[Tavilyn]

Hi again,
 
So I just want to get one thing right up front. There is a ton of info out here about combos, headphones, distortion, complex electronic stuff and the like, and someone like me, who's not used to it, can get overwhelmed a little. I'm learning, but it's going to take a bit.
Something else I think bears mentioning: I may seem like I'm trying anything and everything under the sun; the more I learn, the less I will flail.
All this having been said, I'm tossing around the idea of trying to get hold of the AKG7XX. I am told that since I like a pretty v-shaped signature, this headphone will provide it. Good but not boomy bass, clear mids without sounding aggressive, sharp but not hellishly aggressive treble. Also, apparently a huge soundstage potential and lots of clarity. Basically everything the DT990s are, but better across the board. I have up until now dismissed AKG almost universally because I believed it thin, power-hungry and not very loud; the latter two are no doubt true, but apparently this model corrects some of the grips I'd otherwise have.
So here comes my question, and forgive me if this has been asked before. What is a good amp/dac combo to pair with them?
I intend to use these with my laptop primarily; I'd like the unit to be portable, and hopefully no more than $200. I can get the AKG7xx foor just over $200, and I'd like to keep the entire rig below the $500 mark, so that's kind of my hard limit. Obviously my E10K won't do the job on their own, and adding a DAC probably won't be enough, that's why I'm asking for suggestions that might replace the E10K.
I am not dead set on buying these. If my options are overly complicated or if getting the sound I want will involve a bulky amp plus a dac plus a pile of cables (making the whole shebang hard to move around), I'm going to high-tail it in the other direction. If I was building a home setup that wasn't going to move I wouldn't mind, but this needs to sound at least decent while being quite portable.
The only cheap amp/dac single units I know of are the e10k and the schiit folla. Are there other/better amp/dac units (hopefully both in the same box) that will give these cans what they need? I don't need to wring every single iota of potential from them at this pricepoint; I'm aware that's an impossibility. But if they're going to be quiet, tinny, distant or completely unremarkable and cold, I'll look elsewhere.
Sorry again for all the questions and requirements and such.

 

[cel4145]

I haven't followed the conversation about the K7XX in the last month or so, but I'd be wary of expectations that they will sound like a better DT990 unless you've seen numerous people directly compare the two. And I'd want to hear it from the serious AKG afficiandos who collect the Q/K 700 series.

That being said, the easy way to find out what will drive them well is to look at the main threads for the Q/K 700 series headphones. The K7XX are not going to differ much in what portable amp/dacs are able to power them well.

 

[Tavilyn]

I haven't exactly had a pile of people saying so, no. I did look around and it seemed like they were at least within shouting distance, but I guess there's a lot of room there for interpretation.
That said, thanks for the advice. I think I'm just on the warpath for a good set of cans with decent to strong bass and treble that is brighter rather than dark. I don't mind if it's sharp or sybillant, at least not unless it's hell on the ear, and my ears can take quite a bit. When I start losing cymbals and hearing s sounds in speech as if they're a little on the thick side, it's time to get brighter. It seems like most cans are either bass-emphasized with everything else at a general evenness, or they're horribly bright with not much else to recommend them.
I was also sort of wondering this in case the sort of amp that would power AKGs would also power DT990s at 250 ohm. I don't think I'm quite prepared to go the 600 ohm route, if only because that would require even better amp than my budget allows.
Ugh. The search continues.

 

[cel4145]

Yes. An amp that would power the AKG's would likely do very well with the DT990s Pro 250s.