Newb Looking for DAC/Amp Advice:
Feb 12, 2010 at 5:48 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 5
Brandon7s

Brandon7s

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I have recently bought both an AT-A900 and AT-AD700, and while I very much like both of them (the A900 a little more
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) I am looking for ways to improve quality and scalability for my next headphone purchase. While I realize that both of these headphones I have bought don't require an amp to sound good, there are a slew of headphones that I'd like to try that DO need an amp to properly drive.

My source right now is an E-MU 1820 headphone out into my cans. I'm using the 1820 because I play guitar, and enjoy doing home recordings. I didn't buy it for it's D/AC but for it's A/DC; and I'm quite happy with it or recording. I'm not sure about how the quality of it's DAC though, and since I need a headphone amp anyways, I figured I'd go the route of a DAC/Amp combo.

So, what I'm looking for is a DAC/Amp combination at around 250USD. I could save up more if need be, as I don't plan on getting it right away but I am just planning ahead. I'd like something that will let me drive cans like the K701, HD650, DT880, as those are some of the headphones that I might want to get in the future.

I am located in the eastern USA, if that makes any differences in choices available to me. I don't have a preference about SS or tube. I like a wide variety of music: rock, pop, post-rock, folk, eletronic, trip-hop, etc. Not a metal fan, and not a hip-hop.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 6:06 AM Post #2 of 5
$250 won't get you far if you want HD650, K701 or DT880. I am guessing you said you wanted those because they are popular, the most well known cans on here and you want to follow the crowd?
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You are looking at something like $300-$700 for an amplifier, plus a DAC. Those three cans you listed are very power hungry and need proper amplification to sound very good. Have you considered easy to drive Grado's at all? They were pretty much made for stringed instruments like guitars :p
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 6:13 AM Post #3 of 5
Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif
$250 won't get you far if you want HD650, K701 or DT880. I am guessing you said you wanted those because they are popular, the most well known cans on here and you want to follow the crowd?
biggrin.gif
You are looking at something like $300-$700 for an amplifier, plus a DAC. Those three cans you listed are very power hungry and need proper amplification to sound very good. Have you considered easy to drive Grado's at all? They were pretty much made for stringed instruments like guitars :p


Well, the 250USD remark is pretty flexible. I am going to be saving up over several months for whatever I decide to get, so I probably could have gone with approximately 500USD as an estimate of what I'm willing to pay for; I just know that people always recommend something over budget so if I put the budget low, that'd balance it out a little.
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Basically, I'm looking for a DAC/Amp combo that has good bang-for-your-buck value, but is capable of driving something as power hungry as the K701, DT880, and whatnot. I'm mentioning those specific headphones because I know that they require a bit of power, but I really would like to try them someday; especially the DT880. I want something that can scale with my taste; something that I won't feel severely limited by. Inexpensive (relatively) would be nice too
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- but I know you can't have everything.

In all honesty, my next pair of headphones will probably be a mid ranged Denon or Grado, but like I said, I don't want to feel like I'm limited to just easy-to-drive headphones.

Also, I should mention that I'm not necessarily dead-set on getting a DAC/Amp combo. I'd be fine with getting a dedicated amp and then later on upgrading the DAC, if that offers better options.
 
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