[NoodleBoy91]

Hi all,
Just wondering how I should go about doing this?
 
I was looking at the Nuforce icon hdp which would be just at my budget and I was leaning towards it as it is ranked as one of the highest on head-fi and i have read great reviews for it, i WAS pretty much set on it. 
But then I was also looking at the Matrix m stage and the matrix cube. 
 
Has any one heard some of these?
 
Which one would be best?
 
Or would it be better to spend around $300 for a dedicated amp and $300 for a dedicated DAC?

 My budget is around $500  to $600 so if anyone has any other suggestions feel free to advise me
 
Currently I have a Fiio e17, it is my first amp purchase . I am fairly new to this however i have read heaps of amp reviews but they all seem pretty good .
 
Everyone on this site has been very supportive so far.
 
Thanks Guys.

 

[NoodleBoy91]

bump... Sorry

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

I was looking at the Nuforce icon hdp which would be just at my budget and I was leaning towards it as it is ranked as one of the highest on head-fi
 

 
What rankings are you referring to? If you mean ranking in the "Head Gear" section, I wouldn't trust that--it's not clear how those things are ranked.

 

[NoodleBoy91]

Yeah i was referring to those rankings . But really i was just wondering which amp would be provide best sound quality.
 
Also if i was to get the matrix M stage, how would I get optical and USB inputs to work with it? 

 

[Eric_C]

"Best SQ" is very vague. You didn't mention so, but I'm assuming you want to use this equipment with your M50? I don't think you'll need the extra gear (although this is based on a few demos with the M50, haven't owned it).
 
About the M-Stage and optical/USB--this is a DAC question, and the M-Stage is a pure amp. You can't plug USB or optical cables into it.
 
Seriously, reconsider buying a DAC or amp altogether. The M50 is efficient, lots of people are happy with extremely basic setups (i.e. some even go without the extra amp), and you already have an E17.

 

[NoodleBoy91]

Thanks for replying
 
Well I was looking to upgrade soon to the hd 600 would the e17 be sufficient?

 

[Eric_C]

Aha! Now we are talking.
 
I have the HD 600 myself, but not the E17. I run the 600 off 2 amps:

1. A Pico dac/amp
2. A DIY tube amp (the "Aikido")

 
The DIY amp is definitely better to my ears, and for the Pico, most reviews I've read agree that it's good, but isn't ideal for big cans like the HD 600. 
For <$300, the Bottlehead Crack has been recommended by loads of people over many years; perhaps you can ditch the idea of a DAC and add the Speedball upgrade to the Crack.
 
I did a little searching, and it looks like you can use the E17 as a pure DAC:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587912/fiio-e17-alpen-first-impression-final-thought/3405#post_8382931
 
That should save you cash. Now you can just focus on 1 killer amp.

 

[NoodleBoy91]

Quote:

Aha! Now we are talking.
 
I have the HD 600 myself, but not the E17. I run the 600 off 2 amps:

1. A Pico dac/amp
2. A DIY tube amp (the "Aikido")

 
The DIY amp is definitely better to my ears, and for the Pico, most reviews I've read agree that it's good, but isn't ideal for big cans like the HD 600. 
For <$300, the Bottlehead Crack has been recommended by loads of people over many years; perhaps you can ditch the idea of a DAC and add the Speedball upgrade to the Crack.
 
I did a little searching, and it looks like you can use the E17 as a pure DAC:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587912/fiio-e17-alpen-first-impression-final-thought/3405#post_8382931
 
That should save you cash. Now you can just focus on 1 killer amp.

 
Oh sweet. That's where I am undecided though.... Which amp . I have heard great things about the Matrix range particularly the m stage.
 
I was also looking at the HDP nuforce as I stated earlier, I was almost convinced but then I saw that i could pick up the M- stage from there website for around 250 australian dollars.
 
Hmm I should probably also state that I don't want a tube amp, I want a solid state. I also want something to last me a long while incase I upgrade headphones again .
 
Any other suggestions?

 

[chrislangley4253]

Gonna send you a pm.