I have no faith in the O2/Odac combo or the GO, what I would consider as a decent good set up (slightly north of 1000$) is the Mjolnir amp with at least a DAC such as the Pioneer U-05 -/- Denon DA 300 -/- Teac UD-301.

As an integrated solution the latest from Grace (m920) and Benchmark (Dac2) are not bad at all (and definitely better than the earlier series), though they will not drive with ease certain planars.

hello,

i'm somewhat confused as to why you feel this wasn't addressed.

my entry level combo = $466USD without S&H or taxes.

mid-level combo = $1,266 without S&H or taxes.

if i'm missing something, please advise.

I find it hard to believe that your entry set up would satisfy somewhat snobbier readers, and your mid-level set up ($1,300) costs too much for an ordinary guy who wants to write reviews. Is there nothing in between?

Several good recommendations have been offered so far. I hope for more.

On the contrary, your good--it's an interesting idea. Thanks!

I really think we should forget the M2U/M2U idea because of snobby readers.

So your recommendation is Bifrost Uber-Uber and Asgard 2 ($768 + tx, &c. = ~$850). OK, that's plausible.

I wonder if ODAC or Modi 2U and Asgard 2 (~$450) would be good enough for the snobs. Doubtful. I think people want to see that the reviewer has made a substantial enough investment in his system.

Budget setup... I wonder if anyone still uses the headphone socket on their hifi integrated amplifier?

Yep, I know, being a specialist ear-fi community, that is probably going to far, and they are all going to be different, so a benchmark is hard if not impossible. However, many people would like to have good headphones without spending more money on ancillary equipment.

By the way: I blame my integrated amp (Cyrus) for getting me started on all this stuff. It was an internet-down night  in which I unplugged my 'phones from the PC interface (Echo Audiofire) and carried them over to the hifi, only to experience an immediate, "wow: these phones are capable of so much more than I thought!"

I definitely still do - but mainly because I am supremely poor at the moment. 

I'll have to get the specs on the exact model and year of the receiver I'm using, but if y'all feel like having a heart attack, this is what I did in college, not only for 'critical listening' (lulz) but for 'mixing' as well:

Old Mac Laptop Line Out > AUX on Old (specs when I get home) Receiver > Headphone Out to (600ohm!) K240 and/or some old Mirage bookshelf speakers.

Annnnd... that's what I use to this day.
So...

Hi All,
Love this discussion.

One thing I believe that is not being discussed, are those of us who are spaced challenged. What I mean is, because of work commitments we are constrained to live in very small spaces that are affordable and close to our work, and we are subject to moving every six months to a year.

I know the nature of this endeavor is scaled much smaller than a normal home stereo system, but things can get out of hand. Nature abhors a vacuum. I think a road warrior setup based around ease of use, customer service, reliability, durability and flexibility with choice of headphones, would be welcomed.

I am not interested in any portable gear. When I go out I don’t have a laptop, tablet or whatever. I do set my phone to vibrate and don’t own earbuds. I use the time away from my desk or work environment to disconnect and connect to the physical world around me. When I’m at my desk at home I want the best possible music within my constraints for space and money. I have no need for a portable or permanent setup at my work.

The one thing I would love to change up are the headphones. Having an amp able to drive a broad range of HPs at their proper levels would be really nice.

Thoughts??