I think one such disparaging thread was somewhere on this very forum, and in a certain reddit comment a user tore Schiit apart talking about how they're just marketing without the engineering to back it up. Despite so many websites and users recommending the Magni/Modi stack otherwise. So I got to looking into other options like the Schiit Magni/Modi, but the more I looked into it, the more I found disparaging comments about these devices, and Schiit in general. I can return the D1 to Amazon easily enough. And yet, the reviews on Amazon and Crutchfield and the like are all very positive, some reviews seemingly coming from experts in the field. Furthermore, I've seen some people speak poorly of Audioengine, calling the D1 'junk'. I understand now at least to some degree what I was missing out on.Īs I mentioned, though, the D1 is still too quiet in some cases and I just don't have any extra headroom. It actually feels almost like I'm there in the room when I close my eyes. When listening to live music performances it sounds like everything is more spaced out - I can identify the individual instruments much more easily and hear the details of them better. Switching back and forth between the D1 and my mobo's output is just.

In my haste I went ahead and ordered an Audioengine D1 for $169, which does give me more volume (still not quite enough in some cases), and it seems to have DRASTICALLY improved the sound. I'll admit I still don't understand the intricacies of this and why this is such.īut that said, I have decided that I want a headphone amp (and I guess a DAC as well cause I'll need one of those as far as I'm aware). But, after asking around, it became evident that 'just because it's loud enough' does not mean that you're getting a high quality experience. I know they're not super awesome but they seem pretty good for gaming and music (though I do have my eye on the 1990s.).Īnyways, when I first tried running my 990s directly from my desktop PC mobo's stereo output, they were satisfactory and I could almost get them as loud as I would've preferred. I own a pair of DT-990 Pro 250ohm headphones. What I really want is to not necessarily become an expert in this field but to learn enough to make a good, informed buying decision. First off, I'm in the process of educating myself on amps, dacs, and the like.

Audioengine d1 dac vs schiit stack