one variant on my current rig works for under $500.

Luxman LV113 - $100

Apple Airport Express - $100

Grado SR225 - $145

HTD Level 3 bookshelf speakers - $125

leaves $30 for speaker and optical cables

Well my rig now is like

Emu 0404 USB - $120

m^3 w/ STEPS - $250

Grado SR225 w/ Woodies - $250

If I got the Grados used, I could have probably stayed under $600

Simply the the best deal in headphones... ever!

They do sound great for the money.

Mine would be SRD-7, SR-X Mk3 and a Trends t-amp.

Pico (w/ dac option) + whatever headphones you choose.

Pico (w/ dac option) + whatever headphones you choose.

Shiny white buds?

I always wanted to learn how to play violin

For under $500, I'd get a Sennheiser HD650 used and ALO twisty cable for audio limits or something.

For under $500, I'd get a Sennheiser HD650 used and ALO twisty cable for audio limits or something.

I'm not sure that'd come in under $500.

I'm not sure that'd come in under $500.

It would if I got the best deal ever on an HD650.

You'd have to get the 650's for about $100. That's what I'd do if I could find that deal!

I think that this one of the best threads concerning our hobby on the web.

Thanks for all your insights.

my thread ftw!!!

No-brainer: I'd simply use the Stax set-up I already have, SR-5 headphones, and modified SRA-3S energizer. Any cheap DVDp would do for a source. For $500 I could even include my Static Headroom unit, and my TDS unit. The rest of you can keep nasty computers.

Laz

My setup based around the Lambda:

Denon DA-500 dac

Stax SRD-7sb

Stax SR-Lambda

That doesn't leave much for the power or integrated amp though. I have only tried my Denon integrated ($500 used), but there is some real synergy in this system.

Capitoles don't like it when you call them nasty

I'm just sour grape-ing because the drive died in my iMac, and I had to fall back on another source for my man-cave system. I have a line on a CDRW drive however - FOR FREE.

Laz

hey all,

been lurking around this place for a while and thought i'd create an account. really enjoyed this thread, despite it being very old now.

would anyone care to update what they'd do for $500 now days? If not, and i've overstepped the bounds of a newbie let the troll begin! i'll shut up and get back to lurking if that's the case. Yes i've read the welcome pm, and yes i'm a noob.

cheers.

Same as post 96. Though I'd see about squeezing in an Assemblage DAC2 or Transdac instead of the Denon.

My jh13s and iPhone. Total cost: $0, as I already own both

My jh13s and iPhone. Total cost: $0, as I already own both

Agreed.

Used GLite w/ elpac + used PicoDAC and whatever dynamics I can scrounge.

Necrophilia in action here, resurrecting an old thread, eh?

I never jumped into this one before, but thought about it a little just now. I'd probably say:

SR-Lambda (which I much prefer over my similarly priced HD600 and other budget phones)

Marantz 2240 vintage amp with SRD-7 (or other vintage amp, although my 15w Muse T-amp could work on a tighter budget)

Marantz CD5001 (this is a great bang for the buck, nicely transparent and detailed sound via RCA output)

I have about $600 in that rig. If the $500 budget is a brick wall then I use the cheaper amp.

Lol, love a bit of necrophilia, apparently around time I started med school, more stringent security measures were implemented due to staff misdeeds with some of the cadavers...

Thanks for the replies so far, vintage gear appears to be popular around here. More reading to do it seems

I got a good price on my Koss ESP-950, ~$300 used. So that plus a dac, maybe a AMB gamma2 or something.

SR Lambda

SRD 6

Squeezebox Touch