[Groomsy]

Hey all, I recently got a pair of Grado SR80i (I guess you could say these are my first real headphones). I've clocked about 40 hours on them and have noticed some pretty substantial changes in sound quality through the burn-in period, and expect only greater changes to come down the road.
 
I've owned a NuForce uDAC since sometime in March and have loved it. I'm running WMA lossless ASIO4ALL via Foobar2000 and am loving the results of the SR80 through the uDAC.
 
I'm wondering, though, would a budget headphone amplifier like the Little Dot I+ improve the sound quality in a more than marginal way? The Grados are probably being driven to their potential by the uDAC, but would a dedicated headphone amplifier and using the uDAC as a DAC only bring any marked improvements or be suitable for the SR80i? I just wanted to get some opinions before I put another dent in my wallet.

Thanks so much!

 

[backtofront001]

Yesssir. I had that same exact setup a while back and when I hooked it all up, I was actually amazed. I say pull the trigger NOW. I promise you wont regret it

 

[s4one]

What level do you set the knob on the udac? I have my udac + LD MKIII and I leave the udac knob at 3 o'clock

 

[maverickronin]

Isn't the HP out on the uDAC just really a line out?  Can't remember the thread where I read that though.
 
In any case, everyone over on the LD I+ thread loves that combo, so it should be a safe bet.

 

[Groomsy]

Thanks for your input, everyone. This combo is looking more likely as I read more.
 
@ s4one: My volume on Windows and Fubar2000 is set to max level; on the uDAC, the volume knob usually sits at 9 o'clock and is usually at a comfortable volume except for "hot" albums when I take the volume down. Keep in mind I'm running the SR80i from the uDAC only at this point. Some of my albums which have quieter and more dynamic mastering jobs usually allow me to take the volume knob comfortably to 10 o'clock.
 
@ maverickronin: The uDAC has a dedicated headphone out, but I can't vouch for whether it functions primarily as a Line Out; my understanding is that the uDAC is simply a DAC with an integrated headphone amp, although it cannot function as simply a headphone amp (although it works as a standalone DAC, which is what I'm getting at).

 

[Dojomoto]

I'm running a uDAC under Win 7 and Foobar2000 and feeding a CKKIII and I have my uDAC set about 11:30 or so (just past the white dot on the left). For ME, it keeps any distortion away and sound great! At that setting I rarely got past 10:30 or so on my amp.

 

[lavagolem]

DacMagic > little dot i+ > Grado is a good match?