u/RedditRob2000

MAIN QUESTIONS:

1. Is it worth trying another pair of Hifiman Sundaras again? (worried they might not last long)

2. If not, then would the Ananda Stealth or Nano's have better durablity and QC?

3. Will the Aune AR5000 have the same "wow" factor as the Sundara's?

MAIN STORY
Bought Hifiman Sundara's but got a defective pair. (channel imbalance + right-side driver crinkle). Also read a lot of build and QC issues with Hifiman so I became cautious.

When I tested it at the store it was fine but when I got home the same night, in a quieter environment, I noticed the issues.

Returned the next day and replaced them for HD600s.

While, I love the HD600s, I really miss the Sundara's "wow" factor, punchiness, and how well they match my preferences/HRTF.

I have the FT1 Pro but they're a tad, just a tad, warm for me and even with EQ, they just don't punch the same way as the Sundara's.

Also, at least to me, the bass on them, especially kick sounds, are not as detailed or textured on the Sundara's. So, they're for my relaxed music enjoyment.

CONSIDERATIONS:
-I want a more engaging but still capable pair to produce and mix music. HD600's are fine but can get boring.

-Long-term durability is a concern. I want something that can last for years like the HD600.

-Would Prefer planar, but dynamics are fine if they offer similar technical performance.

-I can stretch my budget to $400 ($500 max)

ADDITIONAL:
I have tried the Edition XS. Whilst they sound amazing, they may every song sound good so not ideal for production and mixing.

I've also tried the HD800s, Focal Clear and HEDDphone D1. My absolute favorite are the D1's.

While I can definitely afford them, but I just don't find it worth it for now. Maybe in the future haha.

Thanks for your time.

TL;DR

1. Does the Topping DX1 II ASIO driver support multi-client audio?

2. Is it low-latency?

3. Are there any DX1 II owners there who also produce music and have tried this?

Basically, if I’m using the ASIO driver as my main output in FL Studio/Cubase, can I still get audio to output from other apps like YouTube, Spotify, VLC, Discord, etc.?

LONGER READ

My biggest frustration with ASIO4ALL is that other apps can’t play audio while my DAW is using it. I’d love to watch production/sound design tutorials while working in my DAW and quickly switch between them.

I’m getting back into music production, so just curious if the DX1 II can handle this!

I primarily produce with headphones and would like to improve my listening experience by considering getting the DX1 II for my FiiO FT1 Pro and my Sennheiser HD600.

My TASCAM 1X2 HR wasn't never good but it did the job I guess. For context, its headphone amp has a whopping 66 Ohm output impedance and you can hear it really messing with the headphones' frequency response and dynamics.