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All around headphone amp recommendations

I am at the final stages of completing a system that will be my place to relax and enjoy the music. 

The main components in the system are Classe Amp and Pre, Project phono preamp, Cambridge Audio DAC/Streamer, Onkyo CD, a TTable and some nostalgia. This room will be more for sitting and listening together, but I always have enjoyed my cans!!! I do have a headphone output on a very nice Onkyo cassette deck I restored which is there more for looks but does serve that function for the entire system.

My current collection includes Monolith Planar Magnetics, Grado RS 1s and some old R350's. There are others laying around but . . .  I would like to explore other options once I get the system complete.

My preference would be to stay close to a standard component size that is black. This is simply for esthetics as my components are "segregated." LOL I listen to coffeehouse cover bands, jazz, alternative and some rock. Standard stuff at all volume levels. That is what I need.

Thanks in advance!!!

128x128boonaroo
yyzsantabarbara
4,787 posts
 

I have 3 2-channel preamps that are rather good to great headphone amps.

1) Benchmark HPA4 (neutral, $3.5k)

2) Holo Audio Serene (a bit warmer than the HPA4 $3.3k)

3) Schitt Audio Mjolnir v3 (a warm Class A sound, $1.3k)

I will be using all 3 of these with a $10k headphone. They are up for the task.

 

svbigwood
12 posts
 

The McIntosh 200 never gets any love but I really like mine. I think it looks cool as well!

dr-boop
82 posts
 

Moon 230 if you can "suffer" a mini chassis. For $2k it's a favorite. The 430HA or HAD if you want the DAC. Overall balance on that system is hard to beat

cundare2
262 posts
 

Audeze Deckard. Discontinued, apparently when Audeze decided to concentrate exclusively on phones, but quite well-reviewed. True Class A, includes a 32/384 USB DAC input, volume control, and three selectable gain settings for different-impedance phones. Build quality is superb. And it even has enough juice to serve as a standalone preamplifier.

If you’re considering $1-2K amps, a used Deckard can be a cost-effective alternative. They’re currently on eBay in the $300-500 range. It’s a shame that Audeze got out of the amplifier business before this model had a chance to build a base, b/c the Deckard could have been a game-changer in its price class.

I paired my own unit with 22-ohm Audeze LCD-X phones for years with superb results -- detailed, palpable presentation, neutral tonal balance, low noise floor, and bass extension deep into the 20-30Hz range. Even after migrating to to the headphone stage of a $19,000 integrated, I still hesitate to sell my unit b/c, frankly, its sonics are hard to fault. My only beef was that it ran as hot as you’d expect a Class-A amp to run.

Here are some reviews / specs:

 

pastorbob's avatar
pastorbob
78 posts
 

Hi,

The reccomended LTA amp is a splendid sounding piece. I had one for a couple of years (which for me is an eternity). The only caveat I have is that it is not very powerful, It puts out about 1W. That may be fine for now, but perhaps not later if you want to upgrade. It also is only single ended.

That happened when I purchased the HiFi Man HE6SE phones. Granted the HE6SE is a beast to drive. I sold the LTA tried a few other amps with much more power. I tried out an Audio Gd & it was it was a fine sounding piece (9 watts into 40 OHMS!) willl drive any headphone out there. Long story short; I wended up with the Violectric VA222. It is an excellent amp with more than enough power  for hard to drive 'phones. It also images very well with a very wide sound stage, but is not standard rack size. Retail is about 1,200,00.

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