Hello, I just purchased HD600 and found this thread. I am considering to purchase Dac/Amp combo (preferably solid state amp instead of tube) to go with HD600 and not sure which one might be the best. I got below list of Dac/Amp combo that I am considering right now. * Grace Design M9xx * Schiit Modi2/Magni2 Uber * Centrance HiFi-M8 * LH Labs Geek Pulse (Standard) * Ifi Micro iDSD * Audio-GD NFB-10SE * Red Wine Audio Isabellina The last one is above my current budget but curious how it stack up with other mid-fi gears listed above... I will mainly use with my macbook pro so portability is good to have but not a must. My preferred sound signature is high clarity and clean sound. ER4S sound with slightly more bass would be my most desired sound sig. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Of all the amps you have listed, the only one that I've spent more than a few hours with is the Isabellina, my friend in Japan has one and its a noticeable step up from all the others that you have listed, but since I didn't spend much time with any of the other amps I would take my comment with not much weight. One thing I will say is the Isabellina is up in the level of Eddie Current and Cavalli gear. Hope others can help you with impression of the other DACs/amps but if there is a slim possibility of getting the Isabellina its one that I would go after, there aren't too many around and I've never seen one for sale. One amp that is not on your list that I would consider is the Garage 1217 Polaris, very flexible amp to match with a wide range of headphones.
Thank you very much. Greatly appreciated your feedback. Is there big difference between Garage 1217 Polaris and Ember?
Sorry I can't give you an answer since I only have the Ember. There are some on the HD-650 thread who love the Polaris and say its better than the Ember if you are not rolling tubes.
I'm in a similar situation to you. But i'll be buying a DAP, the soon-coming iBasso DX200 (ultimately the best choice for me). But at the iBasso Facebook page I saw the following... "Coming soon for your musical enjoyment. The PB3 and the D-Zero MK III. The D-Zero MK3 is a 32bit/384kHz and native DSD256 USB-DAC. The PB3 is a balanced AMP with a 2.5mm output jack. Both are extremely portable, compact and offer great sound." Both are extremely portable, compact and offer great sound, and will be reasonably priced.
Look awesome.. I am mainly listen from macbook pro so i personally prefer standalone Dac/Amp. Good luck with new upcoming Dap.. Love to hear impression when you get it
While I see the appeal of a combination DAC/amp, I think separates will give you more flexibility if you decided to change parts of your audio chain. The Modi2uber is a decent DAC for the price, a touch on the bright side but pretty good for the price. Another DAC/amp combo that my ex-GF and another friend use is the Aune T1 mk2, its a decent DAC and is tube buffered so you have some tube rolling options if you so desire but stock configuration is quite good for the price. You can use the DAC section along with the Polaris to give you a lot more flexibility.
I thoroughly recommend the iFi Micro iDSD - great pairing with my HD600. And the beauty is you can add a tube amp later and have the best of all worlds (SS and tube)
The Schiit stack you listed is two seperate units as well. I'm using the Audio-GD NFB-28, so I can at least recommend the company. They make great products.
Have a look at the JDSLABS C5D, it rocks! I have it. Dac/Amp, perfect for your requirements. Plenty of power to drive the HD600, and the DAC is clean, and it has OTG capability too. This drives my HD600 with authority. Reasonably priced too. Clean powerful sound. It can drive the HD600 to extremely loud levels, so if you purchase it, be careful.
Thank you very much. I will seriously consider iDSD. If I add Tube amp later, do I use iDSD as Dac only and line out to tube amp?
Thank you.. but may not ideal for me since I am looking for more desktop solution instead of portable.
