Ive never used a DAC/Headphone amp of the type most audiophiles use. I come from a home recording perspective and use M-Audio Bx5a powered monitors and SURE SE315 IEMs with a Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 FW400 interface. Im currently using the DAC/AMP built into the unit for my IEMs. Any suggestions/opinions on weather it would be beneficial to invest in a quality DAC/AMP or would it just be redundant and usless all together?
I have a Focusrite Scarlet Solo for recording, and I've noticed it actually has a fairly decent amp/dac for what it is. It sounds on par with a lot of sub $100 amp/dacs I've heard. Runs my HD598s perfectly fine. Of course it's not as neutral or clear as say a modi/magni stack or an O2/ODAC, but it is very usable for lower impedance cans. I imagine the Pro 14 is at least similar if not better.
The SURE SE315s look to be 27 ohm, so the Focusrite has more than enough power to run them. The only benefit I would see from getting a dedicated amp/dac would be a cleaner and more accurate sound, and maybe a pre-amp out for your monitors if you go with something like the Magni2 Uber amp (paired with the Modi dac of course). Though, you're looking at something in the $200-$250 range to see an improvement.
So, if that kind of improvement is worth $250 to you, then I'd say go for it. If you're happy with your setup as is, then I wouldn't worry about it.
I was using a set of AT M50's with it for a while but they didn't have the clarity on my Saffire like they did on a Behringer dedicated headphone amp at my church. I cant remember the model of the amp but it was a 1U with up to 4 headphone outs on it. I did enjoy the M50's while I had them as I was borrowing them from a friend.
I do like my SE315s but they are more suited to live performance or long uninterrupted sessions. Cans are easier to take off when I'm just tooling in the studio or if my wife or son need my attention. I would like some nice cans and I know, from what Barnacules and Logan and other tech reviewers have said, that its almost a must to have a good amp to get the full potential out of better cans. $250 sounds more like an AMP + Cans budget for me. Is that possible?
Sure, it's doable. Though, without actually hearing the audio from your Saffire I can't guarantee you will get better clarity. You could pair the AT M50s (which are running around $140 at amazon) with something like the Fiio E07k for around $230:
The E07k will PROBABLY give you better fidelity, but it still produces a somewhat colored sound. Dark and somewhat warm is the best description I can give. It also gives you the option to go portable as well.
Or, you could pair the AT M50s with something like the CMOY amp and a Sabre USB dac for around $240:
http://www.jdslabs.com/products/1/cmoybb-v2-03-headphone-amplifier/
Again, you get the option to go portable with the CMOYBB, if you want. And again, this will probably give you better fidelity than the Focusrite. It's been a while since I've heard a CMOY, but iirc, it's fairly neutral, maybe a tad warm. I've not personally heard that Dac though, but I hear its a good, relatively neutral option at the price. And I have heard other DACs with the same chip and they sounded perfectly fine.
There's plenty of other budget options out there as well that may do what you want. Though, if you can save a little more, the Schitt stack (modi/magni) or the O2/ODAC combo will give you the best bang for your buck improvement over your existing setup.