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RE: Best budget (sub $200) amp for low-impedance 'phones?

Posted by genungo on March 9, 2015 at 03:21:25

In Reply to: RE: Best budget (sub $200) amp for low-impedance 'phones? posted by Caucasian Blackplate on March 8, 2015 at 22:15:18:

Grado headphones might not "require" a special amp in order to make noise but, like all headphones, they tend to sound best when the amp is optimized for them.

Some people seem to be under the impression that, because Grado headphones are so *easy to drive*, high quality amplification no longer matters for them. To the contrary, I've heard Grados driven by cheap receivers and by dedicated headphone amps and I can affirm that all amplifiers do not sound equally good with Grados. Amplifier output impedance, the tonal balance of the amp, and the quietness of the amp all significantly affect the way Grado headphones sound.

I was looking for a good sounding amp, one that is battery powered, and one that is small enough to carry easily from place to place. Open headphones are not always the best choice for use in public places, but public use is not my objective here.

Ebay seller "biosciencegeek" offers portable, customizable cMOY amps. Tonal balance is an important issue for some, so the JRC4556 opamp (the same one that Grado specifies in their headphone amps) is available as one of several options that might influence the "sonic character" of our Grado headphones. Gain customization is enabled in the design. "Made in the USA", only $49.

Some people feel that tubes amps make their Grado headphones sound warmer and more spacious. The Little Dot headphone amps being sold on ebay are considered to be a good choice if size and "portability" are an issue. Made in China, $150 and up.

Edits: 03/09/15 03/09/15 03/09/15 03/12/15

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