[Taowolf51]

What do you want?
 
I'm looking for an Amp and DAC for my D7000's. The D7000's were a recent purchase, and I want to get a source that does them justice. I was looking at the NFB-12, but after reading a few bad reviews, I am hesitant.
It can be a DAC/amp combo, or a seperate DAC and amp.
 
 
What is your budget?
 
My budget is right around $200. $300 is the absolute max, but it has to be a big jump from the $200 option for me to be convinced.
 
 
What are your requirements?
 
It needs to be smaller than a surround sound receiver. Meaning I need to be able to slip it into a laptop bag.
 
It has to be durable, I'm going to be moving it, so unfortunately, no exterior tubes.
 
It must have either a USB in, or Optical in (if it is a DAC).
 
The amp must have a decent amount of power behind it, (my primary amp was a Fiio E7 before it broke, now I'm connecting it to a surround receiver, and the extra power is fantastic, I'm never going back).
 
If it is a sound card, it must have a PCI-E x1 connection, and cannot have a PCI connection. My SLI GPU setup has blocked all the PCI slots on my motherboard.
 
 
Bonus Points if...
 
Bonus points are things that I would like, but are *not* a requirement.
 
It uses a 1/4" output instead of a 3.5mm output.
 
It isn't a sound card.
 
Is both a DAC and Amp.
 
It looks good. Metal or wood an extra bonus.
 
It is made in America.
 
It is available on Amazon.
 
It is cheaper than $200.
 
It has an EQ, or at least some bass/treble control.
 
 
Are you willing to...
 
I am willing to consider buying an amp only with the money right now, and buying a DAC with extra money later.
 
I am willing to buy from the Head-Fi classifieds if it saves me enough money.
 
I am willing to put a disassembled amp together if it is good for beginners. (I may have soldered a few times in my life, but I build computers every so often, so I know a little bit about tech.)
 
 
What kind of sound do you want from it?
 
I trust Head-Fi's judgement on what sounds good with specific headphones, but I do believe they sound a bit shrill at times. I'd like to slightly round off the highs if possible (and yes, I know I can do this with software, I may be moving from computer to computer, however). It also needs to be non-fatiguing. I may be listening to music for 15-20+ hours a day at times. I also like soundstage, which is a new thing since getting the D7000's.
 
 
Were you thinking of anything already?
 
The Schiit Asgard has caught my eye recently. I know it's just an amp, and is in the upper range of what I am willing to spend, but it fits a lot of the requirements and bonus points. I really like the fact that it is built in the US, it looks great, it has fantastic reviews, and overall I like the product itself. I may be willing to purchase that only and get a DAC later (though I would like to know a set of DACs that would go well with it).
I was also looking at the Fiio E17, but I was never floored by the E7, so I'm hesitant.
Lastly, I was looking at the Bottlehead Crack. It doesn't really fit what I'm looking for (I would be worried about damaging the tubes during transport), but I was curious and read a bit about it, and it seemed like a nice deal.
 
 
Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[darren700]

I would suggest the NFB-12 from Audio-GD its an Amazing amp and DAC for $200.  Your going to have a hard time finding something better for that cost. I love the Audio-gd sound with my heavily modded D2000's.

 

[Taowolf51]

I read a few bad reviews for it, so I'm a bit apprehensive about buying it, but it does meet a lot of what I'm looking for in an amp/dac.
If I were to buy it, is there anywhere I can buy it in the US? I can't seem to find any places that sell it.
 
Does anyone else also have any suggestions?

 

[Taowolf51]

Bump -- anyone? Is there something on my face?

 

[MorbidToaster]

I'd honestly consider the FiiO E9 and a Music Streamer.
 
Seperate DAC and amp which is nice...and the E9 is an absolutely fantastic pair with the D7000. It works well with most solid state amps, but the E9 on high gain is honestly great.
 
Other than that my favorite pairing with them is the Yulong D100, but unfortunately it's slightly over budget...

 

[Magick Man]

I have the same dilemma, same cans, and right now I'm heavily leaning towards the Schiit Lyr. I love the tube sound and want to play with rolling a bit, and it doesn't hurt that the Lyr can drive any pair of HPs in the world with ease. Otherwise, I'd strongly consider the Maverick TubeMagic A1. I'm using my Integra RDC-7.1 (great pre/pro but has mediocre HF output) as a preamp/DAC so I've got that covered. I have the E9 but don't really like the way the D7000s sound with it, seems like it sucks some of the life out of them, from my perspective.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Careful with tubes on the D7000. They can really bloat the bass due to the general warm signature they give off.
 
I'd also be careful with the Lyr. It's been reported as blowing drivers in low impedance dynamics. Not sure if this has been fixed yet, but one was a D7000. There's better options in the price range for the D7000 anyway, IMO.
 
Quote:

I have the same dilemma, same cans, and right now I'm heavily leaning towards the Schiit Lyr. I love the tube sound and want to play with rolling a bit, and it doesn't hurt that the Lyr can drive any pair of HPs in the world with ease. Otherwise, I'd strongly consider the Maverick TubeMagic A1. I'm using my Integra RDC-7.1 (great pre/pro but has mediocre HF output) as a preamp/DAC so I've got that covered. I have the E9 but don't really like the way it sounds with the D7000s, seems like it sucks some of the life out of them, from my perspective.

 
 

 

[Taowolf51]

Really? The E9 isn't something I'd expect to be good with the D7000's.
 
I have an iStreamer somewhere around here, though I have no idea if it'd just work as a DAC for my computer, or if it only works as a DAC for an iPod.
 
Would you guys recommend getting the DAC and amp at the same time with the $200 or so I have now, or should I go for higher end gear, and get an amp now, and a DAC later. I don't really want to have to upgrade to a new DAC and amp in the future.
 
Oh, and apologies, I'm woefully undereducated when it comes to amps and DACs.

 

[MorbidToaster]

The D7000 is really easy to power so you get a lot of options. I find that it's more about synergy for these headphones. The E9 just happens to sound good and be within your price range.
 
The D100 is a unit that could easily be the last DAC you ever buy, and the Amp is fantastic for the D7000.
 
I think you've got the right idea getting a big upgrade instead of 2 little ones, but I also think a good DAC would be more important than a good Amp for the D7000 right away.
 
Quote:

Really? The E9 isn't something I'd expect to be good with the D7000's.
 
I have an iStreamer somewhere around here, though I have no idea if it'd just work as a DAC for my computer, or if it only works as a DAC for an iPod.
 
Would you guys recommend getting the DAC and amp at the same time with the $200 or so I have now, or should I go for higher end gear, and get an amp now, and a DAC later. I don't really want to have to upgrade to a new DAC and amp in the future.
 
Oh, and apologies, I'm woefully undereducated when it comes to amps and DACs.

 
 

 

[Magick Man]

Careful with tubes on the D7000. They can really bloat the bass due to the general warm signature they give off.

I'd also be careful with the Lyr. It's been reported as blowing drivers in low impedance dynamics. Not sure if this has been fixed yet, but one was a D7000. There's better options in the price range for the D7000 anyway, IMO.

Well, that sucks, I thought I had it pretty well figured out. I'm currently running my D7000s on a HiFiMan EF2, which I've been told isn't the best thing for them since it has issues with sub-32 ohm cans. However, I do love the warm tube sound it produces and want something like it only "beefier". What about the TubeMagic A1?

 

[Taowolf51]

I found an ebay seller that sells the Yulong D100's for $368, but the shipping is about $45, so it's about $100 over, which is hard to justify, especially if I'm going to be getting it from china (worried about warranty issues) through ebay (ebay hasn't gained my full trust yet). Is there any place in the US that possibly sells it for a decent price?
Perhaps is there anything that melds well with the D7000's that is somewhere between the quality of the E9 and the D100's?
 
If I ran into a free extra $100, I'd probably spring for the D100's if I get a few people saying they're good with the D7000's. Might look to see if I can sell some stuff, haha.

 

[jronan2]

MSII+ or Dacport LX with either a Fiio E9, Asgard, or Matrix M-Stage is probably the best you will do within a budget. The D100 is one hell of a set up but I find it too bright for the D7000, but absolutely perfect for something like an LCD 2 being a touch on the bright side of neutral in terms of other dacs. Music Streamer II+ has gotten me better results, and you can really go with whatever amp, I have the asgard, which I upgraded after a while with the E9, and heard the M-stage, both sound great with the D7000. I would get a quality dac that is affordable and really any solid state sounds great with the D7000. Don't be fooled by the price tag of a Fiio E9, even though it's cheap and doesn't sound the greatest with every single headphone out there, it has amazing synergy with the D7000 considering the price.

 

[Taowolf51]

The E7 never really felt like it had much power behind it, I'm guessing the E9 does better in that respect.
 
jronan2: Those two DACs seem to come in at about $300-$350, so they're a bit out of my budget (I can get the D100's for about that price, though if they are bright, they're not quite what I'm looking for).
 
Would you say, for instance, that the E9 and a MusicStreamer II (not +) and an E9 would be better than the NFB-12? What about an Asgard now and a (maybe) $300 DAC later?

 

[Magick Man]

Well, frak. Here's the word from Schiit:

It won't damage the D7000s if used properly, but we wouldn't recommend it for another simple reason: Lyr is a very high-gain amp, intended for inefficient orthodynamics and high-impedance headphones. It'll probably have too much residual noise for the insanely sensitive D7000s. We use Asgard ourselves with our D5000s, and it is a perfect match.

Jason Stoddard
Co-Founder

OP, there's an answer for ya though, go with the Schiit Asgard. I guess I'm still gonna search for a tube solution.

 

[Magick Man]

Screw it, I went ahead and ordered a HiFiMan EF5 from Amazon for $399, if I don't like it I can easily send it back. Plus it should be great with the HE-5LEs I'm planning on buying, or any other hard to drive cans I may get. With Prime goodness I should have it in my hands in a couple days.