Look at Quicksilver headphone amps, also.
https://quicksilveraudio.com/products/headphone-amplifier/
David
Slowely Upping My Game
Hey Goner's,
A while back, out of necessity, I decided to venture into headphones. At this point in the journey, I'm running Audioquest RCA interconnects from the tape outs on my ASR Emitter II power amp to a Schiit Lyr 3 with a Linlai Elite 6SN7. Somewhat of a mismatch I know! The headphones I'm currently using are a modified version of the Aurorus Audio Borealis.
About two months ago, I purchased a pair of HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1's that are still on Back Order. I'm hoping to get these at the end of this month, we'll see. In a couple of weeks, I'll purchase a pair of Audio Sensibility Statement SE copper interconnects to replace the Audioquest Colorado IC's.
So the D1's impedance is at 32 ohm's. Pretty much anything can drive them. Which brings me to wonder whether replacing the Schiit Lyr 3 with a more expensive headphone amplifier can be justified. Looking around at various OTL headphone amplifiers, leaves me with the impression that a Feliks or Woo Audio would make sense for headphones at 300 ohm's but would be overpowering for a pair of 32 ohm headphones.
So the endgame is to maximize the fidelity that's coming from the power amplifier. To test the clarity of what I currently have, I placed a Herbie's titanium tube damper on the 6SN7and I do notice a slight difference. My hopes are high for the D1's but admittedly, this post may be premature, given that I haven't had a chance to hear them yet. Onward through the fog.
Thanks!
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@fatdaddy2 @wharfy The primary objective for me is to straight wire the signal coming from my power amp to my headphone drivers. The headphone amp need be nothing more than a volume control. So from what I've seen on the WOO and Quicksilver websites, they both incorporate point to point wiring. So unlike the Schiit Lyr3, no transistors. It would seem that the difference in WOO models are the quality of parts and the amount of power output. Anyway, the smaller WOO amplifiers are more affordable and show up used. The Quicksilver retails new for $1,200.00, which is pretty remarkable. Thanks for the input! |
The Holo Audio Bliss is an end-game level HP amp at a somewhat reasonable price. I also have Susvaras, one of the most difficult to drive HP's out there and the Bliss KTE will easily drive them on the low-gain setting. That means that it never leaves pure class-A status unless you turn the volume up past 0 db, which, if I don't have to with my HP's then almost no one will. Of course, that also means it gets quite warm, but after trying several dedicated HP amps, both tube and SS, the Bliss' sound is beyond reproach. Holo Audio has fantastic build quality, too. |
@shooter41 Thanks for the input. The Bliss retails for $3,000.00. Given that I'm running tape outs to inputs and then adjusting the volume, I'm a little frustrated about what's available for around $1,500.00. And the headphones that I'm using could be driven with an iPhone. I mean, NASA just sent a crew to circle around the moon, so certainly someone could design a headphone amplifier for such a basic task. I guess I'm venting. |
@goofyfoot I totally understand and I was similarly frustrated once-upon-a-time. I think most of us that enjoy the electronic reproduction of music started out thinking that they could get satisfying sound on a modest budget, and sometimes you can, but most of us also have that nagging feeling that, for just a little bit more, you could do better. This is the opening of the rabbit hole. I have bought and sold numerous HP's, amps, and DACs, always taking at least some loss. What I should have done, and I know a lot of folks here would agree, is decide how much of a priority it is to have satisfying sound. If it is indeed a priority then stretch as much as your budget will allow right from the jump. It's far cheaper in the long run. As for an even more budget friendly HP amp, I would recommend the Schiit Mjolnir. I had the previous version that had a tube input stage and it was an excellent amp, I'm sure the new one (which, like the Holo, is pure class-A) is even better. $1200. |
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