So there's a headphone thread, let's talk about amps and DACs a bit, too.
And by talk, I mean we'll start with a scenario to discuss:
Headphones used: JH13pro, HE400, HE500, HD600 and k701
Music: Ecclectic mix of everything in flac
Most of the time, a Fiio x3 is used for music transport/amping. What's the sub $500 recommendation for an amp while using this as DAC (I'm going to eliminate the o2 for a couple of personal choice based reasons)?
Asgard 2 for the low/high gain switch?
Are there others that would make a better sound at a similar or better price?
My personal feeling are as long as the power is clean and enough for the end devices being used, DACs might matter more than the amplifier. And to that...
Say that we're still around that $500 range? More or less lie about the budget and pick up a DAC-it (cheapest found $350) and say that Asgard 2 mentioned before to bring us to the total of $600 which is in the range of 500? Do we go for the stack and go Asgard 2 with a Bifrost with USB upgrade and hit $700?
Are there better, non-tube based, options? (Again, personal reasons)
Honestly, I keep waffling between just picking up an Asgard 2 to power everything and use the DAC in the X3 or get a dedicated "sitting" DAC to go with the "sitting" amp and bounce between the DAC-it and Bifrost with upgrades.
I don't intend for this to be a one-shot and die, either. I'd like this to jump off into discussions about amps/dacs in general and why you chose what you use.
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Personal reasons for no objective anything: I don't agree with NWAVGUY's business practices and how he finagled the numbers he did out of the Objective stuff (both amp and DAC). Therefore, I don't want to talk about circulating money based on his designs. Others can expand their opinions on it as I know dorkvader and mkawa have similar opinions to me and jwaz is completely opposed to them. They're mine and that's kinda it.
Personal reasons for no tube stuff: A lot less serious here, but I live in Texas and it's quite hot. My A/C is also not the most brilliant and struggles to keep up with what little heat output I do have in electronics, so there's that. Also, I know if I start with tube amps, I'll be elbow deep in tubes to roll before I realize what I did. That's not to say they have no place in the thread, just no place in this first discussion as they won't be considered.
Alrighty guys, let's get this show on the road.