Headphones, Headphone Amps, and DAC's for Open Office Use (And More)

Until recently, headphones were mostly something i used when traveling... On planes or in hotel rooms. I didn't care too much about long listening session or overall quality, they were just something to pass the time.

Headphone Gear I Already Own:

  • MrSpeakers Aeon Flow C
  • Sennheiser HD650
  • Hifiman HE400i
  • Bose QC15
  • Sure Sound Isolating Earphones
  • Massdrop Cavalli Tube Hybrid (CTH)
  • Audioquest Dragonfly Red
  • iFi Micro iDSD Black

I recently began working in a open floor-plan co-working office.  This environment presents some very real challenges for those who like to listen to music while working, those who work best without the constant chatter of those around them, and those who need the ability to work for extended periods of time without interruption.

To deal with these challenges. A good closed-back headphone setup all of a sudden became important to me.

My preferences include separate DAC and Amp since DAC technology marches forward much faster than the Amp side of things. Smallish physical footprint is desirable but not required (as long as i can fit it on top of a file cabinet). I also prefer a DAC that supports MQA via Tidal Masters - since i use Tidal via Audirvana all day long.

I started digging into options for this environment and came up with the following list.

Closed-Back Headphone Options:

  • MrSpeakers Aeon Flow C (Very Comfortable & "Reasonably" Priced)
  • MrSpeakers Ether Flow C
  • ZMF Eikon
  • Audioquest NightOwl Carbon ($400 New)
  • Fostex TH900 MK2
  • Audeze LCD-XC (Very Heavy)
  • Sennheiser HD820 (Not Yet Available)
  • Sony MDR-Z1R
  • Beyerdynamic T5P v.2
Since I already own (and love) the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow C I will of course stick with them. With that said, I have been wearing headphones for about 10 hours a day, so having another pair to switch it up would be nice. 

I should also add that Dan at MrSpeakers has been really helpful. He wont tell me what amp is his favorite, but he has steered me away from a few that wont pair well with the headphones i already own. I do know that he is a fan of the Linear Tube Audio gear, and LTA has a few pairs of MrSpeakers headphones hanging on their wall. 

Headphone Amp Options
  • Massdrop Cavalli Tube Hybrid (Hard to Beat For The Price)
  • Pass Labs HPA-1
  • Linear Tube Audio MZ2 (Or the upcoming MZ3 or MZ Preamplifier)
  • Rogue RH-5 (Optional Phono Module)
  • Simaudio Moon 430 (Optional DAC Module)
  • Headamp G-SX MK2
  • AmpsAndSound Kenzie Encore (Beautiful)
  • Benchmark HPA4 (Incredibly Low Noise)
  • Schiit Mjolnir 2
  • E.A.R HP4
  • Cary HH-1
Last time i was in DC for business, i swung by the Linear Tube Audio office, which doubles as their production facility. Mark and the Team were awesome, and I really enjoyed my time with the MZ2. The upcoming MZ3 (and its standard width preamp cousin) look like they have some great evolutionary changes (and much nicer casework).

Other than the Massdrop CTH that I already own, i haven't had a chance to hear any of the others on the list... The good news is that there are Pass and Simaudio dealers nearby. 

For what its worth. The Genalex Gold Lion E88CC is a great tube option for the Massdrop CTH... And the Massdrop CTH is a great Amp option for the HD650's... If you like the HD650's and are looking for wallet friendly amp, this is the one you want. 

Headphone Amp/DAC Combo's
  • Mytek Brooklyn+
  • Mytek Manhattan II
  • Schiit Lyr3 (No MQA or DSD)
  • Soekris dac1541 (no MQA or DSD)
The Manhattan II looks like a really solid (though pricy) DAC/Amp combo. I particularly like that Mytek offered a cost effective DAC upgrade from the previous model.

DAC Options (MQA Support Is Preferred Since Tidal Masters Is My Primary Source)
  • PS Audio Directstream + BridgeII (MQA Only Supported Via BridgeII)
  • Schiit Yggdrasil (No MQA or DSD)
  • Audio-GD R2R7 (No MQA)
  • Denafrips Terminator (No MQA)
  • HoloAudio Spring "Kitsuné Tuned Edition" Level 3 D/A processor (No MQA)
  • Benchmark DAC3L (Or DAC3HGC Which Includes Headphone Amp) (No MQA)
  • PureAudio Lotus DAC5 (Is this available in the US?)
  • Metrum Acoustics Pavane (R2R, DSD, MQA - What dosen't this thing do?) 
I have a Directstream DAC in my home system and love it. I hear PS Audio is working on a no-holds-barred big brother to it now, which will likely drive down the cost of the Directstream in the used market. Im also a big fan of the R2R DAC's, of which the Audio-GD, Denefrips, and Holo Spring seem to be the price performance winners - Only downside is no 2nd MQA unfold. 

Portable Amp/DAC Options (I Travel A Lot, And Already Have Both Of These)

  • Audioquest Dragonfly Red
  • iFi Micro iDSD Black
These are great little devices for travel. The dragonfly is pretty good for its size, the iFi is a bit large to truly call portable, but its worth the inconvenience. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the best direction to go for a high quality closed back office headphone setup. 

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