[tattare]

fostex hp-a3 maybe?
hehe im really pushing for that 15+ group buy moon audio is doing.

 

[jfindon]

Quote:

Hey JFindon, I am in the same boat as you. I recently purchased the HE-400's as well as the HE-300's and though I have a couple solid portable amps to run with my iPod, to get the most out of my music I've been looking for a solid desktop Amp/ DAC that can be packed up with my laptop .... mobile but not portable.
 
I've narrowed my search down to a couple different options (I am roughly in the same price point as you also)... and I think I've shopped some very good value to money options.
 
JDS Labs O2amp with integrated DAC - $285.00 - Huge upside to this amp/dac combo.... audiophiles are going nuts over this one.
Channel Islands Audio - VHP-2 - $300.00 - American Made Audiophile Class headphone amp.... considered high end audio but for affordable price.
Lake People G103 or 109S - $240.00 - Makes of the Violectric amps that all the planar owners love.... Same DNA as the Violectrics though not as pretty but for a more affordable price.
 
And the bottom two I will pair with an HRT Music Streamer DAC.... which is $150.00 and very highly regarded as a standalone DAC.
 
That's my short list for what it's worth.

 
 
Thanks, I got so aggravated trying to find something right now that I bought a knife instead   Not really "instead", but I figured it's going to take me a lot longer to find what I'm looking for so I bought something else to keep me occupied.  Not to mention I know now that I spent money on a  knife, I'll figure this dilemma out faster and end up spending more money, that's what always happens.  I'll check over your list after my workout and see what's what.

 

[The Fed]

I hear you.... It is dizzying the choices that are out there right now... and honestly the forums don't really help... sometimes.... I think when I was looking for a portable amp, I was settled on the Alo National.... but hand this itch to "JUST MAKE SURE" so I went on Headfi and spent 3 weeks tweaking out on "this vs. that" searches and in the end I was more confused than the beginning and I still just ended up buying the frickin National.
 
That being said, I hope you find what you are looking for.

Regards

 

[The Fed]

@ McFly
 
Honestly I think you are right on.... I don't know that there is much need to scale up with the HE400's..... I've listened to them through an $800 amp/ $400.00 DAC combo and honestly didn't notice a difference in sound quality,the only difference was what number the volume pot was turned to.... The bigger more expensive amps certainly have more juice.... but the HE400 and HE300 aren't current hungry cans anyway.
 
If you were talking the HE-6 or the Audeze models, then getting a more dynamic desktop amp with a LOT of power makes sense... but the HE400 is a high efficiency model.... it's whole marketing ploy was that you don't need to spend a thousand dollars on a set up to drive it.... they were marketing it as something you could plug directly into your iPod... I don't know about that, but it certainly doesn't need some monster desktop rig to push it.
 
I would rather get an adequate amp/ dac combo like the O2/DAC or G103/ & HRT-MS2 for under $400 bucks, and spend the rest on music and another set of headphones. I.E. I think your thoughts are dead on. But I am also just listening to music for enjoyment.

 

[jfindon]

Ok, I checked out some of the above options...
 
Not sure where you saw the VHP-2 for $300 unless it was a third party site, but it's $399 on their site.  Lake People 109S is a bit up there for me too, and I can't find any review on the thing here.
 
Part of me is wondering if I should just get an NFB 5.2 and call it quits, $368 and amp+DAC but I couldn't find a review on that one either.  I'm so tired of reading and worrying about synergy and whether or not an amp "pairs" well with a DAC, pretty soon I'm just going to buy whatever looks prettiest and call it a day. 

 

[MartyMcFly]

Quote:

Ok, I checked out some of the above options...
 
Not sure where you saw the VHP-2 for $300 unless it was a third party site, but it's $399 on their site.  Lake People 109S is a bit up there for me too, and I can't find any review on the thing here.
 
Part of me is wondering if I should just get an NFB 5.2 and call it quits, $368 and amp+DAC but I couldn't find a review on that one either.  I'm so tired of reading and worrying about synergy and whether or not an amp "pairs" well with a DAC, pretty soon I'm just going to buy whatever looks prettiest and call it a day. 

 
I know what you mean, buddy. If I were you, I would probably stick with the NFB-5.2. I ended up buying a Bifrost and am waiting for the Asgard to arrive. The total was $530 ...and all for a $400 dollar pair of headphones 

It probably wasn't the soundest investment, but I figured I might as well spend money on a setup that looks good if I am spending money frivolously to begin with. Plus, it might work with higher-end headphones if I decide to get a pair in the future. 

 

[jfindon]

Quote:

 
I know what you mean, buddy. If I were you, I would probably stick with the NFB-5.2. I ended up buying a Bifrost and am waiting for the Asgard to arrive. The total was $530 ...and all for a $400 dollar pair of headphones 

It probably wasn't the soundest investment, but I figured I might as well spend money on a setup that looks good if I am spending money frivolously to begin with. Plus, it might work with higher-end headphones if I decide to get a pair in the future. 

That was kind of what I was thinking too, that I may get some higher end headphones down the line, but then I realized I had my SR225s for probably 5 years before I even thought of upgrading, so I probably won't be doing that.  I kept going back to the Bifrost on the DAC front, and then I just couldn't make my mind up on the amp.  Maybe I'll still do my original plan and go with the Bifrost DAC and O2 as the amp.
 
Alternatively, I also need to find out if the NFB 5.2 is the best version from that company I can get for the price, and hopefully find some reviews.  I guess I'll just decide between the two.  At this point, I don't even have the experience to know what I'm hearing and be able to describe it, so any minute difference will probably be lost on me anyway.  I just have a thing with always trying to get the best I can even if it means I don't understand why it's better.  At least in the music world, that is.
 
 
EDIT:  Wow, just checked shipping on the NFB 5.2, $59.  That's going to put it at $427, which would be about the same as the Bifrost + O2 setup so that makes the decision even harder again.

 

[jfindon]

Ok, I'm going with the Bifrost for the DAC and I'm not changing my mind.  That's it.
 
Now I just still need an amp to go with it, and I wasn't feeling particularly sold on the O2 last time I read through a bunch of opinions.
 

 

[wje]

Quote:

EDIT:  Wow, just checked shipping on the NFB 5.2, $59.  That's going to put it at $427, which would be about the same as the Bifrost + O2 setup so that makes the decision even harder again.

 
You have to realize that express shipping is utilized from Hong Kong to the U.S.  Typically, DHL gets involved with these shipments.  Yes, $59.00 might seem pricey, but I've had quotes from the USPS to send a pair of headphones via Express mail to an international destination and with insurance, the price came up to about $80.00.
 
There are cheaper shipping options, but unfortunately, Audio-GD doesn't utilize them.  Then again, a person might wait 30 days to get their package to get to the U.S. on the "slow boat" and still spend $30.00 for the shippping.

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

Ok, I'm going with the Bifrost for the DAC and I'm not changing my mind.  That's it.
 
Now I just still need an amp to go with it, and I wasn't feeling particularly sold on the O2 last time I read through a bunch of opinions.
 

 
Well if you're going with Bifrost you have to have the fashion sense to get an Asgard or Lyr...I mean, really....

 

[MartyMcFly]

Quote:

 
Well if you're going with Bifrost you have to have the fashion sense to get an Asgard or Lyr...I mean, really....

 
 
It's all about looking fashionable while listening to your music. I live by the beats creed. It's too bad I didn't settle for an actual beats pair...I had to make up for it somehow...hence the bifrost/asgard combo. It's a shame I won't be able to flaunt my setup in public. At least I'll be the coolest person jamming out to tunes on my block...there's nothing more gratifying than the self-realization that you are a bedroom rockstar, AMIRITE?

 

[jfindon]

Quote:

 
You have to realize that express shipping is utilized from Hong Kong to the U.S.  Typically, DHL gets involved with these shipments.  Yes, $59.00 might seem pricey, but I've had quotes from the USPS to send a pair of headphones via Express mail to an international destination and with insurance, the price came up to about $80.00.
 
There are cheaper shipping options, but unfortunately, Audio-GD doesn't utilize them.  Then again, a person might wait 30 days to get their package to get to the U.S. on the "slow boat" and still spend $30.00 for the shippping.

 
I know, but I don't think I'm willing to pay that much just to ship something, it's a bit outrageous to me.  Little Dot only charges something like $29 last I checked, and I don't remember them taking more than a week to get my amp here, if that.
 
Looking back I guess I haven't really come any closer to making a decision since I'm still trying to figure out if I want a tube amp or SS.  Problem is I've never heard a tube amp and have no places to try one, but based on descriptions saying "rich and emotional" compared to SS being "cold and analytical" it seems that tube amps would be what I want.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Quote:

 
I know, but I don't think I'm willing to pay that much just to ship something, it's a bit outrageous to me.  Little Dot only charges something like $29 last I checked, and I don't remember them taking more than a week to get my amp here, if that.
 
Looking back I guess I haven't really come any closer to making a decision since I'm still trying to figure out if I want a tube amp or SS.  Problem is I've never heard a tube amp and have no places to try one, but based on descriptions saying "rich and emotional" compared to SS being "cold and analytical" it seems that tube amps would be what I want.

 
Since you have the HE-400, I go with the SS amp. That being said, I haven't listened to tube amps before, but I take it that "rich and emotional" is another way of saying that the sound is colored and thick. The HE-400 already sounds colored enough. The mids are a bit recessed and thick, but clear due to the black background. I think the cold/analytical sound would compliment the HE-400 nicely. It depends what you want in your music. If you like richer bass and rolled off treble with sweetened mids, then go for the tube amp. If you want a more objective sound with less fluff, then go with the SS.

 

[jfindon]

Quote:

 
Since you have the HE-400, I go with the SS amp. That being said, I haven't listened to tube amps before, but I take it that "rich and emotional" is another way of saying that the sound is colored and thick. The HE-400 already sounds colored enough. The mids are a bit recessed and thick, but clear due to the black background. I think the cold/analytical sound would compliment the HE-400 nicely. It depends what you want in your music. If you like richer bass and rolled off treble with sweetened mids, then go for the tube amp. If you want a more objective sound with less fluff, then go with the SS.

 
See, part of my issue is I have no idea what that means in relation to sound.  I guess I'll just lean toward SS for now, the only tube amp I was looking at anyway was the LD MKIII.

 

[dmacg]

I have the HE-400's, and Grado PS-500's.  I use the Schiit Valhalla with the Grado's (usually) and the Schiit Asgard with the HE-400's (again, usually). It realy depends on what I am listening to and how loud I want to listen. The Bifrost is an excellent DAC, I , however have little experience with outboard dacks with the exception of my Fiio Alpen (E-17) which I use with my laptop. Go with Schiit, there is no way you can go wrong.  Good searching................