[Astoniam]

Hey, i own Sennheiser HD 558's and a Xonar D1. 
im searching for a sub 100$ amp for my desktop pc.
 
what would be my best choices ?
 
cheers

 

[stv014]

The FiiO E11 (for about $65) would be fine, if you do not mind having to recharge batteries, during which the amplifier cannot be used.

 

[Astoniam]

i would prefer one which doesn't need recharging, im not looking for a protable either.
are there any others that would suit my setup ? best bang for buck since im on a budget..
 
thanks

 

[stv014]

Some other choices:
- FiiO E9: this is perhaps the cheapest commonly used "desktop" headphone amplifier, for about $100; it is not ideal for low impedance headphones like the HD558, but is not bad either. If you upgrade to something high impedance later (HD6xx, DT880/990, etc.), its high output voltage could become useful
- FiiO E6: it is really cheap and can be powered from USB (IIRC, but note that USB powered amplifiers may create a ground loop with your sound card, and add a small amount of interference (noise) to the audio), however, the sound quality is not as good as that of the E11
- JDS Labs cMoyBB: this has many customization options (do not forget to indicate what headphones you intend to use with it if you order one, JDS Labs will customize it accordingly), but I think it can be powered from an AC/DC adapter which is available as an accessory, and with the right options it could drive the HD558 decently