[Pirakaphile]

Alright, I just found, after months and months of looking all over the place and testing out all sorts of headphones, I've finally settled on an affordable and amazing sounding pair of cans. Grados may not look the nicest in some people's eyes, but damn, I think they're gorgeous, and **** they sound great. Even the SR60i's were competing with $200 and $300 cans I tested out. Anyway, I'm saving up the money to get the SR80i's, and I'll be buying them this weekend hopefully. Unfortunately, this leaves me with the problem I've dreaded for ages. I don't have a DAC/amp for my laptop. Sure, when I'm at home I can play things through the CD player and stuff, but I like to be in my room listening to stuff off my laptop, and I don't want to waste potential with these Grados. I've been looking at the Audioengine D1 for a while, since it would be nice to have a laptop powered DAC/amp for portability, but I'm still not sure about the amp business, since I know of nowhere to test them out. I'm looking for something $200 or less, because quite frankly, I'm poor. I'd just like to know about any other options in my price range that I could get my hands on.
Thanks to all who help!

 

[Bytor123]

Hello - still new to all this myself, but I have recently bought the Grado SR80i's and have them with a FiiO E09 and E07 - and they are superb. They did work a treat with the E07 on its own too...
Anyway, good luck, I'm sure you'll enjoy them!

 

[manbear]

Grado's expensive amp is essentially a CMOY in a wood box, so you could get a CMOY in an altoids tin for $50. JDS Labs makes good ones (I have one). This one might be good for an included DAC with a portable amp: http://www.jdslabs.com/products/84/c5d-amplifier-dac/
The O2 with an ODAC inside would be a good choice too, but I think it has to be plugged into the wall. You could get the separate ODAC and O2, since the standalone O2 has a battery and the ODAC just needs USB power. 

iBasso is supposed to have decent portable DACs/ amps in one little box. Check out some of those. The DAC part is probably more important than the amp, since Grados are known for being easy to drive. Fiio is very popular as well, but the iBasso stuff is sexier IMO. There is also the ALO Island.

 

[Trunks159]

You don't need an amp for the Sr80i, they're very efficient.

 

[Pirakaphile]

  Grado's expensive amp is essentially a CMOY in a wood box, so you could get a CMOY in an altoids tin for $50. JDS Labs makes good ones (I have one). This one might be good for an included DAC with a portable amp: http://www.jdslabs.com/products/84/c5d-amplifier-dac/
The O2 with an ODAC inside would be a good choice too, but I think it has to be plugged into the wall. You could get the separate ODAC and O2, since the standalone O2 has a battery and the ODAC just needs USB power. 

iBasso is supposed to have decent portable DACs/ amps in one little box. Check out some of those. The DAC part is probably more important than the amp, since Grados are known for being easy to drive. Fiio is very popular as well, but the iBasso stuff is sexier IMO. There is also the ALO Island.

I've heard some less-than-healthy things about the Udac, and the Odac needs to be connected to an amp before it can drive headphones is what I've collected. The JDS labs needs to be connected to an amp too I think. I looked at ibasso, but everything's a bit too much. I'm probably going to end up going with something fiio. I had to narrow my budget after my money had to be spent elsewhere.

 

[whirlwind]

Get a Little Dot 1+
 
It will be the perfect little hybrid amp for you SR80i
 
Plus you can roll opamps and tubes if you wish.
 
It is as great a bang for your buck amp as the SR80i is for headphones. 

 

[Claritas]

  You don't need an amp for the Sr80i, they're very efficient.

 
True, but I have found that my amp improves the sound.

 

[formula1]

  You don't need an amp for the Sr80i, they're very efficient.

 
Really? i have used expensive amps with the SR80 with good results. I'ts not a MUST but they definitely improve. 

 

[Trunks159]

An amp will improve the sound of damn there every full sized can.

Its an unnecessary investment imo.

 

[Claritas]

Let's not confuse "you don't need one" with "it won't do anything for you" and "it will do something for you" with "you need one."

 

[Pirakaphile]

It's not exactly the amp in question, but the DAC. I just need a DAC/amp so I can drive my headphones right through it without having to buy an amp as well as a DAC