Hi there
So I am not a supreme audiophile, purely based on my budget I guess!! I have a modest DAC setup, listening to hi-res music and definitely appreciating the benefits.
I currently have a mobile DAC plugged into my PC. It's an Audirect Beam to save costs, but impressively musical so I'm hanging onto it. This goes into a Millett Minimax Hybrid headphone amp, and that's driving Audio Technica ATH M50s. Playing hi-res music through JRiver, it's awesome to me!
Now I've seen power supplies such as the iFi iUSB supply, or even their USB purifier. These cost more than my entire setup here! I wanted to know if something like this would be a beneficial upgrade in my chain? Worth saving for? Does it improve sound quality in a setup like mine or does it just simply eliminate noise? I can only really hear high frequency noise when nothing is playing.
Or should I spend those bucks on a DAC upgrade or something like that instead? I'm quite happy with my gear within this budget. I bought a Meridian Explorer 2 as an upgrade to the Audirect Beam, and it turned out it was not as good! Way more clinical and just less musical. The Beam holds its own. I initially wanted the portability, but it's now being used at home into my PC because it sounds that good.
I just need to figure what's essential in an audio chain like mine, or whether it's more beneficial to upgrade my current gear (like the DAC) instead..
Thanks!
So I am not a supreme audiophile, purely based on my budget I guess!! I have a modest DAC setup, listening to hi-res music and definitely appreciating the benefits.
I currently have a mobile DAC plugged into my PC. It's an Audirect Beam to save costs, but impressively musical so I'm hanging onto it. This goes into a Millett Minimax Hybrid headphone amp, and that's driving Audio Technica ATH M50s. Playing hi-res music through JRiver, it's awesome to me!
Now I've seen power supplies such as the iFi iUSB supply, or even their USB purifier. These cost more than my entire setup here! I wanted to know if something like this would be a beneficial upgrade in my chain? Worth saving for? Does it improve sound quality in a setup like mine or does it just simply eliminate noise? I can only really hear high frequency noise when nothing is playing.
Or should I spend those bucks on a DAC upgrade or something like that instead? I'm quite happy with my gear within this budget. I bought a Meridian Explorer 2 as an upgrade to the Audirect Beam, and it turned out it was not as good! Way more clinical and just less musical. The Beam holds its own. I initially wanted the portability, but it's now being used at home into my PC because it sounds that good.
I just need to figure what's essential in an audio chain like mine, or whether it's more beneficial to upgrade my current gear (like the DAC) instead..
Thanks!
