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Headphone amps or integrated amps or what?!

Poll Results: Which option should I pursue?

 
  • 0% (0)
    Turntable + headphone amp and CD player + headphone amp
  • 100% (7)
    Turntable + CD player + integrated amplifier
  • 0% (0)
    Turntable + Mini Hifi system with CD integrated
7 Total Votes  
post #1 of 28
6/22/11 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 

First, let me start off by saying... I hate this place!!!!

Just came in for opinions on new cans to leave my Shure's 440s at home (replacing my Grados SR60

that I broke!) and take to work the new ones and now... well... I want to keep spending what I DON'T have!!

 

eek.gif

 

Anyway, yesterday I started a new thread on another section of the site:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/559467/turntable-pre-amp-powered-monitors

 

wondering which way I should go when buying a cheapo turntable to play my vinyls and 7s

I have NEVER played. I figured just getting the ART USB PhonoPlus v2 Pre-amp would be

OK since I just wanted to listen to the LPs... and could also connect them (I found out here) to my

Powered Monitors... but no... now I'm thinking of:

 

1) getting a decent budget minded CD player also

2) getting decent budget minded headphone amps

 

And that's the thing... I'm not sure what to do.

 

Should I

 

1) Buy the Audio Technica AT-LP60, buy a pre-amp (if it will result in better audio),

a cheap/decent headphone amp AND buy a decent CD player (maybe Cambridge Audio Topaz CD10 or

NAD C 515BEE or something cheaper) and another headphone amp!?!?

 

That would leave me with: turntable + amp ... separate... CD + amp and that's it.

 

or should I

 

2) Buy the Audio Technica AT-LP60, buy a pre-amp (if it will result in better audio), buy a decent CD player

(maybe Cambridge Audio Topaz CD10 or NAD C 515BEE or something cheaper), buy an integrated amp (maybe

pairing the mentioned CD players with Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10 or NAD C 316BEE) and use the headphone

out of that amplifier?!?

 

or should I

 

3) Buy the Audio Technica AT-LP60, buy a pre-amp (if it will result in better audio), buy a mini hifi

integrated solution (such as Cambridge Audio One+ or Denon D-M38S) and use the headphone out

of that mini system...

 

Headphone out is more important than connecting and getting audio through my powered monitors...

If I can do it, great, if not I wont mind... but... which way should I go?!?! (created a poll too BTW)

 

I guess at the end of the tally I will then take MORE recommendations (i.e. which amps, good price/performance

equipment, etc. etc.)

 

Remember though, I'm a newbie but I also like good fidelity/quality in what I listen to (which is mostly

Rock/Punk/Metalcore/Emo and Bosa/Salsa etc,.) so which is the best option to experience music bliss

with headhphones?

 

could you guys help me? L3000.gif

 

 

 

(I love using bold!!!)

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

Reply

Head-Fi's Best Sellers

post #2 of 28
6/22/11 at 6:21pm

Start off with a quality headphone amp and work from there.

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post #3 of 28
6/22/11 at 6:31pm

I agree ... Another option is buying a quality headphone amp that also functions as a pre-amp (Ex: Woo Audio 2, or Decware CSP2+)
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Assimilator702 View Post

Start off with a quality headphone amp and work from there.


 

 

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post #4 of 28
6/22/11 at 7:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PanamaRed View Post

I agree ... Another option is buying a quality headphone amp that also functions as a pre-amp (Ex: Woo Audio 2, or Decware CSP2+)
 

 


 

sys1big.jpg

 

 

Sure, this stack is 1580 Euros, but that figure looks very attractive in xe.com right now.

Reply
post #5 of 28
6/22/11 at 8:41pm
Thread Starter 

Hello!

Yeah... I guess I should have used bold on the word "cheap" on my first paragraph!!! lol etysmile.gif

 

Those look like attractive options but come on... I'm not going to be driving Stax nor LCD-2 nor HE-500's etc. ;-)

(And quite frankly my budget does not go up that high for just amps... not including CD player, turntable, etc.)

 

So, come on down a bit!!! 

ok ok.. come on down A LOT!!!

 

biggrin.gif

 

Thanks!

Reply
post #6 of 28
6/22/11 at 9:05pm

OK - the NAD you originally mentioned looks like a good choice - go with that. I heard one a couple of years back and it was OK from the headphone out - not as good as my E9, but definitely usable as a solution for use with headphones, and it also sounded good hooked up to speakers.

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post #7 of 28
6/23/11 at 8:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by estreeter View Post

OK - the NAD you originally mentioned looks like a good choice - go with that. I heard one a couple of years back and it was OK from the headphone out - not as good as my E9, but definitely usable as a solution for use with headphones, and it also sounded good hooked up to speakers.


Wow... so is the Fiio E9 "that" good?!

Or is the NAD I posted "that" bad?! hehehe (just based on price difference!)

What did you connect to the E9? CD Player? turntable? or just an iPod/MP3 player?

 

Thanks.
 

 

Reply
post #8 of 28
6/23/11 at 4:13pm

In the course of reviewing two portable amps, I came to realise that neither is as good as the E9. I dont think I have heard a speaker amp with a headphone out that is the equal of the Fiio - YMMV.

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/558314/review-leckerton-audio-uha-4-vs-just-audio-uha-120

 

Dont be fooled by the asking price of the E9 - I have owned two other dedicated headphone amps that cost hundreds more and werent half as good.

Reply
post #9 of 28
6/23/11 at 11:29pm
Thread Starter 

Interesting....  so that would be YOUR recommendation (i.e. use E9s?!?)

 

Reply
post #10 of 28
6/25/11 at 9:56am
Thread Starter 

Why didn't anybody tell me about the Nuforce Icon HDP?!?!?! tongue.gif

 

I think this little piece of hardware should work with EVERYTHING I'm looking to do...

 

Audio Technica AT-LP60 RCA to input RCA of Icon HDP

Cheapo CD player with Coax-out to Coax-in of Icon HDP

Netbook/PC USB to USB-in of Icon HDP

RCA-out to my powered monitors

Headphone out (most of the time...)

 

I've read a LOT of good things about this piece of hardware and I believe it will do its job!

 

What do you think?!

 

 

Thanks.

Reply
post #11 of 28
6/25/11 at 10:26am

Well,

 

I have one and from a versatility perspective you cannot go wrong with it. It has all you need and more. 

 

You have plenty of input and output options, a great USB DAC, and amp/pre-amp so yes, it can do everything you want.

 

It's part of my home setup sometimes I use it as pre-amp to one of the Schiits (Asgard and Valhalla) but actually neither are "needed". All my headphones can be driven by the HDP just fine.

 

So, go for it, it's hard to find anything negative about the icon HDP. But lots of praise everywhere.

 

If that would have been my first purchase I most likely wouldn't have purchased quite a lot of my other equipment. ;-) I can only recommend it, not discovered any downsides yet. Maybe as an amp it could sound a bit "rounder" but you can always add an amp later and connect it via rca as I do to my Schiit Asgard which has power aplenty.

 

Enjoy,

K

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post #12 of 28
6/25/11 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 

Thanks for your input.

And you are definitely right... if I indeed go with a better/richer amp in the future,

I can do so without problems and STILL use the HDPs output for it! (right?!)

 

I think I'm going to bite.!

 

Best of all, since I will be using the Coax-out, I wont be buying a $300/$400 CD player with a great DAC

but instead a lowly DVD player I have somewhere around the house!

 

Thanks!

Reply
post #13 of 28
6/25/11 at 12:13pm

Yes, you can use the icon HDP as DAC and pre-amp. Instead of plugging in your headphones in the front, you connect the icon HDP via the rca out on the back to your rca in of your amp. 

 

The icon will function as DAC and pre-amp only, which is exactly what you would want if you use another amp. I currently use the optical in and usb in, the source selector on the front is very handy to change between sources for listening tests. It's a great little device.

 

Enjoy it, I know you will ;-)
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by gelocks View Post

Thanks for your input.

And you are definitely right... if I indeed go with a better/richer amp in the future,

I can do so without problems and STILL use the HDPs output for it! (right?!)

 

I think I'm going to bite.!

 

Best of all, since I will be using the Coax-out, I wont be buying a $300/$400 CD player with a great DAC

but instead a lowly DVD player I have somewhere around the house!

 

Thanks!



 

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post #14 of 28
6/26/11 at 9:12pm

All Fiio products are WAY overrated imo

Reply
post #15 of 28
6/26/11 at 10:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by stockpimp007 View Post

All Fiio products are WAY overrated imo


And this would be based on your extensive experience with a wide variety of kit, right ? Do tell.

 

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