[TechGamer]

So basically I am just getting into the Audiophile world... 
I own the Sennheiser IE80 and the the Sennheiser HD 558... And the Audio Technica ATH M50x... And few others from Bose and Beats (Older ones)
I like tight crisp bass which I can feel... Not overpowering though... 
And I like my music loud...!
So I decided to upgrade to something better than the ****ty sound output of my S4...
I was thinking if I should get a DAP or a Portable AMP + DAC... (I have heard that the Portable AMP + DAC is a better option as you get more for what you pay....)
After getting past that...
Which one? (Any suggestions would be appreciated)
My Budgets around $200... Do let me know if I should save and get a better one...!
I was thinking about the Fiio E17k Alpen 2, Fiio E07k, Fiio E17 for the AMP + DAC.. 
And as for the DAPs... I have NO IDEA...! 
 
Thanks a lot for your help! 

 

[H20Fidelity]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/743704/the-fiio-x3-2nd-gen-ex-x3k-x3ii-thread-192k-24b-cs4398-native-dsd-usb-dac-with-lo-and-inline-remote

 

[KT66]

DAP
 
do you really want all that stuff attached to your phone??
 
X3ii, DX50 or used Hisoundaudio Studio.

 

[TechGamer]

DAP

do you really want all that stuff attached to your phone??

X3ii, DX50 or used Hisoundaudio Studio.

If it is gives me better for what I pay and if it will last for a longer while(I mean it wouldn't go outdated like most DAPs...)
Definitely....
I wouldn't mind the extra stuff...

 

[bzippy]

in that budget range a decent combo DAC / amp unit will give you the best sound. i voted E17k. DAP's in this range have noticeably inferior internal amps relative to any decent portable amp, in my limited experience and also according to my reading on the topic. important: this assumes you can bypass both the DAC and the amp of the S4, and send the unmolested digital signal to the E17k -- you can, right? if that's not possible then nothing you do will make much difference when using the phone. in this case then you'd be looking at a DAP (like say FiiO X series) and sending that line out to some external portable amp (the phone is totally out of the picture).

 

[cehowardNote3]

  in that budget range a decent combo DAC / amp unit will give you the best sound. i voted E17k. DAP's in this range have noticeably inferior internal amps relative to any decent portable amp, in my limited experience and also according to my reading on the topic. important: this assumes you can bypass both the DAC and the amp of the S4, and send the unmolested digital signal to the E17k -- you can, right? if that's not possible then nothing you do will make much difference when using the phone. in this case then you'd be looking at a DAP (like say FiiO X series) and sending that line out to some external portable amp (the phone is totally out of the picture).

 
Just taking in much on this subject..I am just learning as I go along..
 
From reading your post, the  smartphone, or smartphone plus portable amp, cannot compete with a DAP?

 

[TechGamer]

Just taking in much on this subject..I am just learning as I go along..

From reading your post, the  smartphone, or smartphone plus portable amp, cannot compete with a DAP?

He means to say that a DAC + Amp combo with a smartphone provided you bypass the smartphones internal Audio equipment Beats any lower range DAP...

 

[argustimewas]

How about an iPhone paired with an Oppo HA-2 DAC/headphone amp?
 
Works well for me.

 

[bzzt]

  How about an iPhone paired with an Oppo HA-2 DAC/headphone amp?
 
Works well for me.

 
This is my planned set up. iPhone 6 + Oppo HA-2 to drive my Dunu DN-2000 and eventually Fidelio X2's/HiFiMan HE-400S (undecided yet).
Both Oppo and Fidelio's are not available locally here in the Philippines though 

 

[wirefriend]

Chord Mojo is an option too but it didn't pair well with my CIEMS (Adel A12). DX100 DAP was a bit better than phone+Mojo.

 

[TechGamer]

DAP

do you really want all that stuff attached to your phone??

X3ii, DX50 or used Hisoundaudio Studio.

Hey
Which one do you feel I should get?
X3 II or X5 2nd gen or dx90 or dx50 or the AK jr? Prices don't matter

 

[KT66]

If price and size doesn't matter then Hifiman HM-901s, if shape matters AK120ii
 
If price does matter a little bit and a great place to start DX90 or DX80- but now I'd get the 90
,80 owners probably have a few weeks of issues and updates ahead. 
The 90 is stable, works and sounds great.

 

[TechGamer]

If price and size doesn't matter then Hifiman HM-901s, if shape matters AK120ii

If price does matter a little bit and a great place to start DX90 or DX80- but now I'd get the 90
,80 owners probably have a few weeks of issues and updates ahead. 
The 90 is stable, works and sounds great.

Yeah I just found out about the new daps..
I might probably wait a bit for the fiio x7 to come out as well and then probably decide between the fiio x7 and the dx80s...the new ones look way better! And I don't want to buy something that has been discontinued by the company...
Thanks for your help dude,
Let me know if there are other good ones around 350 dollars...
Cheers!

 

[KT66]

I'm sure the X7 wil sound great, but the apps, WiFi etc put me off, it's more of a tablet than a pure music player, another reason why I prefer the HIFIMAN players

 

[ClieOS]

I'm sure the X7 wil sound great, but the apps, WiFi etc put me off, it's more of a tablet than a pure music player, another reason why I prefer the HIFIMAN players

You can say the same on A&K and iBasso, except the fact that they didn't let you choose how to use the DAP. I stick strictly to music mode on the X7 and didn't have wifi turn on at all, so it works just like a dedicate DAP. I think it is all in your mind.