[zeusthunderbolt]

Purchased the Dt880 Pro 250 a couple of weeks ago and I'm looking to buy my first amp. I do not wish to spend more than $150. I was considering the E17 earlier but then I was told that I'll be much happier with a desktop amp if I ever decide to get 600ohm headphones in the future. So I've narrowed it down to the Bravo Audio Ocean(Class A Tube) and the E9K. The Ocean is slightly cheaper but with shipping it will cost me more or less the same as the Fiio E9K. E9K has received stellar ratings and reviews and from what I've read Ocean is a decent performer and one of the most affordable tube amps. 
 
Help me make up my mind

 

[zeusthunderbolt]

Does anybody care? 

 

[Skolar311]

Hey man, hope I can help because I was shooting for the same options you're looking for. I should mention that I use the Sennheiser HD600's (300 Ohm)
 
Unfortunately I cannot comment on the Bravo or the E9 because I don't own them. However, I do own other amps that I've directly compared to those 2 and I think you'll be happier with these options.
 
I purchased a Schiit Magni Headphone amp ($99) and it's AMAZING!! I would HIGHLY recommend this if you're looking for a POWERFUL yet inexpensive headphone amp that is ready for most high-end cans. It very powerful, and looks stunning. I'm not lying when I say it's worth 2 - 3 times the cost their asking. And it's 100% American made. (just assuming you live in the US )
 
http://schiit.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=13
 
 
I also own the HiFiMAN EF2A which is a Tube/DAC Hybrid which retails for $169. I use both equally for different applications. Music with the EF2A and Games and Movies with the Magni. The EF2A with aftermarket tubes sounds warm and vibrant and has plenty of oomph. Plus the addition of a nice Burr Brown DAC is nice. A neat little amp that looks nice as well!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Hi-Fi-Man-EF2A-Tube-Headphone/dp/B004357WL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1368131117&sr=1-1&keywords=ef2A
 
I hope I didn't make this a whole lot harder for you I just didn't want to leave you hanging when this forum has helped me on so many occasions. These little amps sound MUCH better than straight from my Onkyo TX-NR609 AV Receiver. They are very impressive indeed.

 

[Rem0o]

If you live in the US, go Magni. You might also want to consider the O2 if you can stretch your budget a little bit.

I wouldn't recommand a cheap tube amp since they aren't very versatile and  reliable vs cheap solid state amps like the Magni. Either way, you can't go wrong with the E9k, magni or O2: they will all have plenty of clean power for your headphones and can drive pretty much anything. 

Don't hesitate to much on that kind of stuff since the difference between good amplifiers from my experience is really minor. Just enjoy your music!

Hope that helps.

 

[Skolar311]

Quote:

If you live in the US, go Magni. You might also want to consider the O2 if you can stretch your budget a little bit.

I wouldn't recommand a cheap tube amp since they aren't very versatile and  reliable vs cheap solid state amps like the Magni. Either way, you can't go wrong with the E9k, magni or O2: they will all have plenty of clean power for your headphones and can drive pretty much anything. 

Don't hesitate to much on that kind of stuff since the difference between good amplifiers from my experience is really minor. Just enjoy your music!

Hope that helps.

 
Right, from what I hear from Jason at Schiit, the reason why they came out with Asgard 2 ($250 USD) is because the Magni was SO CLOSE in performance to the Asgard... That's saying something about the Magni. I absolutely love it!

 

[zeusthunderbolt]

Quote:

Hey man, hope I can help because I was shooting for the same options you're looking for. I should mention that I use the Sennheiser HD600's (300 Ohm)
 
Unfortunately I cannot comment on the Bravo or the E9 because I don't own them. However, I do own other amps that I've directly compared to those 2 and I think you'll be happier with these options.
 
I purchased a Schiit Magni Headphone amp ($99) and it's AMAZING!! I would HIGHLY recommend this if you're looking for a POWERFUL yet inexpensive headphone amp that is ready for most high-end cans. It very powerful, and looks stunning. I'm not lying when I say it's worth 2 - 3 times the cost their asking. And it's 100% American made. (just assuming you live in the US )
 
http://schiit.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=13
 
 
I also own the HiFiMAN EF2A which is a Tube/DAC Hybrid which retails for $169. I use both equally for different applications. Music with the EF2A and Games and Movies with the Magni. The EF2A with aftermarket tubes sounds warm and vibrant and has plenty of oomph. Plus the addition of a nice Burr Brown DAC is nice. A neat little amp that looks nice as well!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Hi-Fi-Man-EF2A-Tube-Headphone/dp/B004357WL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1368131117&sr=1-1&keywords=ef2A
 
I hope I didn't make this a whole lot harder for you I just didn't want to leave you hanging when this forum has helped me on so many occasions. These little amps sound MUCH better than straight from my Onkyo TX-NR609 AV Receiver. They are very impressive indeed.

 
Quote:

If you live in the US, go Magni. You might also want to consider the O2 if you can stretch your budget a little bit.

I wouldn't recommand a cheap tube amp since they aren't very versatile and  reliable vs cheap solid state amps like the Magni. Either way, you can't go wrong with the E9k, magni or O2: they will all have plenty of clean power for your headphones and can drive pretty much anything. 

Don't hesitate to much on that kind of stuff since the difference between good amplifiers from my experience is really minor. Just enjoy your music!

Hope that helps.

 
Quote:

 
Right, from what I hear from Jason at Schiit, the reason why they came out with Asgard 2 ($250 USD) is because the Magni was SO CLOSE in performance to the Asgard... That's saying something about the Magni. I absolutely love it!

 
Really appreciate your recommendations. I actually live in New Delhi, India and decent audio equipment can get really expensive here because of all the hefty taxes and duties that are rubbed in by the customs people. Most audiophile brands are not even available here as there's hardly any demand. So yes, I'm going to have to pay a decent amount for shipping but it should be all worth it in the end. Besides, you guys made things a lot easier for me. I've actually purchased two amps; the Schiit Magni(clearly very popular) and the Bravo Audio Ocean, for my MBP and iMac, in that order. I couldn't find many reviews for the Ocean but from all the opinions I have gathered over the past few days, it is said to be a very good entry level tube amp. Besides, I just wanted to see what the fuss was all about when it came to tube amps, since I can't really afford something like the Little Dots.
 
Cheers for the help guys. Things can get really confusing when you're new to all of this and there's nothing better than a community full of awesome people to help and guide you through.