[Trojita]

I saw mentions that the HD700 pairs best with a Tube Amp. Right now I just have a FiiO E17 Portable Amp and a Creative Titanium HD (which I don't think even has an amp built in).
 
My budget is around $200-$400.
 
Should I be looking at a Solid State Amp or Tube Amp? I guess I should also mention that I've never heard a Tube Amp before.
 
I was looking at the Valhalla 2 and the Bottlehead Crack. I don't have any faith in my ability to build anything though. I'm also looking for suggestions for a DAC, but I don't know if I have the money right now for a dedicated one. 
 
I'm new to amps and DAC and the reason I got the HD700 was because I found them for a really good price. Before that I was using the HD598.

 

[Trojita]

No one has a suggestion?

 

[BobFiggins]

A good place to start is the HD700 Impressions thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/612502/sennheiser-hd-700-impressions-thread/2955#post_11355893
 
I have the HD700, and also have had a difficult time finding an amp that really makes me happy. Currently have tried the Valhalla 2, the Vali, and the Fulla. The Vali is very relaxed, smooth, lots of midrange detail, with somewhat bloated bass. The Valhalla 2 is a little sibilant, but with an extremely exciting energy and amount of clarity, super tight bass and a feeling of speed in every sound. The Fulla, well, let's just say it increased the volume, nothing stood out. Perhaps it was a little etched and rough.
 
I'm pretty sensitive to treble, and I'm also not interested in creating a whole new FLAC library just tame a little bit of the sibilance due to the compressed size. Maybe someday when TIDAL has a better selection of music, I will finally keep an account and enjoy it. For now, I really enjoy Google Play Music, and want to stick with it. I'm content in keeping the Valhalla 2, and doing some minor EQ adjustments to tame the treble. The payoff is I still get to enjoy that amazing energy the Valhalla 2 has.
 
My personal opinion is biased towards Schiit. I love their approachability for newcomers, and their excellent customer service. I will probably exhaust all options with them before moving on elsewhere.

 

[Stanfoo]

get NFB-11