Looks for Headphone Tube Amp


Hey everyone,

I’m not an audiophile, but I’m looking for help when it comes to finding a small tube amp for a pair of Meze 99 Classic closed back headphones. Something between $100 - $250, I mostly listen to indie, acoustic, pop, and hiphop

They don’t require much power to drive them--I could use them w/o an amp--but I’d love to have an amp simply to improve the sound quality as much as possible, within reason. Looking to use the headphones and amp for an iPhone and Macbook air.

Would love any suggestions and reasoning behind the suggestions.

Again, I’m not an audiophile, and know these aren’t audiophile quality headphones, but I like seeking the advice of experts!
whyistherenopie
@soix i hope it’s alright I keep running questions by you. If not, just lmk and I’ll stop blowing you up for advice haha

any RCA cables you’d recommend to connect the L30 & D30?

also, any USB to lightening male/male cables you’d recommend to connect D30 to a MacBook?
No prob whatsoever. I’m just hoping this all works out well as everyone’s tastes are unique.

Anyway, you’re probably gonna hate me for this, but to me cables matter like tires matter on a sports car — underspend and you can ruin the whole experience, so what’s the point? That said, if I’m you I get an Apple USB 3 adaptor ($30) and either an AudioQuest Cinnamon ($80) or DH Labs ($70) USB cable. And, to make it worse, I’d also strongly consider getting an iFi Purifier3 ($129) to insert between your computer and DAC because computers are very noisy sources for music and will degrade your listening experience. You can always return it if I’m a liar.

The only thing I’m not sure about is the USB 3 adaptor for the MacBook because I don’t use a MacBook, but you need a way to get from the Thunderbolt/Lightning port to USB and this is the only thing I know that does it unless there’s another/better option. Anyway, that’s my rabbit hole if you choose to jump in.
@soix i’m definitely going to jump in! This is all super helpful. I really appreciate your advice.

I was looking for a record system last year and tons of folks  had the same perspective on cables as you. Haha I think it simply means your opinion is in good company w me: I'm a believer in good cables after reading everyone's responses. I definitely want to invest in making this as nice as I can on my budget.

Slowly been assembling everything, i should be finished by the end of next week. I’ll keep you posted on how it all sounds when i've assembled It all! Thanks, again, for all your advice!
Yeah, don’t thank me til you’ve heard everything hooked up and run in a bit.  Realized I forgot to include interconnects — I think 0.5m Cullen Cable Copper Series RCA for $85 should work very well and hopefully not break the bank.  Look forward to hearing your impressions. 
@soix everything finally came in the mail. I havent been able to stop listening to music hahaha. For a budget headphone setup, I'm pretty stoked on everything I got, it's perfect for what I needed and exactly what I was hoping it would be. Thanks for steering me in the right direction, I love this setup!