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Hi !
i am using more and more HPs for neighbours reasons.
I have a bunch of HPs ... akg k240 (600 ohm), k501, k701 and a Beyerdynamic dt990 (250 ohm).
I am finding very nice sounding a small and cheap amp from SMSL (in the pic and in the link).
I am powering it with a PS just a little better than the stock one and it makes already a difference
So that i am planning to try a really better one (DIY project).
I see other and more expensive headphone amps in the SMSL audio site.
One is said to be designed for the hd800 !
Anyone of you have experience of these better amps ?
Thanks.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 07/28/15 07/28/15Follow Ups:
It is nicely made, if rather small. Of course, the outboard supply is what makes it sound bad. I built a linear supply for it, literally by hand, soldering wire-to-wire, and put it in a wooden box that is kept under the desk.
It is just an op-amp based headphone amp, no more, no less. It is an improvement to listening to computer audio directly via headphones, but I really think that an integrated USB DAC would have made it more useful for that purpose.
I also have the SMSL DAC, which I also made a power supply for!
Overall, it is what it is, an inexpensive headphone amplifier that requires you to build something.
I built a BIGGER headphone amplifier immediately afterwards for about $120, let's say. It definitely sounds better and I often use it with the SMSL DAC, a $100 DAC, mind you ;-) You can buy one already made on eBay for about $200, and it will be just a no-name headphone amp!
Hi and thanks a lot for the very valuable reply.
I have already some HPs that i like quite a lot, like:
- akg 240 Monitor 600 ohm
- akg k701
- akg k501
- beyerdynamic dt990 250 ohm
I could live with any of them.
More in particular i am finding amazing the midrange of the k501.
Extremely natural and transparent and for me the midrange is very important.
But i need a serious headhone amp now to drive them properly.
So i am evaluating different amp solutions at the moment.
Budget would be up to 300 USD (and i have nothing against 2nd hand units)
Could you give tell me something more about your project ?
Thanks a lot again.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 07/29/15 07/29/15 07/29/15
Or, you can get a prewired PCB for $22. Are they the same? Who knows. Probably the parts quality will suffer. Maybe, that's the Achilles heal of the Chinese copies. Clearer bass lines certainly, and the box is a bit bigger than any of the SMSL stuff. I replaced the op-amp as well which is the first stage and the second stage is just transistors. Nothing special about the design, as it appears rather text book. The new op amp really opened up the sound. Just make sure you get a socketed op-amp, which almost all the Chinese copies provide. No warranty, you can just role your own then, basically.
Hi thanks again a lot for the very prompt and valuable reply.
I like the DIY option a lot because my ideal amp has the transformer in another box, separated from the circuits.
I think i will study seriously the DIY option.
I understand that you deem this project superior to the SMSL amp.
I will just wait for the better one i have already ordered.
That one is the TOTL in the SMSL catalogue and should have been designed to drive the hd600, an extremely good and revealing HP indeed.
But i have found nothing about its sound.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
The John Curl copy design -- he posts on this board, so I hope he doesn't get too upset over copycats. It would have cost a little more. I think the one I built lacks some midrange magic, as it is just not there, but very revealing otherwise.
Hi
And i agree ... midrange is difficult to get it very right, maybe without using tubes.
Actually i was thinking to something hybrid ... but i also like amps with impeccable figures of low noise and low THD (and they are usually solid state).
With all solid state is a very challenging aspect of sound.
Problem is that to try them i usually have to buy them.
I think that a reasonable approach is:
1) to select the HPs
2) reading about what the owners of that specific HP use to drive them.
But as i said i cannot decide which HP i like better.
I am a little confused.Speaking of DIY i need to start from a kit and better with the board already populated with soldered parts.
I have a very heavy hand with the soldering iron.I would like to add a comment on the small SMSL.
I watch a lot of tv series on Netflix lately.
In some cases it is impressive how i can hear clearly the difference in sonic quality between the dialogues (so so) and the effects (scaringly real indeed ! very very live effect).
In general i am astonished by the quality of recorded special effects.
The sounds are so real that are mindbowling.Thanks again a lot.
Very nice talking with you.
Have a nice day.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 07/29/15 07/29/15 07/29/15 07/29/15 07/29/15 07/30/15
There are so many good quality portable headphone amps out there nowadays and there is no sign that this flood in the marketplace will be abated anytime soon. It's almost impossible to keep up with the rate of product release from Asia, really.No experience here, but for such a low price you really cannot lose. Sound/build quality is sure to be decent, if not outstanding. Get back to us if/when you decide to buy one of those "better ones" because we'd like to know how it sounds...
Edits: 07/28/15 07/28/15
Hi and thanks a lot for the very kind reply
Actually i have already the one depicted ... and it sounds very good in my opinion. And i am using a quite trivial PS (24VDC)
I am planning to use a much better quality lab power supply i have in the garage.
On the basis of this positive impression i have ordered the one in the picture here. This should be their top model.
I will report anyway.I am mostly interested in headphone amps these days because i have the feeling that to find a really good and universal headphone amp (at a nice price) is more difficult than to find a decent HP.
I have had surprising experiences with 50 USD headphones that left me amazed.
Ok ... they are not a k701 or a hd600/800 or a Grado ... still they sound quite enjoyable clean and transparent.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 07/29/15 07/29/15 07/29/15 07/29/15
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