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Antique Sound Labs Headphone Amp

Audiogonisti...any feedback regarding this inexpensive tube headphone amp?

I recently saw a couple of their other products but did not have a chance to listen to them. Looks seemed way beyond the price points. But, on the other hand, one brand new unit had a loose knob tipping off point of origin.

Here's the deal. My system is sounding good. Real good. Finally rounding into shape. But the wife is giving me heavy "stink eye" in the wee, wee hours. Now that I'm self employed -- and worse yet, doing business in Asia at odd hours -- I just need only one squinting eye to make it to the coffee pot in the morning, so I'm staying up until near dawn working and listening to music. Every night. Good electricity at this time to boot.

I thought about picking up a Melos SHA Gold which works damn, damn good as a headphone amp and would be a fine back-up line stage. But, I have serious fever for a turntable. I sold the Sota a couple of years ago and have been vinyl deprived since. I just scored an Arcici Lead Balloon and am hell nebt on getting some buckshot and something to put on top of it. Which brings us back to the headphone amp...

I need something inexpensive and reasonably good. Stuff like X-Cans and Headrooms offend my sensibilties. Anything else out there for a man prowling for good sound on the cheap?

Oh, need headphones too. Left those with an
ex-girlfriend. I'd rather confront a rat in heat than talk to her about returning the SR80's. Any headphone suggestions to go with my inexpensive headphone amp?

Thanks in advance. Jim.
jim
denf
241 posts
 
Hi Jim:

First, take it from a self confessed "headphone junkie", whose tried all but the aforementioned Melos, don't rule out the X-Cans, if you havn't heard it.

The latest X-Cans v2, is probably the most amazing headphone amp out there, ESPECIALLY considering its modest cost.

I've "rolled" the tubes in mine to a pair of Mullard "Gold Pins". It is the fastest most "liquid" thang out there in headphone-dom.

Also have the excellent Wheatfied HA-1 (www.headphoneamp.com) which to, is darn good, but at twice the price. It really only does the deep bass better than the X-Cans -- and has perhaps a quieter background.

Had the Antique Sound Labs for a while also, very good piece. Amazing parts & build. It falls somewhere between the Wheatfield & X-cans, in my estimation.

Good luck!

Dennis
rogerroger
76 posts
 
Hi Jim,

Check out www.headwize.com. Lots! of good information about headphone and headphone amps. You'll find all of the information you need there. Good luck!
khokugo
122 posts
 
Jim,
You have probably checked Headwise.com by now. But as a new user of MG Head, I can tell you this. MG Head is amazingly a good piece of equipment. I don't know what kind of music you listen to, but if you are acoustic music "junkie", tube HP amp is much better than SS, at least to my humble ears. HA-1 is superior, but it costs THREE times. I strongly recommend MG Head + Beyer HP combo.

Ken
rhljazz
1,255 posts
 
I have not listened to any other headphone amps but bought the MG Head DT, Sennheiser HD600 combo after listening at my local dealer. It sounds like tubes, lush and full, maybe lacking a bit in midrange/lower treble punch but very easy to listen to. The sound is much better than the op-amp feeds from my Sony cd players.
jim OP
418 posts
 
Looks like the MGHead, XCans2 and the Antique Sound Labs will get auditioned. Thanks for the feedback.
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