Headphone amps?

polksda

Well, my new office is tinier than expected, and due to the logistics of having to share it, anything with speakers is right out. So I want to build a sound system for headphone use.

I've done some reading over at http://www.head-fi.com ... a wealth of information there. Just curious as to what headphone amps folks around here like or dislike.

My cans are Sennheiser HD590, best dang fitting headphones I've ever owned... sound great after break-in too.

Sources:

1. Streaming audio (due to the building construction, I cannot get an XM signal, so I have to settle for XM online... *bleagh*).

2. iRiver - yeah, yeah, I know... "MP3" is not exactly synonymous with "audiophile"... but at least my mp3s are 320kbps.

3. Tjoeb 99 CD player.

One potential problem I see with the majority of headphone amps - only one set of inputs. Use a switchbox? I don't like the idea of adding another unit in the chain...

Thanks.

sucks2beme

Try looking for a small pre-amp. It will have more than one input, and drive the Senns fairly well. I'm using a rotel pre to drive a pair of 590's in my bedroom. My son has a headphone amp, and the stupid thing cost almost as much as a good used pre-amp.

Shizelbs

You have to be careful with using preamps as a headphone amp. I know some tube pres don't reach the tubes for the headphone out part. If you were going this route, I would make sure to do your homework.

Good work with reading at headfi.org. Tons and tons and TONS of info and reviews over there. They are a bit obsessive, but its times like these that it helps.

The headphone amp on my short list of amps to buy, is the Meier Corda HA-1. What a beautiful sounding amp that was. Its a bit pricy at ~$500, but the sound justified it.

Know that I think of it, the HK receiver I just sold, was a half way decent, and cheap, headphone amp, and it had a ton of inputs as well. It was the HK 3375.

With the great detail you are going to be getting out of your cans, why would you want to listen to anything but CDs anyways?

steveinaz

The Benchmark DAC1 has a built-in headphone section that is VERY formidable. 3 digital inputs: Coax/BNC, Toslink, XLR; and features two headphone outputs.

mulveling

Hi polksda,

Hmm, let's see. I've owned a LOT of headphone amps in my time: Headroom Total AirHead, Perreaux SHX-1, Headroom Little, Headroom Max, Headamp Gilmore V2, Gilmore V2-SE, Ray Samuels SR-71, Ray Samuels HR-2, Audio Valve RKV MKII (of these, only the Gilmores had dual inputs ).

Most of these amps are very good - in my experience, there are 3 things that make the most difference between the sonics of these amps:

1) Headroom's processor & filter circuitry (defeatable via switches on their amps): This is headroom's special crossfeed that's supposed to reduce listening fatigue and improve imaging within the headstage. It does do both of those, though the effect is somewhat subtle. The bigger effect is that it (IMO) adds a euphonic coloration to the sound, similar to going from solid state to tubes, but more exagerrated: boosted bass, smoother midranage, and airier highs. Personally I like this effect a lot (and have become a big fan of the better Headroom amps because of it - they just released a new line, too, check it out: www.headphone.com) but I must admit on some headphones (Sennheiser HD650, Grado HP-1000) the bass can be a bit much. On other headphones (Senn HD580, HD600, AKG K1000, K340) it sounds spectacular.

2) Spend at least around $400 (new; less used) to get to an amp at a quality level that's worth owning. Otherwise you may end up with an amp whose base sound quality is not really better than a good receiver/amplifier/soundcard headphone jack (*cough* AirHead/Perreaux/Little *cough*).

3) Tubes vs. solid state: The usual suspects: tubes sound smoother, SS sounds faster/harsher, though the differences are very meager compared to the differences between headphones!

That said, while the HD590 is vastly better than the average headphone, they are not considered at the top of the heap and were I in your shoes I'd explore upgrading the headphones before spending $$$ on a new amp (plus respected head-fi members have reported that the 590 hardly benefits from an amp - you'll need to go up a level or 2 to get to headphones revealing enough to really benefit from a hi-fi headphone amp). The difference between headphones is drastic (especially when moving up price levels), the difference between most amps is incredibly subtle by comparison. Reports of amps making a "huge" difference are often "huge" exaggerations, at best.

-- Mike,
obsessive head-fi member

Shizelbs

Mike, what is your screenname at headfi?

mulveling

Originally posted by Shizelbs
Mike, what is your screenname at headfi?

Same as here: mulveling
I'm too uncreative to come up with a screenname for every forum, or even one forum for that matter

mhardy6647

http://www.pmillett.com/hybrid_head.htm

I built one with the original, commercial PCB and I use it as both a headphone amp and a preamp. Cute, tuneable, tweakable, inexpensive, easy to build and it sounds good.

I guess the headfi folks are now supplying a board: http://hybrid.fluidlight.com/

sucks2beme

Sigh...... now you've done it. Dangled the bait in front of a solder junkie. Now I'll have to go build one!:p

sucks2beme

Russ does have a low priced headphone amp for sale on his website