2 channel vs headphones

On the BHK headphone amp Gemini summarized the reviews as follows…

The BHK Signature Preamplifier is frequently cited not just as a world-class line stage, but as hosting one of the most capable built-in headphone amplifiers in the high-end audio market. Unlike many preamps that treat the headphone jack as an afterthought, Bascom H. King designed this as a dedicated, discrete Class-A MOSFET stage. 

Reviews consistently highlight that the headphone output isn't just "good for a preamp," but rivals many dedicated external headphone amplifiers in the $1,500–$2,500 range.

Thank you all for your thoughtful and detailed responses!! I will check out all of these systems and HP options! 

For variety I have both, but have not setup my headphone/desktop system yet. I moved and 2-channel setup is the higher priority.

My desktop/headphone has tube+dac, and a digital player for SS. Various headphones including Focal Clear, Audeze i4 (planar). 

We just had a house full of company for several days and since I had a streak of insomnia was doing more headphone listening than I had done for a long time and therefore reflected a bit on this topic.  It’s a different experience than listening to speakers.  There is a lot of detail on offer but some sacrifices in the sound field.  Hall resonance is over prominent, the space between instruments seems a bit in natural, and I still don’t care for the hole in the head phenomenon (no jokes, please).  However I understand the appeal of headphone oriented listening and particularly if one has restrictions in terms of neighbors, etc

Yes, as a peaceful alternative to my 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos setup with M&K Loudspeakers and SVS subs. Sennheiser HD800 for all sources except for Blu-ray, then it’s the HD800S. The treble spike is tamed and bass is elevated with the HD800S, both important for lossless audio tracks. Lossy audio tracks are great with the classic HD800 which is unsurpassed in openness, soundstage, and incredible detail retrieval. I remember watching Daredevil on Netflix (the old ones, back when it was good). I could hear so much of what was going on in the background. The city was open and airy.

When I purchase a new home theater AVR I always test it with the HD800S to make sure that the phone output is powerful enough to drive these Sennheiser cans. I also listen for holographic sound, basically soundstage and simulated surround sound. Some onboard DACs do this better than others. My favorite was my old Denon but that was back in the 2K era. It was great for the pre-Dolby Atmos, Dolby and DTS lossless codecs, piped directly into the headphones. The engineering was really impressive. I miss that one. Right now I’m using the Yamaha RX-A8A which is good, quite good, but not like that old Denon.

I have other high-end cans like Focal Utopia 2022 etc but the Sennheiser HD800/HD800S are superior for this use-case. The comfort is also unsurpassed. I’ll probably never part with these two cans for this reason alone.