A home for my cans

I haven't heard the other pre/headamp combos mentioned above, but I can recommend the Ray Samuels B-52 without hesitation. It can be used with balanced or unbalanced cans. He also offers some other models at different price points. If you're ever inclined to move to Sony MDR-R10 cans, the R10/B-52 combo is amazing. I believe Ray voiced the B-52 with the R10s. Since I've been using the B-52 as a preamp in my main rig, I haven't felt the urge to move to a more expensive dedicated pre. I used to use an EmmLabs DCC2se pre and the B-52 in the same league but with the added tube magic; and it beats the Krell KCT that I had previously in pretty much every department. Different strokes for different folks, so I recommend listening with your headphones before you buy.

thanks guys...you've given me some great places to start...

I think, among auditioning for myself, a trip to the next RMAF is in order...:)

Jake

If you were solely interested in headphones, CanJam 2010 is in Chicago, June 5-6. RMAF is definitely worth attending if you are in the market for new gear, or just want to socialize with like-minded folks on an Audiophile tangent. I don't know what kind of HP presence is at RMAF compared to the Chicago event - I wasn't looking for any the year I attended.

I would look at the Benchmark DAC Pre - a pre, DAC w/USB, and reportedly one of the best headphone amps on the market all rolled into one.

I just bought a Berning Micro Zotl which is both a tube headphone amp and a personal 1W amp. These can be modified by Berning to also be a preamp with 2 inputs and 1 output. Mine has been modified and really surprised me with it's sound.

CanJam 2009 was bundled with RMAF, but appears to be going off on its own next year. That would be a great way to learn about headphone set-ups. Also, try the HeadFi forum and Moon Audio, who advertises on Audiogon and carries a good selection of headphone gear.