Headphone Amplification

Hello, Just joined here. I am not sure if i used the search function correctly, but it showed nothing for either the FUN or HDP. Will anybody give some recommendation or comparison between the FUN and HDP? Thanks

So many pretty (or not so pretty but just BIG) boxes out now that it is hard to know what to get. I am contemplating a partial return to dynamics. What are the top ten hubbub-causing high-end dynamic amps?

Somebody save this guy. Anyone who flies an airplane should be concerned about fires.

Mentioned in the NYC 3/21 Meet thread at HF: Woo Audio 22 Fully Balanced Headphone Tube Amplifier Nice looking amp, I look forward to reading impressions of it. Damn, there's gonna be some really sweet gear at the meet, I envy the NY contingent... Any tube experts' opinions of the tubes used? And why are all these amp vendors coming out with hot new stuff in the current economy?

hi guys, it looks as if the mark 2 get a brother, I found this note on the website of audio valve. look its : http://www.audiovalve.info/rkv3/audiovalve%20rkv%20mark3.html roger

Is it still possible to get a Dynahi built and if so how much would it cost? Or would it be wiser to just get a headroom desktop with max modules?

I know it runs them hot, is that the entirety of the reason, or is there more to it than that? Also, is it hard on the power tube, the rectifier, or both? Anyone know Pete Millet? Anyone want to ask him for me (diplomatically, of course)? Any good current production tubes for them?

Anyone run into one of the Wells Audio Headtrip or Enigma amps at a meet or happen to own one? They are California based. A quote from their site about the Headtrip: "heavily biased into Class A..."... They better be damn good for the money. Reviews are strong but hard to trust when so many prove to be drivel. http://www.wellsaudio.com/products/headphone-amplifiers Specifications (from manufacturer): Phone impedance: 4 to 2000 Ohms Power output: 50w/channel at 8 ohms, 25W/channel at 32 Ohms 1.8W/channel at 600ohms Distortion: <0.006% at 1Khz at .1W to 100W at 4 Ohms Frequency Response: +/-0.25db…

I think it may be a weird question. But I am thinking about going for either a high end dynamic setup with RSA B52(with grado PS1) or a high end electrostatic setup with single power ES1 (with stax Omega). Having no experience about them. I wonder whether it is worth at investing on the single power ES1 or RSA B52. if you agree with ES1, how much do you think i should invest on it? My only taste is that super big soundstage and real sound thanks

OK I swore that I would I would not buy any more equipment, especially amps in 2008, pretty much settled on the stuff in my signature. But this new balanced Chinese tube amp has caught my eye. I doubt there's any of these in the wild, and certainly no one in the western world would have one. The question is, would it even be possible to manufacture a credible balanced, all-tube amplifier at the supposed price point of ~US$800. Let's leave out labor cost, obviously cheap in China. Just on parts/component, is it even feasible? Because all my core phones are terminated in 4-pin XLR (K1000, HD650, DT880-600ohm), I am very tempted to take a punt on this.

But have you ever recommended an amp not sold by cattylink?

Was looking over at HF and saw this: Styleaudio's Topaz and Emerald DAC/AMP Sale!! - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio :palm::palm:

Hi guys, I'm looking to buy a new portable amp. I am owner of an iBasso P2, but it's a bit too big and I'd rather having more battery life. The P2 is very spacious and detailed, but has a slight midbass hump: some people seem to love this added "warmth", but I'd rather having a more neutral amp. I am interested in a Pico, but I wonder if there are any other good alternatives for the same price/size. I'm not thrilled by Xin amps, since an used Supermicro (only one I might be interested to) sells for more than a Pico, and for the same price I would get a latter. Are there any other portables (at a reasonable size) that can compete against the Pico? I know Skylab love…

Could someone please recommend a few Solid State headphone amps either to buy or have built. I've read so much my eyes are popping out of my head. I've got LCD X's. I've listened to a few friends tube and SS amps (Woo, Lake People, HeadRoom (older Home amp). I don't want to deal with tubes and want to go SS but can't afford Stax for a few years. You guys certainly know leagues more than I and there is no bull$itt here. Thanks.

I have some pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20989038@N04/sets/72157603216939944/ I ordered at RMAF2007 after a short audition. I currently have an SP MPX3 SE Slam, a MAD HD1, a McAlister Preamp/headphone amp (PL 12, I think). I don't think my hearing is good enough to really distinguish the important differences between the three, and I am also not sure I can put what I hear into words, but I will review the SBH after I get it broken in and used to it both as a headphone amp and a preamp. I have excessive gain with both my MPX3 and PL 12 preamp sections. The SBH will have lo and hi gain operation. It can also be operated as both a preamp and headphone amp…

Can someone lead me to more info on the subject? I googled what I hoped would be some good keywords to get me to a thread or something... no luck

Heh...I JUST found this place. I had a uestion about the predator, and there hasn't been an answer. I'm thinking it won't be answered because my suspicions are right. That and any negativity (even if contructive) towards RSA is frowned upon over there. Apparently not so much here, so I'll ask here, lol. Here's the post I made, and it hasn't gotten a response yet: -------------------------------- I have a question about the gain. You say the gain is set at 11 in high. An iPods line out is 1vRMS, which is 2.8vpp full scale(volts peak to peak, according to Vinnie on various threads). Wouldn't you need ATLEAST 32 volts to have a gain of 11 on an iPod so you don't…

A number of us have been contacting Hagerman over the past year or so regarding a SET headphone amp design. He said he'll do something about it independently. Oh snap. It's coming. Ultra excited. http://www.hagtech.com/castanet.html

I just discovered my latest Mikhail "gotcha". At his last public appearance, the June 2008 NorCal meet, I bought a NOS 6385 tube from Mikhail for what turned out to be about 50% more than the going price at the time. Later I wrote that off as more bad dealings with Mikhail. Today, I stuck it on the Jackson 648A tube tester I recently bought. Both sections test at ~30%. So he got me twice, once for the exorbitant price and once for a bad tube at that price. I'm posting this to warn you to test all tubes that you might have bought from Mikhail. There is a good chance that some/many of them are bad. The good news is that now that my Extreme has been made reliab…

Good Day, I'm wondering if you'd be so kind as to reply to some questions I have. I am just getting into this hifi headphone world. I want to hear your thoughts good, bad or otherwise. here we go, I'll start with what I have. Senn HD-650's and have a cardas audio cable coming in the mail atm. I have a headroom coda amp le ( It just don't seem to cut the mustard) therefore my endeavor for better stuff. The more I look around and research the more overwhelmed I get with the seemingly endless list of choices. I try to take anything I read on forums with a grain of salt as I know that most posters push the products that they own as being the best, as it helps…

Hi all. I stumbled across this headphone amp. I found it on this site: Trafomatic Audio - Experience HEAD ONE Here is what it says: Experience HEAD ONE Continuing with our line of fine amplifiers in Experience series, Experience Head One tube stereo headphone amplifier has been released on audio scene recently. Following basic design principle in accordance with philosophy of whole Experience series, this product offering an extended functionality unusual with amplifiers of the same type. beside it's general purpose to drive different types of dynamic headphones, this device is designed with some additional and very useful features. Owners of transistored audio sys…

I have had my HeadAmp Gilmore Lite + DPS for over three years now, and I have never given serious thought to replacing it. It drives all my cans to a satisfactory level, except of course the TakeTs. Earlier this year I had designs on going balanced, but four months of house renovation has ensured I won't be bankrolling that any time ...ever, really. I'm now content to live in the single ended solid state world, but.. I am in need of an amp with more than one input. In spite of my recently acquisition of a Quad 99 CDP-2, and its variable outputs, I could benefit from the GS-1's preamp outputs as well. I see a lot of Beta22s changing hands around here. Most are mad…

So, I've been impatiently waiting for the new TooleAudio balanced amp to come out, and am wondering when everyone thinks it will be done...

In our ongoing quest to buy random shit to try out, Kevin bought a Jotunheim as he was interested in the circuitry. He thought they might have done something novel... but it is utterly mediocre as one has come to expect these days. One interesting bit is the horrible assembly quality (hello hand soldering at minimum wage) and dubious parts such as no name switches... which arrived broken. Now this is a budget piece so corners have to be cut but not cleaning off the flux is just sloppy. sj.pdf For me the biggest letdown with all of this is the major disservice Schiit and others are doing to the community. They are toting these frankly "shit" amps…

What do you think about a $3000 woo amp? http://www.wooaudio.com/products/wa5.html Anyone at the meet listen to it?