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I'm presently running my Denon AH-D2000 phones through the headphone jack on my Marantz AV-7005. They sound OK in this configuration but I'm curious if there would be an improvement with an outboard headphone amp. I've been looking at the Schiit Asgard and a few others but I'm wondering if I would just be wasting my money buying another amp for the phones. I'd like to know how good the Marantz's headphone section really is compared to a stand alone amp. Does anyone have any opinions?
Regards, Sam
Follow Ups:
are they really called Shit Audio?
Its Schiit. The name was likely part of the co-founders' mission to "shake things up a little bit" I had just assumed it was German for something until I looked at the product home page. They appear to mean it just like it sounds based on the last sentence in the about page....."So, why don’t you check out our Schiit?"
i would recommend either the Matrix SS amp for the D200. I used one on my D7000 and found the synergy incredible. I did not like the Asgard sounded dead to me compared to the detail and slam of the Matrix. Another good option is to get the meir Concerto used or the new Meir has received a good review on headfi but I have not heard it. Tam Audio is a great reliable seller and Jeffrey goes out of his way to provide the best service. recommended highly. He sell Matrix and yulong.
I have a Schiit Lyr with which I'm very pleased. I use it to power my Senn HD600's and my new Audez'e LCD-3's. Both sound wonderful.
I've no experience with Marantz, so I can't compare.
I own some old Marantz equipment from the mid-90s, an amp and a Cd player, and the sound can not compare with my 2007 vintage SinglePower MPX-3 Slam SE or my 2009 vintage custom Blue Circle SBH.
I have never heard the Schiit amp you speak of. I am considering buying a new 2A3 headphone amp from either Eddie Current or a Donald North (DNA), soon to be released.
"You don't need to be a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows"
I'd like to go with tubes but finding something that will drive my 25 ohm phones might be a problem. On the other hand, I already use a tubed Jolida JD9 phono stage and a tubed Musical Fidelity X-10D buffer that I run my CD player through. Can one have too many tubes in the signal path? My pre-pro and my amps are both solid state. I'd like to keep the price below $500.00.
Regards, Sam
Woo 6 or 6SE will work well with the denon phones as awell as my taboo from decware
I think I'm going with the Matrix M-Stage. It looks like a solid, well built piece and I like the adjustable gain. Just seems like a lot of bang for the bucks.
Regards, Sam
great amp and if you use Tam Audio Jeffrey is tops and on his site tamaudio.com its also cheaper than ebay and he takes paypal also
To get the impedances correct between you preamp and amp is probably a bigger concern. But yes, if you have the signal running through lot of tubbed gear, you probably will affect the sound. You can tell by listening. I have a tubed CD player, a tubed pre, an SS pre, 2 SET tube amps (oen with a tube pre), and one class AA PP triode amp, plus a SS and a tube OTL headphone amps. I had to be careful about the impedances of the pres and the power amps, but in general everything fits almost everything else. This is entirely anecdotal. It just means, too many tubes doesn't have to be too many tubes.
Listen before you buy....or accept the risk that the outcome will not be to your liking and do everything you can to reduce that risk by talking with owners, reading reviews, asking questions here.
"You don't need to be a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows"
The Matrix M-Stage looks interesting and is well thought of from what I've read. The Fournier also appears to be a keeper.
Regards, Sam
Trav's idea makes the most sense and I mostly agree with jaydacus. If you go all tube, a great sound, make sure it's comfortable with your low impedance phones (25 ohms I believe). I bought a terrific sounding Ming Da all tube HP amp but anything below 60 ohms had a bit of hum. Comparisons will reveal subtle differences, yours to decide if it's worth the extra moolah.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
I just purchased my first headphone amplifier and could not be happier. I always knew that portable device were a compromise, but assumed that a decent quality preamp/ integrated amplifier would have a good headphone output. The thing you have to consider is that the headphone output is an afterthought and uses different amplification circuitry than what is used to output to the main system. The quality of that that extra circuitry, which the manufacturer knows will never be used by the majority of customers, is not likely to be as good as the rest of the device.A headphone amplifier on the other hand is built for no other purpose but to power headphones. I just purchased the Fournier DAC2 and like it better than anything else I have ever plugged headphones into before. It was the perfect for me because I like like that smooth tube sound and only listen to music from my PC. There are hundreds of options out there depending on your needs and budget, but any way you look at you are better off with a dedicated headphone amplifier.
Edits: 12/24/11
The easiest way to figure this out for yourself would be to order one from a vendor with a 30 day return policy, like Audio Advisor. If you don't like it, you are only out the shipping both ways. The upside is you get to hear it with your gear and your music with no rush. You can spend a couple of weeks with it before needing to crap or get off the pot.
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