Looking for SS amp for low-impedance headphones (budget around $500)

(I posted this originally in the Ultrasone thread but it didn't lead anywhere so thought I'd repost it here, so if it's familiar then don't worry )

Hello, I'm trying to find an amp to go with my low-impedance headphones, which happen to be Proline 2500s.

The CanAmp seems the obvious reasonable choice initially, but since I'm in Australia I have to buy the EU version (so it will work from my power outlet). I was quoted $330EU all up, which would be around $550AU (around $485USD), but I'd heard that people in the US were paying $340USD, which would be around $385AU... Sorry to dazzle you with all the currency conversions... Anyway what I mean is, that sounds like a bargain at that price ($340USD vs $485USD) , but as I'd have to pay more, is there a better option within that greater ballpark, around $500USD?

I'd prefer solid-state because I work with audio so need a consistent (neutral as possible) sound... And I'd heard a few people mention solid state seems better for Proline anyway, so.

Also I'm interested in balanced headphones... I'm not sure how feasible that is with my Prolines, but I was contemplating a future purchase of k701s which I would either buy balanced or recable myself at a later stage.
So with that then of course I'd need a balanced amp, but I'm not sure about that this stage.

I'd be happy with a DIY amp but I'm not confident enough to feel that I could choose the best parts for price/performance or that I really could take on such a project myself (I've done some electronics but not like that). I thought about perhaps a dynamight... And I couldn't bare it if I killed it because I didn't know well enough what I was doing.

Any thoughts/advice is greatly appreciated

Oops, yes, I should have mentioned...

The main source I use is my PC, so a desktop amp is fine (portable sounds good for if I need it... But I couldn't say whether I would use it enough at this stage to risk regretting it).

I copy all my CDs onto PC in FLAC lossless with EAC... And then the worst part of the arrangement which I am working on now, I run headphones directly from the headphone jack off the motherboard

The plan I had was to get a cheap X-fi soundcard (they were going for next to nothing on eBay when the Prelude came out, I hope they can still be found relatively cheaply).
Then perhaps mod it for better sound as discussed other places on Head-fi, or get a separate dedicated DAC with the X-fi now or later on, which I run the digital output of the X-fi into (this way I can get features from the X-fi, which are useful because I do gaming, then I can upgrade to a better DAC later, or a DAC which will allow me to run balanced in future).

Also on the topic of DACs... Are Amp/DAC combos better or worse? I worry about the cost of interconnects and how much effect that may or may not have on the set-up, it just sounds like it could be a headache!

I've started writing and composing music, and I've done work on games (but) audio has always been my weak link, so wanted to try with making sounds for games, too. So I suppose, mixing work I'll be doing with my set up.

But at the same time I listen to a lot of music, and do just about everything else with my headphones too (watch movies, play games, etc).
So I'm somewhat torn because of the risk of choosing between something that 'sounds good' but is colored or something that is accurate but 'boring'. I guess for the work I'd be doing, just as long as what I'm hearing is close enough to what other people will be hearing is fine (I check how it sounds on as many 'everyday' sources as I can find anyway - It's no good if it sounds great on my set up but sounds appalling for everyone else ).

...And thanks everyone for the replies.

Hm, I've been thinking about it and I still think I'd like to try a DIY Dynamight.

Unless there is a reason why not, or a better choice?

Is there someone who could build one for me?

Could it be built within my budget?