[acousmetre]

I've been digging through the forums and haven't seen this answered yet, so my apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.
 
I just purchased my first piece of higher-end audio equipment (Sennheiser HD-25-ii cans) and now I'm curious about amps and DACs. I listen to indie rock primarily, though I tip-toe into folk, jazz, and electronic somewhat regularly. I do about 75% of my music listening on my Macbook Pro and the rest on my iPhone. Since I purchased the Senns, I've been converting my music to FLAC. Budget is around $100.
 
Many people on this forum and elsewhere suggest that HD-25s are so easy to drive that amps aren't necessary. However, I want to get as much as out of these phones as possible without breaking the bank on what so might call "marginal returns." So, my questions:
 
1. How's the DAC inside the Macbook Pro? Do you recommend a DAC/Amp combo, or is an amp sufficient for both of my primary listening situations? 
2. What brands and models do you suggest, especially for use with the my gear and my Senns? 
 
As always, thanks for the wealth of information provided on this forum! 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

I've been digging through the forums and haven't seen this answered yet, so my apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.
I just purchased my first piece of higher-end audio equipment (Sennheiser HD-25-ii cans) and now I'm curious about amps and DACs. I listen to indie rock primarily, though I tip-toe into folk, jazz, and electronic somewhat regularly. I do about 75% of my music listening on my Macbook Pro and the rest on my iPhone. Since I purchased the Senns, I've been converting my music to FLAC. Budget is around $100.
Many people on this forum and elsewhere suggest that HD-25s are so easy to drive that amps aren't necessary. However, I want to get as much as out of these phones as possible without breaking the bank on what so might call "marginal returns." So, my questions:
1. How's the DAC inside the Macbook Pro? Do you recommend a DAC/Amp combo, or is an amp sufficient for both of my primary listening situations? 
2. What brands and models do you suggest, especially for use with the my gear and my Senns? 

Apple products usually come with decent DACs and it's not cheap to get a DAC that will work with an iPhone.
So I would say to get the Fiio E11, with a Fiio L cable, buy them from a place that has a return policy that favors the customer.
See if the E11 offers a decent improvement, if not, return it.

 

[acousmetre]

Thanks, PurpleAngel! That's good advice.