[Sarthak117]

I've finally amassed a thousand dollars to buy a decent audio setup, but can't decide between IEMs or full size headphones. I've never owned a good pair of headphones and have been running off of my pair of Shure SE530s, an iPhone, and a decent desktop sound card. Now that I have the money to upgrade, I want to build a full setup. If I went for IEMs, I would definitely go for Westone ES5s.
 
Preferences:
Portability isn't very much of an issue as I already have a pair of IEMs
I really like the sound of my 530s, but I really want more treble extension and maybe a little bit more impact to the bass.
 
In order of importance:
1. Clarity
2. Detail
3. Mid-range detail
4. Treble Extension
5. Bass Extension
6. Bass Impact
7. Soundstage
 
Here are some genres that I listen to:
Metal
Rock
Jazz
Classical
I also have short flings with lots of other genres so I would like something versatile
 
What is the best setup I could buy for this price that would include a player, an amp, and headphones as needed to beat the Westone ES5 for under $1000. If necessary, I wouldn't have too much of an issue with spending just a little bit more for something that would be very beneficial.
 
This may be my setup for a very long time because I've got college coming up and wouldn't have as much to spend as I do now.
 
Much Thanks!

 

[Alghazanth]

You already posted this.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/561430/1000-for-headphones-or-iems#post_7587695

 

[Uncle Erik]

How about a Sennheiser HD-600 and a Dynalo? If you find a used HD-600 for about $200, that's $500 total. Spend the rest on a DAC and you're in business.

 

[TwoEars]

A crazy idea: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/561107/anedio-d1
 
IMHO one of the very best DACs I've heard at any price and the inbuilt headphone amp is very, very good as long as you don't give it something too hard to drive.
 
Extremely clear and detailed are the hallmarks of this DAC.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/528473/review-anedio-d1-dac-my-new-reference-dac

 

[Sarthak117]

I'm sure they would both be part of great setups, but would they be able to compare to the Westone ES5 in terms of sound quality?