[kfr01]

All:

I need an unassuming quality office system.  I'm spending more and more time at work.  I have some little creative sound FR125S based speakers, but would be open to buying some top of the line headphones.
I want the option of using headphones for times when I need to keep the door of my office open.

Budget for cans:  $500.

Budget for electronics:  $1000.

Open to any and all suggestions.  One-box solutions ideal.  2-box solutions second best option.

Thanks!

[bundee1]

Check out www.Head-Fi.org. That place is headphone paradise.

[BradJudy]

So what do you need exactly?  Source, speaker amp, headphone amp and headphones? 

Headphones are very personal in terms of fit and sound, do you have anything you like?  What type of headphones (in-ear, on-ear, around-ear)?  Do you want to block external sound or allow it in?

[kfr01]

I need the whole thing.

I do not like in-ear headphones.  That new AKG pair looks nice.

[Den]

Got a PC in your office?

Squeezebox + cans.

[JLM]

What is your office environment like (closed offices or a large field of cubicles)?  How big is your personal office?  How far back can you sit from the speakers?  How loud can you play it?  What's the layout?  What kinds of music will you be listening to?  How loud is the background sound pressure levels (are you trying to mask other sounds because of irritation or privacy concerns)?  Is your office secure (would you need to take equipment home or lock it up)?  How much are you on and off the telephone (can be a royal PITA for headphone use)?  Are you the boss (and can get away with imposing your music on others)?

Seems like you're almost talking about two systems, a low level background sound via speakers and a more serious one with headphones, which for most offices makes sense.  If this is the case and you have high speed internet service there I'd just plug better speakers into the computer.  IMO the FR125's would be too high quality, probably big, and inefficient to work well in that case.  That would leave you about $1400 for a headphone based system. 

Channel Island Audio has a headphone amp.  Dusty recommends Beyer's.  That would leave enough in your budget for a Boulder modded Squeeze Box or maybe a stock Olive.

[BradJudy]

There are a variety of good phones in that price range, I would recommend checking out the AKG 701s (current flavor of the month), Senn HD-600/650, Beyerdynamic DT-880 and Grado SR-325i. 

For amps, check out the Channel Islands one (as mentioned), the Headroom Micro or Desktop models (popular items), Ray Samuels XP-7 or SR-71 (the RS products are highly regarded on Head-Fi), or Gilmore Lite from HeadAmp.

For a source, do you want computer or CD?  For a computer, you can get a DAC with USB input from Headroom (integrated into the amp for the Desktop line, separate in the Micro line).  Otherwise, you can get a USB to SPIDF device to feed a dedicated DAC like the Channel Islands one.  For CDs, I like the Cambridge Audio stuff, but there are lots of other opinions here for products like Rega or NAD. 

If you want to run your speakers too, then you'll need an inexpensive integrated amp like Cambridge, NAD, Music Hall, etc. 

You can always get the source, cans and amp first, then decide if you think the integrated headphone jacks are worthwhile.  Order a headphone amp from someplace with a 30-day return policy and compare them.

[PaulFolbrecht]

I'll have to tell you about what I ended up with.

Source: Tivoli CDP.  Small, cheap, decent quality.  Probably the weak link in my system but the system sounds fabulous!  $200.
 
Amp: Woo Audio single-ended tube headphone amp.  www.wooaudio.com.  $470.  Fabulous amp for the money.  Dead quiet, detailed, very extended.  Comes with very good NOS tubes.  Inspires conversations about tubes with your coworkers.  (The naked tubes are probably a 'con' for at the office use tho.)

Cans: Audio Technica 900LTDs.  Unfortunately, being a limited run, you can't buy them anymore.  Unless they did more this year - not sure.  I searched up-and-down for a top-notch pair of *closed* cans.  Good open cans are easy - closed are tougher to find.  I wanted cans that would block background noise so I wouldn't have to crank the system and ruin my ears over time.  These took a long time to break-in but are now very, very good.  I do prefer them over my co-workers Senn 650s which are weaker in the bass and a bit thin-sounding overall (but also very good).  Anyway, the ATs are "sleeper" cans a bit over here but very, very good.  You might want to check out the 6moons review of the A1000s.  I bought the 900s instead because people who had both liked the 900 LTDs better and they were cheaper.

The new Cayin headphone amp looks nice but is pricey and I do not think it's even class A single-ended. (Why make a push-pull headphone amp?  Seems silly...)

Good luck.

[kfr01]

Thanks for the responses, everyone!

I'm a PC audio fan, but I don't like to store personal files on my office computer.

I like the idea of the Tivoli CDP for $200.  Anyone else have any cheap CDP recommendations?

JLM:  Good advice.  I have my own office, but I'm a junior level professional and certainly couldn't get away with disturbing others.  On the other hand, it would be nice to listen to some classical music without the headphones when I'm working after-hours and won't be disturbing anybody.

I originally envisioned an inexpensive cd player combined with a small integrated plus a headamp.

Is anyone aware of a small integrated that includes a decent headamp?

I think I like the reviews of the new AKG.  I owned some Grado 125 headphones in the past and they were too fatiguing for my tastes. 

[kfr01]

Paul:

Thanks so much for the link to the Woo site!  If I wanted an "all-in-one" integrated + headamp, it looks like they sell at least two options.


Does anybody know of any other all-in-one options?

Thanks!

[chadh]

My solution for a headphone system is to use my PC.  If you don't like to store personal stuff on the work computer, you could always get an external hard drive (that's what I did).  So...use Foobar w/ASIO, and take a USB output into a USB DAC.  There's a host of decent to very good USB DAC options (e.g. empirical audio's offerings are supposedly really good).  Then find an amp - too many goods ones to list.  But if you're looking for an integrated amp/headphone amp, the Cayin HA-01 fits the bill.  I also think that Albert at Space-Tech-Labs makes such a beast.  The Cayin will certainly look sexier, but I bet the Space-Tech-Labs unit sounds wonderful (I own one of their pre-amps).

Chad

[Doublej]

As mentioned in this thread,

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=21881.0

NAD and Cambridge Audio.

There is also the Arcam Solo at $1600 List and the Audio Analogue Enigma which I am not sure is available in the US.

At much lower price points there are mini systems from Teac, Denon, Onkyo and Yamaha that may fit the bill. Once again I don't think that my favorite, the Teac Reference series which are Receiver/CD players are sold in the US.

And finally in the used market there are Linn all-in-ones and Sony ES digital all-in-ones (which someone rave about either here or on AA).

Hope that helps.


Also look into the Cyrus products but they are likely to be a bit pricey.

[duff138]

You could use an Ipod for your source.  I use my Ipod line out into a sonic impact amp ($30 + $29 for the power adapter).  Or line out to a decent headphone amp.

[PaulFolbrecht]

Thanks so much for the link to the Woo site!  If I wanted an "all-in-one" integrated + headamp, it looks like they sell at least two options.

You are welcome.  I've had my Woo for around a year now with probably an average use of 20 hours/week.  Not a hiccup so far.  It is very solidly-built and, as I said, sonics are 1st rate.

Incidentally, I went back to the Phillips 6922s he supplies after trying several others.

[kfr01]

My solution for a headphone system is to use my PC.  If you don't like to store personal stuff on the work computer, you could always get an external hard drive (that's what I did).  So...use Foobar w/ASIO, and take a USB output into a USB DAC.  There's a host of decent to very good USB DAC options (e.g. empirical audio's offerings are supposedly really good).  Then find an amp - too many goods ones to list.  But if you're looking for an integrated amp/headphone amp, the Cayin HA-01 fits the bill.  I also think that Albert at Space-Tech-Labs makes such a beast.  The Cayin will certainly look sexier, but I bet the Space-Tech-Labs unit sounds wonderful (I own one of their pre-amps).

Chad

Great idea on the external HD - that might be my transport / player solution.  I'm not sure why I didn't think of that. 

Thanks also for the electronics suggestions!  I was not familiar with either Cayin or Space-Tech-Labs.

[john1970]

I have a small system in my office at work.  The system consist of:

1) A small integrated amp: (NAD C320BEE would work) Cost: $400
2) A standalone CD player: (NAD 521)  Cost: $300
3) Paradigm Atom speakers: Cost: $200

For less than $1000 I have a very nice system to listen to...it helps the day go by when doing tasks.

Best of luck,

John

[boead]

My office system is:

Roland MA-12’s, powered single driver speakers. Incredible imaging in near-field, loads of detail.
M-Audio Subwoofer
M-Audio Sonica USB DAC
External USB Hard Drive
Radio Shack Gold Premium IC’s
iTunes with Foobar plugin
Grado SR-225 headphones but I hardly use them, I really can’t use headphones in the office, to restricting.
iPod


There are lots of powered speakers to choose from.
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--3806

KRK are exceptionally good, the RoKits are entry level
http://www.zzounds.com/item--KRKRP5
http://www.zzounds.com/item--KRKRP10S

Alesis are nice too. http://www.zzounds.com/item--ALEM1ACTIVE520

Also the Grado RA-1 is one of the best sounding headphone amps you’ll hear under $1000. Its battery powered and has a tube-like sound with enough drive to push just about any headphone. I’ve used on with a pair of Sennheiser HD-600’s and AKG 701’s, I’ve also heard it drive a pair of AKG K1000’s very well. Batteries last over 70 hours.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Grado-RA-1-Headphone-Amp-Battery-Operated_W0QQitemZ290025826219QQihZ019QQcategoryZ88763QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[LightFire]

Try Polk Audio loudspeakers. Sony top of the line headphones will do just fine.

[IanVan]

Here's a good description of my $1300 office system - http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=7892.0
, but I wasn't worried about distrubing anyone. In fact, it has been cranking for the last 7 1/2 hours straight   I have since added a Waveterminal U24 interface to my computer, which also feeds SPDIF to the Panny amp. So now I can easily alternate between CD's and PC-based files or Internet radio.


For a system that doesn't bother neightbours, I would go with a top-of-the-line headphone, like the AKG K701. IMHO, detectable differences in sound are 95+% related to transducers and room effects. So, understanding where I am coming from, here's what I would recommend:

- External hard drive to store your ripped lossless FLAC files:$250
- Waveterminal U24 external USB audio device: $160
- Behringer UB802 mixer/headphone amplifier: $50  Yes, the 'cheap' price might be hard to get your head around, but hey, its what the studio engineer was using when he mixed the music you are listening to
- AKG K701: $350

That's about $800 for the high-end headphone piece. For $250, you can add in a set of EGO-SYS nEAR 04 self-powered monitors that you can connect to your UB802. You won't much bass from them, but that'll go a long way to keeping your neighbours happy.

As an added bonus, you can actually use a little EQ in the UB802 if your room is not acoustically happy.

That'll leave you $450 for buying 50 or so used CD's, which will add the most bang to your system enjoyment

Just some food for thought.

Cheers,

Ian