[kvershay]

I am about to order a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones, and i also want to purchase an amp with a DAC.  I want to spend about 150-200 dollars.  I also would like it to be for my house so it needs to be able to plug into my laptop. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[sridhar3]

ATH-M50 don't need amping.  They benefit marginally at best.
 
For home listening at $200 I'd look at the FiiO E7/E9 and the Audio-gd NFB-12.  Both are DAC/amp combo boxes.  The E9 and NFB-12 are not portable though.  Are you looking for something that's portable as well as suitable for home listening?
 

 

[kvershay]

portability is an option but its not necessary. and if i get the fiio E7 and E9 they go together, and is portable and cheaper than the Audio-gd NFB-12.  do you think thats the best way to go?

 

[sridhar3]

Between the E7/E9 and the NFB-12, I'd pick the NFB-12 any day of the week.  But that's just a matter of personal preference.  I have a separate portable rig, so I try not to mix the two.
 
In your situation, if you're looking for portability, I'd look at iBasso product line.  I unfortunately haven't heard their products, but some Head-Fiers have reported good results, and the products are portable, so that may be more up your alley.  It would be worth researching.

 

[calipilot227]

The the most noticeable improvement from the headphone jack on your computer and the E7 will come from the DAC. The M50 improves marginally at best with an amp, but a good DAC can improve just about any headphone (well, maybe not the beats or ibuds... 

).

 

[kvershay]

ok i read some reviews of the NFB-12 and they were good, but i couldnt find them for sale anywhere. Do you know where i can find them?

 

[idale]

Quote:

ok i read some reviews of the NFB-12 and they were good, but i couldnt find them for sale anywhere. Do you know where i can find them?

I'm not sure about any resellers, but this is the process for ordering direct: http://www.audio-gd.com/PurchaseEN.htm

 

[kvershay]

Ok thanks for the site, but im not to sure if i want to order throught an email message.  Than seems a little sketchy for me.  I really like the idead of getting both the fiio E7 and E9 because i can use it as portability and for my home computer.  I will look at some reviews on youtube and this forum.  If you guys can tell me your oppinion on the fiio setup that would be great. 

 

[sridhar3]

Quote:

Ok thanks for the site, but im not to sure if i want to order throught an email message.  Than seems a little sketchy for me.

Seems that way initially, but many many people on Head-Fi can vouch for Audio-gd, including some of the senior members.  Their products are popular here, given the high performance to price ratio.

 

[Ultrazino]

ATH-M50 don't need amping.  They benefit marginally at best.

I'm not quite sure if the OP caught this. I think he might be close to throwing cash out of a window.

 

[jerikl]

I'll x4 on the M50s not needing an amp.
 
Though, if you must, I'd probably go with the Audio-GD NFB-12 as well for that price range. I haven't heard the FiiO combo OR the Audio-GD for that matter -- this is just based on what I've read on these forums. I actually thought about getting the NFB-12 myself though, but ended up with a Schiit Asgard for Grados/M50s/and in the near future, Senn 600s. If I'm not mistaken, the FiiO is a USB DAC while the NFB-12 has coax / optical inputs, which might be something to think about if your laptop has optical (Apple laptop?).

 

[kvershay]

No i completley understand that an amp isnt needed with my headphones, but i have heard that a DAC is great to have with any pair of headphones so i just thought if i am getting a DAC i might as well as get one with a built in amp.  If anyone has a better way to save money by just getting a DAC please tell me the name of it and i will look into it.  As for the NFB-12 i will think about it because i understand that people buy from them a lot, but i dont like doing that unless i have to and the fiio being portable as well.

 

[estreeter]

Best move I ever made was decoupling my DAC from my amps. Sure, two devices and you need a cable of some description, but the two fullsize DAC/amps I owned were majorly compromised in favour of the DAC. It might be different at the M903 end of the market, but down here in the cheap seats .....

 

[kvershay]

That sounds like a great idea.  Is there any good DACs that you would recommend thats in my budget or possibly less? Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[rjoseph]

If using with a laptop, then are you looking for a USB DAC? In that case, a Pro-ject USB box is good enough. I personally use a D7000 for desktop listening (with the Pro-ject) and the M-50 with my iPhone (portable indoors).