[Mr00000]

Hello everyone,

I've recently finished (before upgradeitis sets in) buying a set of home and portable headphones. So, currently my setup looks like this:

Home: Creative Labs Audigy 4 --- Sennheiser HD-595
Portable: Zune --- iGrado

Basically, I am looking for a portable Amp/DAC combo that will play well with both PC/Zune as well as both of my headphones.

What do you guys reccomend?

Thanks much,

Mr00000

 

[Assorted]

There's a wider variety on portable amps compared to portable DACs.

What is your budget total? How big do you consider portable? Do you need the DAC/amp to be a single unit?

 

[Mr00000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is your budget total?

I would say somewhere in the $300-$400 range, though I'd be slightly flexible if it would result in a big difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif How big do you consider portable?

I'd like to keep it relatively close to the brick that my Zune has become since putting it in the Belkin acrylic case. I don't mind it being a little bigger, but not much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you need the DAC/amp to be a single unit?

Yes, I would say that this is more important than the size of the unit (above). If this was just for my home setup I wouldn't mind it being two separate units. Since this is going to serve my portable as well, I would prefer that is is all in one.

 

[Assorted]

Well since nobody has answered, the only real solution of what I would know, that is:

a) DAC+amp in one
b) Relative to the size of the Zune

are the HeadRoom Total BitHead (which is half your budget at $150)

http://www.headphone.com/products/he...al-bithead.php

and CoreSound's HeadLine

http://www.core-sound.com/HeadLine/1.php


Btw, why do you need a portable DAC? AFAIK the Zune doesn't have any digital out, and I assume you wouldn't be moving your computer around too much.

The Audigy 4 DAC is quite decent in my opinion, which I believe is the same as the Audigy 2 DAC (?). With $400 you can get a very decent portable amp and leave out the DAC.

 

[Mr00000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well since nobody has answered, the only real solution of what I would know, that is: Btw, why do you need a portable DAC? AFAIK the Zune doesn't have any digital out, and I assume you wouldn't be moving your computer around too much. The Audigy 4 DAC is quite decent in my opinion, which I believe is the same as the Audigy 2 DAC (?). With $400 you can get a very decent portable amp and leave out the DAC.

This is a very good point you bring up, and something that I was kinda pondering after my last post.

So, lets go ahead and say that I'm looking for a portable amp without a DAC. Any reccomendations for these? If you don't mind, can you reccomend a couple in different price categories?

 

[Assorted]

Excellent thread on portable amp reviews (y)

 

[Mr00000]

Thank you Assorted, you win at Head-Fi