[Grizzlymann]

This is my first post here so please let me know if this is the wrong place or against forum rules.
 
 
I've been looking for a new headphone amp and the NuForce Icon HDP is one of a couple I've been looking at.  I happened to stumble across it on the Best Buy website today and promptly headed over to a store to look up the employee price.
 
Turns out these can be had for $281.74 before tax if you or someone you know has a Best Buy employee discount.
 
Link
 
Most stores wont carry them because they are listed as a Magnolia Home Theater product.  However you can always have them shipped to your local store.

 

[Grizzlymann]

On another note, is there a better dac / amp combo in that general price range that would work better with an Audio-Technica ATH-AD900 or in the near future an AKG K702?
 
Primary use will be on my home computer for a fairly even split between music, movies and games.
 
How would the NuForce or others compare to a FiiO E17?

 

[estreeter]

Totally different animals, Mr Grizzly. The HDP is not portable - at best, its 'transportable' if you can find a power outlet at your destination - but by all accounts its a more powerful amp and a better DAC than most of the current crop of portable amps, at least those down at the Fiio end of  the market. Not knocking Fiio - my E9 is still going strong - but you are comparing apples to exotic tropical fruit like Mangosteen. 

 

[Grizzlymann]

That is an excellent point.  I forgot the HDP wasn't portable like the E17.  I'm more interested in something for home use however so portability isn't high on my list of requirements.  I think I'll go ahead and pull the trigger on the HDP unless there is something reasonably better at a similar price point.

 

[bobeau]

I've owned an HDP and now have an E17.  The E17 is quite good, but I agree that the HDP is that much better.  
 
That said, instead of another HDP, even at this price, I'm going with an O2/ODAC combo, which w/ adaptor is around $300'ish from JDS labs.  From feedback I've seen it's probably at least a good step up from the HDP and they appear to be roughly the same size.  Only caveat is I don't believe you can use the O2/ODAC in DAC only mode, you have to be driving headphones through O2 amp.