[agentphish]

I mostly listen to jam bands, jazz/fusion, funk, folk, prog/rock, alternative, with some bluegrass tossed in for good measure. Some electronic here and there.

I primarily use Beyer DT990 Pro 250ohm but I may need to switch to a closed or even in ear in my new workspace.
I have to move offices and due to space constraints I would like to downsize a bit, it's not 100% necessary, I can make it work, but I'm also looking at this as a reason to upgrade my work setup after nearly 5 years.

I don't have anything huge now, just a Sony UDA-1, but I'd like to find something better sounding, less fatiguing, little warmer.

I'm looking at a $1k budget for the best DAC/Amp combo (preferably a single unit) anyone can recommend.

I've test driven my friend's WooAudio WA8 Eclipse, which is an amazing unit, but I think a little out of my price range, even used. Thanks!

 

[kukkurovaca]

A used ALO CDM is in-budget. I haven't heard the WA8, but if you look around, folks have definitely compared the two.

Some caveats/things to be aware of with the CDM:

* It runs quite hot. This can be partially mitigated by swtching to Sonotone tubes.
* The DAC has a pronounced smooth tuning which colors the sound quite a bit more than the tube amp section. Some people love the DAC, some people hate it
* It's not super powerful, especially single-ended
* While it has low output impedance, it does hiss with sensitive IEMs

I really like the CDM a lot. I also have a Phatlab Phantasy that I got for a steal used, which is more powerful and tubey-er and would probably work great with your Beyers, but they're much less common (and lack a DAC). Used CDMs are pretty easy to find, and ALO also sometimes has new B-stock units on their "deals" site.

Another option to look into might be the IMS X8, since you don't actually need a true portable, just something with a small footprint. I don't know what reviews of that are like, though.

Those are all tube/tube hybrid options that are compact and more or less enclosed. I don't know that I'd want exposed tubes at my desk, given how clumsy I am with my tea, but you might be less clumsy or have a tidier desk. If so, there are a lot of compact or semi-compact desktop tube amps, which I don't know a ton about. Also, the Analog Squared Paper TUR-05 and TUR-06 are worth looking at, if only to appreciate the aesthetics. (Those are also amp-only units.)

On the solid-state side, the Grace M9XX is compact and well-regarded.

 

[agentphish]

Forgot I posted this, haha. So I moved, and while I don't need to downsize, I do need to change headphones at minimum.

The office space I was placed in is all my own, which is a pro, but it is near the central area where the ventilation system enters the building, which results in a persistent ~50db (measured on my phone) white/brown noise from my vent. Other offices don't experience this, go figure.

So I'm thinking I need to move to a closed back headphone to help isolate that noise out, and would like to find a less fatiguing DAC/Amp setup.

Still looking for suggestions. Thanks.

 

[buke9]

Is there a change in budget that you are looking for a pair of closed backs and a new dac/amp ?

 

[agentphish]

Is there a change in budget that you are looking for a pair of closed backs and a new dac/amp ?

No. Ideally around $1k. If I gotta do another hundred or two okay.