How can you have a Naim DAC-V1 and HD800s and use a Schiit Vali with it?????  Naim and HD800's is high-end stuff and you've obviously invested a lot of money in this only to crap it up with a cheap Schiit Vali?  It makes no sense to me...absolutely none.  Unless maybe you suddenly fell into...

Thanks so much for your impressions.  Really glad to hear about the PHA-2's low noise floor...super excited about adding a little energy to my W4's.  I guess I shouldn't really worry about how it'll handle my HD700's and 600's, since I'll mainly be using this on the go.  Also, good to hear that...

Zilch, I know you wish the PHA-2 had better power specs.  It wasn't made to drive high impedance headphones.  Sony knows their market and it doesn't include people who listen to LCD-2's or Sennheiser HD650's on the go.  It was made to pair with efficient headphones and IEM's.  I have HD700's...

As soon as you add DSD capability, you have to add even more battery capacity and the battery is already too big.  You can't have everything.  This is a portable player with hi-resolution DAC and a great built in audiophile grade digital headphone amplifier section.  It already takes up too much...

anyone here use the PHA-2 with IEM's?  I'm planning on using mine with Westone 4's.  Do y'all think they'll pair well?  Also gonna try out with some HD700's, although I don't think 150 ohm cans will be driven as well.  In the future, I may have to invest in a pair of XBA-H3's as I've heard they...

why do people go on appreciation threads and bash the subject of appreciation?

Just ordered one from a Japanese seller on amazon.  Picked expedited shipping and should get here next week!  Super stoked!  I'm planning on this being the centerpiece of my bedside iPod/iPad system.  Mainly for music but also for the occasional movie or tv show I want with great sound.  Will be...

Really getting excited about this amp/dac. Thinking about biting the bullet and buying from Japan. Anyone around here do this and can you share your experiences?

Really?  It sounded bad out of a 100 dollar Chinese amp? No way.  Seriously folks, why are you even pairing a 1k dollar headphone with this stuff.  Fiio products, while a bargain (I guess) for budding audiophiles on a budget, they should not been seen as anything more than that.  It would make...

I don't think that the Vali will give you an increase in sound quality, rather will degrade your sound. I think that hd700's really cry out for pure sources and amps. Skip the cheap Schiit, and hold out for something nice like a WooAudio tube amp or a Burson or Violectric solid state Class A.

I think most people believe that headphones and speakers need to be "burned-in" because they actually have moving parts/drivers that change over time.  Whereas there's more debate on Amps and DACs - electronics...which I also believe need to be burned in.  Not surprised at all of your findings...

Take the drivers out of them and mount them it tiny little wooden cabinets. You could then drive them with a nice little tube amp!

I wouldn't alter my recommendation st all. Sounds like you're a neutral kinda guy and I'm more of a euphonic audiophile kinda guy. I've never heard a "neutral" headphone or speaker that I didn't despise. For example, I love hd700s because they are far from neutral...it's what makes them exciting...

For a budget DAC, I would suggest Cambridge Audio DACmagic and Musical Fidelity V-DACII.  IMHO, these will beat anything under 500 bucks and they both have very smooth tubelike quality to them, especially the MF V-DACII....also heard the V90 is great and it's cheap.  For amp, I don't have much...

Well, it doesn't mention any audiophile headphones, let alone HD700's or anything relating to HD700's so....thanks?