I'm considering overhauling my office audio system, and would appreciate some suggestions.
Currently I stream music through a USB DAC to a Channel Islands headphone amplifier. The sound is nice, but I would rather not be constrained to listen via headphones all the time. So I'm considering bringing some speakers into the office. Of course I'll also need an amp, and that's where my confusion lies.
The speakers I have are an older pair of KEF bookshelf speakers: concentric drivers, 6ohms with a sensitivity around 90dB. I won't be able to listen at very high volumes at all, so very low powered amplification would be fine. The first constraint I impose is that I need to be able to use headphones at some times. So, I have a couple of options:
1. I could use the CI Audio VHP1 as both a headphone amp and a preamp (I have a set of interconnects with RCA plugs at one end and a single headphone-like connector at the other), and then simply add an amplifier. If I went in this direction, I could use a sonic impact T-amp or something of that sort (I have a couple of the SI amps), or even the CI Audio chip amps that I'm currently trying to sell.
2. I could sell the VHP1 and replace it with an integrated amp, as long the integrated amp had a decent sounding headphone out. This would be my preferred option, if I could find something that worked well for me. Tubes would be fine (probably even preferable), although it would have to use common tubes that could be replaced cheaply.
The second constraint is of course expense. I'd really like to keep net expenditure as close to $0 as possible, although I could probably stretch things to a couple of hundred dollars (if I manage to sell some other gear).
As an example of the sort of thing I could use, the Almarro A205A would fit the bill (although I can't remember if it's the Mk I or Mk II that includes a headphone out). It strikes me that there might be all sorts of other alternatives out there, especially from those inexpensive Chinese producers that seem to pop up out of nowhere. I expect that the used market will be the best option for me.
So, does anybody know of an appropriate integrated with decent headphone out that sells used somewhere in the $300-$500 range?
Chad