Now that I have a basic understanding of good separate dac/amp combinations. How do you think dac/amp combo ones like the ifi nano bl, dx3 pro, mayflower arc, and the aune x1s would compare? Just want to keep learning, appreciate anyone who responds 
Combos are good when you need to save space or for portability. But in desktop units usually either the amp or the DAC is a second thought in the design. You get a good DAC with an ok amp, or a good amp with an ok DAC.
I understand that, I more meant how the combos I listed compared to each other haha
Well the ifi nano bl is great for portable usage, and while it lacks in output power, it has lots of features and great sound quality.
The Mayflower ark is great if you need a microphone input, but personally I would suggest the dx3 pro instead because of the better quality in that regard
The aune is also great and is very clean with a nice design. I would say it’s about equal to the dx3 pro regarding dac quality and is slightly cleaner regarding the headphone amp, but the DX3 pro is more powerful.
I’m also adding in the fiio q5s. It is a higher end portable dac/amp but I would say it’s currently the best value for a portable dac/amp with desktop level quality
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That was exactly what I was looking for, thanks for all that information, appreciate you helping me out and providing simple but useful information
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Sorry guys but I’ve got 2 more questions before I let y’all be. Do any of you have opinions on the massdrop x grace design standard dac? Also the atom would probably be better than the liquid spark for me since my headphones I currently have are already warmer sounding?
I think the grace sdac was good when it was released, but imo has fallen behind with the influx of cheaper and better Chinese dac’s. And I think the balanced grace sdac is mostly marketing rather then a good balanced dac to add on that. If you already have warmer sounding headphones and don’t want to increase that warmth, the atom is very transparent and won’t add to the sound
Yeah I figured, awesome. Alright I lied, what do you think about the new xDuoo xd05 plus that just dropped compared to the other combo dac/amps from earlier?
I mean, I do think it’s going to be pretty great at that price, I liked the older non plus version slot, and the new plus version looks pretty awesome. I still think that the atom and the d10 is going to have a slight edge in sound quality, but with the features the plus has, I think if you care about portable even the slightest, it would be the way to go.
Well I haven’t even considered using a dac/amp on the go, with my phone or anything like that. Like I said I’m really new to this whole thing, I don’t even know where to go to download good quality music that will utilize anything I buy 
I honestly don’t even know if it’s worth getting a decent dac/amp right now since I’m mostly gaming on my PC right now. So I don’t know if I should get something cheap like the syba sonic, or gamer focused like the gsx 1000 for now until I upgrade my headphones and become more knowledgeable about everything
I mean if what your using works fine right now, I personally wouldn’t change it unless you need features for want new headphones. Headphones are going to make the biggest difference, so I would recommend saving up and getting a nice pair of headphones, and then worry about the dac/amp situation. For what you are willing to spend for your dac/amp you can get some killer headphones that would make a larger difference then a new dac/amp
There’s so many ways to get high quality music. I would just look around for what would work for you the best. There’s physical CDs or other media, digital downloads, streaming, many things to consider
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Which one do you have LDAC or APTX
Old version or new vision dx 3 pro …this can power argons mk3