[3lusiv3]

Somebody with more amp experience should step in here.

 

[Azure]

Do you know what an op-amp is?

 

[Azure]

Also, what is op-amp rolling? And which op-amp should I get? Now that I read more about these amps, I'm considering upping my budget to no more than ~$150.

 

[johnjac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure What amp do you guys recommend for use with the A500s? I'm looking for something that costs no more than the A500s, so something around $100 (A lot of the amps seem to cost WAY too much for me).

Using a Xin superdual with my A-500s and am quite satisfied but that amp is no longer in production.However Xin is suppose to be coming out with new versions of his supermini and supermicro shortly and either one of those should be suitable for your purposes.

 

[Azure]

How do you think they will compare with the Headsave amps?

 

[johnjac]

Azure-I have never heard a headsave amp so can't compare them

 

[sigma]

An op-amp is the chip that does the amplification. "Rolling" is changing op-amps in sockets (i.e. you don't have to desolder and solder each op-amp when you want to change it.)

 

[Natsuiro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure So, you guys recommend that I get this amp? What about the "options:" # AD8066 op-amp in place of standard $7.00 US # AD8620 op-amp in place of standard $14.00 US # Dual OPA627/637 op-amps in place of standard $50.00 US # SPC 12v linear regulated power supply $15.00 US # Elpac 24v linear regulated power supply $35.00 US Should I get one or more of these?

I've never heard the AD8066, but I heard the 8620s in a pimeta and the 627/637s in a ppa. Based on that, I think the 8620s sound more neutral and the 637/627 more warm. If I were you, maybe it would be best to just use the stock op amp and see how you like it. If you don't like it, you can always buy the op amps later to try.

 

[ferrari993000]

i know of some good amps with lithium-ion battery and recharger included, cost around 80$, if your interested i can help

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

For music purposes, you really don't need an amp for the A500. However, for your playstation2 purposes I've no idea--I don't see why you'd want to do that (unless your PS2 functions as your source).

 

[Azure]

Okay, so should I get this:
Headsave Home-Vibe
-Stock op-amp
-Elpac 24v power supply
-Headsave 6s cable
-Headsave external battery holder

Since it is only $14 more, should I just start out with the AD8620 op-amp instead of the stock one or would I probably not notice a difference between the two? Or should I omit the external battery holder and also replace the 24v power supply with the 12v one (Does the amp already come with a power supply?)? Let met get this straight, from my audio source, my mp3 player, I connect one of the headsave cables, and the other end connects to the input jack on the amp, then I just plug the headphones into the output jack and that's it? How much of a difference is there if I don't use his Headsave 6s cable to connect the source to the amp; also, from the picture, it looks really short, wouldn't it cause a problem because my amp and my source would have to be really close to each other all the time? Should I just get a 1/4" audio jack extender?

BTW, does anyone here have any pictures of the Headsave Home-Vibe amp other than those on his website? Thanks.

EDIT: Also, how much of a difference will I notice with the home-vibe amp in quality when using the A500s? Will I be able to tell the difference in quality if I didn't use the amp? Are there any cheaper solutions (<$60) because I just want to use them to get normal sound from my line-in source and I hear that I won't hear much of a difference in quality with an amp in the A500s unless I get something really expensive?

EDIT 2: I want to get an amp because I plan on playing my PS2 games with the A500s.

 

[Azure]

Is there any other solution to make the A500s sound normal from a line-in source other than buying an amp? Would it help if I hooked up some computer speakers using that adapter and then plugged the A500s into the headphone jack in the speakers?

 

[Annihilator]

computer speakers generally have pretty crappy headphone jacks, atleast mine do. you should just try hooking it up to your ps2 straight and see if you like it that way, if you can.

 

[3lusiv3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure Would it help if I hooked up some computer speakers using that adapter and then plugged the A500s into the headphone jack in the speakers?

Yes that would help. Any headphone jack would be better than using the line out to power the headphones.

 

[superjohnny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure Is there any other solution to make the A500s sound normal from a line-in source other than buying an amp? Would it help if I hooked up some computer speakers using that adapter and then plugged the A500s into the headphone jack in the speakers?

While this may work, the amplification provided by your speakers to the headphone out will be nowhere near the quality of a deticated headamp. Line-out's do not amplify the signal and without some sort of amplification there is nothing to drive your speakers/headphones.

You may consider having someone on the forums build or sell you a CMOY which is a battery powered headphone amplifier. It's pretty much the standard first thing to build for people wanting to get into DIY so there are a ton of them around. You can usually pick one up for ~$40-50. It's not as high-quality as a headsave amp, but it sounds to me like you just want to listen to CD's through your PS2. I've never heard one myself so please correct me if I'm wrong, but the PS2 is not really a very good source.