[cheezburger]

So, to sum it all up a little (and bump the thread):
 
Source: Sansa Clip+ ($52)
Sansa Fuze ($70 - $75) or Fuze+ ($75 - $80)
Nationite NaNite N2 ($55)
IEMs: Brainwazvz B2 ($140 on pre-order)
Hifiman Re-Zero ($110)
Head-Direct Re0 ($90)
SoundMAGIC PL-50 ($55)
Amps: SoundMAGIC A10 ($70)
FiiO L7 ($90)
 
Important: I don't say all the budget must be spent, so if there is a nice combination for a beginner for less money it would be just awesome!

 

[s0lar]

You could choose the Sunrise XCape v1 or RE-ZERO, they don't benefit that much from an amp.
Sansa Clip+ is an excellent DAP.
If you decide to buy an amp, something like a soundmagic a10 with a warm sound is great to combine with a RE0.
Other amps to consider: Linearossa W1, Fiio E7, iBasso T3/T4.
I would go for RE0 and an amp, but it's less portable and more expensive.
 

 

[cheezburger]

s0lar, thanks!

 

[jman1503]

+1 to s0lar

 

[Berkovajazz]

1)Sunrise Xcape has only 32Ohm, so Sansa Dap will normally drive them.
2)Sansa Clip Plus (Fuze) is mostly analitical dap with a thin sound =>  fun, thich, warm sound of Xcapes V2 = good combo
3)If something you will want to change you can install Rockbox (rockbox.org), and get a lot of different options with a lot of settings
4) You can save some money and if you will like your combo you can buy a large capacity card for your Sansa Clip (or Fuze/+) and have a lot of fun with your favourite music
5)Have a good music
 

 

[Chris_Himself]

Westone UM1 + cable upgrade down the line. Basically everything I loved about my UE's plus more and great warranty. Not to mention earphone solutions will hook you up

http://www.earphonesolutions.com/westone-1-earphone.html


Audio player of choice, I loved anything Cowon made... the built in amp/DAC are probably going to be among the best!
http://www.amazon.com/Cowon-iAUDIO-MP3-Player-Black/dp/B002Y5XRE0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1302572225&sr=1-1


I don't think for 250 you should even have to consider what amp to use, MOST IEM's were meant to be driven by the player! An amp can't really do all that much to correct a source's flaws! I used to be a fan of lugging an amp/LOD around in my manbag but I can't do it anymore. Most of these days I'm dragging just a player and IEM's around on my bus commute, maybe a FIIO E5 around if I'm trying to conserve the battery on my mp3 player... I find the Zune puts out pretty clean audio even in the higher volumes.

 

[Enanthate]

Quote:

 I don't think for 250 you should even have to consider what amp to use, MOST IEM's were meant to be driven by the player! An amp can't really do all that much to correct a source's flaws! I used to be a fan of lugging an amp/LOD around in my manbag but I can't do it anymore. Most of these days I'm dragging just a player and IEM's around on my bus commute, maybe a FIIO E5 around if I'm trying to conserve the battery on my mp3 player... I find the Zune puts out pretty clean audio even in the higher volumes.
 

You are correct, most IEM's can be driven nicely by a DAP.  But the earphones that the OP are considering (PFE, RE-0, DBA-2) all IMHO require a powerful, clean amp for maximum sound quality....ie. Ibasso T-3.  And again IMHO I don't find the Fiio E5 to be a proper amp, quite the contrary.  Maybe I'm in the minority but to my ears all the E5 brings is a bass boost and degraded top end extension.
 
My advice to the OP would be to purchase a DAP to your liking with a proper set of IEM's, enjoy the sound quality for what it is and expect to upgrade to a decent amp when you get the money for maximum dynamics, soundstage, clarity, etc...

 

[cheezburger]

Thank you, I guess that is exactly what I'll do. Amp seems off the budget anyway.
As for the source, I have decided on Nationite NaNite N2. As I've read somewhere it it's thread, it is "slightly ahead" of the Clip+. Moreover, it has some amp chip installed - maybe it'll help before I get an amp.
I haven't decided about the IEMs, though I think I'll get Brainwavs B2, as Re0 is hard to drive without an amp. I haven't considered Xcapes, Panasonics and others because they are almost impossible to find with a nice price and international shipping.
Thanks everyone again for your help.

 

[Chris_Himself]

Dual armature, and they don't even give you removable cables? Thats a discussion for another thread I suppose...
 
I hear the Shure SE215's are a really great bargain, you can get them for like 100 bucks even though they're realistically supposed to be 149 dollar IEMs. Removable cables and everything. I'm not sure how important having two armatures is, Denon still gets by with a dynamic driver these days and doing quite well.. you get a decent amount of bass with the DD design and the "micro drivers" are supposed to be the best of both worlds? I dunno, just look into it?