[raclimja]

i currently own Fiio E17 but i want to upgrade to something better,
 
 
i currently use Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 and have ordered Philips Fidelio X1 which is yet to be shipped.
 
 
I looked at different AMP/DAC such as Audioquest Dragonfly, HRT Microstreamer and Audioengine D3,
 
 
from what i read so far, it seems the Audioengine D3 is the best.
 
 
i would like to hear what you guys think or if you have any other recommendation of what you think is good and why.

 

[takwing1hk]

have u considered the O2+ODAC combo ?

 

[raclimja]

  have u considered the O2+ODAC combo ?

i did but i need an AMP/COMBO that does not need AC power as im gonna carry it with my laptop

 

[TBomb06]

Leckerton UHA-6S MkII
 
It's a week's worth of Starbucks visits over your budget, but worth it if you can spare the extra $30. They also show up used on the classifieds here from time to time.
 
It has a substantial DAC with USB/Optical/Coax inputs and a fantastic amp section with rollable op-amps. It has a built in battery for completely portable use without a laptop and charges via USB.

 

[StanD]

The Leckerton has far less output power than his FiiO E17. The JDS O2+ODAC looks far better to me.

 

[TBomb06]

  The Leckerton has far less output power than his FiiO E17. The JDS O2+ODAC looks far better to me.

 
He already stated he did not want the O2+ODAC due to the fact that it requires AC power. Besides that, both of the headphones he mentioned are low impedance (32 and 30 ohms) which the Leckerton should have no issues with. Output power isn't everything. The JDS O2+ODAC would be a fantastic choice at the current price point if one was looking for a small desktop rig and had no need for portability.
 
Edit: That said, the JDS C5D might be worth looking into, but I do not have any firsthand experience with it.

 

[StanD]

  The Leckerton has far less output power than his FiiO E17. The JDS O2+ODAC looks far better to me.

 
 

   
He already stated he did not want the O2+ODAC due to the fact that it requires AC power. Besides that, both of the headphones he mentioned are low impedance (32 and 30 ohms) which the Leckerton should have no issues with. Output power isn't everything. The JDS O2+ODAC would be a fantastic choice at the current price point if one was looking for a small desktop rig and had no need for portability.
 
Edit: That said, the JDS C5D might be worth looking into, but I do not have any firsthand experience with it.

I forget that it's the O2 without DAC runs on batteries. Low impedance does not mean low power. One needs extra power for overhead.  In any case the Leckerton doesn't buy him anything over what he already has, it just costs more. The Leckerton produces 1% THD at 55mW at 32 Ohms, probably because that's where its power limit is. The JDS C5D is also short on power.
Now to be honest the Leckerton can drive the X1's, however at volume peaks the distortion will increase. Some people will notice that, others may not.
If the OP decides to get another pair of cans that require more power, he'd be out of luck. This is one thing that people on this forum tend to do is get more cans. For example, It's not enough power to effectively drive HE-500's and probably not HD650's. I think the OP would have to go way over budget to get something more than what he already has. I'd say, "enjoy what you have and save yourself some money for now."