results with the Senn Momentum, v-moda M100, Beyer DT770-32, and ATH ESW9a or ESW11.

 

Pretty much what I have decided, I have used the Senn Momentum, ATH ESW10JPN and FitEAR 334 (non-custom IEM) and like all of them. I like the Momentums the best.

 

Flipside is the Meridian Explorer, there is too much bass bloom with the Momentum, but about perfect with the ATH ESW cans. The FitEAR was fine with the DF, have not put it on the Meridian yet, but is great with the DF.

[Home Digital] MSB Premier DAC > Modright LS300 > Atma-Sphere "Class D" Monoblocks > Daedalus Audio Muse Studio Speakers

[Home Analog] Technics SL-1200G > Boulder 508 (Benz Glider SL)

[Office] Laptop > Kitsune R2R lvl3 > Violectric V281 > Meze Liric / Meze Elite

[Travel] Laptop/iPad -> Focal Bathys

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Pretty much what I have decided, I have used the Senn Momentum, ATH ESW10JPN and FitEAR 334 (non-custom IEM) and like all of them. I like the Momentums the best. Flipside is the Meridian Explorer, there is too much bass bloom with the Momentum, but about perfect with the ATH ESW cans. The FitEAR was fine with the DF, have not put it on the Meridian yet, but is great with the DF.

 

Is that the original Explorer, or the updated version? There was a major output impedance change.

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  • 2 weeks later...

No clue. I remember reading about the unit being firmware upgradeable, but have not done anything like that.

[Home Digital] MSB Premier DAC > Modright LS300 > Atma-Sphere "Class D" Monoblocks > Daedalus Audio Muse Studio Speakers

[Home Analog] Technics SL-1200G > Boulder 508 (Benz Glider SL)

[Office] Laptop > Kitsune R2R lvl3 > Violectric V281 > Meze Liric / Meze Elite

[Travel] Laptop/iPad -> Focal Bathys

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I use mine mostly at work, so a closed headphone is important. I use it mostly with V-Moda M100's, or AKG K-81DJ's in a pinch.

 

I have used it with my HD600's at home, and frankly was surprised at how well it drove them.

Five (or so) in heavy rotation:

 

Van Halen - Studio Albums 1978-1984 (24/192) | The Eagles - Hotel California (24/192) | Robbie Robertson - S/T (MFSL) | Tord Gustavsen - The Well (24/96) | The Beatles - Rubber Soul (24-Bit)

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Just curious. I use the Sennheiser HD600 with standard 1/8 inch mini jack for music listening with the Dragonfly. Chris briefly discusses his experience with the HD600/DF combo(among others) in his product review of the DF. I was wondering what headphone/IEM others find to work best for pairing with the DF.

 

Esau

 

vSonic GR07 mk2 on the road. Also use it to feed a pair of foxL v2 speakers + foxLO if I'm going to be in a hotel room more than a couple of nights :)

 

Beyerdynamic DT-1350 at home.

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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I asked Audioquest about firmware updates for the Dragonfly and they said NO!

 

It is the Explorer that has upgradable firmware, IIRC.

[Home Digital] MSB Premier DAC > Modright LS300 > Atma-Sphere "Class D" Monoblocks > Daedalus Audio Muse Studio Speakers

[Home Analog] Technics SL-1200G > Boulder 508 (Benz Glider SL)

[Office] Laptop > Kitsune R2R lvl3 > Violectric V281 > Meze Liric / Meze Elite

[Travel] Laptop/iPad -> Focal Bathys

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  • 1 month later...

Just this week I picked up a pair of Philips Fidelio X1 headphones, primarily to use them with a Dragonfly. I've been alternating using them both with a Benchmark DAC1 HDR DAC/Preamp and with a Dragonfly. The results are very impressive with the Dragonfly and stunning with the Benchmark.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have had the DF for nearly a year now. It is a delight with my HD650's and my custom IEM's (ACS T1's and JH Audio JH16 FP) It even does a decent job driving my HD800's! Sometimes I will hook up my B&W MM-1's and enjoy some quality nearfield listening. It is a great little device!

Upgradeus Interruptus.....

 

PS Audio Directstream DSD DAC, PS Audio DirectStream Memory Player, PS Audio BHK Signature Pre, PS Audio BHK 300 Monos, Aurender A10, MacMini, Roon, Vandersteen Treo CT's, AudioQuest Diamond USB, AudioQuest CastleRock Speaker cables, AudioQuest MacKenzie interconnects.

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I'm a fan of sennheiser.. so far i have 3 different kinds of headset from classic to update PX 200, HD 203 and MOMENTUM.

 

but recently I had my birthday and got this Biostar headphones. I will not lie but its comparable to sennheiser I am quite surprised though'....

 

All the focus on headphones lately has raised the bar for all manufacturers. This is a very good thing!

Upgradeus Interruptus.....

 

PS Audio Directstream DSD DAC, PS Audio DirectStream Memory Player, PS Audio BHK Signature Pre, PS Audio BHK 300 Monos, Aurender A10, MacMini, Roon, Vandersteen Treo CT's, AudioQuest Diamond USB, AudioQuest CastleRock Speaker cables, AudioQuest MacKenzie interconnects.

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I have been a Sennheiser fan for a long time. The HD800's are amazing even when you use something as affordable as the DF for your DAC/AMP!

Upgradeus Interruptus.....

 

PS Audio Directstream DSD DAC, PS Audio DirectStream Memory Player, PS Audio BHK Signature Pre, PS Audio BHK 300 Monos, Aurender A10, MacMini, Roon, Vandersteen Treo CT's, AudioQuest Diamond USB, AudioQuest CastleRock Speaker cables, AudioQuest MacKenzie interconnects.

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I recently purchased the DragonFly based on reading here on Computer Audiophile. Paired it with some Etymotic ER4-PT IEMs. Couldn't be happier with the setup for on-the-go listening (I do a lot of my work in local coffee shops and, personally, really like IEMs). At home I've been listening with a pair of AKG K702 headphones connected to the DragonFly until a new Schiit Asgard2 shows up. Also enjoying the setup as it is for now. Everything is still pretty new, but I expect will get even better with time.

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