Amps to power headphones??

madmax
madmax Posts: 12,434
edited October 2012 in Headphones
I collect many different types of amplifiers (mostly tube) and am wondering what kind of circuit I would need to go directly from the amplifier speaker outputs (4 or 8 ohm) and match to my 600 ohm Senheisers? Obviously with tubes I need to keep either a 4 or 8 ohm load on the amplifier. Do I need a transformer? If so, which one? Any ideas?
madmax
Vinyl, the final frontier...

Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
Post edited by madmax on

Comments

  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,256
    edited July 2012
    Here is the right way to do it: http://aloaudio.com/miniwatt-headphone-adapter.html I have not tried it myself, my Head-Fi has good reviews.

    MWheadphone2.jpg
  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited July 2012
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,517
    edited July 2012
    Thanks for those links fella's.... This opens me up to the possiblity of getting a nice tube amp for home/work that I can also use for headphones..
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited July 2012
    Zingo,
    The link is different than the pic you posted. Still, looks like what I need!
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,256
    edited July 2012
    Must be two different versions, because it's the same product from the same company.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    edited July 2012
    Check out Burson too, I've been lusting over their stuff for awhile now.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited July 2012
    Burson makes a great sounding headphone amp.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
  • jaritta
    jaritta Posts: 277
    edited July 2012
    I personally love my eddie current headphone amp
    Harman kardon signature 2.1 amp
    Denon 3312
    Epson 8700ub
    Chief mount
    Screen Innovations Performance Series 110in
    Kef q 500 (RL)
    Kef q 200 (C)
    Kef q 800 (Rear RL)
    REL T7 (SUB)
    mx 450 remote
    Sonos-Amp, Connect, Play5
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited July 2012
    I have an Eddie Current as well. Which one do you have?
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
  • jaritta
    jaritta Posts: 277
    edited July 2012
    i have the zdt it is fantastic
    Harman kardon signature 2.1 amp
    Denon 3312
    Epson 8700ub
    Chief mount
    Screen Innovations Performance Series 110in
    Kef q 500 (RL)
    Kef q 200 (C)
    Kef q 800 (Rear RL)
    REL T7 (SUB)
    mx 450 remote
    Sonos-Amp, Connect, Play5
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited July 2012
    I have the Balancing Act. Really fantastic :mrgreen:
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited September 2012
    I purchased one of these http://www.musicdirect.com/p-61624-hifiman-he-adapter.aspx
    that Face suggested, works great! I'm trying several amps to see what sounds best. I also got one of the Schiit LYR high power headphone amps, it rocks. http://schiit.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=3

    I picked up some Russian tubes for the Schiit and they sound much better than the GE tubes that came with it. If I find an amp that sounds better than the Schiit I'll sell it. So far some pretty nice amps don't sound as good. Rigiht now I'm trying a pair of Manley 300B amps, haven't decided how they sound yet, need more listening time.
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,722
    edited October 2012
    I'm glad you're liking the Schiit, all their amps are great performers at their respective prices. They're not the best amps on the market, but they perform very well for the money. I'm still loving the combination of the Valhalla with the HD600.
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited October 2012
    Thanks for recommending the LYR, I'm very impressed. I would be just as impressed if it had cost twice as much, very nice amp!
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited October 2012
    The Lyr is a super high output amp meant for extremely low efficiency phones, for all others the Valhalla would be more fitting and sound better.
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D