[Currawong]

If you buy an amp, all you'll be doing is amplifying the crap sound from your soundcard. This is the way I went originally. I'd be considering something that is both a DAC and an amp, though $200 is pretty tight, especially if it has to include shipping. I'm going to suggest the stock Zero DAC at $99 or the basic upgraded version ($130 or so), which including shipping should come to less than $200. It has a usable HP amp and you can buy a dedicated amp later, as well as upgrade it easily and cheaply.

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif There was no contest between the Millett Hybrid with Diamond buffers and the 0404.

I don't doubt that. I haven't had a chance to hear the millett hybrid, but don't they cost more than $200 prebuilt?

I admit (as I did above) that a DIY amp may be a better value, but unless that already happens to be a hobby of yours, the time needed to get it working needs to be factored in to the cost.

I should also add that my comments were only meant to apply to solid state stuff - I don't use tubes and wouldn't presume to comment about their dark magics.

 

[Rednamalas1]

^ there are couple of MH w/dDB on FS forum for 150$ shipped...

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ there are couple of MH w/dDB on FS forum for 150$ shipped...

Dipping into used gear throws out the whole discussion, I'd say - I got my Glite for ~$200.

 

[Sherwood]

I'm only looking at used gear here. We'll just take an average used price of $150 on the 0404 to square it up.

 

[Lil' Knight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ph0rk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dipping into used gear throws out the whole discussion, I'd say - I got my Glite for ~$200.

That's a damn good deal

 

[Sherwood]

I actually got my 0404 for $130 brand new, and the rest of you can too. Guitar center special order in store gives you the last listed price -- i.e. $130 on closeout.

Great deal.

 

[Pyriel0]

How much more time do you have before buying? All of my stuff came in Saturday (the stuff in sig). I have my K701's in a drawer burning in and the dac has 3 more days to burn in (I read it needs 100+ hours). I know its more than you are looking to spend but the built in amp should be comparable to other dac's with built in amps. In another week or so I can listen to them for a couple days with the shanling to get a feel for the sound and then put them on the built in amp and see how they perform. Just to let you know if they sound decent enough to go on with a dac/built in amp until you get money for a stand alone amp.

They seem to be breaking in pretty fast. I have 2 t-shirts wrapped around each side with 2 t-shirts in the crack of the drawer and I can still hear them. I turned the equalizer on for +20 db low bass and +10 db high treble. After 2 days of regular burn in and 1 day of loud equalizer burn in I can already tell they are breaking in/loosening up. Blasting Dream Theater / Liquid Tension Experiment / Bullet for My Valentine / All That Remains / Tool / Muse / Slipknot / Snoop Dog / Outkast / some other rap for bass through them lol. After a week of that I bet they will be good.

 

[Fliphaus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyriel0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How much more time do you have before buying? All of my stuff came in Saturday (the stuff in sig). I have my K701's in a drawer burning in and the dac has 3 more days to burn in (I read it needs 100+ hours). I know its more than you are looking to spend but the built in amp should be comparable to other dac's with built in amps. In another week or so I can listen to them for a couple days with the shanling to get a feel for the sound and then put them on the built in amp and see how they perform. Just to let you know if they sound decent enough to go on with a dac/built in amp until you get money for a stand alone amp. They seem to be breaking in pretty fast. I have 2 t-shirts wrapped around each side with 2 t-shirts in the crack of the drawer and I can still hear them. I turned the equalizer on for +20 db low bass and +10 db high treble. After 2 days of regular burn in and 1 day of loud equalizer burn in I can already tell they are breaking in/loosening up. Blasting Dream Theater / Liquid Tension Experiment / Bullet for My Valentine / All That Remains / Tool / Muse / Slipknot / Snoop Dog / Outkast / some other rap for bass through them lol. After a week of that I bet they will be good.

I've got plenty of time man

I sent a guy a message about a used Millet Hybrid for $150, hopefully he won't sell it off anytime soon, because I really want to see how your setup turns out. I was pretty dead set on just going with the millet, but some of these recent posts have me wondering again...

I'm so lost

Thanks again everyone for your input

 

[Sherwood]

Millett is a great deal, but there is a big difference between the version that uses the BUF634 buffers, and the version that uses discrete diamond buffers. The latter is worth $150 (which is what I sold mine for), but the former is worth a little less. You can build diamond buffers without too much trouble, though.

 

[Fliphaus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Millett is a great deal, but there is a big difference between the version that uses the BUF634 buffers, and the version that uses discrete diamond buffers. The latter is worth $150 (which is what I sold mine for), but the former is worth a little less. You can build diamond buffers without too much trouble, though.

The guy you linked selling the Millet with diamond buffers already sold it though, and I have no idea where to go to find a seller, not even the almighty google can find people selling millets.

 

[Sherwood]

This is the only place they are sold, really. There is no one building them aside from individuals building their own, and DIY amp builders on these forums who make them when you ask nicely and pay them more than $200.

The best way to come by one is to stalk the FS forums on here. If there are none available here, there are likely none available anywhere.

Kinda sucks, but it's part of why they're so cheap. Things like "readily available" cost money.

 

[indianbraker]

i vote zero....with some LM4562 in the amp section and OPA627 in dac or HDAM in dac...it would come around 200 depending on which opamp combo upgrade you do....everyone says its the best value dac available so heck..id give it a go.

 

[olblueyez]

Sell the 701's and get a headphone that can be driven by the likes of a compact Dac/Amp combo. That price range will never provide you with adequate amping for a pair of 701's. I feel that if I tell you other wise that it would just be leading down a road of disappointment. Your budget plus what you get from selling the 701's could get you a setup that sounds much better than what you are going to end up with.

 

[Fliphaus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is the only place they are sold, really. There is no one building them aside from individuals building their own, and DIY amp builders on these forums who make them when you ask nicely and pay them more than $200. The best way to come by one is to stalk the FS forums on here. If there are none available here, there are likely none available anywhere. Kinda sucks, but it's part of why they're so cheap. Things like "readily available" cost money.

nahhh, rednamalas linked me to two that were under $170... Ahh the life of an upstart audiophile is confusing... and expensive too

OT: Who is that in your avatar? he looks so hardcore.

Quote:

Originally Posted by indianbraker /img/forum/go_quote.gif i vote zero....with some LM4562 in the amp section and OPA627 in dac or HDAM in dac...it would come around 200 depending on which opamp combo upgrade you do....everyone says its the best value dac available so heck..id give it a go.

Hah, I'll give you $200 to buy all those parts and put them together for me

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sell the 701's and get a headphone that can be driven by the likes of a compact Dac/Amp combo. That price range will never provide you with adequate amping for a pair of 701's. I feel that if I tell you other wise that it would just be leading down a road of disappointment. Your budget plus what you get from selling the 701's could get you a setup that sounds much better than what you are going to end up with.

But we've already bonded

I've already taken them out on picnics and shared my innermost secrets with them, I can't just sell them now

If I were to get about $200 for them though, what would $400 get me that would sound better?