Akart,
Maybe it's just me then, but I still think it's kind of putting the cart before the horse to be planning on $1500 on a DAC/Amp while only $300-$400 on headphones. 90%+ of the sound quality is determined by the headphones, so I recommend you spend most of your resources finding the best headphones you can afford. I believe you are having trouble deciding what to get because of your less than ideal priorities.
With your budget, what I would do is get a decent Amp/DAC first, there are plenty of good choices in the $400-$500 range. Then spend the rest of your budget trying out different headphones: buy two pairs, compare them, sell the ones you don't like, and get something else to compare. Rinse and repeat until you settle on the headphones that provide you with performance that is the closest match to your listening tastes. You can then go find a suitable amp that drives that particular headphone very well.
The AKG702 was the fourth pair of headphones I purchased. If I had spent most of my budget on an Amp/DAC at the get go, I would probably have been stuck with my HD650. If I had $2k combined budget to spend on my very first system, I would be looking at the likes of the LCD-2, HD800, and T1/T5p and trying to audition those at local dealers or meets.
Jack
