Help with gear for a friend whose had a stroke

[Danzilla31]

Hey guys my best friend had a stroke. After he came out of an induced coma he'll never be able to regain full health. He'll be in a nursing home for the rest of his life. He can't walk and his vision is messed up but he can talk and interact fairly well. He has no family here and that's my brother so I spend time with him every week. Here's where I could use your advice. I got him a good tablet so he can watch movies and do music and he LOVES it. It helps take him away from that place. Im gonna give him my Seinheisser headphones and a really nice pair of bluetooth cans I have as well. But as you know the tablet won't be able to really drive them babies they way Id like him to enjoy them. So I'm wondering since I'm still learning about headphones. Do you guys know of any portable dac amplifiers in the say 50 to $100 range that will work witgh his tablet to open those headphones up? Any help you could give me would really be appreciated thanks everyone

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

I’d suggest just getting some headphones that the tablet can drive. If he has sight problems, that'll be less stuff to futz with. Koss Porta-Pro is a good economical headphone. But if you can stretch a bit beyond $100 for something a bit more substantial, especially in the durability department, get a Sennheiser HD-25 (the one with the split headband, not the other one). You can get some on ebay right now for $130 with free shipping. Excellent sound quality.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[rojo]

Hey guys my best friend had a stroke. After he came out of an induced coma he'll never be able to regain full health. He'll be in a nursing home for the rest of his life. He can't walk and his vision is messed up but he can talk and interact fairly well. He has no family here and that's my brother so I spend time with him every week. Here's where I could use your advice. I got him a good tablet so he can watch movies and do music and he LOVES it. It helps take him away from that place. Im gonna give him my Seinheisser headphones and a really nice pair of bluetooth cans I have as well. But as you know the tablet won't be able to really drive them babies they way Id like him to enjoy them. So I'm wondering since I'm still learning about headphones. Do you guys know of any portable dac amplifiers in the say 50 to $100 range that will work witgh his tablet to open those headphones up? Any help you could give me would really be appreciated thanks everyone

Yeah, although I wouldn't be comfortable recommending any alternative headphones without first knowing what is already on the table, I can't completely disagree with Wayne. In that price neighborhood you'll get a more profound improvement by going amp only, or looking for better headphones. I'm not sure which Sennheiser and Bluetooth headphones you're giving your friend. But the Bluetooth cans will already have their own DAC; and the improvement from headphone jack to external <$100 DAC will either be placebo or too subtle to justify the purchase I think. But depending on the impedance, sensitivity, and tuning of the Sennheiser headphones, an amp might make a noticeable difference -- an Objective2 from either JDS Labs, Mayflower, or Massdrop; or a Fiio A5. This will be especially true if you use software EQ to flatten any midbass bloat and / or pronounced sibilant tendencies, then drop all except the sub bass bands below 0 to shape a healthy house curve.

The only DAC I would fully endorse would be the miniDSP HA-DSP, as it lets you do useful things like set the EQ, add cross talk, and even tweak the impulse response with FIR filters. Unfortunately, the HA-DSP is not within your budget. But if you're convinced that the headphone out jack of the tablet is seriously harming the sound and an aftermarket DAC will save the day, then within your $100 budget maybe you could try the Schiit Fulla 2? I've never tried it, but at least the amp section seems reasonably capable for the price according to the specs. And it does offer a DAC. You'll probably also need some sort of adapter or cable to adapt the tablet's charging port to the Schiit DAC's micro USB port.

 

[Danzilla31]

I’d suggest just getting some headphones that the tablet can drive. If he has sight problems, that'll be less stuff to futz with. Koss Porta-Pro is a good economical headphone. But if you can stretch a bit beyond $100 for something a bit more substantial, especially in the durability department, get a Sennheiser HD-25 (the one with the split headband, not the other one). You can get some on ebay right now for $130 with free shipping. Excellent sound quality.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Thanks a lot for the info greatly appreciate it.

 

[Danzilla31]

Yeah, although I wouldn't be comfortable recommending any alternative headphones without first knowing what is already on the table, I can't completely disagree with Wayne. In that price neighborhood you'll get a more profound improvement by going amp only, or looking for better headphones. I'm not sure which Sennheiser and Bluetooth headphones you're giving your friend. But the Bluetooth cans will already have their own DAC; and the improvement from headphone jack to external <$100 DAC will either be placebo or too subtle to justify the purchase I think. But depending on the impedance, sensitivity, and tuning of the Sennheiser headphones, an amp might make a noticeable difference -- an Objective2 from either JDS Labs, Mayflower, or Massdrop; or a Fiio A5. This will be especially true if you use software EQ to flatten any midbass bloat and / or pronounced sibilant tendencies, then drop all except the sub bass bands below 0 to shape a healthy house curve.

The only DAC I would fully endorse would be the miniDSP HA-DSP, as it lets you do useful things like set the EQ, add cross talk, and even tweak the impulse response with FIR filters. Unfortunately, the HA-DSP is not within your budget. But if you're convinced that the headphone out jack of the tablet is seriously harming the sound and an aftermarket DAC will save the day, then within your $100 budget maybe you could try the Schiit Fulla 2? I've never tried it, but at least the amp section seems reasonably capable for the price according to the specs. And it does offer a DAC. You'll probably also need some sort of adapter or cable to adapt the tablet's charging port to the Schiit DAC's micro USB port.

Yeah the Seinheisser's are the HD 280 pro and the Bluetooth cans are the Definitive Symphony 1 I just wanted to treat him to something a little better then the normal headgear cus he LOVES music neither of those are top of the line but they're a lot better then a lot of stuff out there. I've tried less expensive models but they're just to easy to fall apart and those are built pretty solid. So I'd rather just give them to him. The nurses are super cool and will help him to work them. I know the Seinheisser's were kind off hard to drive until I got the LG V30 but even then I don't think I'm bringing they're full potential out. I'm focusing on upgrading the Home theater so it won't be till next year that I'll be learning a lot about headphones and what gear to house with them. Thanks a lot for the advice I think I'll go with the Schiit or the Fiio you were mentioning. He doesn't really care about the tweaking that we all like to get into in our pursuit of the best sound we can acheive he just likes it loud it helps him just tune out the world in there.

 

[rojo]

Yeah the Seinheisser's are the HD 280 pro and the Bluetooth cans are the Definitive Symphony 1 I just wanted to treat him to something a little better then the normal headgear cus he LOVES music neither of those are top of the line but they're a lot better then a lot of stuff out there. I've tried less expensive models but they're just to easy to fall apart and those are built pretty solid. So I'd rather just give them to him. The nurses are super cool and will help him to work them. I know the Seinheisser's were kind off hard to drive until I got the LG V30 but even then I don't think I'm bringing they're full potential out. I'm focusing on upgrading the Home theater so it won't be till next year that I'll be learning a lot about headphones and what gear to house with them. Thanks a lot for the advice I think I'll go with the Schiit or the Fiio you were mentioning. He doesn't really care about the tweaking that we all like to get into in our pursuit of the best sound we can acheive he just likes it loud it helps him just tune out the world in there.

You're a good man Dan. That's really nice that you're helping your friend cope with such a devastating ailment.

I just happened to think, one thing that irritates me about my Fiio A5 is that it has a bass boost switch on the side, and it's annoyingly easy to activate it by accident. The bass boost is stupid, and it does this. If you think there's a chance your friend might activate it by accident, you might ought to lean more toward the Schiit or one of the O2 amps. The O2 amps do offer the option of a rechargeable battery, just in case that's what interested you in the Fiio. And actually, I think if you contact JDS Labs and let them know you plan to use an O2 to drive the HD 280, they might have suggestions on how to tailor the output of the O2 to match the response of those headphones specifically. I know they customize the cMoyBB amp that way. It might even be worth asking whether there's any advantage the O2 offers over the cMoyBB for those headphones.

 

[Danzilla31]

You're a good man Dan. That's really nice that you're helping your friend cope with such a devastating ailment.

I just happened to think, one thing that irritates me about my Fiio A5 is that it has a bass boost switch on the side, and it's annoyingly easy to activate it by accident. The bass boost is stupid, and it does this. If you think there's a chance your friend might activate it by accident, you might ought to lean more toward the Schiit or one of the O2 amps. The O2 amps do offer the option of a rechargeable battery, just in case that's what interested you in the Fiio. And actually, I think if you contact JDS Labs and let them know you plan to use an O2 to drive the HD 280, they might have suggestions on how to tailor the output of the O2 to match the response of those headphones specifically. I know they customize the cMoyBB amp that way. It might even be worth asking whether there's any advantage the O2 offers over the cMoyBB for those headphones.

Hey thanks man he'll always be my best friend ya know? I can't stop his suffering and that hurts but if I can make some of his days a little easier I just can't exactly put it into words but I know u know what I mean. Thank you for your kindness in reaching out to me. There's a lot of good still out there in this world and your support and kind help helps me hold onto that good in a moment like this. Your a good man as well my friend. I am going to really dig deep into all the options you gave me I'll post back with what I come up with and let ya know how he's enjoying it . God bless you my man take care

 

[2channel lover]

Hey guys my best friend had a stroke. After he came out of an induced coma he'll never be able to regain full health. He'll be in a nursing home for the rest of his life. He can't walk and his vision is messed up but he can talk and interact fairly well. He has no family here and that's my brother so I spend time with him every week. Here's where I could use your advice. I got him a good tablet so he can watch movies and do music and he LOVES it. It helps take him away from that place. Im gonna give him my Seinheisser headphones and a really nice pair of bluetooth cans I have as well. But as you know the tablet won't be able to really drive them babies they way Id like him to enjoy them. So I'm wondering since I'm still learning about headphones. Do you guys know of any portable dac amplifiers in the say 50 to $100 range that will work witgh his tablet to open those headphones up? Any help you could give me would really be appreciated thanks everyone

Sorry to hear that about your friend...my dad was a double stroke victim...fully recover from the 1st, but 5 yrs later had another at 78 and he just didn't have the mental strength to handle the rehab a second time and was in a similar state as your friend for some 7 or 8 yrs.

To your point...while most upper end cans will benefit from a headphone amp/dac some of the entry level Hifi Man models are designed to be played with Ipods/ipads etc. and perform quite well.

Mine are basically the entry level model now...HE 400i...I have a Denon that's not in the price range you're looking for, but the real benefit is more bass and detail.

For a amp/dac around a $100, I would look at Fiio, or Shiit. I've heard good things about both brand in that price point.

 

[Danzilla31]

Sorry to hear that about your friend...my dad was a double stroke victim...fully recover from the 1st, but 5 yrs later had another at 78 and he just didn't have the mental strength to handle the rehab a second time and was in a similar state as your friend for some 7 or 8 yrs.

To your point...while most upper end cans will benefit from a headphone amp/dac some of the entry level Hifi Man models are designed to be played with Ipods/ipads etc. and perform quite well.

Mine are basically the entry level model now...HE 400i...I have a Denon that's not in the price range you're looking for, but the real benefit is more bass and detail.

For a amp/dac around a $100, I would look at Fiio, or Shiit. I've heard good things about both brand in that price point.

Hey man thanks for your advice and my regards to your loss. Wish you the best my friend

 

[2channel lover]

Hey man thanks for your advice and my regards to your loss. Wish you the best my friend

Thanks...dad had a pretty good life overall...wish the end had been a bit better for him, but he wasn't bitter about it so I'm not either.

The best with your friend's health as well. These are the times he really needs one.

 

[Danzilla31]

Thanks...dad had a pretty good life overall...wish the end had been a bit better for him, but he wasn't bitter about it so I'm not either.

The best with your friend's health as well. These are the times he really needs one.

Appreciate that yeah I relate I know when the time comes it'll help to know that he's at peace so I can relate to where your coming from. I know it's a struggle for him now and it won't get any easier as he ages. Like you said I'll be there through it all

 

[Danzilla31]

He guys just wanted to give you all an update it looks like I won't need the amplifier at all he LOVES the Bluetooth headphones and they sound great on everything. When they run out of juice he plus the Seinheisser's on his little boom box thing and they sound way good on that thing. You should've seen his face when I brought him all the stuff and also when he was jamming out. Man it was priceless totally made my day. Just wanted to share that with you guys thank you everyone for your kind words support and excellent advice. It's awesome when this hobby we love can help someone down and out like that. I hope I built some connections with you guys and our paths continue to cross on these forums. Next year I'll be coming to you guys for sure on how to gear up and utilize my headphone rig. God bless all of you take care each and everyone one of you!