[TheMiniShady]

First of all: I wouldn't consider myself as an audiophile due to a lack of inventory, but I can judge good sound. not beats by dre
 
I know it's not the most high-end headphone, but with the DAC and amp that I have, along with playing CD's, on Windows 8 using iTunes, it sounds pretty darn good. But is an amp really needed? If so, what's the best match for the Logitech UE 4000 under $100? I listen to a variety of music from rap, to rock, etc. But anyways, is an amp really helpful with the UE 4000? The one I am currently using is an E-MU 0202 USB 2.0 Dac/amp. It's old, but still works nicely. I think it sounds pretty good when playing in 24 bits at 192Khz (I think that's it). I wish it didn't run off of USB power, but it's still a pretty solid DAC, although I don't have much to compare to. So what are your thoughts?

 

[money4me247]

I think you're fine & should just stay put unless there is something you feel like is lacking from your audio experience.
 
...and then I think upgrading your headphones to the $200+ price range would have a bigger impact than your dac/amp.
 
other sub-$100 dac/amps include: Fiio E10 ($60-75) vs FiiO E7 ($70) vs FiiO E70k ($89) vs iBasso D-Zero ($100) [all with Wolfson WM8740 DAC chip] vs Nuforce Icon UDAC2 Amp/Dac ($90: PCM2706 or ESS Sabre 9022? not sure) vs Audioquest Dragonfly 1.0 ($99 some ESS dac chip).
 
You can check out the HiFimeDIY Sabre USB DAC 2 with an external power supply unit (ES9023 chip) at $69 here: http://hifimediy.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=62&product_id=87
 
Your E-MU 0204 has a AK4396 DAC chip FYI.