[Durza]

Hey all! I've recently gotten several new pairs of headphones including the akg k7xx and the fostex t20rp mk3 and I'm looking for a new setup to power them. My current amp/dac is the fiio q1, and while I really like it, I would like a new dac/amp that is a little more permanent and better for desktop use. The k7xx and fostex t20rp mk3's are my best and hardest to drive headphones, so I really don't want to spend much more than 100 bucks for the two. I would feel crappy if i spent much more than that because it would be more than half what I paid for the headphones themselves. I would appreciate any suggestions(even if they are a bit over budget). I would also appreciate any comments or info on the items I'm already looking at.
   
    What I'm currently looking at:
1. Smsl m3(super new and almost no info out yet, but it looks promising)
2. Fiio e10k
3. Monoprice desktop dac/amp
4. SMSL SD793-II(I know it's not usb, but if there was a way to make it usb then I would probably get it because it is the cheapest and is pretty good)
   
    Requirements:
1. $100ish(total)
2. Dac/amp combo or an individual dac and separate amp
3. It has to be able to drive my headphones pretty well
4. I also will be getting a stereo amplifier(for speakers) and I want a way to feed the dac to the headphone amp and stereo amp, so I need some sort of extra line out on the dac, or a line out     on the headphone amp
5. USB dac. I plan on using this with my laptop mostly(unfortunately I don't have room for my desktop that has spdif and stuff here at school)
6. If there is some sort of way to make my laptop output spdif like by using a usb dongle or something please tell me the name of the product, but I havn't been able to find anything. BTW       my laptop is the Acer v7 nitro.
Thanks so much! You guys at head-fi are great, I always get helpful responses. And have a good one everybody!

 

[PurpleAngel]

The FiiO Q1 is a newer design, then the FiiO E10K.

 

[Durza]

Yeah, but my problem with the q1 is that it isn't the most convenient for my desktop environment. Since the potentiometer is on the top and you have to lay it on it's side, the volume isn't easy to adjust. I'm also hoping that the larger form factor would allow the manufacturers to use larger, yet also higher quality components in order to produce a better sound, and also more power at a relatively similar cost.