So, they sound fine with higher end amps, but they aren’t endgame. This isn’t me trying to discourage people from buying them, but just noting that some higher end amps can drive higher end headphones to a better sound. @Onaha and I discussed this somewhere lol but I can’t find it atm. It’s great for most midrange to higher end headphones, but you may notice with higher end headphones that they can sound pretty lacking on thx stuff and better on a higher quality amps
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Thanks, that’s definitely something to consider if I ever moving up the ladder.
Dang lol I wish I could find that post as he did a really good job of summing it up
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This would be my dac/amp choice! With a $1500 budget I’d add a Xduoo TA-20 with Genalex Gold Lion tubes, XLR switch, then find headphones that suit you.
I tend to get a little off topic, so I also couldn’t find it under the threads it seemed like it should have been in. I remember that my general idea was that Zeos tended not to like the high end headphones (Utopia, LCD4, Verites, etc), and that was probably because he was only using the 789 to drive them.
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Ah yeah that was it lol. It we started talking about how z didn’t like the clear, and you bought up how the clear sounds a fair bit better on a higher end amp than the thx vs the elex. And then it went from there
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Right. I think it’s still decent on the 789, but that’s about the threshold for what the 789 can do well. I don’t know if you could make a blanket statement that it’s fine on headphones up to $1500, as I’m sure there would be exceptions, but it’s probably a pretty good ballpark of its capabilities.
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I would say that if you have a headphone in the 1.5-2k range you might want to consider a higher end amp (perhaps with some small exceptions). I think the thx stuff is good if you have multiple sub1k headphones, but above that I feel that you aren’t getting the fullest out of your higher end headphones
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This advice is worth exactly what you paid for it…here i go: 
Tubes, not a good place to start, you can easily drop hundreds playing with tube combos and scouring (literally) the world over looking for the tube that gives you a sound you absolutely adore. (you will have NO real idea what it sounds like until it is on your EXACT set-up, unless you are REALLY well versed and experienced) Ugh, seriously don’t start with a tube. (If you do just go into the deep end and don’t mess with anything under $1.5K if you really want to be a bad-ass beginner.)
Solid state- Just listen to what Mon (and others) recommend based on the current desires you have expressed here. I have a $100 amp sitting along side a $1000 amp sitting along side a $3000 amp. I can tell you I absolutely adore each one and for different reasons and with different set-ups. Having flat out stated this, I would recommend you start with a moderately priced solid state amp and enjoy it for a while, while you further flesh out your desires and continue to grow into the hobby.
It takes time to tune your ears and refine your tastes and each one of us has different personal preferences AND you will take time to figure out and understand what system synergy has to do with gear and the sound. If you get serious about this stuff you can always gift the cheap stuff to someone you like and get into some serious toys with knowledge and experience in hand based on YOUR now established preferences.
I hope you enjoy your foray into the world of head-fi gear, welcome to the forum and I wish you much fun and happiness spending your money.
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Annnnd i spent a few minutes just staring really really hard at all the equipment surrounding me in my “lair of listening pleasure”, or as my girlfriend likes to affectionately call it, “The fucking man boy geek cave”. Anyway, if i could go back and do it all over again I would start with the Koss 95x electrostatic headphones currently being blown out by drop for a ridiculously good value price of $400 ( https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-koss-esp-95x-electrostatic-system ) with the SMSL SU8 VS2 DAC which will hold it own for a long while and provide you versatility in any direction you go next. Well within and below your budget and I DARE any of you yahoos to say this is a horrible combo 
But seriously listen to @M0N he hasn’t steered me wrong yet.
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