[spoonsphere]

hi folks!
 
i'm excited about the idea of building a headphone amp, and would appreciate your thoughts and experiences on what i am looking to do.
 
intended use:
i'm using a pair of akg k271 mark ii's, listening primarily to spoken word, vocals, some movies.  may also use it with my shure se210 iem's.
 
power:
i'd like to build something that is portable, that can be powered from ac or dc power.  for dc power, i'd like to be able to install a rechargeable battery.  would it be possible to do this with a usb connector, allowing the device to be powered via usb / having the battery recharge via usb?  power via usb would be fantastic in that the device could potentially be powered and charged via a wall charger, computer, cigarette lighter adapter, and even in airplanes where you have a usb port at your seat.
 
design:
i'm interested in the pimeta v2 design from tangentsoft and the mini3 from amb.
 
case:
something pleasing and portable.  i'd appreciate any recommendations.
 
dac:
it would be great to have a design where i can integrate a dat in the same case, and be able to select from an analog input or the dac as input.  is this possible with the pimeta v2 and mini3?
 
output:
it would be lovely to have support for outputting to two headphones.  independent volume control for each would be an added bonus.
 
experience level:
i'm not an electrical engineer, but i can follow directions.  i've used a soldering iron before, but if you were a headphone amp, you probably would not want to pick me to perform surgery on you - i am not what you would call experienced.
 
thanks!

 

[Kibble Fat]

I can't say anything about the pimeta, but the Mini3 has no usb and doesn't have two outputs.  I would suggest making a splitter with a potentiometer on one (or both) of the legs. 
 
The Mini3 was very strait-forward in terms of assembly.  The SMD work required is minimal, but it's the first thing you should do before adding all the other components.  Make sure you are comfortable soldering.  If you don't have careful hands, there are techniques in the Tangentsoft video tutorials that could help you out.
 
Also, it is definitely possible to have a dac and amp in the same case.  I'm about to build an AMB Full++ Gamma-2 and might case it with a desktop amp in the future.

 

[spoonsphere]

actually, i'd love to build something similar to leckerton uha-6.  it has most of what i'm describing.
 
i know that it will be cheaper to just buy the leckerton, but where is the fun in that?

 

[vixr]

build the amp and DAC, but not in the same case...this would limit the DAC to the host amp. If you build more amps you will regret not being able to use the DAC with them... just my 2 cents