[Deolum]

I'm curious how you guys would allocate the money. If you had 4000$ for a new gear how much would you dedicate to the dac, the amp and the headphone?
I know there are a lot of people who say get a 100$ Dac, get a 400$ Amp and spend 3500 on a totl headphone.
I personally would maybe get the Dac Amp combination for ~2000 and a headphone for 2000.

 

[ZU Luke]

It depends on how much you want to pay in future...
For me, I will get a Th909 and Schiit ygg dac and a harmony design ear 903. But you still need to invest about $1000 for cables in the future...

 

[dazzerfong]

What's your goal? If it's absolute sound quality, then the $3500 on the headphone and $500 on DAC/amp.

However, if you can afford $3500 for a headphone, you probably could squeeze out an equivalent amount for DAC/amp. Is it necessary? Not really, but it sure is shiny.....

 

[bdjul]

I would invest most of the money in top headphone that is easy to drive and the rest in integrated dac/amp unit.

 

[Redcarmoose]

$2200 Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/Amp

$1200 Sony 1A

$498 Sony M7



Or



$2200 Sony TA-ZH1ESDAC/amp

$2000 Sony IER Z1R

 

[TYATYA]

SP1000M & Shure kse1200.
Each cost $2000

 

[chrisdrop]

1. Buy used. This is the best value for money.
2. Spend most of the money on headphones.
3. Not to be contrary, but I disagree with all specific recommendations for products in this thread so far. They would disagree with mine too. Everyone will have different specific preferences so; read the forums, starting with the busiest headphone threads (and amp threads, etc) here on head-fi to develop an opinion of your own on specific gear.
4. Notwithstanding that I am telling you to develop your own opinion, my specific recommendation would be: ZMF Vertite or Verite Closed, depending on if you want open or closed headphones (new $2.5k, used (some in for sale forum now at $2k)) ~ $1.5-2k for a DAC & Amp. A Feliks Audio Elise, or Euforia, or maybe even Woo WA 2 on the amplification front. Spend the rest on a DAC.

 

[XFREAK]

Home Setup
DAC: SMSL SU-8
AMP: SMSL SP2000
Audeze LCD-X

Portable Setup
DAP: HiBy R5
Drop Panda
1 TB Micro-SD

 

[F700]

Ah! What deserve more attention? Source, amplification or the drivers? The neverending discussion. No one is holding the truth. If someone says he is, then he is lying...at least for me.

Ok, USD 4K you said? Right now, mainly being into portable setups and being set (thank God!!), I maybe would buy a second portable setup, which looks fancy and sounds like candies (a slight V-shape combo). Yes, USD 4K falling from the sky, I want them to shine! For me it would be blind purchasing EE Legend X in CIEM and a Lotoo PAW6000. With the remaining USD, well, I might want to add a nice entry-level aftermarket cable from Beat Audio, which charge USD 7'199 for their flagship. I would be happy with the Signal MKII.

Nice, now I want USD 4K!!

 

[gimmeheadroom]

New pair of Klipsch or JBL floorstanders. I have all the other stuff covered.

 

[ThanatosVI]

For me that would be

Hifiman Arya ~1500
Schiit Mjolnir 2 ~850
Schiit Gungnir Multibit ~1300

Rest is cables, shipping whatever.

The headphones are the most expensive from that and likely only bested by headphones that hold the desired total price alone.

 

[Whitigir]

Utopia !!!

 

[Rattle]

ZMF Verite
bifrost 2
have 3 headphone amps already... probably buy some weed

 

[pbui44]

I would get a Hifiman Arya and Audio GD Master 11 AIO DAC/Amp:

https://www.headamp.com/products/hifiman-arya?variant=28220642197568 (open-box and no customs)

https://www.magnahifi.com/de/webshop/hifiman-planar-headphone-arya (If customs is an issue)

http://www.audio-gd.com/Master/Master-11/M11EN.htm

All dealers for links I mentioned are authorized Hifiman dealers. Extra money should be used for pandemic food and snacks.

 

[koven]

I would invest most of the money in top headphone that is easy to drive and the rest in integrated dac/amp unit.

Agree. Pick efficient headphone and pair with an all in one. For example, Empyrean and Hugo 2.