[Armaegis]

Is it possible to modify BHA-1 to have higher output impedance? The 300Ohm Sennheisers and 600Ohm Beyerdynamics love that.

You could just build a cable/adapter with some resistors in series.

[Tezza009]

I am a very happy user of the BHA-1 with the Senn HD800s using balanced cable. Unfortunately, I sometimes get complaints from my spouse due to the noise leaking from the open headphones. To fix this I am thinking of getting a good pair of closed headphones to use when we are both in the entertainment room.

Any suggestions for models that I should look at? Will I be able to get close to the SQ that I experience with the Senns?
I have read about the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO - does anyone have experience of this phone with the BHA-1?

Thanks

[santacore]

I use a Fostex TH900 closed back with my BHA-1 and think it sounds great. MrSpeakers, just released a flagship closed back called the Ether C, that looks is getting favorable reviews. If I was looking at high end closed back phones, those are the 2 I would check out.

[Armaegis]

I am a very happy user of the BHA-1 with the Senn HD800s using balanced cable. Unfortunately, I sometimes get complaints from my spouse due to the noise leaking from the open headphones. To fix this I am thinking of getting a good pair of closed headphones to use when we are both in the entertainment room.

Any suggestions for models that I should look at? Will I be able to get close to the SQ that I experience with the Senns?
I have read about the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO - does anyone have experience of this phone with the BHA-1?

Thanks

Unfortunately, there are no closed headphones that will match the resolving power of the HD800 (for that matter, the competition is really thin in the open headphone arena as well). Just keep that in mind when shopping around for options.

Another possibility is to get your spouse some decent wireless headphones, with which to drown out the sound of yours!

[Grit]

I love my Adueze headphones, and the produced a closed for met headphone a hear or two ago. Not the sake sonic signature of the HD800's though.

[Tezza009]

Thanks everyone

I guess wireless headphones for my better half is the way to go.

[95Dyna]

Apologies in advance if this topic has already been covered.  The BHA-1 owners manual states the recommended impedance is 32 ohms but you can use phones with impedances down to 16 ohms.  I have my short list of phones down to HIFIMAN HE 1000, Audeze LCD 3 and X and Misterspeakers Ether.  Of the 4 only the LCD 3 at 110 ohms comfortably exceeds the recommendation with the HE 1000 just exceeding it at 35 ohms and the Ether and X way under at around 22 ohms.  I would be very happy with the LCD 3's and understand they are a good match for the BHA-1 however I also like the Ethers and especially the 1000's (which has the lowest efficiency @ 90 db.)

-What performance deficits will I experience using phones with lower than the recommended 32 ohm impedance?

-Does anybody have any experience using the Ether and HE 1000 with the BHA-1?

-When discussing low impedance vs. high impedance phones what is the cutoff point or does it vary with other variables?

Thanks!

[95Dyna]

Does anyone have any experience driving the HIFIMAN HE 1000 with the BHA-1?  How about MrSpeakers Ether?

[bjski]

Hi, I had HE-500 balanced with the BHA-1. They required lots of power. Not so for Audeze LCD-3, Sennhiser HD800,HD650 or my Fostex th900. I know it's not HE-1000 but I hope this helps.

[ttsto]

I have HE-500 with balanced cable to BHA-1. BHA-1 receives signal also via balanced cable, BHA set to low gain. I enjoy the sound very much, minor issue is with BHA having too much gain. I listen with the knob between 8 and 9 and some variation in the input gain results in not so pleasant loud sound. I fixed this by enabling ReplayGain on the player.

[95Dyna]

Thanks for the HE 500 feedback.  It is instructive as the impedance of the 500 is close to the 1000 at 38 and 35 ohms respectively.  Sensitivity is a little better at 90 db on the 1000 vs 87 db on the 500.  Looks like I should look for a more powerful amp if I want to go with the HE 1000.

[Armaegis]

It also really depends how hot the signal coming from you dac is. A hot 2V or 4V signal from a dac is often too much for normal headphones and trimming it down before hitting the headamp can give you a little more wiggle room on the amp's pot.

[R. Daneel]

Thanks for the HE 500 feedback.  It is instructive as the impedance of the 500 is close to the 1000 at 38 and 35 ohms respectively.  Sensitivity is a little better at 90 db on the 1000 vs 87 db on the 500.  Looks like I should look for a more powerful amp if I want to go with the HE 1000.

Hi!

Power is not an issue with BHA-1 but it wouldn't be my first choice for the HE1000. IMO, an amp should only build on the strengths of the heaphone, not take the sound in a different direction. BHA-1 is exceedingly flat at any volume (linear you might say), displaying everything that's good (or wrong) with the system and the music. It simply disappears and doesn't become a variable in the mix and is as good or better than amplifier I have heard. But... in this respect, it is an ideal match for something along the lines of too-often-mentioned Sennheiser HD800 and perhaps AKG K812. But to build on the HE1000, I'd look for something like a hybrid tube-input/transistor-output amplifier like the Pathos Aurium. It would complement the less assertive and more liquid character of the HE1000 quite well.

Cheers!
Antun

[James Tanner]

Bryston

29 December 2015 at 21:12 ·

Steven Stone of Home Theater Review.com says about the Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amplifier: "Of all the headphone amplifiers I've heard and seen, the Bryston BHA-1 is the most flexible, with its two gain settings and ability to accept single-ended and balanced [both mini and standard] headphone connections.

It can also serve as an analog preamp. Along with superb flexibility, the BHA-1 also sounds excellent with a wide variety of headphones, from high-sensitivity in-ears to the Audeze LCD-2s and 600-ohm Beyer-dynamic DT-990s."

[mkaiser]

Hi!

Power is not an issue with BHA-1 but it wouldn't be my first choice for the HE1000. IMO, an amp should only build on the strengths of the heaphone, not take the sound in a different direction. BHA-1 is exceedingly flat at any volume (linear you might say), displaying everything that's good (or wrong) with the system and the music. It simply disappears and doesn't become a variable in the mix and is as good or better than amplifier I have heard. But... in this respect, it is an ideal match for something along the lines of too-often-mentioned Sennheiser HD800 and perhaps AKG K812. But to build on the HE1000, I'd look for something like a hybrid tube-input/transistor-output amplifier like the Pathos Aurium. It would complement the less assertive and more liquid character of the HE1000 quite well.

Cheers!
Antun

Thousands of people cannot be wrong. 

[Dloines]

Happy new year all, may you have a safe and healthy 2016!!!

I just received my latest Bryston product a bha-1 this past Wednesday (I also have bda-2, bp25, and 4bst).  While not new to headphone listening, new to this level of listening, after auditioning hd 600, 650, and audeze el8, I settle on a pair of LCD-2s.  I listen to magnepan 3.7i, so I like the planner sound. 

The bha-1 really brings out the sound and capabilities of the lcd-2 and I never thought I could enjoy listening to headphones as much as I do my maggie speakers.  Still experimenting with connections, currently I don't have balanced connects for the lcds, so just been trying SE and balanced connects from bda-2 to bha-1.  Very happy with my latest bryston product .   One thing I noticed even after several hours of listening volume level below 9 position unit is barely warm, I read were some mentioned it got really hot.

Ps James Tanner thanks for advice on the few times we spoke, and customer service has been excellentl!

[steve in jersey]

Thousands of people cannot be wrong. 

Sure they can... Just take a listen to "Popular" music !

("Stock" Senn HD800 must be "voiced" using way too much "popular music"; The good news is they can be absolutely great sounding headphone once you get rid of a few parts that are generating the silly voicing that Senn gave them) (I would bet "my" HD800 would mate quite well with a BHA-1 )

[Fernando]

Sure they can... Just take a listen to "Popular" music !

yes, indeed. and yours is a much 'to the point' example. better your way of posing the problem, here.

("Stock" Senn HD800 must be "voiced" using way too much "popular music"; The good news is they can be absolutely great sounding headphone once you get rid of a few parts that are generating the silly voicing that Senn gave them) (I would bet "my" HD800 would mate quite well with a BHA-1 )

well,  I hope so.
I'd rather buy a LCD-2 _ but service in an issue for me.
it's hard to get service for my HD-600 in case I needed it, despite there is an official rep of Senn here in Uruguay.
so I'm heading towards the 800s + BHA-1, soon after I finish to understand my BDP-2 (which seems to be hopefully soon, solved a number of issues simply by thinking them over).

thanks a lot for your point of view, steve.

fernando in montevideo, uruguay, -34.899705, -56.158880 - 

[steve in jersey]

yes, indeed. and yours is a much 'to the point' example. better your way of posing the problem, here.

well,  I hope so.
I'd rather buy a LCD-2 _ but service in an issue for me.
it's hard to get service for my HD-600 in case I needed it, despite there is an official rep of Senn here in Uruguay.
so I'm heading towards the 800s + BHA-1, soon after I finish to understand my BDP-2 (which seems to be hopefully soon, solved a number of issues simply by thinking them over).

thanks a lot for your point of view, steve.

fernando in montevideo, uruguay, -34.899705, -56.158880 - 

Well ,supposedly the the HD600 has the reputation of being quite a bit more neutral sounding than the
HD800 .

They are structurally sound enough for many years of "service free" use. While they don't have the "Bells & Whistles / Wall of Sound" that the HD800 has, that sound was what I was referring to (& what "I" ended up "making changes to")

About the only "preferred" changes that people seem to do with the HD600 is changing the headphone cable
(Even just going to the cable the HD650 uses is an improvement) & using them with a good headpone amp (Like the BHA-1) . (Or I'd still go with the LCD 2 as the HD800S still appears to have the same "parts" that have to come off)

I do stand by my statement on "Popular" music if we are talking about it in terms of the general sound quality
that tends to be a "shake & bake" sonic experience way too often .

[Grit]

Sure they can... Just take a listen to "Popular" music !

("Stock" Senn HD800 must be "voiced" using way too much "popular music"; The good news is they can be absolutely great sounding headphone once you get rid of a few parts that are generating the silly voicing that Senn gave them) (I would bet "my" HD800 would mate quite well with a BHA-1 )

HAHAHA!