I've been driving my XS with a iFi ZEN CAN and it works wonderfully. Never a sign of being under-driven and the bass/sub-bass really blossoms.

I also just received a ZEN CAN that is connected to a ZEN DAC V2. Really a clear upgrade over just driving directly from the ZEN DAC. I'm using all 4.4mm balanced including headphone cables and the connector between the DAC and CAN. My two main headphones these days are Senn HD650s and Hifiman...

If you are looking for something smaller that fits well on the desk check out the Audioengine A2+. Not a lot of bass but they also have a small sub that would match well.

You should take a look at Omega Speakers. They are a little bit above your target price but if you want the more realistic and natural sound it's a good option.

I still use these when traveling. Crazy durable with a decent sound balance.

Great!! Now I have the bug to buy the ZEN Can!!! :)

I'm back to using my HD650 now that I've moved to a ifi zen dac v2. I picked up the ifi simply to clean up my desktop since I also use it to drive my active near field speakers. Made for a much cleaner desktop solution but I've also found that it drives my HD650s very well. Very rich midrange...

Very nice! Where did you order them from?

On my Alpha50s it did take a little time to break in. They do smooth out after a handful of hours. 

I haven't tried my ME2 with my HD-650s just yet but I suspect that it may not enough drive. When I used my Dragonfly they also did not have enough drive current to provide volume or overall bass support so I don't expect the Meridian to either. The good thing is the low-end iFi iCan micro that I...

I just picked up a Meridian E2 two days ago. I'm using Tidal with Masters enabled. At first I was not getting a blue light but figured out that it is mandatory to turn on "Use Exclusive Mode". Once I used the correct settings the blue light was on. First impressions are great! I went from a v1.2...

Hi. I'm using the Audioquest adaptor and it seems to work well. Not sure about hooking up a sub since in my desktop environment the bass is very good. I'm sure a sub would add more weight but so far the Focals are working well. And yes, I'm loving these speakers! I was previously using...

I also have Focal Alpha50s. From my DAC I have an AudioQuest mini 3.5mm to RCA adaptor. The RCA adaptor then feeds a pair of Analysis Plus Oval One interconnects. The Oval Ones are unique in that when you buy a pair they come as two separate interconnects and not connected together.

I use Focal Alpha 50s for my desktop listening and they sound amazing! They do not have a volume control so I either use my dac (with a volume control) or my Mac's volume control. The good thing about most studio monitor is the ability to provide LF and HF shelfing which provides some level of...

I have a pair of 5+s that have been nice over the last few years but they have been retired in favor of a pair of Focal Alpha 50s that sound amazing for the price. The ability to shelf the treble and bass up or down makes tuning for a specific placement easy. Very resolving but will show no...