[LugBug1]

Good stuff goldfish
 
My Pioneer SX550 receiver compliments my HD800's very well. It's well balanced without any hardness, really quite 'analogue' sounding (for look of a better word). Warm but without any treble roll off...Big deep bass. It's the best I've heard my Senn's with. 
 
Haven't heard the Kenwood so can't comment if it will compliment it. But why not experiment with a few vintage receivers/amps? Its great fun and you will spend a lot less then buying any worthwhile headphone amplifier. Build a stack Skylab styley! (although that will cost a bit more

 

[GoldfishX]

I'm trying not to go nuts due to limited space, I've passed on a couple deals over the past year for some cool gear. And my dad tells me Pioneer was the **** to own back in the day. But that -20db switch on the Kenwood made a world of difference, so now I want to see if the results are similar with some other stuff.
 
For the HD800 and the Kenwood, I did have to kill a bit of the treble (turned down two steps from the midpoint). I almost forgot about that.

 

[Oregonian]

Quote:

Earlier in this mammoth thread, I posted about issues I was having with my Kenwood KR-9400 and its sound quality. I am happy to report that after pressing in the "AF Muting" button (I believe it is similar to the -20db on other vintage receivers), it really widened up the soundstage for my headphones. Before, the mids were so sharp and forward, it hurt to turn it up. Now it is clear, spacious and very 3D. The mids are not recessed now, but more neutral, so I am getting more highs/lows than I was before. I am using it to drive my HD800 and Audio Technica AD2000x straight from my Marantz SACD8004 (it has a built-in DAC as well) and it is absolutely beautiful on both. No goofy "pairing" issues. I put in an electronic album and I could almost "see" the sounds that are normally buried in the mix.
 
Score one for the vintage scene. This thing blows away every dedicated headphone amplifier I've heard so far (mostly in the $1000-$1500 range).
 
So just a question...if I were to pick up a second vintage receiver mostly as a headphone amp, what would compliment the KR-9400? I want to say it is slightly warm and I have read a lot of Pioneers are brighter or neutral.

You might want to consider skipping the receiver part and just go with an integrated amp (unless you listen to FM of course). 
 
I have two KA-5700 Kenwood integrateds and a Pioneer SA-7500 MKII integrated.  Both are very good sounding, considerably more powerful than most "headphone specific" amps and quite attractive.  Pricing seems to be better on integrated from my small view of the vintage world. 

 

[LugBug1]

What? skip receivers! 

 
what would you rather have sitting next to you
 
this
 

 
 
Or this..
 

 

[GoldfishX]

lol, well let me ask this...is the headphone output any better on an integrated amp (or even a preamp with a headphone output) than Vs a receiver? I know I have read that certain McIntosh preamps have dedicated headphone amps in them (the C28 and C32).
 
My impression is that vintage receivers provide plenty of power for headphones, even the lower rated WPC versions.
 
Also, both are sexy in their own way. One's a hot barbie, one's a strong, athletic looker.

 

[Oregonian]

Quote:

What? skip receivers! 

 
what would you rather have sitting next to you
 
this
 

 
 
Or this..
 

For ME it's a simple answer.  I have not listened to FM in about 5 years.  At all.  Hence a receiver is useless to me. 

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

lol, well let me ask this...is the headphone output any better on an integrated amp (or even a preamp with a headphone output) than Vs a receiver? I know I have read that certain McIntosh preamps have dedicated headphone amps in them (the C28 and C32).
 
My impression is that vintage receivers provide plenty of power for headphones, even the lower rated WPC versions.
 
Also, both are sexy in their own way. One's a hot barbie, one's a strong, athletic looker.

I'm probably not the best to answer this but I will .. In my experience it won't be any better on either. Its all down the actual component in question. Besides, both integrated and receivers aren't 'headphone amps' and contain probably 80% of electrics that you don't need when only using hp's.
 
The quality of the headphone outputs from this era is becoming more apparent recently because peeps are trying to get away from opamps and having to spend a lot of cash on quality class A hp amps. Older amps are 'pre opamp' and therefore were driven from the main transformer with only resistors in the path. However, this imo will only be good for certain headphones. Headphones that require lots of power (like most modern high end hp's) as the ouputs are high impedance. Dedicated hp amps have generally been designed with much lower impedance to feed lots of current to 32 ohm upwards. Not saying you won't get good results using low impedance hp's with an old amp, just on paper..   
 
Also, I agree that both those amps look marvelous and I'd happily have either sitting next to me!
 
(please feel free to tell me to - 'shut the **** up, you bought your first receiver a month ago and now you're acting like you're Doctor ****ing Vintage!' haha)

 

[Silent One]

Y-e-a-h... ........ ............. but... the aesthetics on the bottom receiver... man! 

 

[MattTCG]

^^ Yep. It does impress visually. Hard not to like it. 

 

[Oregonian]

Quote:

I'm probably not the best to answer this but I will .. In my experience it won't be any better on either. Its all down the actual component in question. Besides, both integrated and receivers aren't 'headphone amps' and contain probably 80% of electrics that you don't need when only using hp's.
 
The quality of the headphone outputs from this era is becoming more apparent recently because peeps are trying to get away from opamps and having to spend a lot of cash on quality class A hp amps. Older amps are 'pre opamp' and therefore were driven from the main transformer with only resistors in the path. However, this imo will only be good for certain headphones. Headphones that require lots of power (like most modern high end hp's) as the ouputs are high impedance. Dedicated hp amps have generally been designed with much lower impedance to feed lots of current to 32 ohm upwards. Not saying you won't get good results using low impedance hp's with an old amp, just on paper..   
 
Also, I agree that both those amps look marvelous and I'd happily have either sitting next to me!
 
(please feel free to tell me to - 'shut the **** up, you bought your first receiver a month ago and now you're acting like you're Doctor ****ing Vintage!' haha)

No way man, you can speak freely!  I just love the sound out of a vintage - the bass is amazing, quality overall amazing, and yeah, these are "overkill" for headphone duty but so what?  For $80 I got an amp that blows my Magni away in so many ways!  Not to mention sexy as hell! 
 
To the impedance question - I'm running a variety of headphones using the headphone out of the three vintage amps I have, most are "easy to drive" and they all sound amazing.  So not sure if the comment about them helping only low impedance headphones is valid.  Now, you are completely correct about the 80% comment regarding the electrics and I guess by extension power consumption but I'm using two of these for speakers as well, and one for turntable duty so I'm kind of justifying the "need" for them. 

 
Yes, I'm a vintage fanboy and damn happy to be one.  I look at them every day and thank Skylab for this subset addition to this headphone hobby.  Strike that, it's more than a hobby now, it's kind of a lifestyle. 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

  Strike that, it's more than a hobby now, it's kind of a lifestyle. 

 

 

[MattTCG]

I'm very new to the true vintage gear but I'd open admit that this is some of the most fun I've had with gear in quite some time. Part of the fun in the hunt...no warranty. It's a risk but the reward can be huge. My Pioneer is impressive on many levels. No speakers for me...just hp's ATM. Well, unless I decide to add some vintage speakers. 

 

[Anavel0]

Strike that, it's more than a hobby now, it's kind of a lifestyle. 

Couldn't agree more!

Vintage receivers (I do listen to radio) or integrated amps with headphone outs are brilliant. You can do high impedance phones off the headphone jack, you can run "hard to drive" phones off the speaker terminals (HiFiMAN or Audez'e), or get and energizer to speaker terminals and you can drive electrostatics for a lot less than a regular electrostatic amp. Oh and I forgot most (if not all) have built in phono amps!!

I haven't got one YET, but it's definitely my next purchase. Then new headphones. (My 10 year old HD580 finally gave up the ghost.)

 

[Rawrbington]

OK
don't kick me out of the club.
I've been using my Yamaha A-S500 lately as my daily office/room/computer driver.  The marantz is on speaker duty.
Its vintage if by vintage we mean 3 years old.
Its not great with most dynamic headphones i ran with it minus the HD650
but with the LCD2 its fantastic.
Better than my 2245?
not really.
its just different.
i've culled a lot of my recievers.
down to just a 2245, KR9050(stowed away for a rainy day) Scott 200b(needs work) and CR 640.
im sort of over it.
Not over my love for vintage units
but over buying and selling different models from same or similar lines.  it just piles up so quickly.  and selling takes a bit longer than runing to the ATM and driving across town.
 
Unless its a marantz or pioneer and the price is right.
OR
its a TOTL and the price is right
Or its a KA907
or a Sansui AU717/919/ and up.
Or a Fisher tube amp
Or another bigger HH Scott.
 
tldr
im a mess.
 
oh almost forgot why i started this post.
the thing i do miss from going to the yam integrated is i can't wake up in the morning and turn on my FM radio.
Have to wake up the pc, google the station, then stream.  its just not the same. 

 

[moodyrn]

I feel really fortunate to own two of the amps on your short list.