[Strongbad99]

Hey guys I just made an account on here to ask a few questions. I'm interested in buying a nice headphone setup for a room. Not only do I enjoy music and want to purchase a better setup but I also have a friend who is a wiz with this kind of stuff and has been helping me choose. I thought I should post here since I have been looking on this website for help for a while.
 
Okay, I've got about a 300-400 budget. I really don't want to spend more than that since this is my first setup but I've always had the inclination to get something nice because I don't want to end up regretting the purchase. 
 
I currently am interested in buying the Grado 225i with the Nuforce uDac-2 amp/dac. I understand impedance requirements for getting an amp, but I don't really get what the Dac is. I looked up the impedance for the Grado's and its 32 ohms. So is my Macbook Pro not powerful enough to power 32ohms headphones? and is the sound card not good enough to not have a Dac?
 
I'd appreciate any advice and recommendations. This is my first high quality headphone purchase and I'd like it to be a good one.
 
Thanks!

 

[puresilence]

A DAC simply converts digital music (i.e. mp3/flac files) to audio we can hear. So by definition, a sound card has a DAC.
 
A macbook pro (and all laptops with headphone out) should drive 32-ohm Grados easily, but they tend to sound better amped.
 
As for the uDac-2, I've heard about some sound issues with it, so that's something to be aware of, so I would do a bit more research. Maybe an E7 will work well? That coupled with the E9 amp, about $200 for the combo if you live in the states, is a solid combo with a decent amount of power, even if you decide to go to harder to drive headphones.

 

[Strongbad99]

 
Quote:

Maybe an E7 will work well? That coupled with the E9 amp, about $200 for the combo if you live in the states, is a solid combo with a decent amount of power, even if you decide to go to harder to drive headphones.

 
Well the E9 is a desktop amp, and the E7 is amp/dac. So wouldn't I be fine with just the E7?
Additionally, would I be fine with just the E9? Or does my macbook not have a good enough soundcard.
 
 

 

[puresilence]

E7 should work fine if that's your budget, although the amp in itself leaves something to be desired, but should work fine for basic use. The problem with getting the e9 only is that amping already amped sound from your mbp will sound really bad.

 

[fabio-fi]

I assume you're a rock/metal lover right? I've heard good things about the Little Dot I+ and grado's. 

 

[Strongbad99]

Quote:

I assume you're a rock/metal lover right? I've heard good things about the Little Dot I+ and grado's. 

Most of the music I like is rock, but many different types of rock. My main bands are Grateful Dead, Phish, Flaming Lips, My Morning Jacket. So I think the Grados are a good choice.
I've seen that amp before it looks suitable but then I would have to buy a separate Dac. I like the e7 because it has both