[StereoNut]

I apologize if this topic has been covered before (this is my first thread posted in HM) but I have absolutely no experience with headphones/headphone amps/DAC's etc...  My current pre-amp in my home stereo system does NOT have a headphone jack.  I just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 598's and would like recommendations for a compatible headphone amp to go with them.  I'd also like to know if I could just buy an outboard DAC with a volume control and run my CD player directly through that to drive these phones without a headphone amp at all!?!?

The specs on the HD 598's are as follows:

Technical Data
Frequency response (headphones)   12-38,500 Hz
Wearing style   Around-the-ear
Impedance   50 ohms
Connector   1/4 inch (6.3mm)
Cable length   10 ft, detachable (single sided)
Transducer principle   Open-Aire
Total harmonic distortion   <0.1%
Weight (w/o cable)   9.52 ounces (225 g)
Total SPL   112 dB
(*)   ---------------
UPC code   615104187733
EAN code   4044155056082
Dimensions (single)   8.07 x 3.94 x 9.45 in
Weight (single)   1.42 lbs
Dimensions (master carton)   16.81 x 13.66 x 10.51 in

So far, the D1 from Maverick Audio looks like a worthwhile route to take.  It seems to have a lot of versatility and it fits my budget.
 
http://www.mav-audio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1

My budget is $300.00 max, but would like to keep it less than that.  Thanks in advance for any/all suggestions.

[Sparky14]

No, a DAC with volume control does not usually have a headphone amp built in.

This thing (DAC + AMP) is the flavor of the month at Head-Fi in that price range http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=48

There is also some bargain love for the FIOO dac+amps, but I have no experience with them,

I am a big Audio-gd fan, so look at this one http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB15/NFB15EN.htm

[StereoNut]

No, a DAC with volume control does not usually have a headphone amp built in...

I'm pretty sure the Maverick Audio D1 is a headphone amp too.  Besides, unless I don't understand something spec wise, the 598's at 50 ohms should be very easy to drive - right?

[adydula]

I have gone thru several head amps and dacs over the last year.
The latest is the O2 amp and ODAC that is in the link above from JDS Labs .....its as good as many others at much higher prices and is very transparent and allows you to really get back to the source etc....will drive your 598s with no problem...

I have one now and am building a second one....

Alex

[passingthrough]

If you can stretch your budget by another $50 (or wait for a used one), the Grant Fidelity TubeDac-11 is a great DAC with a very good headphone amp.  I have the Maverick D1 also and the TubeDac-11 is better.   Be aware that the head amp on the TubeDAC-11 does not go through the tube circuit though.

If you want a tube headphone amp and want to spend your cash on optimizing the sound quality there versus getting a DAC and preamp in the bargain, I would recommend the Sunrise II at $250 built.  It's really stunningly good for the price, uses high quality parts, and has different output impedance options and even voltage so you can use either 6V or 12V tubes.  The stock Russian tube sounds good also, so you would not really need to tube swap.  For your 50 ohm impedance cans, the low 5 Ohm impedance setting on the Sunrise II would match up well.  I use AKG Q701 at 60 ohm with it.

I wrote a brief review of it recently on head-fi here:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/620712/review-comparison-project-sunrise-ii-and-bellari-ha540#post_8576312

[Sparky14]

I'm pretty sure the Maverick Audio D1 is a headphone amp too.  Besides, unless I don't understand something spec wise, the 598's at 50 ohms should be very easy to drive - right?

Yep, the Maverick is also an amp, so it would work. The Mav got a lot of talk at head-fi, but it hasn't been updated in a couple of years, so while good, it isn't quite up to date.

Yes, the 598s are easy to drive. But that just means you don't need a powerful amp. You still want a good DAC paired with a good amp for better sound.

[passingthrough]

Sorry, I should have read that your budget really is $300 max before offering up the TubeDAC-11 at $350 list.  I hate when people do that.

The Maverick D1 is a real bargain and if you can use the tube output at some point in addition to the head amp you're planning to use now, then something like that is hard to beat.

As another poster mentioned, Audio GD also has some good "all in one" offerings with DAC, volume, and head amp in your price range.  I have an Audio GD NFB-12 which I think would be a good option for you too, and would drive your headphones with no problem.  It's only because I have the dedicated Sunrise II tube headphone amp and am partial to having a tube with my AKG's that I don't use the NFB-12 currently (and will be selling it shortly so it can find a good home).

[ajzepp]

For $169, the Audioengine D1 is an outboard USB/optical DAC with a volume control and headamp built in. I use it as a stand-alone DAC and love it. The amp sounds surprisingly good with my Grados, so I use that as my back-up amp. Plan to get another one soon so I can keep one in my stationary headphone set-up and have another one to move about the house. I'm very fond of this little guy.

[eclein]

Look at the Grant DAC...latest one I have the 9 and its great but the newest one also has put the tube into the headphone amp piece so you get the nice tube sound. Seriously consider it.....great folks up there. In your price range....

[StereoNut]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.  Keep 'em coming, if there are other alternatives.  Eventually, I'll decide on something and "pull the trigger" on a deal!

[StereoNut]

Look at the Grant DAC...latest one I have the 9 and its great but the newest one also has put the tube into the headphone amp piece so you get the nice tube sound. Seriously consider it.....great folks up there. In your price range....

If I'm reading things correctly on the Grant site, there's a compatibility issue with my 598's (which are 50 ohm) if I want to use the tube section of the headphone amp on this piece.  (See copy from their website below in blue.)

Built-in transistor headphone amp to allow you enjoy music in privacy (standard 6.5mm jack). Alternatively, you can use a RCA to 6.5mm jack adapter to connect headphones directly to the rear tube output. Note: front solid state headphone out can accept headphone with impedance as low as 16ohm; rear tube out only work properly with headphones with impedance over 300 ohm. 

I want tubes!

[passingthrough]

the newest one also has put the tube into the headphone amp piece

eclein, I wish that were the case but the TubeDAC-11 does not use the tube in the headphone amp.

Some people with high impedance headphones are using an RCA to headphone adapter to convert the Tube Out at the
rear panel to headphone jack, but that's the only way to get the tube in the headphone chain. 

Still, the non-tubed headphone amp in the TubeDAC-11 is very good IMO.  I think Ian and company took great care to make sure that wasn't just an afterthought on this versatile unit.

[eclein]

A cable for a couple bucks to make that happen isn't much compared to a good full blown tube headphone amp. The Mav is SS also on the headphone side I think.........I thought the Grant was a bit easier but hey they sound exceptional I hear so why no hear it through phones the way your amp would hear it for speakers???? I use a TWO.2 with the speaker posts going to an adapter for my HE5LE's sometimes...sounds superb, many folks use them 24/7 that way. Its not cheaping out, its using your available options. But I do stand corrected...sorry. I've been where this gentleman is......you could buy an Asgard from Schitt Audio (real name if your not familiar with them)....they are like 249????...I forget what he wrote as sorce and I'm lazy...LOL....I use my SB sometimes to my asgard with the SB's DAC and I get great sound.
 

[eclein]

....do the O2 gear mentioned above...hugely popular

[adydula]

If you want a neutral amp and dac...and not wonking around with tubes....the O2 amp is the deal of the century for $144 and the ODAC is $99, the combo is in the link above...

Here is my OD from JDSlabs, and the ODAC is the $99 assembled one from JDS that I just put in a case with RCA Outs and a mini in front as well...




All the best..
Alex

[StereoNut]

If you want a neutral amp and dac...and not wonking around with tubes....the O2 amp is the deal of the century for $144 and the ODAC is $99, the combo is in the link above...

Alex, maybe you're right...???   

Just to be sure, I e-mailed customer service at Maverick Audio regarding the D1 headphone amp/pre/DAC to be sure it can do what I want it to do.  (My specific question was whether the headphone amp output ran through the tube in the unit.)

Maverick Audio Response:
"The headphone output on the D1 is solid state only, there is just not enough room for putting a tube driven headphone amp section. The tube only powers the tube pre-out."

Grrrr!!!

[adydula]

Hello...

Nice...

I am not a anti-tube guy, its just all the stuff I went thru with a tube head amp in the past year...has been fun and painful...trying to find vacuum tube nnirvana then when I discovered this little gem....that is designed to be neutral and transparent with the least parts and low cost...well...you get to get back to the music etc....and that in itself is an adventure....

All the best
Alex
 

[hibuckhobby]

I had a pair of 598's I gave to my son for his birthday.  They will play decently right out of a computer, but step up in scale with an amp.  I found good synergy with a used Headphone Supreme amp.  The crossfeed warmed up the lower mids and raised the bass level just a little.  Frankly, have many times regretted letting them go.  That was a very synergistic combination.
Hibuck.......

[DaveNote]

Alex knows an awful lot about headphones and especially headphone amps. I listen carefully to his advice. I have two O2 headphone amps - one I use with my iPad and one with my main audio system. I have easy to drive and hard to drive headphones and the O2 handles all of them with no problem. I have had a Schiit Lyr headphone amp, and although many users, including Alex, have had no problems with it, the hum I experienced with it (as many others seem to have had if one does a Google search) made it among my least successful audio purchases.

I was very impressed by the detailed and knowledgeable description of the O2 by its designer, who made it an open-source amp. It is well worth reading:

http://nwavguy.blogspot.ca/2011/07/o2-headphone-amp.html

I recommend the O2 mainly for these reasons: it is dead quiet and completely transparent. What you hear is what your headphones sound like, not what the amp sounds like. The fact that the JDS Labs version (if you aren't a DIYer) is well-built and relatively inexpensive are icing on the cake. I can't comment on the ODAC, but having been designed by NwAvGuy, the designer of the O2, I have no doubt that it would be the right companion to the O2. 

Dave