[Geir]

I am going to get myself a new pair of headphones( most probably AT esw9) and a portable amp as soon as the tax return money arrives

The amp will be used a lot with my SB3, and I was wondering whether i should get an amp/dac with digital in, or if it is enough with just an amp to play nicely with the SB3.
As far as I can tell, that if I were to go the optical in route from the Sb3, the only contender within my budget(up to 400$) is the iBasso D1.
I would like to hear the impressions from other users on how they have set up their systems with Dacs/amps with regard to the SB's and headphones.

 

[kaushama]

I have a setup with Stello DA100 and Headamp GS-1. It sounds fantastic. Its not portable but why do you want to have a portable setup with SB3??

 

[Geir]

The reason I am looking for a portable, is that it will go with me to my job as well.

 

[breakfastchef]

I like the combo of a D1 and an SB3; it works quite well. You cannot beat the versatility of the D1.

You may want to cover up the blue LED power light on the D1, though, as it really can light up a dark room if you plan to use the setup at bedside.

 

[DennyL]

The Squeezebox 3 has a headphone output (a tiny hole that it's easy to miss). I haven't tried it and I haven't read many reports about its SQ. I use a Beresford DAC followed by GS-1 or DV332 with the SB3. I also have an iBasso D1, which I'm very pleased with, but I haven't tried it with the SB3, as I use it with my iRiver H140.

 

[Geir]

Well, the Ibasso D1 is not too expensive, so I guess it is a good place to "wet ones feet" before going audiophile

 

[breakfastchef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geir /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, the Ibasso D1 is not too expensive, so I guess it is a good place to "wet ones feet" before going audiophile

I believe you will like the D1. It works well between the SB3 and headphones and also is a great USB DAC for feeding my Little Dot tube amp. The D1 has enough power to drive my HD650's, too. After the amp is burned in, you can change out op amps and tweak the sound of the D1. Cheers.

 

[episiarch]

In your situation I would get a good amp and skip the DAC.

The SB3's DAC is remarkably good. I have an SB3, a well-known $1K DAC, and a switchbox to let me compare the SB3's direct output with the DAC's output. They're darn close. While it's possible to tell the difference (with some, but not all, music), I honestly don't actually prefer the DAC's sound; last time I brought it back from a meet I didn't get around to plugging it back in for weeks and weeks.

But the SB3 does need an amp to drive most headphones. The internal DAC is good, but the output's driving power is very weak. So I'd say get an amp, skip the DAC.