[Zashoomin]

Hello,
I have just started to get into the world of headphones and need an amp and dac to go with my current setup.  I have been looking around and there are so many different things that I can do.  I have around $300 to spend on an amp and dac and was wondering what would be the best for what I have.  The biggest question when searching for amps and dacs though is if they are more cost efficient if I build them or if I buy something.  I was looking into building a Gamma 1 and SOHA II or buying a Schiit modi/magni.
Thank you

 

[jcx]

do you have tools, test equipment, experience with kits, casework?
 
then diy will only cost several times the price of a mass manufactured piece of consumer electronics
 
the reasons to build your own don't include saving money for the price/level of functionality you are talking - when several companies compete in the market with production numbers of many hundreds to thousands of unit per year
 
not that some commerical amps at any price range aren't poor values

 

[HPiper]

Given that budget I would go with the Modi/Magni or maybe stretch the budget just a bit and get a Modi/Asgard2 combo. Those kits aren't hard to build with a bit of experience but one misplaced wire and your amp is toast. At least with a factory built unit,  if it is DoA you can just send it back.
 

 

[alota]

Quote:

Hello,
I have just started to get into the world of headphones and need an amp and dac to go with my current setup.  I have been looking around and there are so many different things that I can do.  I have around $300 to spend on an amp and dac and was wondering what would be the best for what I have.  The biggest question when searching for amps and dacs though is if they are more cost efficient if I build them or if I buy something.  I was looking into building a Gamma 1 and SOHA II or buying a Schiit modi/magni.
Thank you

see audio-gd products. you found integrated dac+preamplifier+headphone amp in one case

 

[Zashoomin]

Quote:

do you have tools, test equipment, experience with kits, casework?
 
then diy will only cost several times the price of a mass manufactured piece of consumer electronics
 
the reasons to build your own don't include saving money for the price/level of functionality you are talking - when several companies compete in the market with production numbers of many hundreds to thousands of unit per year
 
not that some commerical amps at any price range aren't poor values

I do have the tools needed and some experience building electrical equipment, but I do not have experience building dac or amp kits.  So what you are saying though is that commercial amps can match DIY amps in value, its just that some people prefer to build one themselves? 

 

[alota]

Quote:

I do have the tools needed and some experience building electrical equipment, but I do not have experience building dac or amp kits.  So what you are saying though is that commercial amps can match DIY amps in value, its just that some people prefer to build one themselves? 

with diy, you´ve the possibility of a bnetter product at a lowest cost.
i have pratically only diy products but a builder mounts them for me.
but today the market is different compared some years ago with a lot of good products.

 

[Jasper9395]

You also have resale value to think about. If you do a DIY build selling it on is probably going to be difficult and you could loose a lot of money that way too. I do love doing DIY work but they can make things so cheap in China now that there is no point to in terms of value for money. Adding to that on this form you can easily find some nice components 2nd hand even cheaper. 

 

[alota]

Quote:

You also have resale value to think about. If you do a DIY build selling it on is probably going to be difficult and you could loose a lot of money that way too. I do love doing DIY work but they can make things so cheap in China now that there is no point to in terms of value for money. Adding to that on this form you can easily find some nice components 2nd hand even cheaper. 

of course. i sold, in the past, diy products or modified products for few euros.
you have to think on the diy if you have passion for this of if you want a customized(according to your taste)product or a top product without spending a lot of money.
otherwise, the market is full of products for every taste

 

[Zashoomin]

Quote:

of course. i sold, in the past, diy products or modified products for few euros.
you have to think on the diy if you have passion for this of if you want a customized(according to your taste)product or a top product without spending a lot of money.
otherwise, the market is full of products for every taste

Alright well what setup would you recommend than if I where to buy a market product.  So far the Schiit setup seems to work well for me, but are there any other suggestions?

 

[Noone025]

You could look at the o2+ odac for similar $, but the modi & magni look better with very similar performance.

I think these affordable combos have only been around for 6-12 months.

- quickly swyped from new Nexus 4 -

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Hello,
I have just started to get into the world of headphones and need an amp and dac to go with my current setup.  I have been looking around and there are so many different things that I can do.  I have around $300 to spend on an amp and dac and was wondering what would be the best for what I have.  The biggest question when searching for amps and dacs though is if they are more cost efficient if I build them or if I buy something.  I was looking into building a Gamma 1 and SOHA II or buying a Schiit modi/magni.
Thank you

Just my personal opinion, but I don't think the Chinese have reached the level of DIY capability, just yet.  That may happen in the future - perhaps it already has with solid-state, but tubes and proprietary DIY designs are different.  I doubt seriously that anything you could buy of Chinese manufacture would compete with a Gamma 1 and SOHA II.  Just put simply - look at the volume pot.  You're probably never going to get a genuine ALPS.  The cloning is well documented and fools even experienced DIY-ers.   As far as tubes go, almost any NOS tube is better than Chinese or Japanese manufacture. When it comes to 12AU7's, there's an entire universe of tonal selections from NOS and new manufacture that are superior to Chinese construction.
 
The highest quality for the lowest price in the US seems to be the Schiit offerings.  Yet, they can't compete with a Modi/Magni when compared to a Gamma 1 and SOHA II.  You're about $200 apart on each item, IMHO, in terms of quality.
 
I'm not trying to bad-mouth the Chinese (or Schiit).  The Chinese are on their way to Japanese quality standards and right now they offer many things that can't even be purchased elsewhere.  It's just that right now, I'd draw the line at trying to compare them to Head-Fi DIY-ers, especially someone like AMB (Ti Kan - Gamma 1) or runeight (Alex Cavalli - SOHA II).  I'd put many other DIY-ers in that category, too.  I can tell you personally that the Chinese attempt to pirate many DIY designs.

 
I'm probably swimming against the wave, because I've seen this same thing happen in RC airplanes.  These days, you can't even find kits for many airplanes - kits are an exception, not the rule.  Back in the day, the best products were all kits, period.  Now, the Chinese build fully "ready-to-fly" airplane models so cheap, it's easier to just buy the completed airplane, fly the crap out of it and if you crash it, who cares?  You buy another one.  Yet, they are never the same quality as the old kits were - the wings come apart, the engine compartment is not solid against vibration or fully fuel-proofed, etc., etc.  The best competitors still build their own, period (or commission a professional to do it for them).
 
So to continue the analogy, if you're willing to buy a disposable amp and DAC on the cheap, maybe that's the way to go ...

 

[Zashoomin]

Well the main problem I have with building one is that there are so many and I am not sure which ones are the best value for the money versus marketed ones which have many many reviews telling me exactly how they sound and whatnot.  I would love to build as it seems like it would be a lot of fun, but I do not know what to build.  There where a couple different amps that I had in mind as well as DACs. SOHA II, Millet hybrid mini max, starving student, gamma 1, gamma 2, pupdac.  I would love to build a hybrid amp as well as a dac but I don't know what would be best for me. Sorry for all the questions I am very new to the DIY world. 
Thanks in advance

 

[Spareribs]

Do both. Pick any option now like a cheap import amp and you'll have a blast. Wait a year or so and you'll easily have money to do DIY. It's actually fun stuff for any amp enthusiasts out there in hi fi land.