[Mattyhew]

My mate got these as his first decent pair of cans. 
 
Any budget (<£100) USB DAC/AMP combo recommendations to get him off the onboard?

 

[CCXR594]

  My mate got these as his first decent pair of cans. 
 
Any budget (<£100) USB DAC/AMP combo recommendations to get him off the onboard?

Do you know whether he wants a portable setup or a desktop one?

 

[Mattyhew]

  Do you know whether he wants a portable setup or a desktop one?

 
Desktop, didnt mention it as most of the sub £100 are somewhat portable. So a portable one as a desktop solution would work fine

 

[jellofund]

   
Desktop, didnt mention it as most of the sub £100 are somewhat portable. So a portable one as a desktop solution would work fine

 
I really like the TH-X00 paired with the Fiio E18 I bought recently. Very convenient when it's plugged into my pc and I'll sometimes gravitate towards it in place of my usual desktop set up (Musical Fidelity V90 -> O2 or Vali 2). Don't really feel like I'm losing out too much SQ wise if I'm honest.
 
Also pairs well with a number of Android devices and I've found it a decent upgrade for my Xperia Z2 when I'm away from home. I don't really own many demanding headphones these days but it's powered my DT 990 Pro 250 ohm without problems, so there should be headroom if your friend decides to expand his collection later on. Although perhaps by then he'd be looking to upgrade to a dedicated desktop set up.
 
Currently available for £94.99 on Amazon (sold by Fiio's UK distributor EA Audio): http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-E18-portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00GCDJBMM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455459023&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+e18
 
Only downside is that like most portable gear it has a 3.5mm headphone out. I'm not keen on the 3.5-6.35mm adapter that Massdrop bundle with the TH-X00 so use one of these instead as it places less stress on the headphone out socket: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Genuine-Sennheiser-Cable-Adapter-Female/dp/B00UO0IX5A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1455459251&sr=8-4&keywords=sennheiser+jack
 
May be other options out there but my experience with portable DAC/amps is quite limited and previous ones I've owned have been well over the £100 mark.

 

[xrh93]

What's a good DAC/amp to pair with these headphones?  I am currently thinking of spending around $300 for these.  I have come across the JDS Labs Element and the Fostex HPA4, but I'm still unsure.  Any pointers are helpful!
 
EDIT: I would like to add that I would like a desktop solution connected to my computer via USB.  I'm obviously open to using a portable DAC/AMP but I feel like desktop DAC/amps would be more powerful for the same price.

 

[vcmusik]

  What's a good DAC/amp to pair with these headphones?  I am currently thinking of spending around $300 for these.  I have come across the JDS Labs Element and the Fostex HPA4, but I'm still unsure.  Any pointers are helpful!
 
EDIT: I would like to add that I would like a desktop solution connected to my computer via USB.  I'm obviously open to using a portable DAC/AMP but I feel like desktop DAC/amps would be more powerful for the same price.

While I haven't had any experience with either of those two, I don't think you could go wrong by keeping it "in-family" with the HPA4. I can vouch for a Schiit stack. The Modi 2 / Modi 2 Uber plus either a Magni 2 if you want to go solid state or Vali 2 (which I own) if you want a slightly tubey sound. It's pretty neutral with the stock tube and there's a gain switch. You'll probably use it on the Lo setting with the X00 since they're easy to drive.

 

[xrh93]

  While I haven't had any experience with either of those two, I don't think you could go wrong by keeping it "in-family" with the HPA4. I can vouch for a Schiit stack. The Modi 2 / Modi 2 Uber plus either a Magni 2 if you want to go solid state or Vali 2 (which I own) if you want a slightly tubey sound. It's pretty neutral with the stock tube and there's a gain switch. You'll probably use it on the Lo setting with the X00 since they're easy to drive.

Thanks for the tips!  I was not aware that these were easy to drive.  I incorrectly thought that these were planar magnetic for some reason which is why I was highly considering the Element as it's pretty powerful.  I've noted the schiit stack, but do they really live up to the hype?  Would they really compete with these $300 DAC/AMPs?

 

[vcmusik]

  Thanks for the tips!  I was not aware that these were easy to drive.  I incorrectly thought that these were planar magnetic for some reason which is why I was highly considering the Element as it's pretty powerful.  I've noted the schiit stack, but do they really live up to the hype?  Would they really compete with these $300 DAC/AMPs?

Anytime! Yep, they're dynamic at 25 ohms, so it doesn't get much easier. 

 
As for the Schiit stack, I can't really say how they'd stack up (pun intended) to the others, since Schiit was my first foray into headphone amps. I don't actually even have the DAC part of the Schiit stack yet, as I couldn't afford to get it at the same time as my Vali 2, and my motherboard's internal DAC seems to be more than sufficient at the moment (Gigabyte Z97MX). But from what I've read from other Head-Fiers here and from other reviewers, I've hardly heard a negative comment about them, with the general consensus being that they outperform combos well above the Schiit stack price range. Some claim that they can't really tell the difference between the Magni 2 + Modi 2 and the Objective 2 ODAC/AMP combo, so if you wanted a combo unit to save desk space, that might be an option to look into. You can customize some of the features on the Objective 2, apparently. My only gripe about my Vali 2, and I'm really reaching here, is that it comes with separate rubber feet to put on the bottom, and I couldn't quite get them to line up perfectly. But that's my own fault, haha. I do wish they came pre-installed, but all in all, it's not that big of a deal.  

 

[xrh93]

  Anytime! Yep, they're dynamic at 25 ohms, so it doesn't get much easier. 

 
As for the Schiit stack, I can't really say how they'd stack up (pun intended) to the others, since Schiit was my first foray into headphone amps. I don't actually even have the DAC part of the Schiit stack yet, as I couldn't afford to get it at the same time as my Vali 2, and my motherboard's internal DAC seems to be more than sufficient at the moment (Gigabyte Z97MX). But from what I've read from other Head-Fiers here and from other reviewers, I've hardly heard a negative comment about them, with the general consensus being that they outperform combos well above the Schiit stack price range. Some claim that they can't really tell the difference between the Magni 2 + Modi 2 and the Objective 2 ODAC/AMP combo, so if you wanted a combo unit to save desk space, that might be an option to look into. You can customize some of the features on the Objective 2, apparently. My only gripe about my Vali 2, and I'm really reaching here, is that it comes with separate rubber feet to put on the bottom, and I couldn't quite get them to line up perfectly. But that's my own fault, haha. I do wish they came pre-installed, but all in all, it's not that big of a deal.  

I've heard great things about the schiit stack except these days it just seems like EVERY review mentions how the product at hand outperforms other products above their price range - this Fostex headphone included.  I've ruled out the Element since one of the key things about that DAC/amp was how powerful it is.  It seems like I won't need something too powerful and I can save myself some money.  Thanks for your input!

 

[vcmusik]

  I've heard great things about the schiit stack except these days it just seems like EVERY review mentions how the product at hand outperforms other products above their price range - this Fostex headphone included.  I've ruled out the Element since one of the key things about that DAC/amp was how powerful it is.  It seems like I won't need something too powerful and I can save myself some money.  Thanks for your input!

Now that you mention it, that does seem like a rather common phrase these days. Particularly for anyting on Massdrop.... 

 

 

[fjrabon]

  Now that you mention it, that doesn't seem like a rather common phrase these days. Particularly for anyting on Massdrop.... 

it's almost like a site that does group buys and/or markets a product for a company to get bulk discounts has better than average prices.

 

[twiceboss]

While I haven't had any experience with either of those two, I don't think you could go wrong by keeping it "in-family" with the HPA4. I can vouch for a Schiit stack. The Modi 2 / Modi 2 Uber plus either a Magni 2 if you want to go solid state or Vali 2 (which I own) if you want a slightly tubey sound. It's pretty neutral with the stock tube and there's a gain switch. You'll probably use it on the Lo setting with the X00 since they're easy to drive.

I always see ppl will say modi 2 or modi 2 uber. Did magni 2 is not necessary for the sound quality for th x00??

Modi 2 uber plus magni 2 are enough to increase sound stage and bass???

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

The fostex thx00 really doesn't need that much of an amp or dac, If you were trying to save a lot on gear, a fiio e17 or similar is more than enough.

 

[Sushi Ears]

These are some seriously beautiful headphones.  Wood does a strange thing to us. Can't wait for the next drop to go live.

 

[CCXR594]

I always see ppl will say modi 2 or modi 2 uber. Did magni 2 is not necessary for the sound quality for th x00??

Modi 2 uber plus magni 2 are enough to increase sound stage and bass???

If you get the Modi2 or Modi2 Uber, you will NEED to also buy the Magni 2 or another standalone amp, since the Modi is only a DAC and has RCA outputs with no volume control.

As far as increasing soundstage and bass, over what? These two little guys are a massive step up over motherboard connections on a PC or even a PCI sound card. So they will in all likelyhood sound better than your current setup if you don't have a dedicated headphone DAC/amp rig.

If you're looking for a guaranteed bass increase, I think ifI has a few amps with hardware based bass boost functionality.