Portable amp+dac/dap for the Argon MK3

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories Portable DAC/AMPs & Dongles
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Hey there,
I’ve ordered the Argon MK3’s a while ago and they should arrive at some point in May (can’t wait!!). I’ve been looking for something portable to drive them for when I’m on the go, but I am not really sure about what to get.
I’m getting the balanced modification, so going balanced is an option.
What I’d really like to have is Bluetooth functionality (with pause/next/previous track buttons) and USB-C, although I could live with micro USB if it has other features that make up for it. Ideally it would be less than $300, but if there’s something real nice out there, I would be willing to spend $400-$450.

What I’ve looked at so far is the Xduoo XD-05 plus with the bluetooth module, the Fiio Q5S, the Fiio M11 and the Pioneer XDP-300R.
I have pretty much already decided to get the Xduuo, but I’ve recently fell in love with the Pioneer dap (I don’t even know if it could power the Argons proberly), so I just wanted to get some opinions, maybe some other devices I haven’t really considered or simply don’t know about.
A little note: I live in the EU, so a lot of things are sadly “out of reach” for me, as import fees for pricey devices are insanely high.

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This would be my pick imo, it has the most juice for the argons. I think if you wanted a dap, the hiby r5 has a surprising amount of power and featues, but personally I would prefer the xduoo.

If you didn’t need the Bluetooth, the ifi idsd micro (or micro Black label if budget allows) would be my top pick for the argons, crazy amount of power and quality, but no Bluetooth

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Both Ifi’s are over budget by quite a lot here, sadly. I guess it really would make the most sense to go with the Xduoo, as it also is the cheapest of the bunch.
Thanks for your suggestions though!

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Have you checked the used market? You can sometimes find them for around 400 euro used

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I haven’t thought about that, I’ll definitely check!

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Just look around on here, also some of the head fi links say us, but they are actually Euro at times

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I agree with MON regarding the iFi Micro, crazy power and the Dual-Core Burr-Brown native DSD/PCM chipset takes care of the sound,
I managed to snag a mint silver version off Ebay UK for the equivalent of 290 EUR so they are out there :+1:

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I would recommend trying to find a used ifi Micro IDSD Black Label. It may be on the large side for portable, but the power is incredible with it.

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Alright, looks like I’ll try to find a good used ifi Micro IDSD Black Label then, I’ll check if I can get one next month maybe. Thanks guys!