[aryastark90]

I'm looking to get some advice on what I should do. I would like to purchase a tube amp and a dac to go along with my hd600 headphones. I would like to keep it under $300 total for both. I currently use a headsix amp and ipod touch 2g with line out dock and lossless audio files. Will it be an upgrade to use my laptop with a usb dac, compared to using my ipod touch sound quality wise? or should I invest only in an tube amp and continue to use my ipod as source? I have been looking at possibly getting a hifiman ef2 or a little dot mk III. I have some concerns about the ef2 amp/dac. In the ef2 thread everyone seems to say the the dac in the ef2 "Burr Brown Japan PCM2702E" is not really good. what dac should I check out. I have read that the pico dac is great, but its too much so whats currently the best in my price range. I used to own an emu 0404 which sounded really nice but constantly froze and gave me static noise while listening over usb. I ended up selling it.
Thanks

 

[Denys]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aryastark90 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm looking to get some advice on what I should do. I would like to purchase a tube amp and a dac to go along with my hd600 headphones. I would like to keep it under $300 total for both. Thanks

Sorry to be so direct, but don't expect anything close to decent at that price range for both DAC and amp.....unless you find something in the used....very used...

Denys

 

[AmanGeorge]

The EF2 is a good bet, as is a Compass or maybe the Maverick amp/DAC that has been much-discussed and hopefully will have more impressions soon.

 

[aryastark90]

would the ef2 give me overall better sound and drive hd600s better then what I currently have?
headsix amp
Ipod touch 2g
hd600