[kbuzz]

Im a long term audiophile  but relative newbie here so please feel free to move this post to another section if not appropriate.  And yes, i have done a search...anyway to the question. 
 
I am looking to upgrade the sound of my ipad-with HD600s. by way of context, i am a  tube guy,  I have had the senns for a long time and they are my reference.  I use Westone 3s plus ipod for daily commuting.  I am seeking a battery powered amp or amp dac with budget around $400 with the bulk of time for home use.  I have been experimenting with a total bit head, and while i can see the appeal of this unit to some, i find it a bit harsh and fatiguing after an hour, with a hint of sibilance.  I will continue with burn in but suspect the dac chip is less then stellar given the almost comperable sound quality of the LOD amp only.  In either case, the bithead in either dac or amp mode is no match for my long term reference woo 3, which i sold a while back as i cant be tethered to the a power outlet.  I know that might be apples to oranges or I may just be spoiled as i use both a HDT paradesa and meitner dacs for my other full size home set ups.
 
So would a logical upgrade without a harsh top end be something along the lines of a straight  amp (ttvj, arrow) or an amp dac combo.(pico) If the bithead is indicative of lower priced amp/dac combos,  I hesitate to try another.  So at what price point does it become worth it to spring for a dac plus amp. I know its all relative but.....
 
 I suspect throwing down for a used RSA predator may be the answer to the question, but thought i throw this up for yet another one of the what should i do next threads.  
 
thanks in advance for any thoughts.

 

[justin w.]

HD600 are fairly voltage hungry headphones.  For a portable, you should look to see what the max voltage output is for the amplifier
 
There is also a thread in another forum that lists DAC/Amps that have been confirmed to be iPad compatible