Fix your desktop audio | iFi, BLON, Etymotic, Koss, HiFiMan & Beyerdynamic

[@Diijkstra]

finally my favorite reviewer doing a IEM review! been into IEM stuff for 2 years now and it's a rabbit hole hobby

[@IOSam]

Hehe... I know... Audio stuff is a fascinating world on its own! I'm starting very superficially for now, since this is my first video on audio gear. But you can definitely expect more in-depth stuff in this segment in the future! (And thanks for the support my friend!!! Immensely appreciated!!!🙏)

[@4oursins]

as allways, just perfect! Sam you seriously deserve much much more follower!

[@IOSam]

Thank you Martin!! Highly appreciated my friend! 🙏 A channel such as this (with no "monkey business" 😆) might not grow as fast as others, but the growth has been consistent... so, I can't really complain about the progress so far.

[@kemovekeyboard]

I have looked forward to watching your video a long time! Like it!

[@IOSam]

Thank you!! They do take a while to show up, but I'm always glad to know it's worth the wait! :)

[@Tavadi]

Love it that you also start reviewing more than keyboard's

[@IOSam]

Thank you Jamb!!🙏! That was always the plan from the beginning... It's just that the keyboard stuff took off so quickly and attracted so much attention, that it flooded me with work from the beginning, and took me a while to be able to start working on other types of gear. But you can definitely expect more "tech diversity" here in the channel going forward. I know it will put off some of the current audience, but hopefully it will also attract more viewers like you.

[@rathoddhruv26]

@@IOSam I'd be pretty confident saying the audience which subscribes for keyboard content is also pretty generally open to mice, audio, and listening equipment as well (for example badseed tech). I'd love for you to continue with tech diversity on the channel with things like webcams, mousepads or even desk tech accessory type stuff. Keep it up

[@IOSam]

@@rathoddhruv26 Yeah, that is my perception as well. BadSeed, Brandon Taylor, Frank P and other awesome creators in this area have been covering all sorts of peripherals (including audio) and desk setup stuff for years now, so I know these topics have a good intersection with the keyboard crowds, and that definitely makes the decision to finally “expand” a little easier on me… So, you can bet I’ll get into that other stuff as well! In fact, my upcoming video (dropping in the next few days, since it was produced together with this audio focused one) will be about my upgrades to my home-office setup with new desk, chair, lamp, monitor arms, etc. I still have a ton of good keyboard content coming up, of course (there will always be keyboard content around here :), but it just feels nice to “branch out” sometimes.

[@clayton8816]

One decent DAC and AMP combo that might be worth taking a look at is an FX-Audio DAC-X6. It's been around for a while, but I use those to run my new HiFiMan HE-X4($100 on Drop) and it sounds great with PC at max volume and the combo in the 9:30 to 10 o'clock position.

[@IOSam]

I have been seeing this DAC/Amp (for some serious low prices) on Amazon for a while now, but was a bit skeptical about it until you point it out today. Then I went looking and found this great review on it [ kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWe7kmaBe6iheJo ] by the @cheapaudioman, where he breaks down the specs, build quality, sound, etc. It seems to be super versatile, with its 3 inputs, and a pretty good base for some interesting mods (since it allows you to roll your own op-amp for example) and it does have some decent specs to boot. So, whenever I need another inexpensive DAC/Amp around here, I’ll definitely give this one a go!

[@clayton8816]

@@IOSam Glad you might consider it. A colleague of mine got one after he tried out mine so that he can run Sennheiser HD 600s when he gets them.

[@clayton8816]

Update to the FX-Audio unit I got: I got into rolling Op Amps and pairing this DAC/AMP combo with a dual discrete Op Amp from Sparkos Labs might be worth taking a look at. Rolling Op Amps could make for a good video.

[@IOSam]

@@clayton8816 From all the amps I have here, I don’t have a single one that takes Op-Amp chips (other than my aging Sound Blaster PCI-e sound card in my PC that is). So, that is something I have to try it for myself (maybe with one of these FX amps 🤔).

[@KunjaBihariKrishna]

I've just been looking at around a bit. Topping DX one would cost me less than ifi uno here. I'm using salnotes 7hz without any amp. So I should probably get an amp lol

[@IOSam]

The DX1 is Topping's entry in the sub-100 segment and, as everything Topping makes, is incredibly good! It costs more than the Uno here in the US, but it does offer more power and a better build. So, you're well covered! :)

[@KunjaBihariKrishna]

@@IOSam Nice, I will go with that one

[@lain2236ad]

iem's don't really need amps whatsoever due to their efficiency but it's a good insurance for any headphones you get in the Future

[@IOSam]

@@lain2236ad Exactly! I'd say that a good clean sounding DAC will make a much bigger difference to IEMs. But as you correctly pointed out, bringing a decent Amp into the mix will give flexibility and allow one to expand to other types of audio gear in the future.

[@LateBandwagon]

Crazy how lots of people who were in the keyboards are now getting into IEM's. I recently got into the hobby like a year ago and I would recommend simgot ea 500 (balanced signature, will suit the most people), truthear hexa (neutral), and 7hz Legato (bassheads) for the $100 and under budget

[@IOSam]

That certainly seems to be the case! XD But deep down, I think a lot of keeb heads had been curious about IEMs (and audio in general) for a while now, but because they were blowing off so much money on expensive custom keyboards, they didn’t have much left for the audio part… As most enthusiasts now have more keyboards (and fancy gaming mice) than they know what to do with, people are finally finding out that good input devices are just one part of a good work&play desk setup. Having good clean audio, a PC with descent specs, and a home-office with good ergonomics can make an even bigger difference in the quality of the time one spends in front of their setups. And thanks for all the IEM suggestions there! I'm aware of all 3 you mentioned, but have yet to try them out for my next batch of $100 priced sets.

[@persistence05]

excellent taste as usual sam. ifi is so good i replace them from a more expensive one and currently my daily driver. Io Sam is the best.

[@IOSam]

Thanks my friend!! I have been a fan of their gear since I tried the Zen Dac years ago. So, I was excited to see them getting into the entry-level sub-100-dollars space as well (and they clearly didn’t disappoint!).

[@KunjaBihariKrishna]

The ifi uno is $100 in Indonesia. Probably a crazy shipping route and taxes Hopefully there's an option which is priced better here

[@IOSam]

For $100, the Uno will immediately bump into some stiff competition (such as the Topping DX1 another viewer commented here)… The Uno form factor does offer some unique features, but I’m my view it has to be sub-100 to make sense in this heating market.

[@KunjaBihariKrishna]

@@IOSam Thanks. Indonesia has convoluted laws around importing electronics. While i can find most products listed somewhere on online stores, the price often doesn't make sense anymore. And there's a lot of counterfeit products here as well. Although less so in more niche markets

[@IOSam]

@@KunjaBihariKrishna I know the pain... I lived in South America and Europe before, and I've seen all sorts of shenanigans with import duties you can imagine as well... And that sucks big time! That also distorts the market in some dumbfounding ways, since it can make budget products more expensive than other more professional options (that happen to be manufactured locally for example).

[@KunjaBihariKrishna]

@@IOSam You don't wanna know how much I spent on the Glorius numpad over here 😂

[@IOSam]

@@KunjaBihariKrishna Oh man... I'm definitely affraid to ask 😅(considering it is not a cheap pad to begin with, even in the US)!

[@TheBamanda2]

What’s the difference between DAC/Amp and an “audio interface”?

[@IOSam]

In the context of a computer, an audio interface can either be a DAC (Digital to Analog converter) or an ADC (Analog to Digital converter). In other words, it either inputs audio into the computer (converting analog audio from the real world to digital data), such as the audio interface for a Microphone, or outputs audio out of it (converting digital data to analog audio) such as the interface for speakers and headphones. Incidentally, computer audio interfaces usually feature small amplification circuits as well, but these are often not very powerful (such as the ones in sound cards and motherboards). So, to sum it up: the term "audio interface" can be used interchangeably with "DAC/Amp".