Headphone amp shoot-out!

voltz
voltz Posts: 5,384
edited September 2014 in Headphones
I decided to do a Headphone amp shoot out to compare a few amps I have used.
1.WOO WA3 2. Schiit Valhalla 2 3. Hifiman EF5

Woo= uses 1 680 tube (i use a Tung-sol 7236) & 2 6922 (using amperex 6dj8)
Schiit: uses 2 6n6p & 2 6n1p (using amperex 6dj8)
hifiman; uses 1 12uax7 (using mullard )

here a few pics w results to follow!
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2 ch- Polk CRS+ * Vincent SA-31MK Preamp * Vincent Sp-331 Amp * Marantz SA8005 SACD * Project Xperience Classic TT * Sumiko Blue Point #2 MC cartridge

HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD
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Comments

  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,114
    And the winner is? cant wait to find out have fun.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
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  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
    edited September 2014
    I used a Marantz SACD player hooked direct to each amp & all used the same Pangea AC-14 power cord and Signal Cables silver IC's.

    SACD used: CatStevens - Tea for the Tillerman SACD* Steely Dan - Gaucho* and several others and I did not use any vinyl.

    The Schiit sounded more tighter & more Neutral & the WOO was a little loose sounding
    by a small amount but sound more natural because of it - but otherwise it was hard to tell the 2 amps apart and I think the are truly excellent amps!!

    The Hifiman need crank up a lot more in comparison and seem to distort a slight bit.. but had a good sound over all but is not in the same league as the others.

    all testing done using Sennheiser HD 650's.

    the over all winer is the Schiit in my opinion only because its cheaper $350 price and it has a high/low setting so it work with Grado's and other 32 ohms scans as well as 300 ohms cans and its sound is equal to the WOO's.

    I still prefer the WOO 3 but its $600 price and the fact it does not handle 32ohms cans because of their low 32 ohms makes it hard to recommend if you want to try multiple cans. but since I have it it will always be my headphone amp of choice.

    The Hifimans $500 price and its a hybrid amp using only 1 tube so not so much help in rolling tubes here, and the volume has to be cranked up pretty high to get to a good listening level and cause some distortion, makes it my not recommended because of the Schiit price and value point.
    2 ch- Polk CRS+ * Vincent SA-31MK Preamp * Vincent Sp-331 Amp * Marantz SA8005 SACD * Project Xperience Classic TT * Sumiko Blue Point #2 MC cartridge

    HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD
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  • high_def
    high_def Posts: 7
    edited October 2014
    Nice comparisons. Any plans to make another shootout using solid state gear? ;)
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  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
    edited October 2014
    I don't think I could afford another :) if I did it would be a Bottlehead Crack, but that's tubes again. I would like to hear the Bryston BHA-1f though. also Music hall & Creek make some SS amps that I would love to get my cans on :)

    heres one I love also to hear -> Musical Fidelity - M1-HPA-P - Headphone Amplifier
    http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MFM1HPAP
    2 ch- Polk CRS+ * Vincent SA-31MK Preamp * Vincent Sp-331 Amp * Marantz SA8005 SACD * Project Xperience Classic TT * Sumiko Blue Point #2 MC cartridge

    HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,601
    bottlehead crack and Senns= :D
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • RamZet
    RamZet Posts: 792
    does the schiit come with tubes or do you have to find your own?
    B&W CM9Classé Sigma
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  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
    edited December 2014
    yes, The Valhalla has 4 tubes, 2 6N6P's & 2 6n1P's which can be substituted with 6DJ8's so that give lots of options on the front 2,,,,but the back 2 I only found in Belgium so I ordered 2 and they were identical to the ones that came with it LOL. So now I have backups :)
    2 ch- Polk CRS+ * Vincent SA-31MK Preamp * Vincent Sp-331 Amp * Marantz SA8005 SACD * Project Xperience Classic TT * Sumiko Blue Point #2 MC cartridge

    HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter