[Maxvla]

So you say the Gungnir is the best from the list although that is the cheapest? 

Not in my experience. I had the Gungnir before I went X-Sabre.

 

[Rico613]

  I'd vote for the Metrum Octave or the NAD M51 in that price range according to what I've heard for the HD800.

The NAD M51 is impressive on paper and in this review  http://www.stereophile.com/content/nad-m51-direct-digital-da-converter-page-2
 
It appears to have some kind of super clocking device at 108 MHz  (Yikes!).  I've found that better clocking quickly results in more refined sound quality, so I'd give the NAD a serious listen.   

 

[preproman]

  I'd vote for the Metrum Octave or the NAD M51 in that price range according to what I've heard for the HD800.

 
Metrum Octave mk2
 

 

[listen4joy]

I think i will go on the schiit gungnir cause price and i have good feeling about him (-: 

 

[icebear]

I would also choose a DAC with XLR output, that's for sure. Other than that I'd pay attention on the jitter measurements. I am not sure how much this really affects the SQ but there are serious differences in this parameter. Some new launches still show jitter values >100ps. I know the e20 with 0.082ps is out of the target price bracket but it does sound seriously beautiful with the HD800. So just comparing the potential candidates for the jitter values might be one more factor to think about.

 

[sensui123]

I put my HD800 away for over a year to collect dust in the closet when I had a Schiit Gungnir/Mjolnir stack......just FYI......not listenable IMO....great for the Audeze phones though.  With my new Metrum Hex DAC (has a somewhat similar taste to the Octave), the HD800 is the headphone I go to first.  Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Solude]

This is a GS-X mk2 thread  I would not use the Mjolnir with the HD800.  The Gungnir and GS-X mk2 combo is overly warm for the LCD-3 but perfect for the HD800. 

 

[johangrb]

  I heard PSA PWD is a good pairing but I cannot confirm from experience just yet. FWIW PWD and M51 are very good DACs, I have not heard it but the PSA New Wave Dac should probably be on your list to audition. I had the Dliii and it those 2 are anything alike you should check the New Wave out of sure,

I compared the NuWave with the PWD2 - no contest (the Pwd2 is miles better). I even preferred my Cullen modded DL3 (lvl 3) over the Nuwave (for straight redbook (16/44)).
 
Deals on the PWD mkII abound as people are readying for the DirectStream. (e.g. going for as low as $1500 on A'gon - a great deal imho).

 

[listen4joy]

well after choosing dac i need to choose XLR cabels. i know that is not the right section but because its headamp gsx thread i would like to ask for good XLR match beetween headamp gsx and gungnir XLR cabels. any good brands with nice prices

 

[justin w.]

this is what i use and recommend: http://www.markertek.com/Cables/Audio-Cables/XLR-to-XLR-Cables/TecNec/SC100XJXJ.xhtml

 

[Solude]

Partial to BlueJeans myself because I can have it made to length with unusual terminations but the idea is the same.  Get a well made, quality cable and move on.  I dumped all Kimber, Harmonic Tech, Cardas cable for BlueJeans and haven't looked back.

 

[sethbc]

  Partial to BlueJeans myself because I can have it made to length with unusual terminations but the idea is the same.  Get a well made, quality cable and move on.  I dumped all Kimber, Harmonic Tech, Cardas cable for BlueJeans and haven't looked back.

+1

 

[Rico613]

 

  Partial to BlueJeans myself because I can have it made to length with unusual terminations but the idea is the same.  Get a well made, quality cable and move on.  I dumped all Kimber, Harmonic Tech, Cardas cable for BlueJeans and haven't looked back.

-1

 

[tvolpe1600]

   Get a well made, quality cable and move on.

 
I agree with this sentiment. BlueJeans are very well made. In a similar vein, check out: http://www.cabledyne.com/xlr-cables.html

 

[daverich4]

Does anyone know how to order the GS-X MK2 in red? Justin had a red one at the Charlotte meet last weekend but I don't see a place to choose the color when placing an order on his site.