2. digital
  3. 174045-2992

Recomendation on a small DAC & Headphone amp for office desk

Well I can’t listen to my Directstream / PrimaLuna with my Focal Clear headphones anymore… too far away. So I need a DAC/Headphone amp at my desk.

What do you recommend?

Use case:

  • Sub $500 total for DAC/amp
  • USB to computer
  • Plays all (most?) formats (I will be using foobar and playing my library… been buying some HI Res and DSD)… if I had to give up a format, I would give up DSD as 98% of everything I own is PCM.
  • Audiophile sound… yea, no cht… but you know what I mean… most inexpensive stuff sounds dead to me… good equipment has that… um… well you know.
  • I just need a volume control and unbalanced out… will not power a system, no other interfaces needed in or out.
  • Used stuff is fine
  • NO Bluetooth or any other gimmicks
  • No other inputs needed, no preamp capabilities

I am looking at the usual suspect iFi Zen DAC V2 (not with their amp), maybe a Schiit… I dunno? I hate this mail order-only crap… dang I want to plug in and try ’em out!!!

BTW, I posted this same question over at PS Audio... I love their Directstream DAC and frequent their forums.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

bruce_philly

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
7,543 posts
 

While I have not heard the fireflies… my experiences with Woo has been terrific… they are so good at what they do, and tubes by them gets you real natural sound as well as detail and bass. I really think you are going to really like it, and long term be ready to move up their product lines… each step is amazing.

 

Enjoy.

ghdprentice
7,543 posts
 

Ok, just a bit of warning… I did this. From what you said… well sounds like me. You can see where I ended up (click on my user ID to see my headphone system).

 

It starts this way… then, well it doesn’t have the bass… or the detail.. you have excellent headphones, to get what you want out of them, it is going to require a great tube head amp… think Woo…WA6 or WA6SE.at least. A good DAC… and, well PCs are not good at streaming. But you can probably get by with it. Power conditioning, interconnects.

 

Watch out… for me… well it cost a lot.

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