INTERACT FORUM

Devices => Sound Cards, DAC's, Receivers, Speakers, and Headphones => Topic started by: pontrumlee on December 04, 2018, 11:49:25 pm

Title: Headphone amplifier, any ideas?
Post by: pontrumlee on December 04, 2018, 11:49:25 pm

Hi

My old amplifier just gave up after 20 odd years and instead of paying around $600 - $1000 for a replacement, i've heard about headphone amplifiers. What i do is connect my amplifier to the computers sound card and play my music via MC 14. However, since my amp no longer works i've had to listen to all of my music through my ipod, whose volume isn't very impressive, so here's the question. Does anyone know about headphone amps that i can connect my ipod to and improve the level of volume of, how greater is the volume and how does it sound?

Thanks in advance.

Pon Trum

Title: Re: Headphone amplifier, any ideas?
Post by: zxsix on January 15, 2019, 06:37:17 pm

Check these out.
I use the older Q1 model with an Android phone.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0757MH46M/ref=psdc_13880161_t2_B0157DKAU4

Title: Re: Headphone amplifier, any ideas?
Post by: RoderickGI on January 15, 2019, 07:47:43 pm

I have a 20 year old Sony Receiver. Its power supply failed once many years ago, and that is the most common failure mode. It was quite cheap to have it repaired, as it was just capacitors in the power circuits that died.

Have you looked into the repair option? I think I paid something like AU$60 to get a quote for repair, and AU$200 total cost. I suspect it would cost you less than US$200 these days for the same. Still too much?

Title: Re: Headphone amplifier, any ideas?
Post by: astromo on January 22, 2019, 04:11:42 am

I've got one of these:
http://www.schiit.com/about/news/schiit-introduces-magni-3 (http://www.schiit.com/about/news/schiit-introduces-magni-3)

Pretty durn cheap option to try your hand. I used mine as a pre-amp ... did the job for me.

If you're really handy, then by a number of reports, this would serve well:
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/317803-whammy-pass-diy-headphone-amp-guide.html (https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/317803-whammy-pass-diy-headphone-amp-guide.html)
You're not likely to be disappointed with an offering from the stable of Nelson Pass and his chief acolyte, Wayne Coulburn.

There are a ridiculous number of alternatives to tempt you out there. Too many to list out. Sites like head-fi and sbaf (as in super best audio friends) are chock full of opinionated and/or helpful sources of user based "assistance"/assistance.

Title: Re: Headphone amplifier, any ideas?
Post by: DarkPenguin on February 19, 2019, 12:51:31 pm

This was designed by a Schitt hater....

https://www.jdslabs.com/products/35/objective2-headphone-amplifier/