I have a pair of M-Audio AV-40's that, albeit not great, do the job fine for the moment. I also have a pair of AKG K550's that I'm pleased with, however I'll be picking up a few other pairs to compare in the future, none of which will be hard to drive, I hope. I'll probably upgrade the M-Audio's later on this year, ideally to more powered speakers to keep things simple.
 
I'm looking for a small, but not necessarily portable, desktop DAC and headphone amplifier that can also run a line-out and 'buffer' the sound of the speakers so that I can bypass my computer's hardware and software altogether and simply use it as a media player. I also would like a 'mute' function where, upon plugging in the headphones, the speakers are bypassed.
 
 
Budget: £300/€350/$400 (willing to increase if necessary)
Tube or SS: No preference
Sound: Immersion, depth, detail, fun
USB or wall power: Would prefer wall
 
 
Any suggestions or questions?

The TubeMagic D1 Plus is a very good DAC/headphone amp/pre-amp with multiple inputs, a tube pre-amp for the speaker output (not for the headphone amp), and a direct line out that can bypass that tube pre-amp. I don't think the speakers mute when you use the headphone amp.

Also in your budget range, the Audio-GD DAC/amp/pre-amps. Very good audio quality, and you will find various threads on Head-Fi discussing the specific models.

For a smaller unit, the Audioengine D1. But I would go with the TubeMagic or Audio-GD over it.

cel4145 said:

The TubeMagic D1 Plus is a very good DAC/headphone amp/pre-amp with multiple inputs, a tube pre-amp for the speaker output (not for the headphone amp), and a direct line out that can bypass that tube pre-amp. I don't think the speakers mute when you use the headphone amp.

Also in your budget range, the Audio-GD DAC/amp/pre-amps. Very good audio quality, and you will find various threads on Head-Fi discussing the specific models.

For a smaller unit, the Audioengine D1. But I would go with the TubeMagic or Audio-GD over it.

Click to expand...

 
I don't know if you have any technical/DIY skills, but do you think it's possible to modify a unit like the TubeMagic with a mute function? Surely it can't be that difficult to set up a relay that bypasses the RCA-outs? Otherwise it's perfect. The price is great as well, as a bonus.

I have no idea. I have a little t-amp and passive speakers with the TubeMagic setup, so easy to turn it on and off. But I do have the older D1 model (not the Plus). Perhaps they changed that functionality? You could always ask here and see if someone verifies what the D1 Plus does: http://www.head-fi.org/t/470639/maverick-audio-tubemagic-d1-dac-amp-condensed-faq-and-info-thread

hey cel4245,
 
I also want to buy the TubeMagic D1 Plus , is it better that the NFB-15.32 ?
 
Do you know what DAC chip the tubemagic uses ?

sam21 said:

hey cel4245,

I also want to buy the [COLOR=FF4400]TubeMagic D1 Plus[/COLOR] , is it better that the [COLOR=FF0000]NFB-15.32 ?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=FF0000]Do you know what DAC chip the tubemagic uses ?[/COLOR]

Click to expand...

I have no idea which is better, but I would guess the Audio-GD.

BTW: Your post would be easier to read if you didn't use coloring. There's a "bold" button that works better if you really need the emphasis

cel4145 said:

I have no idea. I have a little t-amp and passive speakers with the TubeMagic setup, so easy to turn it on and off. But I do have the older D1 model (not the Plus). Perhaps they changed that functionality? You could always ask here and see if someone verifies what the D1 Plus does: http://www.head-fi.org/t/470639/maverick-audio-tubemagic-d1-dac-amp-condensed-faq-and-info-thread

Click to expand...

 
Will do.