[zilch0md]

Well, This is where I'm not so confident in making a recommendation, as I'm still hunting for the ideal DAC, but I'm confined by my self-imposed rule of never spending more than $1000 per desktop component, including DACs, amps, and headphones (new or used, before tax and shipping).  Still, that's a lot of money, as I have too many other hobbies where $1000 can go a long way, so like you, if I can build a system with less expensive components to get just as much enjoyment, I'm happy to go there.  
 
My profile ehibits a bone yard of previously owned or still owned "low-fi" DACs and amps, but when it comes to DACs, I'm finding that cutting corners isn't as easy as with amps - especially for the HD800.
 
I tried the roughly $250 "Battery DAC" - an NOS DAC made in Paris - but found it to be too "smooth" for the HD800 - not enough resolution.  And that's the rub with the HD800 - you can smear the details - using "affordable" tube amps and/or "affordable" NOS DACs - to make the HD800 sound less analytical, but you can easily go too far, depending on your tastes.   
 
I've come to prefer allowing the HD800's strongest traits to shine, while reigning in that treble brittleness just enough to prevent fatigue in long listening sessions.
 
Believe it or not, right now, I'm caught between the Metrum Acoustics Octave MkII + Aurix being just a little softer than I want vs. the ES9018K2M DAC of my Oppo HA-2 + Metrum Aurix being just a little edgier than I want.  I much prefer the Oppo HA-2 portable's ES9018K2M DAC to the ESS9018 DAC of the Oppo HA-1 - especially for USB input, where the HA-1's USB receiver seems to suffer from some internal power noise - just guessing, but it's somewhat grainy compared to driving the HA-1's ESS9018 DAC with Coaxial input from an external USB-to-SPDIF convertor (like the Resonessence Concero or even the inexpensive Teradak Teralink X2).  
 
Whether using USB input or an iDevice (my favorite for maintaining a really low noise floor), the ES9018K2M DAC of the Oppo HA-2 is currently my favorite DAC for the Aurix -> HD800 (as well as being my favorite DAC for use with my iBasso PB2 portable amp > HD800.)
 
So, if you want to keep things affordable and kill two birds with one stone (a portable DAC that can also serve as a desktop DAC) get yourself an Oppo HA-2 for use with the NuForce HA-200.  I'm not kidding. It's my favorite DAC at the moment - for my HD800 and every other headphone. I find that it has none of the treble "glare" for which ES9023 and ES9018 DACs are infamous. The Concero was the first DAC I had that proved this was possible (with its use of the ES9023 - which is particularly bad that way, as a rule.  I attribute this to the Concero's spectacular power management, which lesser ES9023 DACs, like the JDS Labs Objective DAC (ODAC) simply don't have.  
 
I really feel like I'm sticking my neck out and want you to know that it's just one man's opinion, but I think "most" people would like the sound of this chain:
 
Tidal HiFi and/or Onkyo HF Player > iPod Touch or iPhone or iPad (no CCK is required with any of these) > Oppo HA-2 Line Out > NuForce HA-200 > HD800
 
Both the DAC and the amp are neutral and transparent - allowing the HD800 to retain its greatest strengths without coloration or excessive softening.  And if you read that link I provided in my last post, one of the traits I lost when I replaced the HA-200 with the Aurix was a better soundstage - another forte of the HD800 if you don't hold it back with upstream gear.
 
For use with my desktop amp, I use the reasonably flexible Audioquest Golden Gate 3.5mm to dual RCA cable, plugging it into the top of the Oppo HA-2 (Line Out jack), then looping it back under the silicon bands to affect a strain relief before continuing on to the RCA inputs of the amp.
 

 
I had done this previously when pulling Line Out from the excellent PCM1792A DAC of the FiiO X5, but it has such a troublesome UI that I sold it after buying the Sony NWZ-A17 - which is now my "card reader" of choice for use with the Oppo HA-2 - when I want to play FLACs from my library of microSD cards - again, through the Oppo HA-2 - using its DAC, not the Sony Walkman's proprietary DAC.
 
I had better stop or I'll be writing my entire audiophile biography.  

 
Just get the HA-200 for now and move slowly.  Getting there is half the fun.
 
Mike

 

[ngkou]

Mike, thanks so much for your help ! Yes, i ve read the link regarding your older thread
That s a really good recommendation : getting the oppo ha2. I always loved the look of it but i was disappointed with its extremely low headphone power out (30mW @ 300 Ohms) that s why i bought the Cayin C5 (portable powerful 880mW headphone amp). But now, your suggestion makes absolute sense  which is it to use it only as a DAC !
Getting the OPPO means that i could use it both with my portable gear samsung galaxy>oppo>cayin c5> JVC sz2000 or hd800.  and with my home gear laptop or galaxy> Oppo>NuForce ha200> HD800
 
cheers
 
nikos

 

[ngkou]

Do you think those DACs such as the Oppo ha2 have a noticably superior sound to my expensive hi end cellphone galaxy s6 ??

 

[zilch0md]

I would be really surprised to hear better sound coming from an iPhone 6s LOD than from the ES9018K2M DAC of the HA-2, but I've never tried it myself.
 
I've seen several testimonies that the iPhone 6s audio is better than in previous iPhones, but all of those statements were talking about plugging IEMs into the headphone jack of the iPhone 6s, so they were writing about its DAC + amp.   It stands to reason that the DAC can't be all that bad if DAC + amp sound good, but remember that, even with that in mind, people are comparing the iPhone 6s DAC + amp to those in the iPhone 5s, 5, etc. 
 
You've got an HD800 - it needs proper care and feeding! 
 
A little bit of Googling found this:
 
Quoting:  https://www.quora.com/Whats-with-the-DAC-in-the-iPhone-6
 

The digital-to-analog converter (DAC) — the piece of hardware that actually converts those digital bits into music — is the Cirrus Logic 338S1201 chip, according to teardowns. That chip is custom-built for Apple, so its specifications aren't public. In previous generations, the chip was the Cirrus Logic CS42L61 — also a custom job, but part of the company's CD42L range. The last chip in that range was the CS42L51, which is capable of sampling audio up to 24-bit/96kHz.

 
So who knows what it sounds like?   I don't.  One thing's for sure:  I am not aware of any consensus of people arguing that the DAC in the iPhone 6s is so incredibly good that they are using it to drive their desktop amps. 

 
Then again, Rome wasn't built in a day, so just get the amp and a LOD for your iPhone 6s, to begin with.
 
You can upgrade the DAC later and enlighten us all.  

  

 

[kazsud]

The HA-200 is now on massdrop for $250 and when it reaches 10 preorders I believe it goes down to $200.

 

[ngkou]

the cheapest NA200 here in Europe is $350 @ amazon.fr
 
By the way , Your PS Audio Perfect Wave Dac MkII costs  $2500 here . It costs more than your HD800 ($900) +HDVA600($1200) together here. It s insane ! Does a good Dac make such a difference in sound quality ??

 

[ngkou]

thanks ! I will keep you updated I Still havent received the HD800 but i am a bit nervous because it is the first time that i will listen to an open back headphone ! never had a chance to try any kind of open back cans ! So, i am like a virgin

 

[ngkou]

My HD800 simply doesn’t like portable units. Using it with my iDSD everything is too bright and it begins to grate on my nerves relatively quickly…. Likewise the ALO National seems a touch to clean (Sterile) when coupled to the HD800 and most of the substantive stuff in music that captures our emotions and takes us on a sonic journey seems to get stripped away when playing these two partners together.
 
The C5 however sounds just lovely with the HD800. It has enough refinement to hold up under the HD800 brutal resolution spotlight and plays well to the HD800’s strengths. And in that odd situation where music is compressed and dry and unwelcoming, the C5’s bass boost sonically enriches the signal allowing you to keep listening.
 
So the C5 is not perfect…. But in my circumstances it sonically kicked the proverbial ass of a piece of kit that is both highly touted and regarded in the audiophile community and twice the price. What is just as important to me, it is voiced very well to offer long term listening on the go with the HD800… An option I had thought, up until now, just wasn’t out there.
 
So If you are just geeking high-res as a consumer and care as much about format, bit depth and bit rate as you do which artist and what album, then the C5 still works, but may not be the strongest choice.
 
However if you are looking to connect flagships like the LCD2, HD800 or T1 to a portable and love listening to music, the C5 earns my highest recommendation. Sweep aside internal conflicts about its low price, and Chinese origin and quality... If it is music you crave, this one will give it to you proper.
Consider that it is priced just north of $200 a gift… a gift that you can take to the record store and buy more music with.
 
Peace Out!

 

[kazsud]

  the cheapest NA200 here in Europe is $350 @ amazon.fr
 
By the way , Your PS Audio Perfect Wave Dac MkII costs  $2500 here . It costs more than your HD800 ($900) +HDVA600($1200) together here. It s insane ! Does a good Dac make such a difference in sound quality ??

 
 
Absolutely. I'm currently looking into a usb to aes/coax to feed the pwd.
 
I don't have the HDVA600 or HD800 anymore. I have the Ragnarok and have a HD800 S incoming..

 

[ngkou]

ARMAEGIS said in a previous thread :
 
But while we're on the HE-6, yes the monos are enough power for decent listening levels, but those who like to rock out hard are going to want a dac with higher output. The HA-200 is supposedly capable of 8W, but it has a relatively low gain of 3.2x, so I'd recommend a dac with a minimum 2V output, preferably 4V. For the record, mine is 2V and I almost never go above 75%, but at times I find myself wanting just a smidge more.
 
To use the Oppo HA-2 as a DAC  which the line outputs only 1V. that may be a problem to drive the HA-200, right ?

 

[ngkou]

ARMAEGIS said in a previous thread :
 
But while we're on the HE-6, yes the monos are enough power for decent listening levels, but those who like to rock out hard are going to want a dac with higher output. The HA-200 is supposedly capable of 8W, but it has a relatively low gain of 3.2x, so I'd recommend a dac with a minimum 2V output, preferably 4V. For the record, mine is 2V and I almost never go above 75%, but at times I find myself wanting just a smidge more.
 
To use the Oppo HA-2 as a DAC  which the line outputs only 1V. that may be a problem to drive the HA-200, right ?

 

[Armaegis]

Yeah, the 1V from the HA-2 might not be enough except for quiet listening.

 

[ngkou]

thank you !
I am looking at the ifi micro – iDSD. People say that it matches the HD800s, Any suggestions ? in comparison to HA-200 perhaps?

 

[zilch0md]

ARMAEGIS said in a previous thread :

But while we're on the HE-6, yes the monos are enough power for decent listening levels, but those who like to rock out hard are going to want a dac with higher output. The HA-200 is supposedly capable of 8W, but it has a relatively low gain of 3.2x, so I'd recommend a dac with a minimum 2V output, preferably 4V. For the record, mine is 2V and I almost never go above 75%, but at times I find myself wanting just a smidge more.

To use the Oppo HA-2 as a DAC  which the line outputs only 1V. that may be a problem to drive the HA-200, right ?

Are you asking with the HE-6 in mind or the HD800?

Yeah, the 1V from the HA-2 might not be enough except for quiet listening.

Are you answering with the HE-6 in mind or the HD800?

 

[ngkou]

Mike
So, 1 Volt out is going to be enough to feed the HA-200 to drive the HD800s ? or not? i need loud listening
any comments on ifi micro idsd  regarding its sound signiature?