Warm and dark solid state amp with big bass?

How does this relate to the OP's question? But there's no definitive answer, as one reviewer's dark and veiled sound is another's bright and sibilance filled terror. Your best bet is to go to a local headfi meet and hope there's an amp you'll like.
 

 

the phoenix by audio gd is said to be very smooth. but you should post your budget it would help a lot.

Smooth.. but does that mean it will have good bass extension?
 

 

Build or commission a M^3. Excellent amp with a variable bass boost control. Also, it has an active ground, which offers a lot of the benefits of having a balanced amp.

Don't be afraid to build one, either. It's not that hard and you'll save a heap of money. You'll find help in the DIY Forum, too.

I was originally planning on building an M^3, but after certain events transpired I would now advise being wary of 3-channel designs. Crosstalk in particular has been verified to suffer by several sources.

crosstalk is ultimately limited by the TRS jack/plug common gnd contact resistance - the simplest way around that limit is to use "balanced" wring to the headphone with 4 pins separate R,L gnd contacts - even with single ended amps

 

but crosstalk reduction below ~ -30 dB is just a numbers game with little audio significance - audiophile beloved phonograph playback will have bass frequency already mixed to mono to reduce groove modulation width to increase playing time, the best phono cartridges spec a vauge >30-35 dB channel separation #

 

 

Active gnd is inefficient but a possible technique when using a single V supply - the inefficiency makes using it with battery power a particularly odd engineering choice, I would consider active gnd OK with a signle polarity "wall wart" supply

 

the connection I find problematic on engineering principles is "3-channel gnd" where input and feedback signal gnd is separated from the "output gnd" by a the "active gnd" buffer  - it is the separation of the the input and output gnds that allows avoidable errors to creep in - exactly opposite of the claims by the fans of course

 

I doubt "3-channel" vs "proper" passive or active gnd should be easily audible when nothing is clipping/current limiting - it is the abuse of engineering principles, incorrect measurements, claims of all sorts of audible "improvements" feeding the fanboyism around "3-channel" that I object to - "3-channel" Beta22 builds are particularly absurd, dual mono power and some Cu roof flashing will perform much better re "gnd contamination"

 

if you build your own then you can simply rewire the input signal gnd in simple "3-channel" amps - may require some dremel/exacto work on projects with pcb

 

but there is unlikely to be any "problem" with listening with either "active gnd" arrangement in well executed amps matched to the headphone's requirements for I,V, gain

 

 

 

 

as far as "coloring" the sound there is the option of adding EQ and series impedance on the output

 

a series R ~= Z of the headphone may give some bass boost, high frequency roll off with some headphones

 

tube amps often have much higher output Z than SS amps

 

 

Edited by jcx - 8/12/11 at 6:44am

If you can find a KICAS Caliente for sale it'll do exactly what you want.  However KICAS has discontinued their amps while they work on new amp designs so your only chance is to find one used.  And no, you can't have mine :P