We used to have earbuds that don't need to be charged because they had a headphone jack, didn't get lost so easily because they had a cord attached to a headphone jack, never lost the bluetooth connection because they had a headphone jack, and they cost less because they had a headphone jack. https://bsky.app/profile/daisyfm.bsky.social/post/3l3mfjc6sn62k
Agreed with the not needing to spend the money. I just got a DAC with the same brands amp, and it's great. Is it that much better than the audio interface option? Probably not, but I haven't done a blind comparison. I just am happy with the sound, and it didn't cost 1000s of dollars (was a few hundred I think, but again. I was comfortable spending the money).
But yes, as you mentioned, don't buy a DAC or DAC/amp if you can't easily spend the money on one. Good headphones will make the most difference (at least I think, I'm not an audio engineer). Don't spend more than you can afford to. Audio quality isn't worth it.
Get nice headphones, I dont know good in ear headphone models to recommend off the top of my head but for over the ear headphones a used/refurbished sony XM3 or XM4 is a FANTASTIC way to spend $80-$160 on your love of music listening and nice comfy all day wear bluetooth headphones like these will pay for themselves after only a couple miserable airplane flights or travel trips involving loud public spaces you have to take.
As much as I just shit on "boutique" DACs for being all the same basically, there definitely very real differences in headphones between the bottom of the headphone market, branded "cool" headphones like beats and ACTUAL music enthusiast headphones like headphones from Audiotechnica or nicer Sonys or gestures at overwhelming number of options.
Just make sure the headphones you get are "efficient", as in the decibels in volume they put out vs how much energy is put into them by the DAC/amplifier is a big ratio, that means your run of the mill DAC will be able to amplify your headphones to as loud as you want with audiophile quality :) .
If you want just that little bit more of audio quality in your bluetooth headphones (with not quite as good noise cancelling as Sonys) go for the Shure Aonic 50s. Damn they reallly really sound wonderful are very comfortable to wear for hours and hours.
Both models of headphones I mentioned have 1/8th inch headphone jacks and can be used without bluetooth, which in my opinion is a baselevel requirement for nice bluetooth headphones if JUST for the fact that it demonstrates more than anything else that the headphone manufacturer actually gives a shit about audio quality. I also dont trust bluetooth not to randomly shit the bed too lol (also like come on, how much does it cost to put a freakin headphone jack in a device these days, they are a literal commodity, it is always worth the couple extra cents in my opinion).
Thanks for the advice. I will definitely use this when buying some in-ear ones. I'm just using some open back Sennheiser ones for work with the DAC/amp. I like them.