[Kawai_man]

I want to buy my first amp and DAC, For home use.

My sources will be my Cowon S9 50%, Digital piano 30%, , Macbook pro 20%

My headphones are Ultrasone Proline 650s, Alessandro MS1, and Ultrasone HFi2200

Ideally Id like to spend 100-120 but Id be able to stretch it to 160. Im open to buying used

I wouuld prefer to get a separate amp and DAC I figure it would probably be less bulky than a combo, since I would be moving the amp around from my bedside to my piano to computer

 

[gevorg]

For under 150, its very hard to get a worthwhile source AND amp for low impedance Ultrasones. At this price range, its probably better to go with a dac/amp combo. Checkout the ZERO dac (~150 shipped on ebay), and see if there are any used Zhaolu D2.5 dacs with headamps.

 

[revolink24]

I second the Zero DAC. It has a headphone amp too.

 

[MrSlim]

Check out the Musiland/DIYEDEN SVDAC06 also, for about $120. There have been issues with the build quality of the Zero's, and the Musiland's look pretty well built.

 

[Kawai_man]

The quality issues on the Zero make it dicouraging to buy for me.


The musiland would be Great except I read you cant use it with an MP3 because it doesnt have an analog input only digital

I read that the DAC of the Musiland is great though and you can connect to an external amp via the line out to bypass the built in amp. Do they just sell the DAC alone for less maybe this one http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-Digital-Soun...3%3A1|294%3A50 that way I could buy a separate amp that i could also use with my Mp3 player and Digital Piano

 

[shasty]

AUNE Mini USB DAC + Headphone Amplifier MK2 - eBay (item 260435237330 end time Jul-24-09 18:26:26 PDT)

There has been few threads about this dac/amp in headfi. The specs are very promising for the price, and those who got it were all very pleased, including a person who previously owned a zero.
I'm considering it, but I'll probably go with the EF2

 

[Kawai_man]

The aune looks great, but for 50$ more the ef2 is really tempting and it uses tubes and it looks pretty portable for a tube amp ,for home of course

Is it possible to get a separate home amp and DAC with the same or superior sound quality of those combos under 200?

 

[Currawong]

I would avoid the Zero, it has a reputation for being un-reliable, which is a pity as it's a neat unit. There are a bunch of DAC/amp combos from China all over ebay that look interesting though.

 

[earthpeople]

That Aune is pretty nice looking. Does it have RCA inputs?

[edit: nevermind, saw another auction of the same item and I think it does. see here]

 

[JamesL]

The aune looks kind of like a canamp with a respectable dac built-in.

Would be my choice if I was in the market for a $150 setup

 

[shasty]

I don't get why the OP wants separate dac and amp; it is in most cases less portable and inevitably more expensive. Yes it is better if you're thinking of long-term upgrade path, but not when you're tight on budget.

Anyway, found a decent review of the Aune:
Mini USB DAC Review « i-Review-u

I was thrilled at the option of opamp rolling, design that supposedly mimicks Solo amp, and very solid build. I bought one for 145 on ebay, and will post some review if anyone wants it.

 

[Kawai_man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shasty /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't get why the OP wants separate dac and amp; it is in most cases less portable and inevitably more expensive. Yes it is better if you're thinking of long-term upgrade path, but not when you're tight on budget. Anyway, found a decent review of the Aune: Mini USB DAC Review « i-Review-u I was thrilled at the option of opamp rolling, design that supposedly mimicks Solo amp, and very solid build. I bought one for 145 on ebay, and will post some review if anyone wants it.

I was just wondering if it was posible to Better quailty with separate units at the price point, I am planning on upgrading later on. I thought it would be more portable since the dac and amp were separate and would not be as bulky as some other combos Id seen,

I have been considering the aune and the ef2 and i decided to go with the Aune which is about 60 dollars less.

I am interested in reading your review

 

[miyinan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shasty /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't get why the OP wants separate dac and amp; it is in most cases less portable and inevitably more expensive. Yes it is better if you're thinking of long-term upgrade path, but not when you're tight on budget. Anyway, found a decent review of the Aune: Mini USB DAC Review « i-Review-u I was thrilled at the option of opamp rolling, design that supposedly mimicks Solo amp, and very solid build. I bought one for 145 on ebay, and will post some review if anyone wants it.

Hi shasty,

Based on how you list out your gears (Aune - MS2 / A2), I would assume that you connect the Aune to A2 as well. How does this work? Through the rca at the back? Ive heard the rca lineout from the Aune is not powered at all. Do you use another stereo amp? or do you just simply connect it to the speakers using rca and plug the MS2 into the headphone jack at the front when using headphone?

I am considering the Aune too. Although it's gonna be mainly for my MS1i, but i just happen to have a pair of Creative T40 (powered) that I sometime listen to as well. That's why i asked.

Thanks