Best Budget Headphone Amp

daboyz
daboyz Posts: 5,207
in Headphones
Waiting on the Shure SRH840's to get here. Wondering if there is a good amp to help them out. I'm new to listening to headphones so wanting to stay below $125. Tubes would be a plus.
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  • seabeerob213
    seabeerob213 Posts: 1,843
    edited February 2015
    I am running a FIIO Montblanc(E12), picked it up for free actually, store error didn't see till I got home and read the receipt. Works much better than tablet or player alone as I found out quick. Sounds pretty good with the m50s.they marked it down to 80 bucks here.

    *only headphone amp I've used.
    2 Channel(work in progress):DAC: Schiit modi 2 uberAmp:Parasound 1200 MK IISub:RBH 1010-SEP Speakers: Monitor 5A peerlesscurrently running some krk rokit 3g since the HK pre outs died and i need to start breaking everything down to move in a couple monthsHeadphones:Source: tidalDAC: schiit modius epre: schiit sysAmp: AQ dragonfly black/ schiit magni2 Cans: Velodyne V-True, Grado SR225i, sennheiser x drop gaming headsetPC:DAC: schiit modius e(over spdif)pre: schiit sysspeakers: prenous eris 5 xtSub: Earthquake Sound MiniMe-P63most of my comments are passing on of info, im a noob, im just trying to help how i can, if im wrong or out of place to comment, dont hesitate to let me know :)"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS, THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER, WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA
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  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,534
    Portable or desktop? I used a Schitt Asgard 2 to power them. It's above your price point, but I have seen them go for $150ish on the used market. Prior to the Schitt, & before I owned the 840's, I had a Headroom Total Airhead. No longer in production, but if you can find one on the used market it's a respectable little amp.
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    Portable would be better. I'm thinking of a amp/dac combo or separate. Could probably add another 50 to 75 bones.
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,124
    http://www.jdslabs.com/products/84/c5d-amplifier-dac/

    I own the C5 which I'm very happy with got it for $189 the C5D with Dac is about $50 more than your budget after bumping it up $ 75. I had a fiio E12 but returned it the C5 was better. I don't think you would be disappointed with JD Labs. I see Amazon has a good deal on those Shures let us know how you like them.
    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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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    Dave I'm looking for a JDSLabs C5D (at the right price) which has a DAC built in and has the ability to program in in Arduino to do stuff.

    No tubes but super portable with a decent battery life and like I said built in DAC that works w Android and iOS devices.
    "....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)
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,124
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Dave I'm looking for a JDSLabs C5D (at the right price) which has a DAC built in and has the ability to program in in Arduino to do stuff.

    No tubes but super portable with a decent battery life and like I said built in DAC that works w Android and iOS devices.

    I got my C5 due to Enders recommending it and glad I took his advice, if I'm in the market for another amp then the C5D would be my next choice.
    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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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    You're killing me, Smalls! I'm pushing it to do that much. :)
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    edited February 2015
    daboyz wrote: »
    You're killing me, Smalls! I'm pushing it to do that much. :)

    Dave, if you can "wait" the C5D is good, if you cant the C5 would work fine too. They pop up on eBay and headfi fairly often for decent prices.

    Otherwise if you want a "hold over" the JDSLabs Cmoy is like 80 bucks, rechargeable and would provide some decent volume until you can find a C5D.

    I'd also head over to headfi.org to look at the classfieds there for both reviews and rankings of portable headphone amps, but also suggestions.

    Thats kinda that sites wheelhouse so you can make sure your amp mates well with the headphones.

    If your looking for a DESKTOP solution that you would just leave plugged in and not need to move with you, the Little Dot that @ZLTFUL has is both tubed and under 100 on Amazon. But you give up portability in that you can move the amp around and carry with you kinda, but you cant use it without a wall connection.
    "....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)
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    I pm'd Ryan on his thoughts and don't really mind that much on the portability. I wont be out jogging with it. :) I need some tubes back in my life.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    daboyz wrote: »
    I pm'd Ryan on his thoughts and don't really mind that much on the portability. I wont be out jogging with it. :) I need some tubes back in my life.

    I'd snag it then. He's in love with his and if I didnt want the portability (I move around at work between a bunch of desks) I'd have snatched one up, or kept my iFi iCan.

    "....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)
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  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,651
    Sent you my thoughts. Good luck on your hunt. If you did end up with the Little Dot, I think you would be pleasantly surprised. Not to mention the GE JAN5654W tubes are plentiful and highly rated with it.
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    Thank you, sir. I liked Dan's price better than yours. :( I'm in no real hurry. The fun thing is I tried the headphone/amp fitter in the other thread and it said that the Shure ' s didn't need separate amplification.
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  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,651
    edited February 2015
    The price fluctuates based on Amazon's "vendor of the week" really. I think I paid $116 when I bought it. I bought the tubes, cans, amp and cable for under $200.
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
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  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
    I use the C5 cause Steve & Dan were talking about it, so I trusted them and they did me right :) I love the thing and use it with my Ipod classic 160 and by using the dock cable you bypass the internal amp of the ipod where the distortion is...
    sn3ttcdoy6ci.jpg
    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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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,124
    voltz wrote: »
    I use the C5 cause Steve & Dan were talking about it, so I trusted them and they did me right :) I love the thing and use it with my Ipod classic 160 and by using the dock cable you bypass the internal amp of the ipod where the distortion is...
    sn3ttcdoy6ci.jpg

    Hey where did you get that dock cable? I just got a fiio one that JDlabs sent me and will yours connect to I pod touch besides the classic?
    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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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    That's called a LOD cable and they don't have them for any lightning bolt cable iOS devices yet.

    I'm looking for the C5D if I can get one cheap otherwise I may just get the C5 and deal with using the internal DACs in the iPhone.
    "....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)
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  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
    Dan is correct! its a the LOD cable and mine is not for the new lightning cable and it is a Fifo L9 LOD Cable and I got it from JDLabs for about $9. If the Touch doesnt have the lightning connector then It would work.
    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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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,124
    http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-L-Shaped-Line-Cable-iPhone/dp/B005N6ZAT2

    OK we got the same ones then if yours is this one it works on both the touch and the classic I even got an IC from them to hook my Sony Cd Walkman to my C5
    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
    yeah their the same! Thought about a touch but I need more room when changing back to all ALAC's for lossy...the 160 gig sure helps. I love the sound from them now and their great for home or away! The guys at work all thought the set up was too cool and awesome sounding with the Grado's I brought to work with them.
    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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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    I decided to try the Fiio E10k. The price is right and it's gotten some good reviews. It really won't get used that much to warrant spending a lot of coin on.
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  • Irrenhaus
    Irrenhaus Posts: 1,092
    I have the Fiio E17 and like it is a good portable amp/dac combo. Also got a Little Dot MK2 in December and just rolled new tubes on it and the improvements were very noticeable specially on the bass.

    Cheers
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  • ALL212
    ALL212 Posts: 1,577
    ohhhh....Dave....have you forgotten your peeps....ohhhh.....Dave....

    Bottlehead Crack and I'd put it together for you. Under $300 which is a bit above your budget but you'll be 10 times happier with it.

    sniff....sniff You just don't call anymore.... :'(
    Aaron
    Enabler Extraordinaire
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  • RamZet
    RamZet Posts: 792
    I did the fiio e07k.
    Its a amp and a wolfson dac.
    I also got the matching desktop amp/dock for it.
    The gear is great and sounds good.
    B&W CM9Classé Sigma
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