[Atlantis69]

Fiio E17/E09K combo?

 

[grokit]

HiFiMAN EF2A

 

[uzi]

Quote:

So my goal is to get a Bifrost and a Valhalla for my HJD650 but... I don't have that kind of money yet and I would like to start off with something CHEAP.
Do any of you have any recommendations for a AMP/DAC that is cheap/affordable and okay-ish for a starting point? Around $150-$200 USD maybe.

A thought -- you don't have to do it all in one fell swoop, but if you know the Bifrost and Valhalla are your goal, why not wait and get 'em one at a time and skip the $150-200 band-aid?  Be patient, save up for the Valhalla and get the Bifrost when you can afford it.
 
Then again, I'm one to talk... I did the ~$200 thing in the Audio-gd NFB-12 and was content but not thrilled with it for the HD650.  I've since moved on to greener pastures and the NFB-12 gets plenty of use on my desk at work with the DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm (which it's fine for).

 

[avengernoonzz]

Fiio E17/E09K combo?

Unfortunately that's just out of my budget!

HiFiMAN EF2A

This fits my budget! Thanks.

Maybe later next year I'll pick up a Bifrost and a Valhalla or I'll convince someone this Christmas to buy me them, muahhaha.

 

[grokit]

$169 @ Crutchfield

 

[fuzzy1969]

Audinst HUD-mx1 is supposed to be quite good with the hd650's from a review on head-fi comparable to the O2/ODAC combo (from memory so you might want to root around for the review). USB input only though.
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audinst-HUD-mx1-Hi-Fi-USB-Audio-DAC-/180972278232?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item2a22c9d1d8&_uhb=1

 

[avengernoonzz]

A thought -- you don't have to do it all in one fell swoop, but if you know the Bifrost and Valhalla are your goal, why not wait and get 'em one at a time and skip the $150-200 band-aid?  Be patient, save up for the Valhalla and get the Bifrost when you can afford it.

Then again, I'm one to talk... I did the ~$200 thing in the Audio-gd NFB-12 and was content but not thrilled with it for the HD650.  I've since moved on to greener pastures and the NFB-12 gets plenty of use on my desk at work with the DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm (which it's fine for).

True but I may be happy with whatever I may be getting soon and not find the need for a Bifrost and a Valhalla for a long time.

$169 @ Crutchfield

Yeah I got the quotes mixed up, haha!

Audinst HUD-mx1 is supposed to be quite good with the hd650's from a review on head-fi comparable to the O2/ODAC combo.

Thanks I'll have a look into it.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

Fiio E17/E09K combo?

try the e09k plus odac from Audio Poutine. Very good for the price. And I have the odac for sale.

 

[imackler]

Quote:

So my goal is to get a Bifrost and a Valhalla for my HJD650 but... I don't have that kind of money yet and I would like to start off with something CHEAP.
Do any of you have any recommendations for a AMP/DAC that is cheap/affordable and okay-ish for a starting point? Around $150-$200 USD maybe.

 
Whatever you get, don't come back to headfi until you have money to buy again! I've had several set ups I could have been happy...if I only I had stayed away! 
 
I'd recommend the ODAC and E9 if you're super tight. You should be able to get the combo used for $200; that's a great deal. Or maybe the Yulong A800 and the Stoner Acoustics UD100. I've been so impressed with the A800, that would be my first recommendation for a budget amp, though I haven't tried the UD100 yet. 

 

[asmoday]

Quote:

try the e09k plus odac from Audio Poutine. Very good for the price. And I have the odac for sale.

 
What are you going with now............LOL

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

They aren't what I usually go for, but for a secondary purpose, they are amazing. I must say that having low expectations made the end result even sweeter. I honestly thought I was gonna hate them. Im in love with its vocals. It sounds sultry and organic. A rare trait.
Im also very surprised at how gorgeous they look in person too. I was expecting the typical Sennheiser plastic feel. But these are just lovely to see in person. Those grills... im a sucker for sexy grills.

 
Yeah, in addition to the crazed misconceptions about "veiled", "slow", "lacking detail" is the misconception of "they're cheap plastic."  They really are built much better than that would give them credit for.  Beneath the slick graphite color paint is a very rugged black material which I believe to be either CF composite, or glass-fiber composite.  It's not indestructable or quite as high-end a polymer as the HD800, but it's not far off, either!  In fact beneath the paint (which they both have a knack for chipping in similar ways which hints at similar base materials) the plastics used in the 650 & 800 seem a lot more similar than different.
 
Quote:

 
Whatever you get, don't come back to headfi until you have money to buy again! I've had several set ups I could have been happy...if I only I had stayed away! 

 
LOL, how true

 

[h4mm3r 0f th0r]

how are the hd650s with a fiio e9 and an asus xonar essence st's speaker output??

 

[MattTCG]

I had the hd650 with the e09 and odac and it was quite good. Not lyr good, but good. 

 

[andyschaub]

I'm actually using a pair of HD650's right now, plugged into an Apogee Duet 2 via the Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable. They have a lovely, gentle sound. Very easy to listen to everything from AAC downloads to 24/192 material or CD's ripped using Apple Lossless Compression.

 

[Mcberto]

Loving my HD650's with RSA's The Intruder and odac right now!