Denon d2000 and Compass or EF2

[Takashi]

Which pairs better with the Denon d2000 in your guys' opinions, The Hifiman EF2? or the Audio-Gd Compass. I have no amp or dac, so these will serve as both amp and dac for me driving out of a macbook pro. Which do you guys recommend? Thanks for any help.

[Sherwood]

The compass I last heard sounded pretty good with the HD 650s, and I imagine it would handle the Denon very nicely. I didn't love the EF1, so I haven't given the EF2 a very fair shake.

[Fungi]

Pico

[morphsci]

Pico

Ditto

[Takashi]

The pico is just outside my price range, unless it has much better/noticable performance over the compass or EF2. Any opinions on all please?

[HeadphoneAddict]

The pico is just outside my price range, unless it has much better/noticable performance over the compass or EF2. Any opinions on all please?

Well, with D2000 the Pico is going to be more detailed and spacious and still have great power for the low impedance phones, this is regardless of whether you use the built-in DAC or not. The Pico's DAC is one of the best USB DAC for under $700, and you can successfully use the Pico DAC/amp as a DAC/preamp to feed a desktop amp later and still sound excellent (I used mine for a year to feed my Woo GES).

But the EF2 for 40% of the cost of the Pico is still pretty darn good, and is more powerful for the HD600 if you ever get a pair of those too. The EF2 is also warmer sounding, so you have to decide if you would take a less detailed but very musical sound over superior definition and soundstage for 2.5x the cost.

All of this is with using a re-cabled woodied D2000 on them, and I can't say which is better for a stock D2000. I might guess the EF2 would fill in the mids a little better on a stock D2000 if you upgrade the stock tubes (my Raytheon 6AK5 have fuller richer mids).

[morphsci]

The pico is just outside my price range, unless it has much better/noticable performance over the compass or EF2. Any opinions on all please?

Used Pico w DAC

[K3cT]

A friend has both Compass and Pico and according to him, they are about equal using the USB inputs. The Compass sounded really good though with my old modded D2000 which fits the popular consensus that the Denon mates very well with SS amplification.

I suppose the Compass is more versatile with its myriads of input options and the ability to tune the sound with jumpers and op-amps while the Pico is more practical with its small size and portability.