[Ultrainferno]

Hi guys,
 
earlier in another topic where we were comparing the DT990/600 and the Senns HD600 (300 ohm) I stated that with the A1 amp the Senns sounded way better then the DT990s, as well in the bass compartment.
Of course everyone declared me as crazy but that is what I was hearing.
 
So tonight I decided to use my 1991 Kenwood receivers headphone out (Laptop to Dac to Receiver) and the DT990 (and HD600) changed completely. There were huge amounts of base I never ever heard with the A1 amp and it seemd to power the DT990 way better then the dedicated amp. The dedicated amp does win in musicality but the Receiver has the power and bass. So a mix of both would be perfect.
 
Now for my question. Is it possible a 91 Kenwood Receiver (KR-A5040) powers my headphones better as the Maverick A1?
 
A1: Maximum headphone impedance: 600 ohms & Headphone output power: 300mW ~ 1000mW)
Kenwood: I couldn't find any info on the HP out
 
Isn't a dedicated (tube) amp supposed to at least deliver the same amounts of power and bass to my headphones? Or is the Maverick A1 just "worthless"?
 
Thanks

 

[tnmike1]

Playing with my newly-aquired Marantz 2216 and am using in an area with virtually no FM reception.  Can get nothing at all, and only one AM station.  So FM antenna is in order.  Any ideas for something without breaking the bank?  I think I'm about 40 miles away from the closest radio station if that helps

 

[livewire]

Probably a cheap "T" shaped dipole strung up on the wall would do the trick.
That's what I use with my Marantz 2275 and the reception is golden.
Then again, i am only ~15 miles away from most transmitters in San Diego.
 
At least it will bring in a few stations. If you wanna get fancy (and pay more)
a roof mount TV type antenna with FM capability would do it.

 

[Skylab]

Many years ago I played around a LOT with antennas for FM.  Got all sorts of powered ones, the Goddard, and quite a few others.  Bottom line - a folded dipole, which is cheap as dirt, is the best way to go if you don't have a rooftop antenna, which is if course by FAR the best, but also by FAR the most expensive and complex to deal with. 
 
I get great FM reception with a folded dipole, but I live in an area with very strong FM reception.  My biggest problem is multipath.  My Marantz 2275's multipath meter setting proved very useful in that regard in positioning the folded dipole from my favorite station.

 

[tnmike1]

Thanks for the tips.  WIll go to my local Radio Shack and see if I can get a dipole antenna

 

[scottiebabie]

i use a 12ft lamp cord i had lying around split in 3-4ft at the other end. granted i dont live in a radio deadzone but its seem to work very well. some jazz & classic broadcasts i receive are not bad at all. the low signal to noise ratio doesnt encourage critical listening but i do enjoying while working at the workstation. good enuff for me

 
@ultrainferno it is very possible that your Kenwood receiver powers your high impedance Beyers & Senns as well if not even better than the Maverick headamp. vintage amps headphone outs are designed for such cans & so should sound excellent. that said not all vintage amps headouts sound good much like the amp itself as it depends on the make model & condition of said amp. also amp - headphone synergy plays a large part too.

 

[Mochan]

I've not heard the Kenwood in question but I wouldn't be surprised if it can drive headphones, or a specific headphone, better than the A1. Dedicated headphone amps are great but the "dedicated headphone circuitry" advantage is bullocks IMO. My Marantz easily beat out all the other headphone amps I have tried. 
 
Quote:

Hi guys,
 
earlier in another topic where we were comparing the DT990/600 and the Senns HD600 (300 ohm) I stated that with the A1 amp the Senns sounded way better then the DT990s, as well in the bass compartment.
Of course everyone declared me as crazy but that is what I was hearing.
 
So tonight I decided to use my 1991 Kenwood receivers headphone out (Laptop to Dac to Receiver) and the DT990 (and HD600) changed completely. There were huge amounts of base I never ever heard with the A1 amp and it seemd to power the DT990 way better then the dedicated amp. The dedicated amp does win in musicality but the Receiver has the power and bass. So a mix of both would be perfect.
 
Now for my question. Is it possible a 91 Kenwood Receiver (KR-A5040) powers my headphones better as the Maverick A1?
 
A1: Maximum headphone impedance: 600 ohms & Headphone output power: 300mW ~ 1000mW)
Kenwood: I couldn't find any info on the HP out
 
Isn't a dedicated (tube) amp supposed to at least deliver the same amounts of power and bass to my headphones? Or is the Maverick A1 just "worthless"?
 
Thanks

 

 

[Skylab]

I decided that the headphone driving capability of the Marantz 2275 is of high enough quality that I got rid of my Meier Concerto. I knew I wouldn't ever use it again, as good as it is. I mostly listen to headphones via the Leben CS300XS, which is better than the Marantz, but the Marantz is really astonishingly good as a headphone amp, and is all the solid state headphone amp I will ever need.

 

[REB]

O wow, that's quite a statement! Is your Marantz hooked up to other sources (except FM that is)?
 
Quote:

I decided that the headphone driving capability of the Marantz 2275 is of high enough quality that I got rid of my Meier Concerto. I knew I wouldn't ever use it again, as good as it is. I mostly listen to headphones via the Leben CS300XS, which is better than the Marantz, but the Marantz is really astonishingly good as a headphone amp, and is all the solid state headphone amp I will ever need.

 

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

O wow, that's quite a statement! Is your Marantz hooked up to other sources (except FM that is)?
 


 

Absolutely.  I have my older model Audio By Van Alstine tube-hybrid DAC connected to it (fed both by iPod>Cambridge Audio digital dock and a Denon CDP), as well as my Denon DP-59L TT (all of which live in my office).
 

 

[REB]

I just received my Kenwood amp and tuner and although they are far from the pristine state they were supposed to be in (dirty on the outside, urgent deoxing needed, some push buttons won't stick in the on position etc), the headphone out is something else. The tuner needs a cleaning (and an antenna!), so I couldn't really use it to judge sound quality, but I just hooked my hifiman 602 up to the aux input and am listening through the headphone out to my k500s. The sound is very, very controlled and tight (in a good way), it sounds as if some told the hifiman (which I really like btw) to stand up and pay attention. It's detailed, spacious, lighter than the darkish hifiman and very, very, very tight, which may have something to do with the tons over overcapacity the kenwood has (ka 7002).
 
I'm putting it through the paces with my favorite music:
 
1. tord gustavsen trio - where breathing starts: darkish, good detail, intimate, but missing something in the bass texturing
 
2. lisa ekdahl - it had to be you: feisty, spacious, lots of detail and very much alive!
 
3. stacey kent - i'm old-fashioned: musical, alive, darkish but it works. this is the warmth of a tube amp, including the bass bottom giving out at times
 
4. nicolaus harnoncourt - mozart requiem, dies irae: this sounded crappy, until I noticed, the k500 plug was not entirely in (...). Fantastic! It plays this very impressive part with authority and oomph. I do notice each genre needs slight adjusting of the bass and treble knobs and tumbling switches. Happy to oblige and do some fiddling though.
 
5. julie london - laura: this song starts with just julie singing, no instruments. Wonderfully spacious and warm. Then bass and guitar set in and it only gets better. This amp needs deoxit, but sounds darned good.
 
6. glenn gould - goldberg variations: the glenn gould test - will i hear the every important humming in the background? Answer is a resounding yes. Detail and musicality are in the house, ladies and gentlemen.
 
Summing up, I need to clean the amp. but is has potential. Lots of juice and a very nice, warm house sound.

 

[burgunder]

I guess all this leaves the question, whether you can find "modern" integrated amps or receivers(which i doubt) other than the Leben, that will have drive headphones just as good as these vintage amps does.
 
It would be a bit more convenient.

 

[Skylab]

There are for sure some current production integrated amps that have good headphone capabilities, but many current production integrated amps are pretty expensive.

My guess is that most surround receivers, if they even have a headphone out, would not have a very good one, because they already have SO many other priorities. But I have no evidence for this theory.

Still, I bought that killer 80's Optonica integrated for $100. anything close to that in quality you could buy today would be way over $1K.

 

[pp312]

 
Quote:

There are for sure some current production integrated amps that have good headphone capabilities, but many current production integrated amps are pretty expensive.

My guess is that most surround receivers, if they even have a headphone out, would not have a very good one, because they already have SO many other priorities. But I have no evidence for this theory.

 

 
 I have no evidence either, but I have the same suspicion. Let's not forget though that most of the major manufacturers are still producing budget integrated amps. I can attest that Marantz's PM5003 and Cambridge Audio's A340SE are very nice with headphones. Pioneer's A109 is supposed to have a good headphone out. NAD and Rotel are still steaming aling with multiple budget integrateds. You don't need to rely on vintage gear with leaking caps and blackened resistors; there's plenty of current stuff worth investigating.

 

[moodyrn]

Usually that is the case. I have three home theater receivers. In two of them, the headphone out is an afterthought. But now I'm thinking maybe the flagship receivers may be an exception( or at least some of them). I recently purchased onkyo's latest flagship; the nr5800. The headphone out is extremely good. One of the best solid state headphone amps I've heard. It even has enough juice to drive the he-6. I was really surprised at how good it sounded. But it is almost a 3000.00 receiver, so I guess the headphone out should be pretty good. But out of all the home theater receivers I've owned over the years, it's the only one.