Best Amp for $100
Jul 18, 2010 at 7:48 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 17

xxmastaxx

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Im wondering whats the best amp i could get with a $100 budget.
I heard good things about the Nuforce uDAC which is also a amp, any good?
How about Fiio E7? I use my AT M50s headphones and i use a sansa fuze with LOD.
 
Jul 18, 2010 at 7:52 PM Post #2 of 17
I am in exact same boat. I have M50 and plan on getting K701 in the future. Good amp for these?
 
Jul 18, 2010 at 7:58 PM Post #3 of 17
I've read wonderful reviews about that, which said it outperforms its price point.  But, you have to have a computer (or some sort of streamer) as a usb source.  Is that your source?  It's really a DAC with an amp as an added bonus.
 
Quote:
Im wondering whats the best amp i could get with a $100 budget.
I heard good things about the Nuforce uDAC which is also a amp, any good?



 
Jul 18, 2010 at 8:11 PM Post #4 of 17
For $100, I'd go with either a used receiver or DIY. It can be difficult to get the raw parts for just $100, let alone allow for labor, overhead, taxes, and a little profit. DIY shifts the labor to you and vintage receivers cost more than $100 to build, but are fully depreciated today.
 
Jul 18, 2010 at 8:12 PM Post #5 of 17
yup that what my source is my computer with usb but if i wanted a portable amp i will have to buy another amp
 
Jul 19, 2010 at 2:00 PM Post #6 of 17
 I have a uDAC and it works OK as an amp, but it is not my preference to use it as such. I had it about 5 days alone while my amp was in transit to me, and I struggled trying to find a sound I liked by using EQ in Foobar2000 to my Senn 580s. I think it sounds better than onboard sound from a motherboard, but I preferred the sound out of my $150 surround receiver's headphone out fed by a X-fi Xtrememusic sound card via coax SPDIF.
 The good thing is if you DO go the route of using the uDAC as an amp now, you can always use it just a a DAC later on. That's how my setup is at the moment, and I like it much better in that role. Please know that there are many folks here that find the uDAC acceptable as an amp, but this is just MY experience with it first hand.
 
Jul 19, 2010 at 2:08 PM Post #7 of 17
How different does ur music sound like with a DAC? Any good with dance, hip hop and r&b music?
 
Jul 20, 2010 at 12:45 PM Post #9 of 17
For that budget, I would either use a reciver or something like a total bithead (under $100 used) or uDac. There are not really any desktop amps you can buy for $100, so it's reciever or portable. Personally reciever is my choice because I've got quite good sound from my parents' el-cheapo unit and various headphones.
 
Jul 20, 2010 at 3:29 PM Post #10 of 17
Musiland Monitor 01 US. It has quite a decent DAC and a reliable built in amp for driving lower impedance phones. Only $75 at e-bay, not bad at all. It also has toslink connection, which can come real handy.
 
 
Jul 20, 2010 at 11:47 PM Post #11 of 17
For $100, I have not heard a good amp though they may exist out there. But I do know you can get a vintage reciever from the 70s for around $100 and it will probably have an excellent headphone jack.
 
I own an early 70s Marantz receiver and although I did pay more than $100 for it, the headophone jack is great. Those old recievers can be a killer bargain and be a great choice for budget audiophiles as long as it's in good condition.
 
Jul 21, 2010 at 12:41 AM Post #12 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by rambusanna  
" I am in exact same boat. I have M50 and plan on getting K701 in the future. Good amp for these?"

The cheapest amp I've heard that can reasonably power the K-70x is the Millet SSH Tube amp. They regularly go for a good deal under $150. It's a DIY amp that can be purchased and assembled by your own capable hands. Not my (un)capable hands though. I bought mine from a fellow Head-Fi'er. LoL
 
Jul 21, 2010 at 1:29 AM Post #13 of 17
The company is currently at risk of going bankrupt, but the AV123 X-Head ($79 shipped) is one amp that will power your K701 headphones. Here's a review of it by Tone Audio.
 
The first version of the amp had some hissing issues, but that has since been fixed (I have a rev. B of it).
 
Jul 21, 2010 at 11:20 AM Post #14 of 17
The Zero DAC costs around 100 $. I got the one from my sig for 80 € (well, I'm still awaiting its arrival).
It's my first amp so I really don't know what to expect. Is it good for 100 $?
 
Aug 2, 2010 at 12:16 PM Post #15 of 17
The Zero DAC is a DAC and Amp right? Where are they manufactored?
 

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