I have the Burson HA160DS and also find the high a bit harsh at loud passages, but it does bring more impact on the bass.  I prefer my Graham Slee Solo with it which gives a smoother sound (but with a really receded bass).  Can't wait to try a tube amp with it.

Just wondering, can both the XLR and RCA line out be used at the same time so I can have it feed into two amps?

Thanks.  I'll start with RCA cables.  One day when I have an extra DAC I'll compare it with coax and optical

I want to connect my source to somewhere 35ft away for headphone enjoyment, what is the best way to do it?   1.  Coax / Optical seems to be best but I'll need to buy another DAC (I need the current DAC where it is)   2.  USB - will also need another USB DAC, and from some research...

$320 for K702 and Millet Hybrid sounds like a pretty decent deal.  I'm pretty new to head-fi and when I was shopping for my amp in the for sale forum I was pretty hesitant about DIY amp, cuz I can't tell the build quality.  There are a few guys who build amps with pretty good reputation though...

Thanks for the suggestion.  I'm looking at < $250.  What I was thinking is to get an amp first and get a DAC/sound card later.  I agree that DAC + amp probably makes more sense for me (that's why I was looking at the xonar essence).   Another requirement for the DAC is ASIO, which I need for...

I bought a AKG K271 MKII for primarily for my digital piano setup which uses my PC (knowing full well I'll probably need an amp later on):   Keyboard -> PC  -> Onboard lineout / headphone out -> K271   My use for the headphone is primarily for monitoring my own playing, some composition...