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So I've finally placed an order...

post #1 of 12
5/21/08 at 11:36am
Thread Starter 
for the Total Bithead. I'll be sure to give my impressions when it arrives.

My first headphone amp... so excited!
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post #2 of 12
5/21/08 at 2:18pm
You're going to love it! The micros are even better, you've taken the first step down an exciting, and increasingly expensive, road.

Enjoy your new amp!
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post #3 of 12
5/21/08 at 2:53pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks! I was thinking of skipping the micro and leaping full-force into the Desktop amp for my next step- I like the built-in DAC option. That won't be for a WHILE, though.
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post #4 of 12
5/21/08 at 4:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by moogoob View Post
That won't be for a WHILE, though.
Yeah, that's what they all say.
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post #5 of 12
5/22/08 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 
Hmm, according to UPS, the shipment hit Mississauga this morning and is on its way! Wow, Montana to Toronto in only two days- impressive.

EDIT: I should have had them going to my work address, as I wasn't home when they showed up. Well, tomorrow then!

EDIT AGAIN: Bithead arrived! No batteries here at work, and the only audio source I have access to are Shoutcast streams. Hardly audiophilic in quality, if you know what I mean. I'll be doing some serious listening when I get home!
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post #6 of 12
5/23/08 at 7:37pm
Thread Starter 
Impressions... much better than my onboard card. Much more control too... my HD280 Pros gain a bit more benefit than my Grados, but both of them benefit nicely from the offboard DAC.

Next up, get a better 1/4" to 1/8" adapter and give my AAAs a go with some proper amping power. Also, I need some batteries as all this has been entirely off of USB power and I'd like to test-drive my iPod with the Bithead.
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post #7 of 12
5/23/08 at 8:05pm
Congrats...with all the amps that I have, it's proven over and over again to be one of the more versatile and useful that I've owned. I still get a ton of use out of it. Enjoy.
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post #8 of 12
5/24/08 at 11:43am
Thread Starter 
Further listening impressions: the Bithead gets along rather well with the HD280s! Not to say that my Grados don't benefit, cause they do... but the HD280s gain an impressive extra level of detail at my usual listening volume. I can see why Headroom's "Back to school" special had these bundled together.

Comfortable Numb off of Pink Floyd's PULSE live album felt even more like I was sitting there in the crowd of that massive concert.
Type O Negative's Love you to death in particular benefited from the extra control the amp gave and the extra detail provided by the DAC. As much as I love my Grados, there is no comparing the flexibility of the (properly amped) 280s for their price.
What else in my playlist... ah! Opeth! I also listened to a few tracks off of Damnation. This stuff I DO prefer my Grados for. I'll give them some serious listening tonight.

So far so good.
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post #9 of 12
5/24/08 at 2:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by moogoob View Post
Next up, get a better 1/4" to 1/8" adapter
The Senn adapter is pretty good and when I bought 2 from Sennheisser USA a few months ago, under $5 each. I'm not sure what they are in Canada. I like the form factor a little better than the Grado adapter. The barrel on the 1/8" plug on the Grado is almost as big around as a barrel on a 1/4" plug.
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post #10 of 12
5/24/08 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scompton View Post
The Senn adapter is pretty good and when I bought 2 from Sennheisser USA a few months ago, under $5 each. I'm not sure what they are in Canada. I like the form factor a little better than the Grado adapter. The barrel on the 1/8" plug on the Grado is almost as big around as a barrel on a 1/4" plug.
Cool, I'll look into that, thanks.

EDIT: I've also been A/Bing it against my sound card as a means of powering my cheap ($60 in 2002/3) Altec Lansing satellites and I can hear an audible difference and lack of clarity (from my lappy's card) even on these cheap speakers. Impressive for a $150 portable amp.
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post #11 of 12
5/25/08 at 1:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by moogoob View Post
Cool, I'll look into that, thanks.

EDIT: I've also been A/Bing it against my sound card as a means of powering my cheap ($60 in 2002/3) Altec Lansing satellites and I can hear an audible difference and lack of clarity (from my lappy's card) even on these cheap speakers. Impressive for a $150 portable amp.

i kept my bithead for the very same reason. i use it on my kids winderz laptop to drive their three piece speaker system. big big difference from the internal sound card. also they put it between their ipods and portable speaker when they are outside. really picks up the volume for them there.

and it really lights up a pair of the stock apple buds they use too... i passed down some CX300's to them and a set of vmoda vibes also. they still run the stock buds..

moral of story, bithead great value and versatile , golden ears not hereditary . sigh . [but better than your 3 year old asking for cardas cable for xmas too!]
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post #12 of 12
5/29/08 at 1:05pm
Thread Starter 
Funny.

Well, I've owned them for nearly a week now, been using them powering my Grados on the walk to work. Much nicer out an LOD from my iPod than through the headphone out. Much more... I can't describe it... sonic range? Does that make sense? Grados are easy to drive but I could still hear the hardware gasping above even moderate volume without an offboard amp. Now... clarity at any volume.

Man, I feel sorry for my wallet.
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