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Headphone amp and dac advice needed

Here's what's happening.

After almost 3 years of working from home where my main system is in my office, I'll be going back to the office in January.  I have a pair of Audio Technica Bluetooth headphones I used with my phone.  Sound wasn't great, but it worked for background music.

Now that I've been spoiled by great sound for almost 3 years, I want something better, so I'm looking for a good desktop dac and headphone amp (or combo unit).  I'd like to keep it under @1K US as I'm also going to consider a new set of wired headphones.  I already have a set of Grados, but I'm intrigued by the planar magnetic phones out there now.  I'd also like to have the option of using Bluetooth headphones for when I'm moving about the office.

Nice to have for the dac:  Bluetooth input, balanced line out.

Nice to have for the headphone amp:  Balanced input, balanced and se headphone outs, Bluetooth transmitter.

 

I have a little experience with dacs, but no real experience with headphone amps.  Thanks in advance for any guidance you might be able to provide.

vinylzone
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bob52r
44 posts
 

PS balanced cable is apos imported from China. We made

Higher purity single crystal cooper w/4.4mm pent balanced connector.this needed a very long breakin maybe 100 hours. Apos took 3 weeks to deliver and communication and tracking is a bit off, but ok. A nice product which greatly improved the stock hifiman unbalanced cable. The apos is also more attractive and more pleasant to handle.

I have no first hand experience with higher quality 

Fancy cables -- not in my budget nor personal experience. 

 

I was working with a $1k budget with a goal of flexible portal system with very fine sound and some natural sound stage.

I prefer to leave off the ifi cross talk. The Anadarko sounds better without the special effects. 

soix
8,703 posts
 

I think these have everything you’re looking for except Bluetooth…


AMP

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649889283-singxer-sa-1-headphone-amp-preamp/
 

DAC

https://smile.amazon.com/Musician-Draco-Entry-Level-Decoder-DSD1024/dp/B096S6HBQY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=SSVXKWBLJKL6&keywords=musician+draco+r2r+dac&qid=1666475457&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjc0IiwicXNhIjoiMC44OCIsInFzcCI6IjAuOTIifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=Musician+draco%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.2b70bf2b-6730-4ccf-ab97-eb60747b8daf

Or…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649905783-denafrips-ares-2/


HEADPHONES

https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/open-box.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0_yQk-z0-gIVxtzICh0jFAW0EAAYASADEgK8EfD_BwE

CABLES

https://www.lavricables.com/line/reference/

marco1's avatar
marco1
496 posts
 

Take a look at the Schiit offerings.  Both their headphone amps and DAC's are hard to beat for the price.

audibleguy
147 posts
 

I will also give a heads up to the Rogue RH-5 headphone amp and can double as a preamp. It drives all types of headphones with ease and sounds real nice on all types. It has 2 tubes and can be tube rolled to customize the sound. Using some NOS RCA clear top 12AU7's with it now.

loomisjohnson
1,903 posts
 

smsl su-9 and sh-9 dac/amp combo--great

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