ATH-M50 amp

ATH-M50 don't need amping.  They benefit marginally at best.

For home listening at $200 I'd look at the FiiO E7/E9 and the Audio-gd NFB-12.  Both are DAC/amp combo boxes.  The E9 and NFB-12 are not portable though.  Are you looking for something that's portable as well as suitable for home listening?

Between the E7/E9 and the NFB-12, I'd pick the NFB-12 any day of the week.  But that's just a matter of personal preference.  I have a separate portable rig, so I try not to mix the two.

In your situation, if you're looking for portability, I'd look at iBasso product line.  I unfortunately haven't heard their products, but some Head-Fiers have reported good results, and the products are portable, so that may be more up your alley.  It would be worth researching.

The the most noticeable improvement from the headphone jack on your computer and the E7 will come from the DAC. The M50 improves marginally at best with an amp, but a good DAC can improve just about any headphone (well, maybe not the beats or ibuds... ).

Quote:

Originally Posted by kvershay 

ok i read some reviews of the NFB-12 and they were good, but i couldnt find them for sale anywhere. Do you know where i can find them?

I'm not sure about any resellers, but this is the process for ordering direct: http://www.audio-gd.com/PurchaseEN.htm

Quote:

Originally Posted by kvershay 

Ok thanks for the site, but im not to sure if i want to order throught an email message.  Than seems a little sketchy for me.

Seems that way initially, but many many people on Head-Fi can vouch for Audio-gd, including some of the senior members.  Their products are popular here, given the high performance to price ratio.

I'll x4 on the M50s not needing an amp.

Though, if you must, I'd probably go with the Audio-GD NFB-12 as well for that price range. I haven't heard the FiiO combo OR the Audio-GD for that matter -- this is just based on what I've read on these forums. I actually thought about getting the NFB-12 myself though, but ended up with a Schiit Asgard for Grados/M50s/and in the near future, Senn 600s. If I'm not mistaken, the FiiO is a USB DAC while the NFB-12 has coax / optical inputs, which might be something to think about if your laptop has optical (Apple laptop?).

Best move I ever made was decoupling my DAC from my amps. Sure, two devices and you need a cable of some description, but the two fullsize DAC/amps I owned were majorly compromised in favour of the DAC. It might be different at the M903 end of the market, but down here in the cheap seats .....

If using with a laptop, then are you looking for a USB DAC? In that case, a Pro-ject USB box is good enough. I personally use a D7000 for desktop listening (with the Pro-ject) and the M-50 with my iPhone (portable indoors).