Beginning Headphone Amp (AKG K271 MKII and Grado SR80i)

I have a buddy using my Bithead at work right now with his SR-80's and he really likes it.  The good thing about the Bithead is that it is also a DAC which can really help improve your computer listening because it cleans up all of the noise within your PC.  It is not the absolute best amp out there, but it holds its own in the price range.

The FiiO series are posting some pretty good numbers, but I cannot say how they perform against the Bithead.  Perhaps someone else out there can?

I like my Headroom Total Bithead - especially since it can double as a portable.

I've also been having a lot of fun with the Hifiman EF2A. Tube rolling, even with an inexpensive amp, is a blast. And the sound is a great pair for the Grados. (Would be fine for the AKG as well, just pairs particularly well with the Grado).

Both include USB DAC's - which is nice.

I got my new tubes off ebay, but there are dedicated shops as well... e.g. The tube store: http://thetubestore.com/

Rolling the Mullard 8100's now, which do (honestly) seem a bit warmer than the stock tubes, taking some of the edge off the highs. Though, I will say, the stock tubes sounded great already - especially with the Grado. 

The Lyr looks like an awesome amp - but definitely not a beginner amp in either performance or price. Also, does not include a DAC... 

I think mostly it comes down to personal preference - a good amp, either solid state or tube, is a good amp. They will sound a bit different - solid state probably being a better choice if you are after transparency - with tubes adding their own "flavor" to the sound. I find that tubes are a nice pair with my AKG K702, which are very clinical on their own, so adding a bit of warmth and "tubey" goodness gives them back some musicality. With the grados I consider them a natural rock/jazz pairing since tubes were likely in the guitar rigs used as well... it's a consistency/synergy thing. 

The ability to personalize the experience via tube rolling, really just appeals to my geeky, tinkering nature, and has less to do with the listening experience (for me).

How about a Schiit Asgard and a cheapo DAC like the Fiio D3?

It's not the best DAC per se, but it's a good line out and you get a good amp for your headphones.

You have to have an optical out though.

The audinst hud-mx1 is also an all in one option for you (solid state). I know you are set on the Hifiman EF2A, I'm not sure how they compare.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sploosh67 

If I'm going to be using the phones to make music and mix it, should I still consider something like the EF2A's or should I aim for something more transparent? If that's the case, how do Nu Force's do for this kind of application? How far down there product line would I have to go to find one worth my money with these two phones?

I'm a certified EF2A hater.  I really didn't care for the sound it produced from my headphones.  Maybe it was a synergy issue?  But I digress, I think there's more powerful amps to be had in the same price range especially if you look at it as an amp only purchase since the inbuilt DAC is godawful horrible.

Look at it like this at a retail tag of 199, you're not that far from some well reviewed amps like the Matrix M-stage or the Schiit Asgard or even some other DAC/AMP combos from the likes of Matrix, iBasso, Audio GD, etc.

Not a huge fan of the NuForce sound, but I admit they make some good products not called the uDac.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sploosh67 

If the Asgards a DAC, then I'd be more than happy to purchase it. That thing is sexy. i'm just afraid of having something like tubes affecting the sound if that's precisely what I don't want. But I have no clue if it's that big of a deal. I have no clue what people who master tracks for a living use to amplify their headphones. But I do love the whole tube rolling idea. It's just this amp won't soley be used as listening pleasure but also to create songs. The latter of which is much more important.

nope no dac.

Do you have optical out from your source?