Receiver for headphone use only

What about wireless head phones, do these perform well?

Get a Marantz 2230, 2245 or similiar, built in Japan, early 70's. Have it modded or rebuilt, or with patience wait for a cleaned-up rebuilt one to appear on ebay. For the 2230, which is all you'll need for headphones, the price for a really good one should be below $350 or so.

I use a Marantz CD-5001 CD player in the same configuration (on the night stand) and it works quite well. I paid just over $200 for mine and it was a new open box sale, you might find one used for less. It has a separate headphone amp section and I am very happy with it. I listen through a pair of modded Senn 580s and it has plenty of power for them.

$100 sounds optomistic, but many report that the Fisher 400 series has a very good headphone section. check head-fi.org.

Your best bet is to hope this deal falls thru:

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?miscrcvr&1176239042

It's a Tandberg 2045 receiver from the late 70s and the sound is to die for. Their headphone circuitry is excellent. Keep your eyes peeled for one of these or a 2030 or 2060. The Tandberg receivers from that era are among the finest receivers ever made. Excellent amp, tuner, and preamp sections.

The Marantz receivers of that period were also quite good. I can also highly recommend the Yamaha and Harman-Kardon products of that vintage, they are well-built and sound quite good. It (late 70s, early 80s) really was a golden era for receivers.

Check here and FleaBay, you're sure to find something if you keep your eyes open.

-RW-