[FlyBPR]

 
 
 

Hi guys,

 

I'm thinking of picking up a DT880/600 soon, and as of now I don't have any amps/source components (other than my Macbook Pro).  I've heard that the LD MKIII is a good choice for these phones, but my max budget is $200, so I wouldn't be able to afford a DAC if I bought one.  Any suggestions for a DAC/Amp combo in my price range (willing to buy used) that can power the hard to drive 880/600?  Would the Mav D1 be able to power these?  Or are there any tube amps that are also DAC units in my budget?  I could also just get the MKIII by itself and wait on the DAC, but it would be around 6 or 7 months until I could get one.  Or, with my limited budget, would I be better off with something easier to drive, like the HD598? What suggest head-fi?

 

Thanks for the help, and sorry for the 7398257 questions,

 

[TMRaven]

I'd honestly get the MKIII now and get the dac later.  Going from iMac audio to hrt music streamer ii audio with my DT990 600Ω and little dot mkii, the differences were noticeable, but not something you'll be regretting about missing out.  The most important thing you should worry about for now is properly amping the beyers, and the MKIII will do that.

 

[Flaggro]

Bottlehead Crack OTL.  It fits your pricerange perfectly (assuming you already own a soldering iron and wood glue) at $219.  I have my nice entry-level audiophile setup going now: Crack -> HRT Music Stremer II -> DT990 600.
 
So basically, similar to TMRaven's setup above, and I'd echo that the amp should be the first thing you upgrade when you're dealing with high impedance.