Help with Headphone Amps?

[Derek]

Help very much needed.
I recently got my very own man cave and have been toying with the idea of installing a headphone set-up.
I have a loan of a very nice set of Sennheiser HD555s but playing over the lap top isn't the way to go, so I'm asking for some direction in Headphone amps.
I like the idea of a built in Dac and the versatility of it being a preamp, but nothing is set in stone.
One idea is having channels crossfeed but again not set in stone.
I've looked over the interweb and found everything from a €10 to €€€€€ price difference.
The few listed below are to my totally untrained evaluation the front runners, but I'm open to all and every option and advise.
I'm not set on the Headphones either but I'm not made of €€€€.
I haven't counted out a valve unit, but currently the SPL Phonitor 2 is top of my ever changing heap, last week it was the Oppo HA-1 and the first week I started to look it was the Moon 230 HAD.
I'm now starting to look at amps with a headphone outlet, Confusion reigns.


Moon 230 HAD


OPPO HA-1


SPL Phonitor 2


MARANTZ - HD-DAC1

[Audioq]

Check out http://www.head-fi.org/ and related forum. I think tou will be spoiled for choice. I have used Sennheiser HD600 & HD650 with a Sonic Frontiers Line 3 preamp (which has the HeadRoom crossfeed processing) and to me it sounds fairly good, but I don't listen much to headphones so may not be the best to guide you. I remember at the last gathering at Fran's there was a fairly high end headphone system on display, can't remember the exact details though but I'm sure someone here will.

[Diapason]

I've no advice, but tell us more about this man cave...

[Derek]

Hi Audioq, I've been looking on Head Hi and you are right a wealth of information, I just kinda ran out of steam, I'll get back to it before long.
I was at the last meet at Fran's and remember the Headphone room, but back then was before my new-found interest and I didn't give it the time I now wish I should have.
The HD 650s are a really nice set of cans and I may go there, or, if I can find a set of AKG 701s before they sent them all off to China for manufacturing.

[Derek]

I've no advice, but tell us more about this man cave...

Last May, I bit the bullet and had the two back bedrooms knocked into one Derek sized room. (translated as - I was allowed)
Got some carpet down and installed the Stereo. Not a big room by any means but I can lose myself in there for hours.
Well there was a bit more to it, we did a lot of work in the house other than the Mancave.
We had the bathroom overhauled and made larger, our bedroom insulated, and a heap of other stuff.
The work was a regular dust generator for weeks, but worth the upset.
I had to strip all my Hi-Fi gear, clean everything before crossing my fingers and setting it back up. Not something you want to do to often.
I'm still sorting the sound in the new music room and probably will be for some time, but I'm in no hurry.
The sound is very different than the front room set-up I had.
And now I reckon that a Headphone system will go very well in there.

[Gerry D]

Hi Derek
I have some stuff that I don't use a lot. I've only got one head ! Although sometimes people look at me as though I had two !!

You're welcome to borrow the following if it's of help in your quest:

Grado PS 1000
Sennheiser HD 650
HiFi Man HE 500
(all good cans but different sonics]

And a Canor TP 10 Valve headphone amp - pretty good - but no DAC.

Feel free to borrow any or all for a couple of weeks.
Drop me a line if you're interested and we can arrange something.

Cheers,
Gerry

[tony]

Congrats on the new room Derek. Great having your own space.
Fran I am sure will lend you the AKG's and he has HD650's also. Magiccabbage aka Paddy is the headphone man so worth chasing him up.
Seb has an eximus DP1 dac for sale which is a preamp and headphone amp it might fit the bill and worth trialing.
I had a Cayin Headphone amp which is probably still in this parish. Gerry had it so did Maciej and I think it still remains here but not exactly sure who has it maybe Fergus. It has a preamp but it would be poor in that department compared to your main amp. I liked the Cayin and was very impressed with it's performance. Have a Little Dot at the moment but virtually never use it but no doubt if i moved it on headphones would be a necessity the next week!

Just a thought the Leben CS300 might be just the babe for your speakers and for headphone requirements. Still haven't heard one but nearly bought them on a couple of occasions.

[Derek]

Many Thanks guys.

Gerry:
I’ll hold off taking a loaner for the moment as the generosity now famously associated with this forum has yet again proved overwhelming.
I have several offers of all kinds of units to try out and they will keep me busy for a while.
If its OK I’ll place your kind offer on the back burner and give you a shout if and when

Tony:
Fran has indeed offered a combination of various bits for my consideration.
I seen the Eximus DP1, noted it was sold and now after your prompting see it’s back up for sale.
I too like Leben equipment but I haven't come across a CS300, Adrian has a very nice CS600 that is really the business.
That Cayin looks an interesting piece of kit.

[mick]

Do I hear the Celtic Tiger growling again.
Good luck with the venture.

[Maz65]

Hi Derek,
I owned the Marantz HD-DAC1 while waiting for my MSB, and I have to say all the best for this equipment, but only as a DAC connected to the fixed output, great price/quality ratio imho in musicality it beats the equivalent Teac or similar price range, and something different regard the "usual, well-known and abused" Sabre sound ;)
On the other hand, there are some compromises at this price.
One compromise is the variable output put an audible veil on the music if compared to fixed output, due to economic components I guess.
The other compromise is on the phone output: with my Audeze lcd2, not easy load I admit, I don't liked it. In this case my suspect is the comparable equipments like Oppo, Teac (sure, I heard it) and many others should not be not better.

For my Audeze I bought a second hand ALO Audio Pan-Am, and it is ok for me in this moment, even considered I don't use my earphones so much. But my references are, for the future, Burson or Violectric for DAC/AMP and the wonderful Bryston BHA-1 for pure Amp, listened with my Audeze and it's very good.

Hoppe this helps,
Massimo