I picked up my first pair of “expensive” headphones about a month ago, Koss Pro4AA Titanium (I know there are better for the money but I had a $100 Ratshack gift card on hand), and I've noticed the sound dynamics change as I shift their position on my head. For instance, overwhelmingly distorted...

I'd say 20+ years.

As I glance over at my father's CD player from 1986 that is still going strong, I'd say no. It should last for at least 15 years, unless you drive it with more voltage than it is rated for.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but PCBs were invented to aid in mass production, and for designs that would require far too many interconnects. If you're building a one-of-a-kind amp, it makes sense to go point to point.

I have to ask, is everything in your house in immaculate and flawless condition? Nice amp BTW

1) If you bought a predesigned PCB, yes. If you're using a prototype board, not necessarily: I believe you just solder the parts together directly using little insulated wires. 2, 3) http://sound.westhost.com/beginners.htm#4.0

May I ask how you guys are connecting the SR60's full-sized plug to the Audigy2's mini jack? Is it a direct adapter, or an adapter with a bit of cord attached?

FYI the Audigy2 is amped when you select Headphones in the speaker settings, and line-level otherwise. Don't be offended if you already knew that, because you'd be surprised how many people don't.

Does the Audigy2 not have a built-in amp that ignites when you select Headphones under Speaker Settings? Well not much of an amp, but it gives out more power than the Speakers setting, which is line-level.

Look up the B-Tech BT928 Pro. Sites list it as a headphone amp for TVs, but it was originally meant for use in the studio or as a dedicated amp for your sound system (there is a BT928 and BT928TV, but the actual amp is the same). Supposedly, it's on par with $250 amps if you swap the stock caps...

Looks like a good buy then: Cheap enough to not care if it disappoints me, and I could always pour $50 or so into upgrading its parts. Thanks for the link.

That doesn't look too bad. Its intended use makes me a bit wary of its potential, but hey, it has a 1/4 output.

Thanks guys; I will build one eventually. My problem now is that the only thing I have with a 1/4 output is my dedicated CD player, and its headphone circuit is total underpowered crap. I'll be listening to all my equipment through headphones - I'm young, living at home, and off to Air Force...

Bah! Since I'm going nowhere with this, I'm just gonna get a Rolls HA43 and eventually try my hand at DIY. I'll take a wild guess and assume that the HA43 sounds like total crap; but it's $50-90, and all I need for now is anything that will drive the Grado's 32ohms with enough power, that...

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this amp: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cg...A-2&type=store It'd be powering Grado SR125s in conjunction with my sound system at home (not connected to a portable device). Anyone know how it compares to other $100 amps?

So, something like the HeadSave Tempo would most likely perform better than this?: I'd be spending almost $200 on the Tempo with the shipping and the power cord cost; whereas a studio amp would cost me $100... Does anyone know for certain that distribution amps don't perform on par with...

I disagree: The Audigy 2, unlike the first Audigy, is a damn fine card; and is the only one capable of playing DVD-A at its intended resolution. People have a tendency to rip on Creative Labs because they are a 'mainstream' company, but in the case of the Audigy 2 you can not find a better...

I'll be picking up a pair of Grado SR125s, and I've been searching the net for a non-battery powered headphone amp in the $100 range. Naturally, I've come across all the multichannel studio head amps that are competing on the market for $99, such as the Samson Cque8. How does this kind of amp...