[elucidate]

I'm in Canada and the difference is $600 more for the 230HAD. From what I've been reading, both of these all in one solutions are well regarded. The former making innerfidelity's wall of fame. This is going to be my end-game setup for my HD800s's btw. I own no other headphones and don't care for balanced.
 
So my question is, do you think I'm better off with the 230HAD as a desktop solution? Has anyone demo'd either of these? If so, how do they compare?

 

[elucidate]

This board is dead.

 

[Narayan23]

  This board is dead.

Naaah it´s not dead we were just out partying 

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/784661/looking-for-a-relatively-cheap-dac-and-amp-hd800-500-600
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/660817/whats-the-best-amp-for-hd800
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/748651/sennheiser-hd-800-and-headphone-amplifiers-dacs-chord-eximus-violectric-v281-dddac-point-of-view
 
You won´t go wrong with the two options you´re considering but why not separates? For the price of the 230 HAD you could get a pretty decent DAC plus maybe look out in the classifieds here for an amp.

 

[verber]

board isn't dead... you are just asking a question no one is interested in answering. Why? (1) I expect there are very few people (no one?) who has listened to both the  230HAD and the Concero HP.  The Concero HP is cult favorite. The 230HAD is not mainstream / common. If have had asked for a comparison for the Concero HP to something from Schiit I am sure you would have gotten more responses or if you had asked for a reasonably priced system to drive the HD800 (2) The Simaudio -vs- Concero is an odd pairing.  One is a USB powered fairly portable DAC which is adequately powered to drive the HD800s while the other is a decent size desktop unit with a full amp in it. (3) This is Summit-Fi... some people might not concern either the Concero HP or the Simaudio in the summit category and worthy of an end game system... though the HP800S certainly are end-game material for many people.
 
My answer... I haven't listened to either DAC/amp you have listed.  The Concero HP was on my list to try based on reviews by people who have similar tastes to me... but I had trouble finding one locally to listen to. People who share my taste also really liked the Chord Mojo which was easily available (cheaper, and more versatile), so that's what I am using. The Concero and Simaudio are really apples and oranges both is nature and price. Do you need something portable than connects directly to your computer?  Concero.  Are you using CDs, Turntables, computer audio, etc to feed your DAC... the Simaudio is clearly better suited to sitting in an audio rack.  My end-game... well I am a bit odd here.  For awhile my end-game was both some Stax SR-007v1 driven by KGSSHV and HD800 driven by Headamp GS-Xmk2.... but life changed, I am using headphones less and I was trying to simplify life.  My end-game headphone system is the Chord Mojo driving my HD800.  I have a few observations on the DACs I have tried with the HD800 o my headphone webpage.

 

[elucidate]

Thank you both kindly for the prompt responses.