[skeo]

About 5 years ago (while in grade 10) I "splurged" and bought a pair of Sennheiser HD500's. I know that by hifi-standards, these really are at the bottom of the chain. Back then they were Sennheiser's entry-level high-end model.
 
Around the same time, I bought a NAD C325BEE amplifier and I have been using that to power my speakers as well as my headphones. I connect it to my computer via the onboard sound card (gross, I know) -> 1/4" -> RCA -> amp -> headphones.
 
I have done a lot of lurking and research, and I am on the cusp of buying a proper solution for my system. I am seriously considering the Audio-GD FUN. I like it because it has a DAC and preamp and is modular.
 
I am now at university and I don't have cash to splurge on something like a $600+ standalone DAC and the ~$400 it costs for the FUN (A version) + S&H is at the upper limit of my budget. The reason I'm going for the FUN is that my computer has a proper TOSLINK output that does 192KHz/24-bit. Mind you, the amount of media that I have at that quality is minimal, it's always nice to have a bit of headroom for future growth.
 
What do you guys think? I'm pretty sure that for my needs, this is the best solution. I've looked at the NuForce Icon HDP and I'm not convinced it has the quality (nor is it as modular) as the FUN. Other than that I'm not aware of other solutions...
 
Thanks for any input!

 

[gPope]

Quote:

What do you guys think? I'm pretty sure that for my needs, this is the best solution. I've looked at the NuForce Icon HDP and I'm not convinced it has the quality (nor is it as modular) as the FUN. Other than that I'm not aware of other solutions... Thanks for any input!

I just got into headphones listening two weeks ago when I purchased a NuForce Icon HDP.  It is connected to an old Sony notebook via USB feeding a pair of Audioengine 5 powered speakers.  The sound quality through those speakers is nothing short of excellent.  I also had a pair of Sennheiser HD 448's which are excellent headphones for the money, but not quite up there in terms of punch, detail and imaging.  So, I have a set of Beyerdynamic DT 880/600's on the way and I can't wait to burn them in.
 
Sorry I could not help you with the FUN, but I do think the HDP is nothing short of an excellent piece at a great price.

 

[David.M]

Little Dots are terrific starters.
 

 

[maverickronin]

The Little Dot DAC II will do 24/192