Recommendations for Best Under $4000 Headphone AMP/DAC or Notable for Amazing Price/Performance

[the1andonly]

Anyone who dabbles with entry hifi I am looking for some fill ins for the following as I am new to the hobby, just partial fill in even for part of 1 piece is very helpful.....

Price is either USED or NEW don't care

Looking for (preferably ranked) top 5ish AMP's under/around $2000, top 5ish DAC's under/around $2000, top 5ish integrated AMP/DAC's under/around $2000, top 5ish integrated AMP/DAC's under/around $4000

Also looking for anything that falls underneath(don't care if it's $500 less or $1500+ less) that just punched waaay above it's weight, like even if it's not top 5 is under the price point and an amazing buy or very notable for features or something (example like Topping A90 is a super guy price/performance - I don't like the A90 but just example)

Appreciate any help getting a proper hifi setup and making sure I buy something with great price/performance as priority instead of just getting the best thing I can get for $2000/$4000

EDIT: My preferences are either neutral or warm/dark with preference for resolution, dynamics, and soundstage...

 

[someguyontheinternet]

RME ADI-2 DAC (1000$) covers most use cases. Completely clean, a lot of power, extensive DSP, even the remote is good and feels nice to use.
If you have the need for XLR headphone out, the Monolith THX 887 is clean and has a lot more power than you will likely need.

I like the concept of absolutely clean or "colorless" DAC and amp. If that is not what you are looking for, you can just ignore this comment.

 

[the1andonly]

RME ADI-2 DAC (1000$) covers most use cases. Completely clean, a lot of power, extensive DSP, even the remote is good and feels nice to use.
If you have the need for XLR headphone out, the Monolith THX 887 is clean and has a lot more power than you will likely need.

I like the concept of absolutely clean or "colorless" DAC and amp. If that is not what you are looking for, you can just ignore this comment.

Thank you forgot to put what my preferences are, I like warm/dark... however I think 1 good part in the chain leaning that way is fine... right now with LCD-3 and Oppo HA-1 everything sort of leans that way(heard HA-1 called bright thought which I don't understand...) but I appreciate the neutral DAC recommend, like I said the whole chain doesn't need to lean one way, I appreciate my current setup very smooth but I can just keep this one I like on top of my (for practical purposes, I haven't been in the hobby long enough to feel comfy dropping more) pseudo-"TOTL" setup, I know at some point intermittently I want more detail to trade in vs sound coloring.... Interested by the 887 recommend, seeing the 888 put in a $200 AMP (SMSL IIRC) and having tried the Monoprice 788 DAC/AMP and A/Bing it with my HA-1(obviously that isn't with all the cost poured just into AMP but the DAC+features....) The HA-1 5+ years old, obviously more expensive just kind of destroyed it and with it, the thought in my mind of the budget THX being some soft of industry destroying revolution.

I am not doubting for the $300ish you can get it on sale isn't very good price/performance at all. It is great price/performance I guess I am saying this to just confirm that is the angle of recommend, that is for price/performance you recommend it. Also have you tried it against the 789 by chance? Interested if there is an angle there besides often pedaled one from most reviews that conflates them as the same. I haven't tried it anyway, so you have peaked my interest, I can't really even call myself a skeptic however, I guess it's a combo of money burning a hole in pockets and me wishfully hoping for some exotic fancy thing that is a hidden gem that will blow my mind and also leave me with a smug grin for how much I saved. When the reality is known quantities like the 887 really are the great deals that get you 75%+ of the way to some of the good stuff at 1k+ and encroach upon the rest a little too close for comfort. That and my past skepticism of the budget THX.... I will add I really did like the 788 though, very appealing all around piece of kit.

All that aside, love the DAC recommend, love remotes, DSP on external hardware(for some reason I refuse to use software EQ so it's all I will use), and neutral is very cool, neutral hardware is the most fun for me, I guess it is almost like frees me to concentrate on the other qualities like how resolving, dynamics, and how it effects soundstage... I feel like that stuff is a nice steak dinner and coloring is like a big rich fudge brownie, and you really should eat the dinner first and do most of coloring with AMP/headphones after you get a solid DAC, and then maybe get 2 amps if you watch to switch up... But it seems like many times people end up 'eating the fudge brownie' before they eat their dinner and ending up with a nice AMP and headphones and a wampy DAC.

 

[HBen]

Not saying that's what you have to do but that's my experience after being in this hobby for quite a while:

I wish it were as easy as that, that one could just pick some items from a list of stuff with great price to performance level and be done with it.
However at that level (each component over 1k) synergy between components actually matters quite a lot.
Every combination of A) headphone B) amplifier and C) DAC sounds different. Sometimes subtle, sometimes quite a lot.
Either try to test stuff with your own gear in shops, at meets etc. or buy used, try stuff at home and sell it again if the synergy does not match.
There is quite a lot of good gear out there, which stuff brings the synergy that YOU like is impossible to guess for us.
Guess you'll just have to find out yourself

 

[gdwwilliam]

you could try schiit dac or maybe some tube amps.

 

[the1andonly]

Not saying that's what you have to do but that's my experience after being in this hobby for quite a while:

I wish it were as easy as that, that one could just pick some items from a list of stuff with great price to performance level and be done with it.
However at that level (each component over 1k) synergy between components actually matters quite a lot.
Every combination of A) headphone B) amplifier and C) DAC sounds different. Sometimes subtle, sometimes quite a lot.
Either try to test stuff with your own gear in shops, at meets etc. or buy used, try stuff at home and sell it again if the synergy does not match.
There is quite a lot of good gear out there, which stuff brings the synergy that YOU like is impossible to guess for us.
Guess you'll just have to find out yourself

Thank you for that, I just got the WA7... and just wow it's honestly even a better match than the OPPO HA-1, I need to get some proper RCA cables(I have the one with an extra yellow for TV's lol) and try the HA-1's dac on the WA7 but I also watched the Abyss video on the 3rd gen (I bought it from their ranking headphones video, although I have 1st get) and I think I am happy as far as AMP's are concerned and even like this burr-brown dac although it's not the best it's smooth... But I think you are right I will focus on getting a good DAC and pairing with the lovely amps on my 2 units!!!!

you could try schiit dac or maybe some tube amps.

TUBE AMP = musical... I thought I would NEVER use that word I thought what a bad descriptive term but wow, yes, my Oppo was smooth but this is another level, I might try an analytic DAC like a schiit to see how much detail I can get along with the smoothness but for now between the 9038 and the burr-brown chip I am in easy listening heaven, I will be on cloud 9 with my new sound for a while and then go for a Schitt, thank you for the recommend, I think the Gungir is pretty high end, no?

 

[ekobi]

Two grand will get you an LTA MicroZOTL II headphone amp with upgraded power supply, a truly delightful piece of gear: very neutral, with fast, clean bass and lower-mids; sweet, smooth highs; and no fatigue. Makes my HD-6xx and Aragon MkIII’s sing. Highly recommend.

I have been listening to an OktoResearch DAC for the last few weeks — they run around €1300. Took months to arrive, and supply is still severely constrained, but it’s been absolutely worth the wait. Also well within your budget.

My fallback DAC plan was the similarly-priced Soekris 2541, which I have not personally heard.

Good luck!

 

[Sschaffer24]

I'm currently running a Ray Samules "The Raptor" and Schiit Bifrost 2, which all in runs you around $1,500-$2,000. I feel for the money this is a fantastic combo up paired with products comparable to a Verite and down.

 

[the1andonly]

I'm currently running a Ray Samules "The Raptor" and Schiit Bifrost 2, which all in runs you around $1,500-$2,000. I feel for the money this is a fantastic combo up paired with products comparable to a Verite and down.

hearing lots of great things about BF, Gungir, Yggy

Don't like Schiit's amps, they remind me of sterile THX ones but their DAC's I can live with clean and clear before my favorite AMP's color it... For some reason the modi/modius I have heard I greatly prefer to the "endgame" 9038pro which then I much prefer the 9018 instead of as well. man interested in Yggy also, I have a older TI chip in my WA7 1st gen and I didn't think it would be as capable as it is, it's very smooth and resolving.... more so than anything would suggest...

Two grand will get you an LTA MicroZOTL II headphone amp with upgraded power supply, a truly delightful piece of gear: very neutral, with fast, clean bass and lower-mids; sweet, smooth highs; and no fatigue. Makes my HD-6xx and Aragon MkIII’s sing. Highly recommend.

I have been listening to an OktoResearch DAC for the last few weeks — they run around €1300. Took months to arrive, and supply is still severely constrained, but it’s been absolutely worth the wait. Also well within your budget.

My fallback DAC plan was the similarly-priced Soekris 2541, which I have not personally heard.

Good luck!

all for upgraded power, running WA7 tube power supply right meow, have not heard the 9028PRO, interested and also interested in trying ladder DAC... going to see if I can find a sound demo of my current ESS SABRE CHIP (9018)

here is 9018 vs 9038PRO




I really wonder which chip I hate the most, the 9038pro or every single AKM I have heard which to be fair they are probably all the same chips lol, I will either love the 9028pro or hate it xD

9018 vs standard dime a dozen AKM chip -> AKM is the blue box



another 9018 vs 9038pro