Hi everyone,
I am new to the HifiGuides Forums and just wanted to say hello. I am just getting into the world of audio and have a lot to learn. Looking forward to being part of the community and learning from you all.
I am currently having some trouble deciding between a few budget DAC/amp combos. Any recommendations for something solid under $150?
Thanks in advance and excited to be here.
Welcome Rocky
Thanks for your feedback.
Welcome, Rocky!
I recommend a used JDS Labs Atom, Atom+ or Atom 2 DAC/amp stack. Separate components, but you should be able to get the Atom or Atom+ DAC/amp stack for around $150. The Atom combo is around $225 new.
The Atom gear is simply designed and engineered with a ton of quality. The only focus is on enough power – 1 watt per channel at 32 ohms for the older Atoms, up to 2 WPC for the newer versions. That power is VERY clean, with no noticeable distortion, and it doesn’t color your music in any way.
I love my Atom+ stack. I’ve used it for every headphone and IEM I’ve owned – quite a few! – and it never has let me down.
Are you open to used as well as new? Plenty of deals to be had here and elsewhere in the classifieds! Plenty of stuff from Topping/SMSL/JDS Labs/Schiit that you can either get all-in-ones or mix n’ match to taste. Also worth asking, if you’re looking for an Amp, what are you driving? Iems, headphones, both? Are you looking for a lot of power, or a low noise floor as a priority? We can make a lot of generic recommendations but we can also guide you better once we know what you need (or want to be prepared for).
Edit: I can second @pk500 here; Atom stacks are fantastic, especially for the money!
Welcome! 
What do you want to drive with the DAC/AMP
Inears or ovearear Headphones?
FiiO K11 is a solid choice and perfect starter amp imho.
There is also an R2R version of it (with R2R DAC) with more power for just a bit more money.
Have fun exploring all the options
Welcome to the forum😊
Welcome to HFG
Here is some food for thought. I think that a dongle gives some flexibility that a desktop unit doesn’t. I have a desktop, but I like listen to music in other areas of my home, and a dongle lets you do that easily, since they can be used on any device.
My favorite is the Fiio KA17, and it can easily drive everything I own. They can be found somewhere around $140-170 depending on where you buy them. It has a desktop mode that when it has power hooked up ( it has a PD USB-C connector ), and can deliver lots of balanced power ( 650mW x 2 @32Ω ).
I started out using a BTR5, which is a dongle that has Bluetooth input as well as USB-C ( it was replaced with the BTR15 ). I bought it for use as an audio interface while working at home. It has a mic on the unit. I still think this might be the best value purchase I have made ( nearly 5 years ago ), and I am using it right now for a benefit meeting, so I can use it wireless, and drink coffee on the patio while it goes on … and on. The flexibility is really nice, and it does everything well.
I tend to think tubes are fun for a desktop setup, because the portable options are limited and usually more expensive. I have experimented with this a bit, but I am currently running Topping DX1 DAC into an xDuoo MT-602, and it gives me both solid state and tubes at my desktop, and runs about $200 for the setup. The solid state power is 280mW x 2 @32Ω, and the tubes run 1300mW @32Ω, which is absurd power.
The KA17 gets my vote too. In my opinion, there isn’t a single good desktop combo unit under around $1000 and the KA17 flat out beats any combo units I’ve ever heard in the sub $1000 price range, especially if you cater to the fact that it has size constraints and doesn’t have the best USB filtering and address it with something like an Altor ISOUSB211 USB isolator. There’s only a couple headphones on the planet it can’t power well and unless you’re going that route, it’s potentially a starting and stopping point for source gear until you’re ready to dump a few thousand on massive upgrades.
Thank you all so much for the warm welcome and the detailed suggestions ,really appreciate the thoughtful responses.
@pk500 and others who mentioned the JDS Labs Atom stack that definitely sounds like a strong contender, especially since I am prioritizing clean power and neutrality. I will start keeping an eye out for a used stack in the classifieds.
As for what I plan to drive mostly over ear headphones to start, but I do have a few IEMs as well, so having a low noise floor would be great. I’m not chasing extreme power right now but I do definitely like something that can handle most headphones comfortably as I start building out my collection.
The Fiio K11 and KA17 also sound super interesting, especially with the portability and flexibility. I hadn’t considered going the dongle route but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense for how I listen to music around the house and on the go. The KA17’s desktop mode and balanced output is a nice bonus too.
I will do some more reading on all these options, but now I’m leaning toward either the Atom+ stack or the KA17. You’ve all given me a lot to think about and I am excited to dive deeper into this world.
Thanks again for being so welcoming and helpful and glad to be here.