[kaneman890]

The sound on my desktop is starting to go out, and since im giving it to my brother and getting a new laptop in a few weeks i dont want to spend money on a new sound card, so now i have a nice excuse to buy a headphone amp .  by budget is $200 and i need it to have a usb input, i really like the look of some usb, tube amps like Hi-Fi Man - EF2A, i just want to know if thats a good buy or if there is more out there for my budget.  i also have a quick question, will a usb amp also give better sound quality? i just assume it would because its receiving raw data not an analog signal so it has to process that somehow right? please correct me if im wrong on that.
 
im only using a pair of ATH-m50's so sound quality over power is preferred.
 
thanks, Kane

 

[Snag1e]

The Zhaolu from china seems to get pretty good reviews, You might also want to look into the nuforce udac as well.....Just looked up the EF2A, that does look pretty...

oh, the dac, and amp section in a usb amp should be quite a bit nicer than the integrated sound on your laptop...

 

[melie]

I would strongly recommend the Yulong u100. It get's raving reviews all over the net.
 
review => http://www.headfonia.com/the-new-recommendation-the-yulong-u100-usb-dac/
shop => http://coolfungadget.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=35&product_id=92
 
It's basically a DAC with an integrated amp so it will also improve sound quality a lot + give some extra power to your m50's. It does go a little over your budget but it's certainly worth it.

 

[kaneman890]

Cool ill check those out. And are there any other like tube usb amps like the ef2a in my price range? Ever since seeing it I'm really stuck on something with tubes unless there is clearly a better buy. Also are there any DIY kits ,like the bottle head ones, that might have usb inputs?

 

[kaneman890]

does anyone know what the difference is between a hifiman ef2 and ef2a? i think im pretty set on one of these because reviews all seem good and it just looks freagin sweet .

 

[melie]

The Tiny Tube is a good alternative.
review => http://www.headfonia.com/uber-muzik-tiny-tube-dac/
 
About the difference between the ef2 and the ef2a.. Well, I don't know.. Don't think there is much difference if any. On the site of hifiman only the ef2 is listed.

 

[kaneman890]

I like the look of that tiny tube its also its got some coax Outputs that I can real use. Thanks for suggestions I think ill have a fun week debating between the tiny tube and ef2.

 

[kaneman890]

quick update, my paycheck wasn't quite what i had hoped so ive got a little more time to decide on an amp.  something that is concerning me is that i read somewhere that tube amps aren't the best for low impedance headphones (like my m50's) does anyone know first hand what kind of a difference there may or may not be?  and my stuberness for a tube has gone away so are there any other good buy than what is mentioned above?
 
edit: oh and if im just paranoid and there is no real downfall to tube + low impedance combo then ill probably get the ef2a

 

[kaneman890]

anyone know of a good website to look for this kind of stuff, like a newegg for audio???

 

[melie]

The best pure amp for it's price is the Matrix M-Stage. It doesn't have a dac though.
I you want a DAC + Amp I would still recomend the Yulong u100. You really can't go wrong with it.. 

 

[kaneman890]

if i can find a u100 for around 190-200 on ebay or something then ill jump on it, but if i'm not finding anything at the end of next week ill just go with the ef2a.  how is the yulong as just a dac? would it be something that i could hook up something like a nice dedicated amp to it latter on?

 

[kaneman890]

sorry to keep changing my mind but, if i start looking at used stuff what is there for a usb dac, and headphone amp, not an all in one thing but to different units.

 

[nyjets28]

if you're looking for dedicated dac+ dedicated amp, for $200 i think the best (or one of the best) is still a gamm-1 + mini3...but as to your question above, if you're looking at used stuff, too many combinations.

 

[kaneman890]

well right now im biding on an ef2a and a U100, but i wont know for sure about that stuff for like 5 days. So to further get off topic and mix things up, what is a good usb DAC for a bit less than $200? something that will pair nicely with a $250-$300 amp. i, only asking because if i cant get the u100 or get a good deal on ef2a i think ill just hold off on an amp for a few more weeks and try and get a slightly nicer starting point for this pc set up that i want to make .
 
for anyone who is wondering why im being so indecisive, im trying to plane a set up that i can run out of my laptop and use with speakers like swan m10's and headphones like hd600's or 701-2's, for less than $800 and have all together by the time i go back to school in the fall. and im gonna buy it one piece at a time

 

[nyjets28]

i personally think that you should just go ahead and try out the yulong or a cheaper set up that you had originally had in mind, especially if you're just getting into all this audio stuff. if you find it to be good for your ears, then i don't think spending more money is warranted. just my 2 cents. and if anything you can also try out other equipment and if you do find improvement on your initial setup then you can upgrade.