TOTL Headphone Amps


Looking for some feedback on what TOTL headphone amps people are using.  I used a Auralic Taurus MkII for a couple years, and I'm currently using a Rogue Audio RH-5.  I'm considering moving on to a Moon 430HA.  Has anyone tried the 430HA and RH-5?  Are there other headphone amps in this price range that I should be considering?
cbl117
Big Greg,  no offense taken !    I assure you if you spent some time with either amp you would agree that they are superb performers.   Both made in USA by companies with serious audio roots.

You have a unique perspective,  you are a DIY guy who can build amps , but you also have some fine toys that are at the top of their class, so you probably see a lot of overpriced crap that just isn't worth the money.  That's part of the problem with the headphone category.  Lots of cheaply built cans and amps from China.  Many which are flavor of the week.

Are amps like the Manley and conrad -johnson worth their asking prices of $4500 and $7500 respectively?    I don't know and I'll probably never get to find out.     I think in every category you reach the point of diminishing returns, where is that with phones?  I don't know....

Neve must be having some success in the home arena or they wouldn't have re-cased the RNHP to look like a slick piece of home gear.... the amp is exactly the same inside, identical.  The new Fidelice RNHP goes for $1195.    That puts it $200 more than the Quicksilver which is clearly the better amp so they really didn't do their customers any favors.   They are targeting the home demographic now with case work.

So I will just say the Neve is great for the money,  maybe not TOTL , but it will crush a number of more expensive amps.  

The Quicksilver on the other hand is every bit of what I would expect in a top shelf amp.  It is built exactly like their amps.  In fact the chassis is like a 2/3 scale Mid Mono.  Same heavy gauge steel,  same beefy power transformer. Beautiful fit and finish  The only plastic on the entire case is the fuse holder and IEC receptacle.    It's a tank,  it weighs 16 lbs.   It sounds phenomenal and I would put it up against anything 2 maybe even 3 times the price.    

Happy listening
@oddiofyl  I'm glad to hear that.  I have some nice stuff, but it's mostly "mid-fi" and most of it I have purchased second hand.

First off, I'm not really a DIY person, I like to purchase fully realized products.  You may have me confused with someone else.

I have no doubt that I would enjoy listening to those amps.  Headphones amps (and a lot of the other gear we use to enjoy our hobby) don't have to cost a lot to be good. 

I recently sold my Musical Fidelity M1 HPAP headphone amp, which originally sold for $799.  It was class A and had a lot of power, two inputs, and sounded really good.  I'm sure the person I sold it to is enjoying it as much as I did.  If I would have had to sell all my other amps for some reason and only keep that one, it would have been only a minor "downgrade", more a loss of features than anything else.  I think it sounded as good or better than the Oppo HA-1 headphone amp I had.

I've moved on to some more expensive gear and it does sound better, but incrementally.  In most cases, there were features those pieces had that were also important in my purchasing decision when I decided to upgrade.

I don't think something like the Manley headphone amp is "worth it" for any practical reason.  I think much of what you're paying for is the look of it, which of course is hard to put a value on.  It's unique and would be something to show off if you're into that sort of thing.  I have a Manley Chinook phono stage and think it's a really nice piece, but there's nothing flashy about it and it was "affordable" for me.
@big_greg can you compare the AURALiC Taurus with the moon 430ha? I liked the Taurus but sold it chasing the dragon...from memory it had a clean, clear, and warmth to it. Never fatiguing. I’m wondering if the RH-5 is neutral-bright as I seem to get fatigue even at low listening levels. If the ha430 is similar to the Taurus, then that might be a better match for me.
I have the Woo Audio WA 33 with the upgraded tubes, and love it!  The Woo has plenty of power for virtually any headphone, with sufficient head room that results in a very enjoyable listening experience.  Although tube based, the highs are certainly presented well, as are the lowest notes.  Not surprisingly, the mods are fantastic.
@cbl117 Sorry, I missed your question.  I haven't used them both in the same system, so the sources were different.  I had the Taurus in my main system, which of course has my best components.

I found the 430HA to have more power and to be a little more detailed than the Taurus.  I think they were more alike than different in terms of the sound signature (both fairly neutral), but the 430HA has a lot more power and gives you more flexibility in terms of outputs with the rest of your system as well as remote control.