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Headphone amplifier

DCS

DCS

pfm Member
Hi all

I’m looking into getting a headphone amplifier. I have no experience or ever owned a headphone amp and wondered what would be a decent choice. Open to solid state or something with valves. I don’t need a DAC as I have 2 spare, sadly neither have a headphone socket.

Budget around £200 used or new.
 
Beyer A20 if you can find one s/h - excellent.
Arcam rHead was pretty good but not as.
 
I have a Graham Slee Novo headphone amp for sale. I've just posted it on the GS forum and will be putting on EBay for £120 plus p&p. Please PM me if its of any interest and I can send details / pictures.
 
Rega EAR, simple pleasing (not valve though) HP amp, many around s/h.
You need much higher price beating it.
 
DCS said:
Hi all

I’m looking into getting a headphone amplifier. I have no experience or ever owned a headphone amp and wondered what would be a decent choice. Open to solid state or something with valves. I don’t need a DAC as I have 2 spare, sadly neither have a headphone socket.

Budget around £200 used or new.
Click to expand...

First question should be "what headphone are you using?"

IEMS will require less gain and can be more sensitive to noise.
Planar Magnetics, being a lower impedance, usually require more current delivery rather than large voltage swings.
On the other hand Higher impedance headphones can be more inefficient and require higher voltages to drive them to usable volume levels but the higher impedance also draws very little current and therefore requires less power.

If you need a one size fits all solution then look for an amplifier that has switchable gain settings, the ability to output a reasonable voltage for high impedance phones while also providing a reasonable power output for the lower impedance phones such as the Planar magnetics.

I have the Fiio K5 pro and this has works well with a selection of headphones ranging from the 600 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880, Sennheiser HD600 300 Ohm and AKG K501 ,120 Ohm. The K5 has managed drive these and other phones using an Ipod, a standard CD player's line out as well as feeding the on board DAC from either an SPDIF optical cable or the USB digital output from a PC or MAC.

You might need to do a little research to match you style of headphones to an appropriate head phone amp.

LPSpinner.
 
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My current headphones are quiet old now and require high current to get the best from them. I’m not a fan of IEM’s.

I’m looking for an amp that would be ok with driving anything from 120 ohm to 600 ohm, would be for home use only so size/weight is not an issue. I would be using wired phones, not a fan off wireless.

After I find an amp I’ll then be in the market for new phones.
 
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For £200 or so you could build the Rock Grotto version of the MF X-Can V2.

The amp itself is generally around £100 and the parts to mod it are about the same.

If done right, for that money I don't think anything will come close. Pair of 6922s with a constant current source. If you complete all the amp mods then you don't need the more expensive torroidal PSU.

Maybe.. I could part with mine, maybe.
 
Last edited:
LPSpinner said:
If you need a one size fits all solution then look for an amplifier that has switchable gain settings, the ability to output a reasonable voltage for high impedance phones while also providing a reasonable power output for the lower impedance phones such as the Planar magnetics.

I have the Fiio K5 pro and this has works well with a selection of headphones ranging from the 600 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880, Sennheiser HD600 300 Ohm and AKG K501 ,120 Ohm. The K5 has managed drive these and other phones using an Ipod, a standard CD player's line out as well as feeding the on board DAC from either an SPDIF optical cable or the USB digital output from a PC or MAC.
Click to expand...

Same here. Wiim mini > Fiio K5 Pro > Sennheiser HD600. Happy bunny. :)
 
Having tried all sorts of headphone amps, including a freshly serviced Sugden Headmaster, with my HD600's over the last 20 years, the best I have found is a straightforward headphone tap (resistor network with a headphone socket) off the speaker sockets on my freshly serviced Quad 606 power amp.

Sounds bloody amazing and should be stupid o'cheap compared to any headphone amp.
 
LPSpinner said:
On the other hand Higher impedance headphones can be more inefficient and require higher voltages to drive them to usable volume levels but the higher impedance also draws very little current and therefore requires less power.
Click to expand...

??????

Assuming the same ballpark dB/W, the voltage and current is irrelevant - the headphones will requires the same power - W=VI
 
Vinny said:
A shooting star in the HiFi firmament - Myryad.
Click to expand...

Poetically said and absolutely true. Much more that a can opener; a viable pre-amp too, with TWO can inputs (why don't all of them have this?) Mine's in used daily for TV, radio and other sources (oh yes, 3 inputs too......). Focal Elear and HD650 used.

Previously a Naim Headline powered by 552; simply no contest to the Myryad.
 
^^^
You mean two headphone outputs?:)

Myryad Z40 here too, with HD660S. Great little amp/preamp if you can find one - they sold the last ones off cheap, but people seem to keep them, rarely see them for sale.
 
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