[Ian742]

Hey guys I currently have some DT 990 250ohm that I'm happy with but I don't have a proper headphone amp. Now the main issue I'm having is that I need something that does a lot of different things while still being a good headphone amp.

Here's what I need:
Can play DSD files
Good headphone amp
Can connect to PC and games consoles etc

Optional:
CD player
Speaker terminals
SACD player (I know this is doubtful + it's not a big deal)

Now I'm aware that for all of this I'll probably need multiple boxes but I do have a space limitation so the less the better. The Marantz Melody X seems to tick pretty much all the boxes but I'm not too sure about the headphone amp in it.

I also looked at the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M which again seems like a good option but it doesn't have a CD player built in so I would have to buy that separately

I live in England and my budget is no more than £1000

 

[AetherDrive]

If you want something that’ll get you started where you can conserve space and work with all devices listed, I’d recommend that you start with an atom stack.

The Atom DAC+ has a dedicated USB cable that’s compatible with all modern consoles and you can swap a regular usb cable out for your PC as well as having optical for any of your other connections that don’t have USB.

The Atom AMP+ should handle your headphones well and can be stacked on top of the dac to conserve space.

From there, if you’d like something more you can use the gear as a solid starting pint and explore more of what’d you like.

 

[Ian742]

If you want something that’ll get you started where you can conserve space and work with all devices listed, I’d recommend that you start with an atom stack.

The Atom DAC+ has a dedicated USB cable that’s compatible with all modern consoles and you can swap a regular usb cable out for your PC as well as having optical for any of your other connections that don’t have USB.

The Atom AMP+ should handle your headphones well and can be stacked on top of the dac to conserve space.

From there, if you’d like something more you can use the gear as a solid starting pint and explore more of what’d you like.

Those look like good and affordable options, thanks. Only issue is that they're an American company so the shipping is half the cost of the DAC and any returns could be a pain if I needed to make them.

 

[AetherDrive]

Ah, sorry I didn’t think about that

I’m not sure what options you have that’ll connect to your consoles, Sony especially has made its console less than compatible with most DAC options by removing optical out and not having a modern USB audio out. I imagine someone else can help you tho!

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

If you save a bit more there are: Audiolab Omnia and Quad Artera Solus Play. All are UK companies and ticks almost all (sans SACD) of the boxes.
Or you could go separates with Leak 130 and later its accompanying CD player.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Some bluray players can play SACDs.

There might be some small number of exceptions, but no AV receiver and no modern receiver is going to have a decent headamp. Headphone people need to buy separates.

 

[DenverW]

Those look like good and affordable options, thanks. Only issue is that they're an American company so the shipping is half the cost of the DAC and any returns could be a pain if I needed to make them.

They're a good affordable stack; perhaps a used market in the UK?

 

[Ian742]

They're a good affordable stack; perhaps a used market in the UK?

Yeah I did find them in the UK. I think I'll be going with the Cambridge 200m and a Sony all in one player for movies/sacd etc. Just can't justify the amp + speaker use rn as most of the time I'll be using headphones

 

[ProtegeManiac]

The Marantz Melody X seems to tick pretty much all the boxes but I'm not too sure about the headphone amp in it.

I also looked at the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M which again seems like a good option...

I wouldn't put much stock in the DACMagic's headphone amp either.

I mean it'd be better than the one in the Marantz but given that power input, sensitivity, and actual output are on a logarithmic scale, depending on what headphone you want to use, that improvement might not be much.

...but it doesn't have a CD player built in so I would have to buy that separately

Shanling used to make midi size SACD players, with some just a little bit wider and deeper but taller (because tubes).

There's a TEAC CDP that's about the same size but you won't be reading the DSD layer on the CDs, negating how much easier it is to get a DAC that can decode DSD these days since people moved into DAPs and solid state storage.