[OnlyWantToSearch]

Hi. I'm new here so please take it easy on me. I've been reading on this forum for the past day and trying to understand how I can make the most of my headphones with the money I have.

I have just recently been able to get hold of HD-580's and they'll be arriving in the next couple of days.

I will solely be listening to classical music through my headphones and I want to make the most out of them. My budget is <$200, I wish I could afford more but I'm still only a student.

I have a laptop, so I'm thinking with a budget of <$200, I'm best suited DAC/AMPS together rather than seperately?

If so, which DAC/AMPS will best suit my needs for classical music, considering I have HD-580's and a budget of around $200.

This is a shortlist of DAC/AMPS I've been able to come up with: iBasso D2 Boa, Fubar III, Zero Tianyun AMP/DAC.

My laptop does not have an optical out, so I'm assuming USB DAC/AMP's are my only reasonable option with that budget? Or you think it would be worth buying DAC and AMP separately?

By the way, my real username is 'fatfassbinder' but since signing up, it won't let me post at all, so I've had to use this BugMeNot account.

 

[nyjets28]

i know the zero is a great combo dac/amp, but i don't know how well it drives the 580's. i recently picked up a millet hybrid amp, and they it sounds great driving my 580's. maybe you might be able to pick up something like a gamma1 dac, and then a dedicated amp that will be able to drive your 580's well.

 

[earthpeople]

Have you looked at the aune DAC/Amp or the other variants? I feel it does a good job with my HD580s, but I must admit I don't have a lot of experience with amps. It's got a fairly small footprint and it's made with pretty good parts.

 

[kite7]

I bought a musiland 02 which is comparable to the zero dac. I also have a HD 580, i hope to be able to tell you the results once i receive the musiland 02 dac/amp. From what i've read it can drive 300 ohm headphones decently but not too sure yet. You shouldn also check out an dac/tube amp combo called the hifiman ef2a,i've read good things about the amp. I needed rca out for my bx5a hence i went with the musiland.

 

[neergan1216]

Hi: I highly recommend an Edirol UA-5, if you can find one. I use it with a Toshiba laptop and Sennheiser HD-600 phones, a fantasic combination. The UA-5 is a full function USB/DAC/preamp interface with headphone (unbalanced).

 

[fatfassbinder]

I am the original OP BTW.

From what I hear, the Zero DAC is mightily unreliable and prone to failing to work.

I currently fancy the idea of hifiman ef2a and I've read good things about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kite7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought a musiland 02 which is comparable to the zero dac. I also have a HD 580, i hope to be able to tell you the results once i receive the musiland 02 dac/amp. From what i've read it can drive 300 ohm headphones decently but not too sure yet. You shouldn also check out an dac/tube amp combo called the hifiman ef2a,i've read good things about the amp. I needed rca out for my bx5a hence i went with the musiland.

I thought the Musiland 02 was only an amplifier and not a DAC?

 

[fatfassbinder]

Just discovered, the Musiland is a DAC since it's a soundcard. Sorry for my absoloute no knowledge.

Please do let me know if your HD580's sound good with it. If you listen to classical music, could you please try that too? Thanks