Best "bang for the buck" DAC + AMP for $500?

[sebastiaaan]

Hi there,
so I'm just trying to get into this scene and want a decent audio setup. I plan to buy some Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro's (250 Ohms) but I'm still gonna use my TYGR 300 R's (32 Ohms) as well as my MMX 300 (DT 770 with a mic).
I want to be as future-proof as possible with my setup so it should be able to handle 600 Ohm headphones just fine. What I don't really understand is if I should invest more in a good AMP or a good DAC? I'm mainly listening on my PC to Tidal Hi-Fi as well as FLACs. I've seen that Topping's products are very well received but I'm open to anything!
What's important to me is that I need an amplifier with a low output impedance since I will be running some low impedance headphones on it aswell.
My budget is around $500, I've seen some DAC + AMP combo's but I figured seperate devices would be a better choice, right?

I'm not too familiar with all the features (especially the XLR outputs) since I'll probably only need a headphone jack (3.5mm or 6.35mm). I'm also confused about "balanced" outputs as well as pre-amps.
I've heard the Topping A30 Pro is a good choice for an AMP, also the S.M.S.L SH-9 seems to be great. I just don't know if the price difference justifies it, and if one "sounds better" or is just equipped with more features.
Would a A30 Pro + E30 be a good combo? As I said I don't know if I should invest more in a DAC or an AMP.
Or an A50S as AMP?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[twsecrest]

Unless you have a receiver or tube headphone amplifier, there is really no good enough reason for getting 600-Ohm headphones.
When there are other headphones that are just as good, but require less voltage.
Audio-GD NFB-11.28 DAC/amp is one DAC/amp to check out.
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/N11.28PE/NFB1128PEN.htm
Schiit Asgard with Modi DAC.
https://www.schiit.com/products
Topping DX7s, nice unit, for me worked well for several months, but USB is flaky and one (balanced) headphone channel does not work.
Still have to ship it out for warranty fix.

 

[AnalogSteph]

OP, where are you located? There are some differences in availability worldwide.

Generally speaking you don't even have to spend that much for good levels even into 600 ohm cans - the usual 100-140$ suspects among amplifiers should have you covered. If you don't care about looks or fancy build all that much, you can plug one of these into a good onboard audio output (if your source is a PC) and have something that does a good job even if it's not terribly glamourous.

If you insist on having an amplifier with enough power to fry 600 ohm cans if need be, the trusty Lake People G103-S is one of the least expensive options that has you covered (up to 530 mW, and a maximum of 1.13 W into 50 ohms), and with its chip amp originally designed for speaker duties should be near indestructible as well.

With an extra amp a lot will do as a DAC, it doesn't necessarily have to be all that expensive if you are mostly after audible transparency rather than ultimate measured perfection.

You can always spend more on a fancier, more elegant and luxurious solution, but it's useful to establish the required minimum first.

 

[Chazz6]

You might look at the Yamaha A-S501 integrated amplifier. It has optical inputs and a DAC inside. I take the stream off my PC via wifi into an Audioengine B-Fi, which has both optical and line outputs. I bought these two - the Yamaha used - for about $100 over your budget. See the attached specs page from the Yamaha manual for speaker and phone output ratings.

 

[heavyheadbanger]

Topping DX7 Pro is a very good amp dac combo

 

[Berwhale]

My budget is around $500, I've seen some DAC + AMP combo's but I figured seperate devices would be a better choice, right?

It depends on your requirements. There are some very good combined units and you do save on cables and power supplies. I have the separate Topping D50s/A50s/P50 (DAC, HP Amp, PSU) stack at the moment, but am considering moving to a comibned unit to gain balanced inputs and outputs for my monitor speakers to fix a ground loop (hum) issue. The Topping EX5 may be a good canditate (for both me and you) depending on how much it is and how well it measures (likely to be good given pedigree) when it comes out.

(2) Topping EX5 | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

 

[VanO]

I'm using an ifi Zen Signature DAC for my 2.1 system. It's a great DAC. Paired with the Zen CAN Signature 6xx headphone amp looks like would be an impressive pair. 1600mW (7.2V) into 32 ohms from the single-ended output, with 15V+ available to loads of 300 ohms or more through the balanced output. You can get the pair for about $550. ifi also includes good low-noise power supplies. https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-signature-set/