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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
lornecherry
135 posts
 
I've got Grado RS-1's and the Grado RA-1 battery powered headphone amp running directly into the output stage of my Sony SCD-1 courtesy of Mr. Cardas's Golden Reference RCA.(Don't dismiss the battery powered RA-1 Grado -- it's dead quiet, and really let's the source strut its stuff. Critics might call the Grado a touch analytical, but I'm sold on Grado attention to detail and no over-emphasis on any one aspect of the headphone experience in sacrafice of another. Sterophile Class A, for whatever that's worth.

On SACD it's wonderful. Better than my aging STAX. I haven't heard the big Sen 600's on a tube headphone amp, but on Headroom's best amp the Grado's had a slight edge -- probably comes down to listener preference -- I know others who prefer the Sens.

That said, the STAX vs Sen 600 vs Grado RS-1 is classic audiophile battle with each system offering a different experience. Mixing in some of those liquid tube preamps vs headroom's cross feed systems only makes it that much more fun -- and I have no doubt within a year that I'll have two complete headphone systems.
jim OP
418 posts
 
Lonecherry, reflecting on my comment regarding esl headphones and tube headphone amps I seem to recall that Stax offered a choice of solid state or tubes with the Lambda Pro. Do you know if this is correct?

By the way, maybe ts time for you to get rid of those *aging* Stax phones ;-)
jim OP
418 posts
 
Sorry, meant "Lornecherry".
lornecherry
135 posts
 
Jim: I've never heard the Lamda Pro (though I would like to) My "STAX" experience was mostly with mid 80's SR series and some of the newer Classic series (which sound quite nice, although they just can't get the bass quite right -- may be, just may be, Martin Logan should do a headphone, as those folks have finally figured out the ESL/bass equation.)

Speaking of bass, I have found a way to augment my Grados and get response flat to 16Hz, but my shoulders get sore after 5 minutes of carring around the Velodyne 18" and I keep getting the King Cobra PC caught in my hair -- I think I'll move to a pair of 10" subs, as I can carry one one each shoulder for proper stereo imaging :)

On a serious note and to answer your question, Stax has an excellent web site that details the rich chronology of the brand. Your question will probably be answered there; if not, seek out those ear-retentive gurus of headwise.com

I am almost too embarrased to tell you what I've done with my old Stax. I was about to throw them to the newbies on eBay and be happy with my $100. But when I got the Grados, the posts I read about comfort problems turned out to be true -- the damm earpads itched -- it was not so much the shape but rather the material itself. Well, the leather earpads from my retired Stax fit perfectly over the outside of the RS-1 and make the headphones very, very comfortable -- the true test being that I sometimes forget they are on my head! Best tweak I done yet. --Lorne
prfont
89 posts
 
Jim, if your system is tube based, as mine is, maybe you should consider a non-tube headphone setup as an alernative?
My Audible Illusion,CJ,meadowlark system, sounds great but is far from neutral. My headphone system a Grado RA-1,sR 80, panasonic portable is the exact opposite - quick, very detailed and highly addictive. Both satisfy certain musical fixes I have at any given time and now I feel no need for to try and make my main system "perfect". As an added bonus It is truly portable. That being said, I've heard the wheatfield, and antique labs setups with senns and beyerdyamics and they were both very good.

Have fun.

Pete
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