Buying new Hi Fi amp for Laptop setup, but which one?

[admin_exported]

Hi to all on the forum! Firstly apologies if this has already been brought up recently on the forums. My question is this...

I am looking to expand my Laptop setup in the considerable future, so I am currently looking at different options to get the best from my music collection.

My current setup.... Macbook Pro, from which I have connected a Beresford Caiman+ DAC via Toslink optical cable. Most of my music listening at the moment is done through a pair of Sennheiser HD555's via the DAC's built in headphone amp. I am extremely happy with the sound quality and setup, but I am considering adding a pair of speakers in the future so I have the best of both worlds, but the question is which amp would be most suitable to pair with the DAC? Also is there an amp with a better intergrated Phone out?

The speakers I am looking at getting would be the Monitor Audio's BX2's, but of course any other recommendations are most welcome. Amps I have been looking at too have been...

Marantz PM6003,

Rotel RA-04,

NAD C316BEE,

I have read good reviews from all above, but are any of these amps any good for their price or is there better out there? My price range can be stretch to about £400-500 for an amp. Also would a power amp be better than one which is integrated? Setup would eventually consist of...

Laptop > Beresford Caiman+ DAC > Amp > Speakers

Any suggestions or advice will be more than welcome

Thanx.

 

[bay24]

If you don't mind going second hand a peachtree nova could probably be got for around your budget, has amp dac and good headphone amp all in one so you could sell your dac to help find speakers! If you deffinately want to keep your dac I would think about second hand amps as you would get much more for your money!

 

[Overdose]

Mackie HR824 MkI monitors would fit the bill under budget if you look around for a clean used pair. These are active monitors and have around 250WPC of amplification built in. Just plug the Caiman directly into these and you're away.