best headamp under 200$

You don't really need an external amp if using Grados directly from a computer sound card (due to their low impedance and high sensitivity) and I'd actually consider that a waste of money. If you're going to buy an amp you should buy a DAC at the same time, because otherwise you'd just be amping either the sound card's headphone output (not a good idea) or a low-quality line output (as computers in general are a bad environment for analog audio signals).

I can nominate an amp that will blow your mind for under $200, but Asr is right. Get a DAC and never look back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by evilucifer 
Hi, I am new here.  I would like to have some recommendation for an headphone amp under 200$. I plan to buy little dot mk2 but i dont know much other amp that could be also a good option. Please help. Also, what do you think about the littledotmk2?

I will use with my laptop/gradosr225i or rs2i (ill possibly get those soon, not sure)/dac destroyer

I would also like to use the amp as pre amp with my naim nait 1

I want something well balanced, good mid and treble and honest bass, i dont want something very bassboomy.

Ok, thanks for help!

You could try saving a few dollars and getting a single tube headphone amplifier (with a pre-amp), off eBay, ships from China.

Prices start around $70.

You usually need to get a Digital multi-meter (DT803, $6) to balance and fine tune the voltage.

Something to get your feet wet with.

My Muse 6922EH single tube amps easily powers my 250-Ohm headphones.

I've never heard anything bad about Little dot amps.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

You could try saving a few dollars and getting a single tube headphone amplifier (with a pre-amp), off eBay, ships from China.

Prices start around $70.

 

Zero Dac? (solid state, but tubey sound) you can roll opamps later. 

Hifiman EF2A - nice little tube amp with a decent USB dac in it. Lots of fun with Grados. No pre-amp function though, unfortunately.

seconding the Hifi Man EF2a You could also try one of the little dot tube amps. Alternatively there are the Fiio amps which are solid state and portable. The Hifi Man includes a DAC for around $170, it's not the greatest but it works well enough. 

Asr got it right. Don't waste 200 $ on an amp. I have an RS-2 (and also had RS-1). These cans don't improve with better amps (and certainly not with cheap ones). I have tried Musical Fidelity X-Can V8, my Earmax silver and the head-out of my pre-amp. The Earmax makes Sennheisers fly, but the Grado sounds the same out of all three amps. Exactly like it sounds out of an iPod (with excellently ripped music of course). 

Indeed, I'd say put your money preferably into the RS-2 instead of a cheap amp. A good Dac would be key, as Asr pointed out. A V-Dac from Musical Fidelity is a good one around 200 $, but then you also need an amp to control the volume. An ok amp WITH Dac would be the X-Can. It can also serve as pre-amp and may be around 200 $ used. Another excellent Dac/Amp combination is the Lehman Black Cube linear, certainly north of your budget.

I think a good way to get good sound out of an RS-2 is simply an iPod.

While I write this, I listen to a Bruckner Symphony out of my many years old iPod shuffle (the white one with 1 GB) using the RS-2. I have bought one of the best recordings that is available (now, THIS is key) and ripped it with a high accuracy tool. Couldn't sound any better, not even from the Earmax..

Once you get a DAC, this is an excellent amp with Grados. However, it does require a bit of assembly:

http://beezar.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=125

OK, so you are 'evil lucifer' and your DAC is called the 'DESTROYER' ? Let me guess - you only listen to most violent and brutal death metal, at volumes that would kill most mortals, right ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by evilucifer 

hifimanef2a seem great, got good reviews, any owner? the dac inside is good? no more need of my dac destroyer if i buy that?

Technically no need - the USB DAC in the EF2A is just fine - especially at the price.

With that said, if your DAC is better than the Burr-Brown 7202 in the EF2A, then you can opt to use it, and just use the EF2A as an amp (it has regular analog inputs as well).

I've never used my Hifi-Man's DAC, just the inputs on the rear. I find that the sound is just fine.