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Is this amp any good? What is it worth?

post #1 of 13
8/23/09 at 3:10am
Thread Starter 
Hi guys,
I'm not really an audiophile, but I do have the Shure se530s. I've also had the hd650s, but since it needs an amp and I don't have one, I sold them. Anyway, I was at the thrift store on Friday and they had a headroom amp which looked nice, so I bought it because I've read the brand name headroom on these forums. I've tested it and it makes my se530s sound even nicer, but I have a couple questions about it. So I decided to put up a thread here with pictures of the amp and ask my questions. Hopefully someone here is in the know. First of all, what is this amp worth? I looked it up and it seems pretty high end, but I figured you guys would have more details about exactly what it can do. Second, it didn't come with any power source. I tested it with a universal AC adapter I had lying around, but can someone explain what the deal is with the "battery" port. Does this have an internal battery? An external one? Maybe someone has a link explaining how the power system on this thing works when you buy it new. Thank you very much for your time guys!
sambo60



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post #2 of 13
8/23/09 at 12:42pm

Try this link for information

HeadRoom Portable Desktop Amp @ HeadRoom
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post #3 of 13
8/23/09 at 12:45pm
Thread Starter 
I've looked there, but that's the newer version, and it has a newer power system. I'd like to know how the power system on this thing works. Just a link to the .pdf manual for THIS version of this device would be great.
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post #4 of 13
8/23/09 at 11:06pm
Did a little digging, http://www.headphone.com/pdfs/Deskto...eAmpManual.pdf is that it?
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post #5 of 13
8/23/09 at 11:35pm
Thread Starter 
Nope that's not it. That manual still shows the same product with the digital inputs that mine doesn't have.
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post #6 of 13
8/23/09 at 11:54pm
It should be it, the DAC is optional as stated on page 6. So I guess you can upgrade yours to a DAC/Amp combo in the future.
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post #7 of 13
8/24/09 at 2:50am
Thread Starter 
That is a very useful bit of info! Thanks!!
I gotta see how much it would cost to get the DAC added. Chances are it's WAY over my budget...
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post #8 of 13
8/24/09 at 3:46am
Thread Starter 
So now that I know all of this, here's a couple questions for the Headroom folks. Firstly, how much does it cost to add the DAC to this unit? And second, where can I get the battery back that uses D batteries for this unit? This unit does not have internal batteries, correct?
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post #9 of 13
8/24/09 at 7:28pm
Can you power it up without it being plugged in? If so, there's your answer. I strongly suspect that you'll be able to use it without it being plugged in. Once the word 'Portable' is in the name of any of the HeadRoom amps/dacs, this means that it's battery powered.
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post #10 of 13
8/24/09 at 7:42pm
Thread Starter 
No, I can't power it up without plugging it in. As I bought it without anything other than the unit, I have only been able to use it with a universal AC adapter which I had lying around. I set it to 5 volts and plug it into the port that says "battery" and it works fine. So I'm still not sure whether it has batteries in it or not, but I suspect that it does NOT, but rather it came with a device that allows you to use D batteries to power the unit. Do any people who work at headroom hang out over here?
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post #11 of 13
8/25/09 at 9:45am
Bad boy Tyll, where have you been?

This is a 2005 model Desktop Portable, most likely with the original Desktop Module and a single HA5002 output buffer. The DAC is absent, but a desktop DAC can be added. There is an upgrade form somewhere on HeadRoom's site. Somewhere around $300.

The battery socket is for the 4 D cell battery pack. That input is routed to a DC-DC converter to convert the 4-6V to +/- 15V for the electronics. For best results, use the DIN socket on the back connected to an AC source. You have a choice of any of the HeadRoom power supplies - the cheapest 'brick', the Astrodyne, and the DPS. Even the basic supply can supply more than enough current for this setup.

It does not contain any batteries. You can buy the battery pack from HeadRoom - it's inexpensive.
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post #12 of 13
8/25/09 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for that info. It is very helpful. Can you tell me what this unit is worth by itself on today's market?
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post #13 of 13
8/26/09 at 6:36am
I believe this configuration of amp originally sold for $599 (including an AC wall wart and the battery pack).

The electronics are a bit out of date and obviously the current version has internal batteries.

Sonically it's probably in a similar league to the current Portable Micro Amp, though the circuitry is completely different.

That sells for $399 obviously in a smaller form factor with internal batteries. So I'd say no more than $300, assuming it had the power accessories.
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