Hello! This is probably stupid.
So I have recently gotten rid off my streaming services to save money and I have been into transferring my new and old CDs into MP3 form (320 kbps) and listening to those either on my Sony Walkman (NWZ-B162F or something) or on my PC with the Windows Legacy Media Player/VLC and now the music sounds so, so different than the same songs sounded from Spotify or YouTube Music. (Official apps on Android, iOS and PC or the web version on PC while having the “HD Settings” on.) Headphones and the soundbar is the same as before, no changes there.
Like the MP3 form, that should be much more poorer quality and inferior in all the ways, but it sounds “deeper”? The streaming services have sounded so… flat? Sorry, English isn’t my native language but yeah, flat or shallow? Empty even? Hollow?
Is this because of I now “own” the music and possibly respect it more and that makes it sound better? Am I turning into an audiophile, which I have never had any interest in before? Or is there something real in this? Not complaining really, just been pondering this a while and my fiancé agrees on this as he’s been doing the same on his old iPod…
Thanks in advance or anyways. :)
When you’re ready about the sound part of your build, take a look at JDS labs atom 2 amp, I use it (don’t have a DAC because my motherboard onboard audio is surprisingly clean) and have paired this amp ($129) with Sennheiser HD600 headphones. I play lots of games and listen to music. This pairing is really good at giving you the sound nearly exactly how it was meant to be heard. There’s a reason HD600s are used in many recording studios. JDS labs also has a DAC+Amp combo which many like. I was using a $60 altoids tin cmoybb amp from them for 13 years prior to this for hd5xx series Sennheiser headphones before this, just wanted a bit more.
You can’t really use good headphones without an amp, they should really be thought of as a package deal.
I’m a huge Sennheiser fan, there are many other great options out there too, but just wanted to share my own setup. There have been some great deals on the HD600 lately, around the $250 mark.
Atom Amp 2 - Shop JDS Labs https://share.google/jwmHJ9MJXTKgxaRk7
Sennheiser HD 600 Wired Open-Back Headphones – Sennheiser US - Sonova Consumer Hearing USA LLC https://share.google/gqrl9ngR9Dih8uV3U
the hur dur shix hunjos!
Thank you for your tips, I’ll look into these. :)