[muggle68]

Hi, I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile, but I definitely appreciate good quality sound. Hence, I have a pair of HD-280s. Right now I've just been plugging them directly into my Macbook Pro. This sounds great to my untrained ears, and is plenty loud, but I've heard that a good amp can make the sound quality better.
 
So can someone recommend me the most economical option for really driving these HD-280s? I'm open to getting a headphone amp, but a standalone CD player could work too, as all my music is on CD as well. Also, if I choose to buy an amp will it really make much of a noticeable difference over my current "setup?" 
 
Thanks a lot! 

 

[trog]

Well if you are tight the Fiio E10 goes for $7x these days 

 

[kevad]

+1 on the Fiio E10. There's also the FiiO E7, which is fairly popular if you'd like a portable solution as well in that price range. My preference would be to stretch just a bit and go with the Nuforce uDAC2 at $129.
 
These suggestions are specific to computer audio. However, many here have found dedicated CD players to have great built-in DACs, but that's a whole different scenario. You'll need to determine where and how you typically listen to music, and go from there.