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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: marc0789 on July 07, 2009, 10:11:19 AM
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no need for digital input, just care about the sound. thanks!
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The Little Dot amps are awesome. I've been running the Little Dot I+ (which runs @ $120 on eBay) with my AKG K601 headphones and it's been great. I am, however, about to upgrade to a $1000 HeadRoom Desktop Amp, but I'm trying to decide on whether to sell the Little Dot. ... It's so compact and works great! :-)
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no need for digital input, just care about the sound. thanks!
I've been running a Creek OBH-11 for over a year now and it sounds great into my AKG 701's. I listened to a lot of other amps in that price range (mostly 1 or 2 bills higher) and it holds it's own, if not sounding better to my ears.
JAson
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What kind of headphones do you use, how portable do you need it, and what is your budget?
no need for digital input, just care about the sound. thanks!
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What kind of headphones do you use, how portable do you need it, and what is your budget?
no need for digital input, just care about the sound. thanks!
sorry, should have been more specific. Senn 555's, and hoping for $200 or so?
thanks guys.
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glad to see you hanging around here again old man
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I think sub $200, you're looking at a portable. The best bang for your buck in this category is probably the mini3. This is an open design, and you can get one built:
http://www.rockhopperaudio.com/Rockhopper_Audio/News_Prebuilt/Entries/2009/6/14_Black_Mini3_amp_for_sale.html
I think you should contact him about pairing it up with your headphones. He can probably adjust the gain to match (Senn's are high impedance?)
Meier Audio makes very good amps too, and the Corda XXS is just under $200:
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/
At just a little over $200 is the Minibox-E+
http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=15
I had the Minibox-E, and it was excellent.
Here is a good site to go to to read about various headphone amps: www.head-fi.org
They have a good For Sale section, and you can probably pick up a good amp for <$200
Edit: Just thought of a couple more:
These guys make nothing but quality stuff. The P3 is at $200, but for shipping it goes just above your budget. I had their D1 and the sound was amazing.
http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=41
If you only use it as a portable occasionally, this is supposed to be amazing. Short battery life, and a little more than what you're looking to spend, but the reviews are very good:
http://www.portaphile.com/ordering.html
What kind of headphones do you use, how portable do you need it, and what is your budget?
no need for digital input, just care about the sound. thanks!
sorry, should have been more specific. Senn 555's, and hoping for $200 or so?
thanks guys.
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thanks a ton, Tedy, really appreciate the info! Leaning towards the Corda, I think-like that long 9v battery life.
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glad to see you hanging around here again old man
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glad to see you hanging around here again old man
thanks guys. ;D
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Little know factoid, the headphone amp from the Benchmark DAC-1 is available as a separate component, but you must do some construction work!
(http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/hpa-2/hpa-2.jpg)
specs:
Input Stereo 200 kΩ Balanced Inputs
Input Clip +26.5 dBu with ±15 volt supplies
Output Stereo, for use with 1/4" Tip/Ring/Sleeve plugs only, other panel connectors may be wired to the amplifier by way of on-board output connectors
Output Z "0 Ω"
Output Clip Dependant upon power voltage and load [+20 dBu @ ±15V and 60 Ω load]
Load Z 30 . or higher
Output Level Up to +20 dBu into 60 Ω [dependent upon power source]
Output Control Dual log taper response
Gain Range Off to +20 dB
Bandwidth 0.1 Hz to 300 kHz minimum
THD+N 0.0003% typical at headphone inputs - under load!
Noise Floor Better than -75 dBu at maximum gain
Power (Bipolar) ± 9 to ± 18 volts, maximum peak current needed = 1.1 Amp at maximum peak output into 30 Ω
Peak Output 7.5 watts [±18 volt supplies. 30 Ω load]
Max Avg Out 1.35 watts [-8 dB peak to average ratio]
Amplifier Board length behind panel = 3.760", width = 1.335", mounting hole diameter = 0.437" [7/16"]
Gain Ctrl Board length behind panel = 1.025", width = 1.335", mounting hole diameter = 0.275" [J drill or 9/32 (0.281)], shaft length = 0.385", shaft diameter. = 0.235" [16-star spline]
Spacing Minimum spacing between Gain Control Board mounting hole and 1/4" jack = 7.5" Minimum spacing between Amplifier Board and Gain Control Board = 0.75" [both boards mounted vertically], Maximum panel thickness = 0.1". Knob diameter = 0.75", length = 0.75"
Knob Volume control knob included
My notes:
If you give it good, very clean +/- 15vdc and a well-shielded box, it will drive a pair of Senn 600's into uber-happyland
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If you don't care about portable, you can get an XCAN2 for less than 200 and have money remaining for tubes to roll. If you like diy mods, there are sites that describe all kinds of updates from very simple to extensive.
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Just got an email from Sound Professionals about this new portable. Mostly I want to listen to my iPod with Grado SR80's, driving them properly. Do you guys think this will do the trick?
Going straight into the iPod the bass really disappears. Imaging and highs are still good.
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/FIIO-E5
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Just got an email from Sound Professionals about this new portable. Mostly I want to listen to my iPod with Grado SR80's, driving them properly. Do you guys think this will do the trick?
Going straight into the iPod the bass really disappears. Imaging and highs are still good.
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/FIIO-E5
Nope. You need a line out. If you run a headphone amp via a headphone out you're basically just boosting the signal of your existing headphone out.
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Just got an email from Sound Professionals about this new portable. Mostly I want to listen to my iPod with Grado SR80's, driving them properly. Do you guys think this will do the trick?
Going straight into the iPod the bass really disappears. Imaging and highs are still good.
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/FIIO-E5
Nope. You need a line out. If you run a headphone amp via a headphone out you're basically just boosting the signal of your existing headphone out.
If the ipod output has plenty of bass to little ear buds, then it's likely that he just needs more gain to drive the grados. There isn't inherently anything wrong with boosting the phones out. You'll just get a louder version of whatever it sends.