SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion

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adydula

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SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« on: 30 Jun 2019, 12:10 pm »
Hello!

Here is a discussion thread where you can opine about your favorite SS gear.

As usual please keep it friendly and positive.

Thanks
Alex

My favorites in SS are many!

I have built many DIY SS amps and all are great, but some stand out better than others in my useage and headphones.
The Mark Johnson T2 Class A Diy amp is absolutley on top of the list so far...over many others I have heard.
I describe this amp in detail in an other thread on the circle.

Others I have liked over time are the Objective O2 stock and with many mods, Schitt Asgard, Pete Millets Butte, Burson Fun, AGDR's ODA
(a diy design of a possible O2).

Alex


hibuckhobby

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #1 on: 30 Jun 2019, 12:48 pm »
I had one of the first run Asgard's and didn't feel it paired well with my then new HD650's.
I confess to a leaning toward tubes, but I still enjoy my iFi iCan SE and my Burson soloist.
The Burson is to my ears more linear, but I love the slight warmth and the 4w output of the
iCan SE.
ymmw,
Hibuck...

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #2 on: 30 Jun 2019, 02:41 pm »
Interesting,

I to had a first generation Asgard, ran hot....but sold it after a few months...in search of something that at that time
would work better with my then LCD2's.

Alex

timind

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #3 on: 30 Jun 2019, 04:21 pm »
For quite a few years I've been using a Nuforce HDP which I love. Since committing to it I have tried a Bottlehead Crack as well as a Bottlehead S.E.X. and neither of them bettered it. At this point I'll probably keep using it until it dies. It pairs really well with my non-pro Beyerdynamic DT-990s.

Although the kit Adydula just built is intriguing. 

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #4 on: 30 Jun 2019, 07:57 pm »
The T2 kit I just built is a keeper...Its one of the amps I would never aprt with, willingly!!

So inexpensive and easy to build...

Alex

santacore

Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #5 on: 30 Jun 2019, 08:05 pm »
Sure, rub it in. :drool:

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #6 on: 30 Jun 2019, 10:57 pm »
Ha!

Did you send Mark a note?

Alex

santacore

Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #7 on: 1 Jul 2019, 05:41 am »
Ha!

Did you send Mark a note?

Alex

No, I haven't yet, but will do. This amp seems like a great counterpoint to the 2 tube amps I currently have.

John

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #8 on: 30 Aug 2019, 10:13 pm »
Solid State Stack






mresseguie

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #9 on: 6 Oct 2019, 02:20 pm »
Solid State Stack




Something tells me there will be another SS amp to try - perhaps in December..... 8)

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #10 on: 6 Oct 2019, 03:21 pm »
Oh Gosh!!

I cant wait!!

 :D :D :D

Alex

PS: I have a few others that arent in this picture...afraid of toppling the pile!!  :o

mresseguie

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #11 on: 6 Oct 2019, 07:59 pm »
Deleted.  :D

« Last Edit: 18 Oct 2019, 06:30 am by mresseguie »

brooklyn

Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #12 on: 17 Oct 2019, 04:37 pm »
I got the itch to get a newer solid state amp than what I had, something with more power and flexibility.
One of the amps that peeked my interest was the Auralic Taurus Mk ll headphone amp. A few recently
popped up for sale on the used market so I thought I would give it a shot, the reviews looked pretty good.
I particularly wanted something with a pre out just in case I decided to get speakers again.

I’ve now listened to this amp with three different headphones.. Hifiman Ananda’s, Beyer T1.2’s and the
Senn 800S. My first impressions was, this is a really nice amp, I noticed right away this amp has got some
balls. It drove all my headphones without any problems, each one sounding wonderful in their own right,
with renewed listening interest.

The amp has balanced and single ended connections so I’m able to use the balanced cable with the 800s.
That connection had more power than the single ended one. The amp has plenty of detail and the sound
stage opened up even wider than with my older Graham Slee.

This amp is quiet, words that come to mind are clear, detailed, powerful, musical and dynamic.. It also
seems to pair well with the Chord Qutest Dac.

I’m still doing some comparisons with my headphones but I really like what I’m hearing so far and I’m
very happy with the Taurus.

Jerry












adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #13 on: 17 Oct 2019, 09:16 pm »
Jerry!!

Thats a really nice piece of gear!

Its been around for awhile....you must have snagged this one in a great deal...I went and read the review that John Grandberg did back in
Feb of 2014.

There is a nice pix on the interior and it looks very well built.

Enjoy!

Alex

Elizabeth

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #14 on: 17 Oct 2019, 09:39 pm »
I bought a used Rudistor RPX-33mk2 about nine years ago. IT is a very nice headamp. (for my Sennheiser HD800 phones)

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #15 on: 18 Oct 2019, 01:50 am »
So after 9 years its still working well?

Thats awesome!

Have you ever compared it to any other more recent amplifiers?

Its a nice Class A amp!

Alex

santacore

Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #16 on: 18 Oct 2019, 04:16 am »
That Taurus is a fun little amp. I had one for a few years. It was great with a variety of phones.

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #17 on: 19 Oct 2019, 02:21 pm »
Eaisly fooled am I ?  :duh: :D :lol:

This am I am listening with the Clears with my desktop DIY ODA designed by AGDR....a wonderful powerful little amp that
is really complex from the DIY angle..but the results are nothing more than spectacular...its my SS reference amp..

So I connected the ODA and the new Schitt Magni 3 to my Bifrost MB dac, both are getting the same dac output at the same time (y- splitter).

Before I did this I was powering one up, then the other taking 30-40 seconds changing out wall worts...this adds the memory "loss" in between
changes and listening...and the song your listening too has moved to another possibly different section of the material. This makes it harder to be
objective when trying to compare two different amps with your human brain! At least it is to me!

So with both the ODA and the Magni3 powered up. level set with a test tone, and both connected to the same DAC source its only 1-2 seconds to pull out the
phone plug from one and into another....

The results are as usual astounding...or not.

Thinking the Magni 3 was a lesser amp by listening this am, I had to do my keep me honest test.

Pretty much both amps sound tonally pretty much the same. Hard to really tell any difference.

The only thing that might be different, might be the soundstage seems wider or more open and wide with the ODA.

To me this is like comparing a $99 amp to one the would cost north of $600 - $1K IMO.

You can easily do this at home....a pair of very low cost Y splitters for your dac and another set of interconnects you too can see if you can
hear any real world difference in your amps or dacs etc...

Just remember to level set with a test tone and a SPL meter....(I made a small adapter that rests on an earpad with a small precise hole cut out that I stick the sensor of the old Radio
Shack SPL meter into). The material I used for this was some low cost mount board for photographs from a local craft store)..

Ok so both of these amps are pretty much the same?

So which one to use??

Maybe the red one today and the silver one tomorrow!!

Ah!

Life is good..

Good Morning!

Alex







hibuckhobby

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #18 on: 19 Oct 2019, 05:07 pm »
I used to have a Burson Conductor dac/amp that I couldn’t really warm up to.
Now I have a Burson Soloist and a Mojo dac that I really enjoy together.  My
iFi stack is also a keeper for me.  Love the touch of warmth and the power
of the iFi.
Hibuck....

adydula

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Re: SS - Solid State Headphone Amplifiers - Discussion
« Reply #19 on: 19 Oct 2019, 06:06 pm »
Hibuck,

Do you have the MKII?

This amp is built like a tank!

Very nice...

Alex