Advice on headphone amp

brian.davidson.5817

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I currently use Grado 325 and Beyerdynamic DT150. I’ve also just got a new pair of Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition 600 OHM which obviously require a bit of driving. They sound great and are very revealing. I currently use the headphone amp in my Linn Majik DSM/2. However they do require a significant bit more volume than my other phones - would it be worth investing in a separate headphone amp for driving these phones? Is a separate headphone amp of up to £300 going to cut it? Ive used Graham Slee phone amps before and wished I’d hung onto it! Any advice much appreciated.
 

griffo104

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I've got a few headphone amps, all of them have been £300 or lower
Topping L30 (£100 although I don't like this one)
Sabaj PHA3 (£40 valve hybrid)
Sabaj A20h (£130)
Xduuo MT-602 (£85 valve hybrid)
Lake People G109-S (£300 although that was a black friday sale)

the L30, A20h and the G109-S all have switchable gain and drive the 300ohm loads I have quite easily.

There's also brands like IFI, SMSL, JDS LABS, who all make nice headphone amps under £300 with loads of power available. I don't have a 600ohm load so can't comment on driving that but all these will easily do 300Ohm loads. Most of these are available from Amazon so you could buy and try them out send back if you don't get on with them.

I also have a Chord Mojo which also has oodles of power and can be had 2nd hand under £300 if you wanted to go the dac/amp route.
 
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Lawrence001

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I've had the similar 600 ohm DT880s for a while and do like their sound signature, but they are just a little brighter than I like even with some good headphone amps.

I recently bought an SMSL SP200 for under £200 with THX AAA technology, it's very powerful, and found the Beyers could sound smoother than I ever imagined. I highly recommend this amp for high impedance Beyers.
 
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JamieMcC

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The usual recommendations for headphones 300-600z is to with a valve OTL amp. The disadvantage is they don't play nice with phones with lower Z cans.

But have a look at the Eufonika h5 can be found on eBay but I think less via Etsy. Talk on the forums say its similar to Bottlehead Crack.
 
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Bourneendboy

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I picked up a Graham Slee Solo SRG 11 recently and think it is something very special, even with the basic PSU. I use it with Sennheiser HD600.
I've previously used a Naim Headline, Heed Canamp, Lehmann Linear and NJC.
I've not done a direct comparison with any of them, but my gut instinct is that the Solo is my favourite.
 
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brian.davidson.5817

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I picked up a Graham Slee Solo SRG 11 recently and think it is something very special, even with the basic PSU. I use it with Sennheiser HD600.
I've previously used a Naim Headline, Heed Canamp, Lehmann Linear and NJC.
I've not done a direct comparison with any of them, but my gut instinct is that the Solo is my favourite.
Yes, I used to have a solo and was very impressed with it. I reckon the solo and a creek amp I had were the best two sounding headphone amps for the money.
 

brian.davidson.5817

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I’m thinking about a Drop THX AAA amplifier. I currently use a Majik DSM/2 (only as a preamp for my system) - how would I connect a separate headamp to the DSM when it’s configured only as a preamplifier (the power amp is inactive as I currently use two klout poweramps). Would the ‘Line out’ be the one to use? Thanks!
 
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petrichor

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If you can find one, Neco Soundlab Bossfet. UK made but cannot find any info that still in production. Absolutely trounced my amps onboard headphone amps, Luxman and ATC. Don't envisage ever wanting to upgrade it.
Made me disappointed with my main system SQ and prompted my upgraditis.
Think I paid about £150 new several years ago.
 
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griffo104

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I’m thinking about a Drop THX AAA amplifier. I currently use a Majik DSM/2 (only as a preamp for my system) - how would I connect a separate headamp to the DSM when it’s configured only as a preamplifier (the power amp is inactive as I currently use two klout poweramps). Would the ‘Line out’ be the one to use? Thanks!
Yes it should be the line out, the pre-amp is just passing the signal down to the headphone amp.

I use the line-out mode in the Mojo to go to another headphone amp and the MT-602 headphone amp can be used as a pre-amp to another amp so acts as a sort of tube buffer, which can be quite nice.

I used to use the headphone amp on my old Linn Majik amplifier way back and for me a good headphone amp is much better
 
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Lawrence001

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I’m thinking about a Drop THX AAA amplifier. I currently use a Majik DSM/2 (only as a preamp for my system) - how would I connect a separate headamp to the DSM when it’s configured only as a preamplifier (the power amp is inactive as I currently use two klout poweramps). Would the ‘Line out’ be the one to use? Thanks!
Are you using the pre into the powers when you're listening on your speakers? As if you use the same outs you'd have to keep unplugging cables?

Another point, one reviews of my SMSL compared it to the drop and the Monoprice and found it to be a little less analytical/neutral which is why I went with it, the Drop may suit the Beyers a little less but that's purely based on one person's opinion.
 
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griffo104

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Are you using the pre into the powers when you're listening on your speakers? As if you use the same outs you'd have to keep unplugging cables?

Another point, one reviews of my SMSL compared it to the drop and the Monoprice and found it to be a little less analytical/neutral which is why I went with it, the Drop may suit the Beyers a little less but that's purely based on one person's opinion.
There's a Pre Out on the amp so suspect that will be used to the power amps. It's what I used to use on my old Linn amps.
 
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griffo104

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So a variable pre out and seperate line level out? should be fine then.
That's what I'm guessing from my experience of Linn amps albeit mine was a bit older than this one.

Edited: just checked the manual on line and the "line out" is fixed output for connecting to recording devices so it should be ok.
 
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brian.davidson.5817

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That's what I'm guessing from my experience of Linn amps albeit mine was a bit older than this one.

Edited: just checked the manual on line and the "line out" is fixed output for connecting to recording devices so it should be ok.
Thanks for all the comments, folks - this is really helpful and much appreciated. Sounds like I can use line out and can have a better listening experience with a separate head amp!
 

griffo104

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I would recommend the Schiit Audio Asgard 3 at $249, I preferred it to the similarly priced THX based head amps.
sadly, as much as I would like to try Schitt, they are really a bit difficult to get here in the UK. There is a distributor here but they rarely seem to have anything in stock.
 

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