AMP/DAC recommendations similar sounding to EF499 for Arya Stealth

[eldraw]

Looking for a desktop AMP/DAC to pair with newly purchased Arya stealth, which will be used for predominantly gaming with some music and movies.

So far I've tried the following;

Fiio K7

Fiio K11 R2R

Hifiman EF499

Out of the three of them i preferred the EF499 in terms of sound.

I thought the K7 was too bright, K11 was better but the EF499 seemed like a noticeable step up to my amateur ears in terms of sound quality and soundstage. I assume its the warm R2R sound I’m preferring.

I would rather not purchase a Hifiman due to the relatability issues that they seem to be infamous for and im not a fan of the design.

I've been looking at the Shanling EH2 which is another R2R, would this be the roughly the same in terms of sound quality?

Can anyone please recommend a similar sounding AMP/DAC, budget £500 max.

 

[dunring]

I've had those a few times. The best combos I've heard is a Topping A30Pro D30Pro with its really noise floor. The A70Pro E70 9028pro or SMSL H400 and DO100Pro DAC sounded amazing. The JDS Atom 2 stack is another one. For some on sale at AliExpress you can keep in budget with coupons.