I'm honored! I'm speechless!  

Quote: Sorry, no, didn't have any Denon headphones around, but I'm pretty sure the DS would kick ass with the '7000. The power can drive anything, with ease!  

Maybe you missed the part where I said, "Ray Samuels personally builds and tests each Dark Star over a four-day period." He uses mostly American made parts, including the chassis. That's why it costs what it costs. Ray also offers lots of less expensive amps.

As soon as I heard Ray Samuels' Dark Star at CanJam 2011 it hit me: There are headphone amps, and there are headphone amps! After all, when we're discussing the "sound" of a headphone amp, it would be more accurate to refer to the sound of the amp with a given set of headphones. The amp, by...

hally,   Sure, you can use the Minis, but since you're also interested in movies you could start without the sub and see if the Minis make enough bass. Then add the sub if you want more bass, you might not. Steve

Headphone Addict, I will be getting the new Audioengine A5+ soon, and will compare them. As for the A5, it's no contest, the airmotiv4 is way better. That tweeter is tough to beat.

Zurv, I tried the PSB Minis with a Miniwatt, but it wasn't a great match. The amp doesn't have enough power to get the best out of the speakers. Steve

  REVIEW: Emotiva Pro airmotiv4 By:  Steve Guttenberg         Given the increasing popularity and interest in desktop loudspeaker audio here on Head-Fi.org, I asked Steve if he could write reviews of some outstanding desktop speakers for the community here at Head-Fi.  He did...

barleyguy, Gee, the tops of the binding posts are maybe just 1/4" below the bottom of the speaker. Not much clearance for the back-end of the plug, unless you wall mount the speakers, and the wires hang down.

ptrok,   Sure, the RWA will drive the PSBs, I've used much lower powered amps with these speakers. The Topping TP 30 does a surprisingly decent job.

Right, medium-size speakers have an advantage over small ones in the areas of bass and loudness capability. The PSB Mini is a serious attempt at packing the maximum performance into a smaller size. People like little speakers after all. Most affordable powered speakers don't have the greatest...

DaveBSC,   KEF concentric speakers will probably work fine, but I never used them as nearfields. I just heard KEF will be releasing desktop speakers early next year.

ptrok,   Thank you. I really love the Mini Maggies, but they are extremely demanding speakers. They can't be placed near a wall, two to three feet from the rear wall is essential. They need a lot of current (amps), and the little Jolida won't cut it. Bass punch/dynamics aren't a strong suit...

I love the Gallo Stradas, but I never heard them used as nearfield monitors. Nearfield speakers have to create a seamless blend between treble and woofer at a much closer distance than regular speakers. I don't know if the Stradas do that.

Thanks for making me feel welcome! Powered desktop speakers are more cost effective, but their internal amps aren't in the league of the Jolida. For now at least the Mini Maggies are the ones to beat for desktop speakers, but they're double the price of the PSB, and they'll need a lot bigger amp...