adelz said:

  Okay, I'll read through the HD 800 amp thread linked over there. If I do go this route of getting the HD 650s at $350, that leaves more money for the amp and DAC than I originally thought. So, I could potentially go for the Valhalla, or maybe even the Lyr, from Schiit, and pair with a Modi. How would those two amps compare with the Little Dot MK IV? It's listed at $500 on Amazon, however this Ebay seller has it listed new at $315. I rarely buy anything off ebay; is that price legitimate or am I missing something (linked below?
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Little-Dot-MK-IV-Tube-Headphone-Amplifier-Pre-amplifier-tube-preamp-stereo-tube/120912373455?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D23492%26meid%3D8ee9133625ff40858f9d968d82c682fa%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D10073%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D261093881874&rt=nc

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Wow that's a great find.  The seller has 99.4% positive feedback so it should be safe.  The catch is the $55 shipping, but it's still much less than what you'd pay for on Amazon.  The chances are slim that someone has compared all of those amps with the HD 650, you'll probably have to take a gamble no matter which route you go.  

rhamnetin said:

   
Wow that's a great find.  The seller has 99.4% positive feedback so it should be safe.  The catch is the $55 shipping, but it's still much less than what you'd pay for on Amazon.  The chances are slim that someone has compared all of those amps with the HD 650, you'll probably have to take a gamble no matter which route you go.  

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Thanks. Would you assume that the Little Dot MK IV would be my best option, then? Right now its biggest competition in my mind would be the Valhalla as it's a similar price to that ebay listing. Which one should I choose (and most likely pair with the Modi)?

adelz said:

  Thanks. Would you assume that the Little Dot MK IV would be my best option, then? Right now its biggest competition in my mind would be the Valhalla as it's a similar price to that ebay listing. Which one should I choose (and most likely pair with the Modi)?

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The MKIV has more features like adjustable gain, and I believe it has jumpers to try different families of tubes.  Combined with the relatively nice price on ebay, the MKIV looks like a very good deal.  Either one should be a nice pairing but the MKIV is a bit more versatile so I'd probably go that route.

rhamnetin said:

   
The MKIV has more features like adjustable gain, and I believe it has jumpers to try different families of tubes.  Combined with the relatively nice price on ebay, the MKIV looks like a very good deal.  Either one should be a nice pairing but the MKIV is a bit more versatile so I'd probably go that route.

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Awesome, thanks for your input. I was leaning toward it, not only for its nice look, but at the price listed on ebay, it seems like you get much more for your money than with something like the Valhalla at $350. 
 
As for headphones, I decided to pull the trigger on the Sennheiser HD 650s. I just couldn't pass up the $350 price on BuySonic. The 700s were also on sale earlier for $550, however after posting in a few places I received very few people advocating for the 700s over either the 600s or 650s. I think the HD 650s along with the MK IV and Modi will make for a great setup, and that's most likely what I'll end up with. 

I just updated my original post so that's now up to date. Still looking for opinion on an amp and DAC. 

I would go with a neutral solid-state amp with the HD650's. I've never heard them out of a tube amp, but the HD650's are already warm, lush, and smooth... too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.