$2000 Reference system

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Pretty low-end reference system, even for $2k. The headphones are heavily compromised by the electronics in this case.

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The HD800 is fatiguing so extra care in system matching must be made. For $2k I’d think about a used TH900 paired with a Questyle 400 to enjoy the super strong synergy between Fostex’s bio drivers and current mode amplification. Headphones that use the Fostex bio drivers (TH-xxx, AudioQuest, a few others) are unique in that they have very flat impedance / phase curves which makes them play very well with current mode amps.

 

Of course when we’re talking about systems power delivery and source are important and always get ignored. If stuck at 2$k you’d probably have to downgrade to a used AqudioQuest or Massdrop Fostex for some decent AC cables and source, even if it’s just some USB conditioning.

 

In regards to Schiit amps I’ve auditioned most of them; the one I ended up buying again and keeping for good was the Mjolnir 2. The problem with this amp is that the singe-ended output had noticeably degraded sound, so I went so far to get my TH900 modded with a balanced line just for the sake of keeping the M2. When I had the X20 DAC, the signal path was balanced front-to-end.

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23 minutes ago, PeterSt said:

 

Literally this makes no sense. Mind the "recovered" you mention, which implies molest as such indeed and as in "wrong" without recovery.

A DAC does not recover data in this context. And if you think it does, let's start with pointing out to me where my DAC does this.

 

For the analog signal implying the digital data, this applies, yes. But this is not what you seem to refer to. 

 

All DACs do clock recovery.

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All DACs have a clock specifically for the reason to recover clock data from the source.

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33 minutes ago, mansr said:

No, that is not how it works.

 

It’s exactly how it works. 

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Now that mansr has apparently read the Wikipedia article on clock recovery I can graciously let the “argument” go.

 

Long story short, all DACs use some kind of clock recovery mechanism to minimize jitter. If there was no loss of timing information from the source there would be no need for a clock in the DAC.

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38 minutes ago, mansr said:

No, that is not the reason. See my post above.

 

It is, in fact, the reason. You’ve backed yourself into a corner for no other reason, apparently, than for me to be wrong about something. Recovering clock information is a basic design feature every DAC, even minature toy DACs. Better DACs have low phase noise oscillators, some even have different oscillators running at different speeds for different sample rate families for best accuracy. Some people lock to ultra low phase noise external OCXOs for even better performance. These clocks serve one purpose, to recover clock data that is either not present (from signal edges) or degraded in transit.

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"Small powered monitors" is an interesting way of saying "it sucks"