[sektr]

Hey guys, first post here!

I'm looking to spend a maximum of $1000 before shipping on an amp and DAC to complement my Denon D5000 headphones and Auzentech Forte sound card. I'll be connecting the DAC to the sound card with a coaxial cable so keep in mind the DAC can't just be USB (I want to use the X-Fi benefits of the sound card for gaming).

So what amp and DAC would best suit the sound of D5000s? A few I've looked at are the HeadRoom Desktop, Beresford Caiman, and Audio-GD Compass. I don't really know anything else in that range.

Any recommendations? I'd like to keep it to SS amps as I've heard tube sound doesn't really suit the Denons that well.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Welcome to Head-Fi - sorry about your wallet!

I really enjoyed the Compass-D5000 combo when I briefly owned both - I thought the Compass did well to balance out the D5000 a little and control the sometimes muddy bass.

The most common amps recommended for the D5000 from what I've read have been Rudistor amps as well as the Musical-Fidelity X-Can V8. The latter is supposed to be top notch and have excellent synergy with Denons, and would leave you a nice chunk of change to spend on a DAC.

 

[sektr]

I'm kind of hoping to get a DAC/Amp in the same box for space reasons, so I'm looking at primarily the Compass and the HR Desktop right now.

What about the Benchmark DAC1?

 

[tintin47]

^Not a very good amp at all. The benchmark is pretty much a decent DAC with a cheap amp thrown in.

 

[sektr]

What about the other two, the Compass and the HR Desktop, or how about the Beresford Caiman?

If there are no one box solutions I'm willing to buy separate, what would you guys recommend if I were to buy them separately?

 

[MikeW]

There's so many options in that price range, I think i'd definatly aim higher then the Compass though. A used Lavry DA10 might fit the bill. I think you'll get more for your money with separates however.

Somthing like Audio GD C2C and Audio GD Dac, i forget the name, it's around 485$ though.

Im pretty thrilled with my new amp, the Head Direct, Hifiman EF5, could pair it with any number of dac's. The Channel Islands VDA-2 for example.

Could buy used M3 Amp, and somthing like a Gamma 2 dac. Which would be a lot of performance for the money.

Somthing like WooAudio 6 + 300$ dac.

The Denon's syngergize really well with most Hybrid amps too btw.

The Headroom stuff is really well made, with excellent customer service and warrenty. I think it would be in a different league then Compass, and likely the beresford.

 

[DarKu]

Welcome to head-fi !

I would get:
- Headroom Desktop DAC/Amp
- Corda Symphony (a little over your budget)

Lavry and benchmark are great DAC's but weak amps IMO

 

[dallan]

Look for used on for sale forum.

 

[K3cT]

I think the M3 would be too warm with the D5000. The latter needs a thinner sound to balance its bass-heavy character. OTOH, the Denon headphones really shine with hybrid solutions.

My suggestion would be Millet MiniMAX and the Gamma2 or DAC19MK3.

 

[cegras]

Gamma2 and a headamp, maybe?

 

[GreenLeo]

May try an AudioSector DAC, coax version. DIY would be around $380. For the rest, buy a Lisa III STD and rechargeable 9V battery for home using. The aesthetic may not be the best but the sound is definitely good.

 

[Currawong]

For separates, the Audio-gd DAC19MK3 with one of the mid-range amps: Headamp Gilmore Lite, Audio-gd C2C, HeadDirect EF-1, M^3 or KICAS would give you a really nice rig for $1k. All the amps have a slightly different sound though. I'm inclined to suggest a decent pair of interconnects to polish things off.

For space constraints, the Lavry DA-10 was fine with Denons. The built-in amp doesn't have quite the punch of a dedicated amp, but it's a pretty good DAC. There's nothing stopping you later getting an amp to go with it. My only disagreement with it was with classical music, where it sounded somewhat "digital", so the DAC19MK3 is going to be nicer in that respect. Same with the Benchmark, so it will depend on the music you like.