JSantos

Guilt Machine- On This Perfect Day

That's a better recommendation. So... I'd really like to hear your take on this too. It'll be real useful if I'm needing to tweak some new equipment too!

It's possible that you might need a device-specific ASIO driver. ASIO4ALL is quite helpful in many cases but it can fail occasionally.

I agree. And not unless you're doing mixes, the stereo's subjective sound is all that matters.

I'm into Japanese-made electronica. RITA-Dream Walker had always been beautiful on my system!

I've been using Yamaha HS8's because, well, my recording rig is also my main gaming rig, somewhat. They've been very good for exposing detail and other analytics, but they make overall great entertainment systems on their own.

I find the HA3D a better up for the usual FiiO headphone amps.

Maybe you'd love to try a pair of Superlux HD662F/CAD MH310. They're super cheap. For $30, it really gives you more than you pay for. Seriously.

While I'm not really an expert on this subject, I can say that what you're mostly looking for with your criteria (I'm using the computer for work, and listening to music in the background, or sometimes watching movies on it while waiting for an email/call), maybe you'd want a pair of Yamaha HS8s. As a music producer, this is a low-cost solution to all my listening problems. I know it's more for analytical listening. But for daily use from work to leisure (I've been watching movies with these monitors too), I believe they're a great setup for your Mac. It's not too expensive too, making it a great choice for your parameters. Well, it's just a guess.