I’ve upgraded to the modern age and now have a Roon → BlueSound Powernode → Focal speakers + SVS subwoofer system. (That is: fairly modest, audiophile wise) However, the odd configuration of my listening room and how I sit means that I don’t get a very clean sound (pretty boomy in the low end because of where I sit, not because of where the subwoofer sits).
I would like to add a Roon → ? → ? → good headphones path, both to calibrate the room and spare my wife, who prefers reading in silence. (So closed headphones are probably desirable.)
However: while I’m willing to spend a good chunk of money on headphones that have solid bass (the weakness in my speaker system), it seems chains like wifi-receiver → DAC → preamp etc. are really expensive. It seems I’d be overpaying unless I had $3000 headphones.
I have two headphone setups. My favorite is Raspberry Pi4 running RoPieeeXL > Chord Mojo 2 > Focal Clear headphones. My other is Raspberry Pi4 (same one) > Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier / Power Supply > Focal Clear headphones. My Roon core is on a Nucleus.
For closed back I use Sony WH-1000XM3 because they are noise cancelling for walking my dog. For portability I use the Sony with iPhone 13 Pro Max and AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt or FiiO KA1. When “out and about” I use Apple Music, Tidal, or Qobuz, but mostly Apple Music.
I’d love to get a main setup where the bass isn’t boomy where I sit, but I don’t want to shift my position and moving the subwoofer all over the room hasn’t helped. I guess I’m not willing to trade off working with a pleasant view for the best working music.
A RPi4 and Mojo 2 would sit nicely and look good on that window sill. The RPi4 can work well with ethernet or WIFI if you have a decent WIFI signal. Here’s mine next to my recliner.
How does the mojo compare to the prime amp/power combo?
I’m looking in to a mojo/poly myself to replace the meridian. Using a Sony Z7.
Not to happy with the dac in the prime