[djork]

That's right, I'm using an integrated amp here. I use it for my K1000 (haha I can hear the boos coming already) and today I plugged in my W1000 into the pm6002, can't help to say i'm quite impressed.

There's this lil' "loudness" button on the integrated amp, and I must say it made music sound quite a bit nicer -- extended bass and treble -- and it sounds pretty immersing that I'm actually listening to the W1000 that I chucked aside for a long time.

Anyone tried using their integrated amps as headamps too?

 

[Navyblue]

Btw, there are already two current and quite sizable thread on this very topic.

 

[Navyblue]

Here it goes.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/usi...ed-amp-329395/

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/man...-jacks-338299/

 

[djork]

cool, thanks a lot

 

[Spareribs]

I have a vintage Marantz 2270 and the headphone jack is excellent. I am impressed and the sound has a full meaty texture. Compared to other jacks, the other jacks i've heard are sterile and more harsh. The Marantz is smoother and more musical sounding.

That being said, there are other headphone jacks that are more smooth than the Marantz headphone jack but the Marantz is no slouch and does a fine job. For a solid state, it's really very very good and I recommend this amp if you can find one in good condition.

A good intergrated amp like the Marantz is really all you need and a decent headphone. It's a great all around amp. You really can stop and look no further unless you are more active in this headphone hobby for other flavors in sound.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by djork /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's right, I'm using an integrated amp here. I use it for my K1000 (haha I can hear the boos coming already) and today I plugged in my W1000 into the pm6002, can't help to say i'm quite impressed. There's this lil' "loudness" button on the integrated amp, and I must say it made music sound quite a bit nicer -- extended bass and treble -- and it sounds pretty immersing that I'm actually listening to the W1000 that I chucked aside for a long time. Anyone tried using their integrated amps as headamps too?

There's no reason in the world why your Marantz shouldn't make your headphones sound as good as you need them to sound; my PM6010 does. I could of course frown on the use of the loudness button, but hey, if it sounds good to you why not? Probably later you'll decide to switch it off, but unless you become 'fanaticised' (just made that word up) by spending too much time here, I doubt if you'll become dissatisfied with your Marantz overall.

 

[Sovkiller]

Yes there is, Marantz, as any other Hi-End brand (with just a few rare exceptions) uses the same resistive network, "from the books", to attenuate the output signal at the jack...I have heard this time after time in audio circles, but not sure, if the Marantz is good, the rest of the vintage good sounding amps should sound as good IMO...There is nothing special on the jack of the Marantz...

BTW I have a Marantz and they do sound good, but I do not feel is anything special in comparison to a good headphone amp...

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW I have a Marantz and they do sound good, but I do not feel is anything special in comparison to a good headphone amp...

Which Marantz? And are you saying that a good integrated is as good as a good dedicated amp? Frankly, after reading the comments of posters here and elsewhere expressing regret at having bought expensive dedicateds only to find them no better than their mate's integrated, and having listened at length to the Little Dot Mk V, and extensively compared my current Marantz to the Cute Beyond, I have grave doubts that dedicateds are worth the expense unless one is severely dissatisfied with one's integrated and/or one has heard a particular dedicated in one's system and clearly detected an improvement.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which Marantz? And are you saying that a good integrated is as good as a good dedicated amp? Frankly, after reading the comments of posters here and elsewhere expressing regret at having bought expensive dedicateds only to find them no better than their mate's integrated, and having listened at length to the Little Dot Mk V, and extensively compared my current Marantz to the Cute Beyond, I have grave doubts that dedicateds are worth the expense unless one is severely dissatisfied with one's integrated and/or one has heard a particular dedicated in one's system and clearly detected an improvement.

Do not misunderstood, I said what I said: "...BTW I have a Marantz and they do sound good, but I do not feel is anything special in comparison to a good headphone amp..."

you are montioning two entrance level headphone amps, the better you go, the more the differnce will be, and also synergy is an important aspect, not all dedicatd amp will sound the same with the same heapdhone, they are just that dedicated, for a given load...

 

[tfarney]

The Cute Beyond might fit that description, but I wouldn't call the LD MKV "entry level." Based on price alone, perhaps. Based on design? Hardly. I haven't heard it, personally, but if it sounds entry-level, they went to an awful lot of trouble for entry level.

And the OP, according to his sig, has a Creek and a Dark Voice 337. OP? How does the Marantz compare to those?

Oh and to the origingal question: Yes, OP, I'm using a vintage Harmon Kardon integrated amp - an A-402 - to power Senn HD580s with great results.

Tim

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Cute Beyond might fit that description, but I wouldn't call the LD MKV "entry level." Based on price alone, perhaps. Based on design? Hardly. I haven't heard it, personally, but if it sounds entry-level, they went to an awful lot of trouble for entry level. And the OP, according to his sig, has a Creek and a Dark Voice 337. OP? How does the Marantz compare to those? Oh and to the origingal question: Yes, OP, I'm using a vintage Harmon Kardon integrated amp - an A-402 - to power Senn HD580s with great results. Tim

The Creek was my first amp ever, and was returned in the same week, nothing to write home about it, I prefer the Marantz for sure, about the other I have not heard it...BTW price means nothing in sound quality, I have heard multithousand headphone amps, that have left a lot to be desired...

 

[tfarney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Creek was my first amp ever, and was returned in the same week, nothing to write home about it, I prefer the Marantz for sure, about the other I have not heard it...BTW price means nothing in sound quality, I have heard multithousand headphone amps, that have left a lot to be desired...

I haven't heard the LD MKV either. I'm basing my comments on the design, which is discrete, true dual mono, and robust, and the comments on its rather long, dedicated thread. Based on design alone, it is several notches above amps like the Creek and Cute Beyond.

I'd really like to hear the OP's comparisons to his amps. Not the Creek, so much, but if he thinks his Marantz holds its own against his 337...well, that's saying something.

Tim

 

[Spareribs]

Also, I don't think it's really fair to compare a Marantz reciever to a tube amp. It's like comparing bananas and pears. They both will have their own characteristics. Generally, I prefer tubes but on certain days I find my Marantz headphone output to be a breath of fresh air and welcome the difference. Additionally, my 1971 Marantz is also a very cool relic of the 70's too. Retro chic.

 

[tfarney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, I don't think it's really fair to compare a Marantz reciever to a tube amp. It's like comparing bananas and pears. They both will have their own characteristics. Generally, I prefer tubes but on certain days I find my Marantz headphone output to be a breath of fresh air and welcome the difference. Additionally, my 1971 Marantz is also a very cool relic of the 70's too. Retro chic.

I know what you mean, but I'm not sure it's unfair. The best tube amps have the least "tubey" sound. Yes, they'll usually have a bit of that tube lushness in mids, but there is much that can be compared -- control, extension, sound stage, detail. And if a vintage Marantz is anything like my vintage Harman Kardon, it may very well have at least as much tone/voice in common with modern tube amps as it does with modern solid state.

Tim

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't heard the LD MKV either. I'm basing my comments on the design, which is discrete, true dual mono, and robust, and the comments on its rather long, dedicated thread. Based on design alone, it is several notches above amps like the Creek and Cute Beyond.

The LD Mk3 is indeed a very sophisticated design and would no doubt cost twice the price where it not made in China. I think we can safely say that in terms of design ambition it sits much further toward the top end than its price would suggest, and makes a handy point of comparison with integrateds, especially as it represents such great material value. Let's face it, with the true dedicated top-enders value just doesn't enter the equation.

As for the Cute Beyond, I prefer it to the LD using Senn HD650s. This is no doubt partly a synergy thing, as the Cute is somewhat more forward and "on-stage" and helps overcome the Senns "veil" and general reticence; but the Cute is a very fine amp in its own right and probably as good as most people would ever need. Yes, there's a coterie here that would laugh it to scorn, but I think most sensible people hearing it in a sympathetic situation and being told the price would say, "Yep, that just what I wanted and that's as much as I wanted to pay." So why aren't more people grabbing it (or the Travagans for that matter)? Because they've been brainwashed to believe that the problem of good sound can be solved by throwing money at it. Every day you see threads here along the lines of, "How much do I have to pay to get decent sound out of my 701?"--the poster by implication being prepared to believe that price can be exactly correlated with sound. But those of us who've taken the trouble to listen to a variety of amps, both dedicated and integrated, know that that correlation simply does not exist--something that simple logic and common sense would have told us anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd really like to hear the OP's comparisons to his amps. Not the Creek, so much, but if he thinks his Marantz holds its own against his 337...well, that's saying something. Tim

Ditto.