[aurabullet]

Hey I just recently purchased an akg k702 and an e9
 
and I was wondering what would be the BEST dac for this around the price of 200. If there is anything better than an E9 pricing around 130-150 I wouldn't mind returning my E9 and getting it.
 
I've read so many threads about this but there has been so many "I agree that's good" "No that sucks" for amps

So I made this thread purely for getting the best bang for my buck I have 330$ to spend on both an AMP and a DAC if i were to return my E9.
 
NOTE: I USE THIS MAINLY FOR COMPUTER (Creative Sound Card) Whatever is the best sound optical/analog etc

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Tdockweiler prefers the E9 with his K702 over the Asgard (which is a $250 amp).

Don't expect miraculous improvements in amps....

There are very few people here who have directly A/B'ed the E9 with other amps, and just go off their memory when they 'upgrade'. I can tell you that as an owner of both the Lyr and E9, the E9 actually sounds better on certain headphones over the Lyr.

Unless you see a particular shortcoming with the E9, I'd suggest getting a DAC first before writing off the E9 for another amp.

That said, I think the K70x would probably sound best off tubes. It's quite dry and analytical, so some warmth and fluidity would serve it best, IMHO.

I didn't like the K701 off the E9, not because it's a bad match (on the contrary), but because it didn't suit my tastes. I know I'd probably like it more now with the Lyr.

 

[aurabullet]

thanks for the reply mad lust, well can you recommend some tubes @ around 300?
 
also.. when I look @ tube amps I don't see many plug-in options such as optical/usb I see mostly RCA cables
 
Lastly, the main thing I was looking for originally was a DAC that supports the computer @ best @ around 200.00$

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

That's because your DAC is the one that takes all those inputs and then converts it to analog (usually RCA) for your amp. The only ones with those digital inputs are amp/dac combos.

I hear the Valhala works really well with the K702.

 

[aurabullet]

alright so the valhala 349 dollar tube amp is a combination? or...

 

[sphinxvc]

...or an Audio-GD FUN B with WM8741 and Moon op-amp for added synergy.  A nice solid state solution.
 
Can't for the life of me think of a good transformer-coupled tube amp + DAC under $350.
 
And no, the Valhalla is just an amp, not a combo amp/DAC.
 
Edit:  Oh..and it's "indecisive."  =]