[jaywillin]

Not new to headphones, but I've gotten the iem bug
I've had the from 1more for a little while and as it always happens, I've got the upgrade bug
The dongle dac might actually be the better thing to upgrade, I haven't decided yet
Not going to spend a lot around $100, hopefully less
There's so many brands, I get lost lol

So, iems or new dac, this one I just picked not knowing anything about it, just $15 bucks on Amazon

 

[o0genesis0o]

I have more fun pairing a cheap dongle like Apple USB-C dongle with an external amp than most proper USB dongle dac+amp. To my ears, apple dongle for DAC and a decent headphone amp like Topping NX7 or G5 can get pretty close to the level of ultra high-end DAPs.

If you go with the dongle path, I prefer Hidizs S9 Pro and Hidizs XO.

If you are up for something odd, have a look at Venture Electronic Megatron. They are designed especially for high impedance earbuds. Some IEMs benefit from the powerful amp stage of that device.

 

[jaywillin]

Hadn't thought about just an amp, the sound of this dac is good, just really lacks some juice

 

[bassct]

IEM world is a very very deep rabbit hole. It is good to determine what kind of sound you like early on and try and settle on something. Try different IEMs when you get a chance. Most can be easily driven by a smartphone but a good inexpensive DAC/AMP can improve the experience. Quedelix 5k has a ton of options and an EQ and can be used wired or wireless.

Check out these threads:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-qudelix-5k-thread.914628/

Look for IEM comparisson charts, Crinacle has a whole website.

 

[jaywillin]

IEM world is a very very deep rabbit hole. It is good to determine what kind of sound you like early on and try and settle on something. Try different IEMs when you get a chance. Most can be easily driven by a smartphone but a good inexpensive DAC/AMP can improve the experience. Quedelix 5k has a ton of options and an EQ and can be used wired or wireless.

Check out these threads:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-qudelix-5k-thread.914628/

Look for IEM comparisson charts, Crinacle has a whole website.

I've been doing a little research,
I've had quite a few headphones, but there seems to be a lot more to choose from as compared to when I got started, or maybe I just didn't pay attention to it