[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
Hey Head-Fi,
 
I'VE DECIDED TO UP MY BUDGET TO $800, AS I'VE BEEN CONSIDERING THE HIFIMAN HE-4+EF5 COMBO
 
 
In April I'll get some money due to my 18th birthday, and I really want a good home rig, as I can never hear music on my speakers. 
I want a pair of full-size headphones, an Amp and a DAC. The Amp and DAC may be a combo, but it isn't necessary.
I listen to a lot of different music. I'd primarily say rock, but it can't be a Grado as I already have SR60i's, and they really only work great with rock. 
I also listen to some hip hop, some pop, quite a lot of acoustic music and a lot more. 
 
I'm looking for something that has deep bass, as in low frequencies, not as in "Hello, your ears are no longer working properly"-bass. 
 
I've had my eye on quite a lot of different things, but the more I read the more insecure I actually get, because there always seem to be a better alternative according to one person, but a completely different opinion from another.
 
I've looked at:
Headphones:
Haven't looked at too many headphones, as I really don't know what to go for. I've looked a little bit at the Beyer DT770/600 ohm though.
 
Amps:
Audio-GD NFB-12
Audio-GD Sparrow
Audio-GD FUN
Little Dot MK III
Audinst HUD-MX1
 
DAC's:
AUNE Mini DAC
Musiland Monitor 01 US
FiiO E7
 
Does anyone have any recommendations? Preferably complete rigs, but "part" rigs are also welcome, as long as there's still money left for the thing(s) missing.
 

 

[Eric_C]

I'm surprised you listed the E7 as DAC, but not E9 for amp.

 

[DanielofDenmark]

Only because I completely forgot about it.
 
How? I don't know.

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
Anyone else got any ideas?

 

[OldMold]

dt770/600ohm ($229)
nuforce uDac2 ($129 but $109 if you order from Crutchfield before the 28th of Feb with coupon code)
LD mk III ($239 new) Total = $577 - $597

or

dt770/600ohm ($229)
e7 and e9 combo ($199) Total = $428
 
Those are the first 2 combos that come to mind in that price range. There is also the Matrix M-stage amp if you want to go SS. All pricing is new.

 

[debitsohn]

ibasso pelican + boomslang + k70x

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
debitsohn:
That's going to be above my price range, unless some used gear comes along. Looks great though!
 
Thanks OldMold! I'll look into that combo.

 

[idletime1213]

HD 650 +E7/E9

 

[Currawong]

The problem is, cheap amps are not going to do well with deep bass.
 
My thoughts are: Start with an NFB-12 and a pair of cans that suit what you want to listen to.  Then later save up for a better amp and use the NFB-12 as a DAC, if you're so inclined.

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
That sounds very reasonable. 
Problem is, I'll soon be out of a job, so I doubt there will be money to upgrade any time in the near future. So I guess I'm looking for that "You got that much sound for ONLY $600?! What"-reaction. Which is also why I've been thinking a little bit about the Matrix M-Stage, as it seems like a very good bang for the buck. 

Thanks for all the suggestions so far - really got me thinking!

 

[matthewh133]

Go for the NFB-12 and some Ultrasone PRO 900s mate. You can get them for under $400 from buyauthorized on ebay. There's an offer tool, not sure what the lowest is but I'm sure it'd accept $350. They have excellent, deep bass and are a superb all rounder.

 

[sphinxvc]

My setup came to just a bit more than $600 retail.  But check out the FS forum, that's where everyone on a budget should start.
 

 

[ex0du5]

Maverick Audio D1
 
+
 
AKG K702
HD650
DT880/990
Ultrasone Pro 900
 
Your pick.
 
I haven't heard too many dacs/amps, so I put the Mav there. Great value for $200. The USB driver is questionable however, so I've been using optical.
 
I would not spend more than $200 on a dac/amp combo. Spending $400 on dac/amp and $200 on headphones is just silly.
 
 
Quote:

The problem is, cheap amps are not going to do well with deep bass.
 
My thoughts are: Start with an NFB-12 and a pair of cans that suit what you want to listen to.  Then later save up for a better amp and use the NFB-12 as a DAC, if you're so inclined.

My D1 has had zero problem driving the K702s with very extensive bass. Headphones like the Ultrasone Pro 900 are very easy to drive as well, and any cheap amp should do fairly well. Again, spending over half your budget on amping is silly. The majority of your budget should be headphones.An HD650 is going to sound 10x better than an HD555, no matter how well the HD555 is amped. 

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
I've been eyeing the Pro 900's quite a bit, but they sort of seem to be a little too "electronica"-minded according to some people, and some people disagree. I think I'll have to read some more about them. 
 
 
I'm pretty sure it won't be HD 650's because they're flipping expensive in Europe. 
Pretty much the same story with the AKG's. That, and apparently they're not that great with anything but classical music(?). Which is sort of a shame, because they are probably the prettiest pair of headphones I've ever seen!
The Beyer's I'm thinking about quite a lot, but it's always nice to hear that it's not the worst choice.
 
The Mav D1 is really great looking, and as far as I can tell, the specs are pretty good for the price.
Will definitely take it into consideration! 

 

[eucariote]

I'll re-post UncleEric's excellent reply to a similar thread asking about the best way to spend $1,200 on a rig.  Take off the $600 speakers and it will be in your price range.  I also listen to HD600 more than any other headphone I own, including RS-1 & D7000.
 
"$1,200?

I'd pick up the Magnepan MMG for $600 and spend $50 or so for an old receiver. $200 for a used Sennheiser HD-600, $300 for one of the new Dynalos, and whatever is left for a modest DAC.

You'd get a pretty damn good intro to speakers and headphones."