Though a telephoto lens for my 40D is on my list already, I have been craving for a good amplifier for to get meat out of my AKGs. So, I started my research on a headphone amplifier and I was amazed by 2 things: 1) people spend thousands of dollars on building a good music system 2) there is a huge market of hi-fi music systems. Audiophiles, as they call themselves, are crazy for pure music and after long wait I have stepped into this category.
Out of my research, which amazingly continued for 1.5 days, I found that depending on your music source, components may vary. Since, most of my music is on PC in lossless FLAC format, I first needed a DAC - Digital to Analogue converter. A DAC is almost a sound card that stays out of PC/laptop, the advantage it has over onboard soundcard is that it is free from noise of internal circuit of motherboard and hence can provide quality output. The DAC is essentially a pre-amp and its output can be fed into the main amplifier which further enhances the signals. And the amplified signal can be then be fed to the final part, i.e. speakers/headphones. If all of these components are of high quality, one can expect pure music, atleast that's what I think based on the cost of these components. DAC, Heaphone Amplifiers, Headphones, they all range from $100-$10,000, even more.
In order to get value of my $250 headphones, I need to spend another $300. I wouldn't have mind that if the best system could be afforded for say $700, but instead what I found was that even a DAC can cost 15000 bucks and same can be true for Amplifier. And most interesting part, people rather Audiophiles are buying those. Anyways, I decided not to break bank and start my quest for pure music. So, I ordered an entry level DAC, which comes with a nice amplifier, all for $150. I guess this would keep me happy till I move onto more quality stuff.
This week's image, Hardrock cafe, Warsaw
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