I got myself a new audio setup as a Christmas gift last year. I pulled the trigger when I saw the Sennheiser HD6XX was an active drop and ready to ship within 24hrs on Mass Drop. The headphone amp was an after-thought, but after trying my Audioengine D1 on the HD6XX I knew I needed a better headphone amp to drive the headphones better. Don’t get me wrong, the AudioEngine D1 DAC/Amp can drive the Sennheiser HD6XX but not at the volumes I am used to listening to.
I ended up with the Schiit Stack, consisting of the Modi 3 and Magni 3. At $200 USD for the pair, it’s still at a comparable price point to the Audioengine D1 at $170 USD. Though the Schiit Stack ended up consisting more because of sales tax and shipping to the Philippines, as oppose to the D1 which is available locally. I also opted to get an Introprose Rigid Y cross connect specifically for the Schiit Stack. This is primarily for convenience, so I don’t need to unplug the headphone jack in-order to output to the speakers. It also allows me to use the speakers without having to use the Magni 3 and save a bit of power. The Modi 3 supports 3 inputports (Co-ax, SPDIF and USB) which can be toggled using a swing in front of the device; which is handy and still allows me to hook it up to my PS4 Pro and computer at the same time..
The change, or should I say upgrade is worth it, coming from a D1/M50X combo without a significant price premium from my previous setup. Personally, I think the sound difference is noticeable and justifs the price point. I get audiophile quality without the steep cost of admission. I think this setup is just shy of where the line of diminishing returns start and where the happy medium of price to performance is.