[Unichu]

Hi,
I am a college student looking for an amp and dac to pair with my Focal Celestees. Since my desk space is rather limited, I am looking for either a small amp/dac combo unit or a small stack. I have made a small list of possible contenders and would like some advice on which one to go for, or other suggestions.

• Schiit magni and modi 3+
• Topping A50S and D50S
• iFi ZEN CAN stack
• iFi micro iDSD Black Label
• Luxury and Precision W2 amp/dac dongle
• JDS Labs Element II

I am aware that these range from $198 to $599 and am willing to spend on the Black Label if it really is worth the extra near $400 over the schiit stack.
Thanks, Uni

 

[rlanger]

I can't say how it would match with the Celestees, but you might also want to consider an XDuoo amp / dac combo.

The unit I have sounds great, has a nice bass boost feature, puts out 500 mW of power and can be switched between battery power or powered by USB. And it's really cheap at only $150.

Another unit might want to consider is the Chord Mojo. While it's already 6 years old or so, it's still one of the best sounding dac/amp combos for around $500 although you could probably find a used unit for $300 or less.

 

[lrlebron]

You should also consider the ifi hip-dac for $149. I am happy with mine.

 

[kism]

The Zen DAC is probably all you really need to power those louder than you could ever want.

 

[silent-circuit]

A50s/D50S gets my vote unless you really need / want a portable setup.