Headphone Amplification

Hello guys. I'm new here, and want to thank you for welcoming me. After some months of tube trials, I'm thinking of SS to power my orthos. I would like to go balanced all the way, and I want your advices on which KG's amp to go. I've read brilliant things on the B22, but it seems surpassed by the Dynahi family (balanced Dynahi, Dynamite,...) -correct me if I'm wrong-. So what's your experience with those orthos ? Which amp must I build ? I've read the Balanced Dynahi build thread, there are some useful tips and help there. As I'm not deep into electronics, and a lightweight DIYer, is it an utopia to build one ? My very best regards from old Europe.

I thought this was an April fool at first, but apparently not! If you fancy a good laugh have a read of his review @ the other place http://www.head-fi.org/products/cavalli-audio-liquid-gold/reviews/10823 Just to whet your appetite Only Solid State Amp I've heard that Sounds Like a Hybrid: The Texture and Warmth of Tubes, but Control, Power and Precision of the Very Best of SS! From DAC or phonostage - to various musical genres! It just goes about its business and does its job better than almost every other amplifier I've heard. Perhaps the most musically engaging of them all actually - but I'm still figuring that out! Pros: Outstandingly Musical and Easy…

At the multi thousand dollars price bracket, there is no bad amplifiers. - Mike Famous last words. Should pose an entertaining read. http://www.headfonia.com/true-beauty-wooaudio-wa5-headphone-amplifier/

I figured something this rare deserved a thread of its own. Let me introduce the Stax SRA-7S, integrated amp for earspeakers. This was introduced in 1966 for the SR-1 and remained in production into the 70's. With Stax we never really know when they stopped making something but given it's all tube design, it was dead by the mid 70's. This one was missing just one knob but amazingly they are still in current production. A full set has already been sourced... Those RCA's really need to go but pretty clean over all. Pretty much unmolested but somebody decided to remove the fuse holder. Not a good sign... Amp and phono stage on separ…

here an interesting review : edit: no it wasn't

Greetings all! a newbee here I have an econo phono/valve amp that I picked up years ago second-hand and have no clue where it was purchased or manufactured. It appears to have Chinese writing on it and it also does have "GUANGHENG TM300 - TM400AB" on the transformer cover. The transformer is fried and I'm not sure if it's worth repairing but I would do so if I can find one and it's a reasonable cost. Here's a couple of pics and thanks for your time.

So, I understand Doug is working on some new stuff. Anyone heard anything?

I recently bumped into this site decware, where they make SET amplifiers without circuit boards. Being a complete electrical engineering idiot, Im wondering if there is any merits to it. If im not mistaken, audionote uk does not use circuit boards too. There's the internals to one of his speaker amps. Im quite tempted to put down an order for one just for novelty sake and the lifetime warranty. If im not mistaken he makes headphone amps and kind enough to include the schematics. Quite skeptical about the beeswax caps though. http://www.decware.com/newsite/TABOO.htm

I know this is insane but I absolutely love the sound of my JH 13/16s powered by either my Fetastic or Zana but both are obviously noisy in this application. They both (noise aside) sound way better than the portable amps I have tried but wonder if there is a desktop option out there that is under $2k that would be silent with these but also sound fantastic. If the Fetastic was quiet it would be the best option as it sounds great with them and is balanced to boot but there is a hiss present at all volumes. Not a knock on the amp as I am using outside it's intended purpose.

I was dumbfounded to see this photo from RMAF, showing off the $15K combo of Woo 234 monoblocks, which is able to use 2A3, 45, or 300B with both speaker and headphone outputs. The Abyss planar 'phones at $5500 costs a little more than Stax SR009 even. Anybody tried either product? woo234 by drjlo2, on Flickr

In the past few years I've gone through a few headphones but favor the HD600. I recently sold my Headroom Desktop amp and picked up the HRT microStreamer, which is fine for portable use with my Macbook/Android. Drives the HD600 adequately and is good with my Phillips X1. I am interested in trying out the the LCD-2/3/X sometime soon after the new models launch. I've read the microStreamer can drive the LCDs fine, remains to be seen. If I wanted to reinvest in an amp + USB DAC (all-in-one or separates) that happens to gel particularly well with the HD600 and LCDs, are there any decent recommendations going not much higher than $1.5K that I should look into? Seem…

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

I just bought the SR-009 which should be here soon. I have resisted buying them forever because I never really warmed up to its sound signature when I have listened to them, even via Blue Hawaii SE. Yes, I am a lover of single-ended triode (mostly 2A3 and 45) sound. I don't listen to stuff with lots of bass of dynamic jump, so these days I'm happy listening to my Stax O2 MkI, Senn HE-60 (woody), and HE Audio 'stat via Stax transformer with my 2A3 SET or EL84 sigle-ended pentode speaker amps. SR-009 should be easier to drive than O2, so that's good, but obviously, a dedicated 'stat amp will be needed at some point. Blue Hawaii SE, hopefully with some tube, cab…

http://www.head-fi.org/t/683115/the-apex-high-fi-audio-teton http://www.ttvjaudio.com/Apex_High_Fi_Audio_Teton_Preamp_and_Headphone_amp_p/aaa0000020.htm The Apex Teton - NEW from Apex High Fi Audio and TTVJAudio! Come to RMAF CanJam and be one of the first to hear it!!! The Apex Teton is a single-ended output-transformer-less (OTL) vacuum tube preamplifier and headphone amp. Its roots lie in the Wheatfield Audio HA-2 from nearly 15 years ago. While similar, it is far superior to the original design. Retaining the same tube compliment and amplifier topology, it has been greatly improved through the use of a better power supply and higher quality co…

I've been the proud owner of a Cavalli Audio Liquid Lightning for over a month now. Now as most will know, this hasn't been exactly a dream of mine but the owner practically begged me to take it and the price was low enough to waste money on it. The normal market price on the Mk1 model has dropped well below half of retail (2400$) at this point and this one was even cheaper. What finally made me buy it is the very unhealthy discussion about this piece and the clear attempts of the manufacturer to kill any negative discussion about it. My views will be questioned because of my history with Cavalli but that's exactly what should be done to any impression that is read. …

Short version: Do the 6SN7 tubes in the Woo Audio WA5LE (300B SET topology - see pic below) need to be matched? Long version: I am getting ready to sell my Woo Audio WA5LE to make room and money for the future BHSE. However, one of the stock "matched" driver tubes that Jack sent me with the amp (a cheap Tung Sol 6SN7gtb) was very noisy and tested much much lower than the other when I got it. Since I never planned to use the stock tubes, it wasn't a problem. Now that I am selling it, I am thinking of selling the amp with an option to buy the amp stock (without "upgraded" tubes) and so I feel that I should include one pair of cheap 6SN7 tubes. I do have another Tu…

A friend of mine has asked me to look at his vintage SRM-T1. The caps are all vintage so I will be replacing them. I count 10 electrolytic caps in there. 4x 400V 100uF 2x 10V 220uF 2x 35V 47uF 2x 50V 10uF The left channel has very weak sound. You can barely hear it when the volume knob is turned up all the way. The right channel is perfectly fine however. I'm not sure where to start troubleshooting this one. Unfortunately, I do not have another pair of electrostatic headphones to try. The left channel has worked before but it seems to work intermittently. I adjusted the offset and balance when he first purchased the amp a few months ago. Am…

Hi I am going to build energizer for Orpheus and Stax with LL9202AM. For Stax I will copy PSU Bias from T1. I wonder if I can use the same kind of PSU from T1 for Orpheus (with lower voltage of course)? I think so, but it could be very expensive mistake if I am wrong ... Any advice? http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2891/9135996783_0911380a26_o.jpg

Anyone heard this thing? "For electrostatic + magnetostatic + dynamic headphones." Just showed up on a Todd email.

link Disappointed in the lack of 1x, but I have to admit, I like the price point. It's within what I can recommend to muggles, I would just like to know if it's any good, first.

After surfing at much forums and reviews ,I came to narrow it down ; stax sr009 he90/ 60 lcd3 mdr r10 he500 dt880 as the worlds best headphone up to date ; would love to hear from readers ,their experience in comparison of those each other ;

Hi, Does anybody have SRM-006t schematic? Thanks!

Folks, friend of mine is looking to upgrade his rig. He's toying with the idea of Cavalli amp. I tried to talk him out from it since it looks to me that this folks is way to greedy in charging his work lately. $6500 for an SS balanced amp with whatever mumbo jumbo parts inside is simply too much IMHO. So now he's torn between Eddie Current or Headamp or Cavalli. Everyone knows Justin work, but I'm just curious about the repo of EC and Cavalli in your eyes. Which one you'd prefer to have?

Ok guys after plenty of surfing...i've decided "bang for buck" DIY is the way to go. Im looking for synergy with my T50RP. I got to hear Millet minimax that TomB brought at the 2010 meet and was very impressed. More research i find the Bottlehead Crack receiving accolades as well. Cut to the chase. Which and how intense would either build be for someone that walked by a soldering gun once? Trav

Has anyone here heard Schiit's balanced amp the Mjolnir? Looks interesting and apparently puts out more than enough power to drive any headphone. I'm thinking of starting my headphone rig over from scratch - most likely with the LCD-3 phones.