Which amp would power AKG K501 better? 

I'm very new to this, such that I'm not even sure if headphone amps can or should power passive speakers.  If I have the P4s, can I run the M-stage into them?  I know Audioengine makes an amp that is meant to be used with P4s, but since I already have the M-Stage, I thought I would try this if...

Hi all, I was recently looking at the matrix m-stage, however i just have some questions.   As it is just an amp, how would I go about connecting it to a computer through USB?   How would I connect optical audio?   Would a DAC do this for me and if so which one? Thank you 

Hi all, Just wondering how I should go about doing this?   I was looking at the Nuforce icon hdp which would be just at my budget and I was leaning towards it as it is ranked as one of the highest on head-fi and i have read great reviews for it, i WAS pretty much set on it.  But then I...

Title says it all. Which would be the best suited for the HE 400s. How cold and dry is the O2+ODAC for the HE 400 compared to the others. I am currently leaning more towards the Objective stuff.

Hello, I have the Q701 and are relatively "easy" to drive. Yes, I know that the matrix m stage has high synergy with the K/Q701/2 series. However, I find the Q701's much too bright and want something to tame them. I've read that the matrix m stage is a dark amp, but not dark as a real...

Hi all, i need some help to connect my headphones and powered speakers to these to devices. It's correct this setup?   PC USB->HRT Streamer II->M-Stage RCA input M-Stage Line-Out->Powered speakers input   Thanks for the help Regards

hi guys, i could use some help. I get the humming without any source connected the to the M-stage so I do believe that it is an issue with the amp. i dont really want to send it to china and wait 2 months. is there anything i can do to fix the problem? thanks guys

I just bought a matrix m stage from china , bought new from an ebay user that has 100% feedback and has sold many of these.  Upon receiving the amp I inspected the back panel , it says 220v .  The box says 110v.  I  contacted the seller and he told me that they made a mistake by stamping 220v...

Just what the title says. I'm looking to use this mainly to drive my power amp -> speakers. It has two switchable inputs which is ideal for me. It also is an headphone amplifier (well, it's mainly an headphone amp) which is great.   What I need to know is: how good is this as a preamp? There...

I'm thinking about switching my Asus Xonar Essence ST for an external DAC. This mainly because I want to be able to connect my headphone-rig to other things than just my PC.   I preferably don't want to spend more than around $300. And of course I want it to be at least as good as the DAC on...

I just ordered a Matrix M-stage amp for my new Beyerdynamic DT 880 and I'm looking for quality cable and connectors. I'm considering Mogami W2534/Canare Starqad with Canare F10 connectors. Would that be a good interconnection for my setup? 

Very highly considering upgrading my HD650s to a set of HD800s; however, I'm concerned my M-Stage won't properly power them.   If they will, great.    If not, I have a budget of ~$500 to spend on a dedicated amplifier.   Thoughts?

I'm currently looking for a good place to put around $250 between a couple of potential headphones or an amp.   At the moment I am using a pair of AKG K701s, and a pair of Beyer DT770 Pro 80s depending on what I'm doing/listening to. Have an Essence STX with the headphone amp going through...

Hello. I have an unusual request. Could anyone measure the signal output of the M-Stage to a low-Z (16 - 32 ohm, ideally 25 ohm, like the D2000) at 20 Hz? Explanation: I have the D2000 and the Graham Slee NOVO and while the sound is really great, sometimes, when I listen to electronic music like...

Hello All,   I just received my Beyerdynamic DT990/600 Ohm headphones and have it paired with the Fiio E17.  It sounds really good but I was wondering if it was worth the upgrade to a tube amp <$200.  My budget is really tight at the moment.  I would like a WA3 or MKIV but not happening at...

So can you reach headphone Nirvana with a budget of under $1,000 my answer a big fat YES!!  Being my wife's birthday is tomorrow we were out and about last night and happened to end up at Best Buy. She has given me Stuff for years about my " Little Hobby" as she calls it. But she was in the...

I'm going overseas to China soon, and was wondering if i could get a good price for an amp in China. Brands like Schiit are INCREDIBLY overpriced over there; are there any good Chinese brands around the $300 range? The amp will be for my HD650's. Note: I'm open to buying the DAC/amp seperately...

Hello, so i´m going to buy dt 990 pro but currently i only own Steelseries USB Soundcard. So my question is how will they sound without amp ? I´m going to buy amp/new soundcard at my birthday 3.3. Will the sound be alot better with amp? Thank you

I finally purchased a Matrix M-stage to go with my Q-701. I connect my iphone to it via a 3.5mm to RCA, and the sound quality is very dissapointing, not even as good as directly using iphone's headphone jack.  The sound stage is much improved, but the sound is not clear, quite distant, and...

Hi.  I'm setting up my new Audioengine P4s with an N22 amp.  A turntable and laptop are my two audio sources.  I have a DAC from the laptop and the turntable both running into a headphone amp.  My question is how to integrate the speakers and n22 amp into the system without degrading sound...

A few weeks ago, I decided on purchasing an ODAC from JDS Labs.  I have been pleased with the objective nature of the sound.  I currently have it connected to my computer desktop speakers.  When I have my headphones connected to the speaker control pod there is a, nearly inaudible, background...

I'm currently using HD 555's and I just nabbed a pair of HD 650's last night on sale. So, I guess that means it's time to invest in an amp and some kind of dac-- or combo. These headphones are going to stay put, so portability is not necessary. Currently my 555's are just connected to my desktop...

So I just picked up a Sennheiser HD-650, and coming from a pair of cheap $10 Sony headphones, I'm, of course, picking up greater clarity and detail in the treble areas of songs and recordings, particularly from percussion instruments.   But in some songs/recordings, there is, what it seems...

I'm currently looking into the Matrix M-Stage and Schiit Asgard...   Can anyone please comment on which would best? I'd also like to use the amp with a pair of DT880 250s. My budget max is $300. The Asgard seems to be cheaper, offers more piece of mind in terms of hassle free purchase and...