HD 650's setup help

[bobby2343223]

What would be the best setup for HD 650's for my PC I was planning on using them with Crack 1.1 OTL Headphone Amplifier Kit. So from HD 650 to crack to 2-male to 3.5mm should I then plug the 3.5m directly to to the pc or should I use a something like a sound blaster to then plug in via usb or S/PDIF to my PC. Which would give the best sound quality?

[DuckToller]

Welcome to the forums, Bobby!
Given the decision for a Bottlehead kit I need to assume you are tec savvy with electronics ?

- DAC
I'd guess that for most visitors of the forums a DAC (Digital 2 Analog Converter) between your PC and the Bottlehead would be the first requirement.
- How to chose a DAC
For the DAC you would need to make decisions about your preferences:
- Available formats (PCM-HIRES-DSD)?
- USB interface working below WIN10 (i.E. Win XP or Win7)
- Size of unit?
- Power supply?
- Remote CONTROL?
- Display?
- HP amp integrated ?
- pricepoint?
And then still you have a lot of choice ...
- SETUP
You would plug the HD 650 into the Bottlehead's HP output and the RCA out of the DAC in the RAC in of the HP amp. The DAC would be the fed by you PC (depending on PC output config) via USB / SPDIF / Toslink. USB would be the easiest way to go, I assume.

I have had a fairly good unit at 200 Euros reviewed not that long ago -> here. Just to give you an impression what you could get at 200$. If you need less than you could get i.e. a Topping E 30 at 130$ as a starter.
 

Cheers, Tom (driving the HD650 either with iFi iDSD BL or JDS LAB ATOM HP Amplifier)