[Oregonian]

Not quite vintage but this amp from Audiolab, the 8000 LX sounds fantastic with my Sennheiser HD600. Even though I also use the Bottlehead Crack, I still prefer this amp with the Sennheisers. The amp drives them with authority and makes them sound clean and detailed.

I am building a vintage system for the lounge primarily for headphone use and have just snagged a Trio Kenwood KA-5700 amp. Hope it sounds as good as the Audiolab.

My first vintage amp was the KA-5700.................still have it in my home office and still love it. Had blue LED's put in it.....................great little amp!

 

[Lurker0918]

What HP stage did you try them on?

Sorry if I'm not understanding, but one of my channels is out on the Aux connections, so I use the Tape Monitor setting to hook up sources, except for phono. Speaker setting off, and the loudness function off. I need to use more gain with the Tape Monitor (until I get the AUX fixed), but it seems underwhelming to me compared to my dedicated headphone amp. Lovely with speakers though.

 

[SpeakerBox]

Sorry if I'm not understanding, but one of my channels is out on the Aux connections, so I use the Tape Monitor setting to hook up sources, except for phono. Speaker setting off, and the loudness function off. I need to use more gain with the Tape Monitor (until I get the AUX fixed), but it seems underwhelming to me compared to my dedicated headphone amp. Lovely with speakers though.

I was asking what vintage receiver model you have been listening to your HPs with (via the HP jack or otherwise)?

 

[richie60]

My 'new' old amp has arrived today. Couldn't wait to see how it sounds with my headphones. No doubt this will need a good service but first impressions are a slightly warm and smooth sound, detailed, powerful, good bass.

There is a channel imbalance which seems to 'float' left then right on it's own, maybe down to a dodgy cap, not sure.

Will do some further listening and comparisons with my BH Crack and see what I prefer.

 

[richie60]

I must add, that if I decide to use the Trio amp over the Crack, I'll have to buy some rca attenuators as the digital source can be too loud on some material.

 

[Oregonian]

I must add, that if I decide to use the Trio amp over the Crack, I'll have to buy some rca attenuators as the digital source can be too loud on some material.

Or add a preamp?

 

[richie60]

Or add a preamp?

Won't go with the pre as I want to keep the looks clean. Good idea though.

 

[SpeakerBox]

A channel imbalance can also be a dirty pot. I always have a can of DeoxIt on hand for just such an occasion!

 

[Oregonian]

A little eye candy for your Saturday..............just picked up my son in law's Pioneer PL-41 turntable (in 1973 his dad was the original purchaser of this) from my local vintage guru - it needed set up properly and a new belt. Hooked it up to my Marantz 2285B, put on Pink Floyd's DSOTM 180G new pressing to test it out with my Denon MD2000 headphones.............awesome sound!

 

[BobG55]

A little eye candy for your Saturday..............just picked up my son in law's Pioneer PL-41 turntable (in 1973 his dad was the original purchaser of this) from my local vintage guru - it needed set up properly and a new belt. Hooked it up to my Marantz 2285B, put on Pink Floyd's DSOTM 180G new pressing to test it out with my Denon MD2000 headphones.............awesome sound!

Beauty !

 

[KG Jag]

Great display. My guess is that you stacked them just for the photo.

 

[SpeakerBox]

Very nice Oregonian. Love those old Pioneer tables!https://www.head-fi.org/members/oregonian.292363/

 

[Oregonian]

Great display. My guess is that you stacked them just for the photo.

Yessir...............just having picked up the turntable from the local guru, wanted to make sure it played as well as he said it did. It did. That stack is going to my son in laws house (unstacked ) to match up with a sweet pair of Yamaha speakers for his home gym. Have some sorbothane pads to put under the TT as well, and it's going on an Audio Advisor rack that was a great deal.

That's two daughters/sons in law I've converted to a "vintage disciple"............... My other daughter/son in law got my Hitachi SR-304 hooked up to a pair of JBL 4311 speakers fed via a Harmon Kardon Bluetooth hookup in their garage gym. No turntable for them.............yet.

 

[KG Jag]

I assume you're talking about the $99.95 Vulcan rack. That is an excellent value.

 

[Oregonian]

I assume you're talking about the $99.95 Vulcan rack. That is an excellent value.

Yes, that's the one...............