[ZBoneCapone]

Hi all,
 
Just bought myself a pair of the AKG 702 annies and this is my first endeavor into high-end audio. I don't currently have any kind of dedicated amp or DAC. I'm wondering what is the best bang for buck for driving these bad boys? I mostly listen on my MacBook Air and PC (no sound card, just on-board audio). Going to be used for gaming, movie watching, and pretty much any kind of music you can think of.
 
Thanks!

 

[b0000]

schiit vali then matrix mstage.

 

[ZBoneCapone]

What would you suggest for a DAC? Do I even need one?

 

[cel4145]

What is your budget?

 

[manbear]

If you're going to buy an amp, then you need a DAC as well. DAC and amp go hand in hand. A DAC is essentially a USB soundcard--it converts the digital files into an audio signal. An amp then takes that audio signal and amplifies it.

You could technically connect an amp to the headphone jack of your computer, but this would be a major bottleneck. In that case, all you would be doing is making your headphone jack louder. The goal of a DAC is to process the audio at a higher level of quality.

When I owned a Q701, I used an HRT Music Streamer II as a DAC and a Little Dot MK3 as an amp. That was a great combo. For less money, the Schiit Modi DAC plus either Magni or Vali amp, as well as the JDS Labs ODAC and O2 amp are popular choices. I haven't heard them so I can't really "recommend" them per se, but they are worth considering.

 

[ZBoneCapone]

What is your budget?

My budget is ~$300. I have no desire to break the bank on my first adventure into high end audio, that will come later

I've considered the Modi/Magni from Schiit but also the O2 from JDS. I have no idea what makes one better than the other, just know they are Amp/DAC combos that are well regarded.

 

[cel4145]

People either think that the Magni/Modi and O2/DAC are comparable, or they fight over which is better--so it's pretty clear that they are comparable (lol).

Since you say you have a macbook air and a pc, I'd go with the O2/ODAC. It's one unit, and smaller than the Modi/Magni. So much easier to move to whatever computer you are using