[Nikos]

Right now I have a setup that goes like this...

Headphones for Home Use: Sennheiser HD-497
Amp: Optimus STAV-3770 Audio/Video Receiver Proffesional Series (DSP)
Minidisc Deck: Sony MDS-JE440
CDP: Philips CDR-820 Audio CD Recorder/Player (MP3/CD Playback)

I guess the key being that my computer, MD Deck, CD deck are all hooked up to my Optimus STAV-3770 Audio/Video Receiver Proffesional Series (DSP) Amplifier.

It produces a good amount of power @ 4 x 100 watt per channel which obviously isnt used to the MAX cause I only use it for my headphones not out loud.

Now my question is -- would my system sound any different if I got a HEADPHONE amp for my Music Units and Headphones?

Would the headphone AMP sound better than my OPTIMUS?

Is their really any advantages for me getting a HEADPHONE amp as oppose to just continue to use my Optimus STAV-3770 Audio/Video Receiver Proffesional Series (DSP)?

Anyone have any ideas?

thanks

 

[john_jcb]

This amp has a headphone jack that I assume you are using. It is hard to say if you would benefit from a dedicated headphone amp without listening to your setup. Some headphone outs on amps and receivers are really quite good while others are just an after thought during design.

 

[Nikos]

How can I really find out?

I mean my sound is pretty good -- but I don't really know if it ca nget much better or more convinient in terms of my having a cpu, MD deck, CD deck all at once.

 

[john_jcb]

Where do you live? THere may be one of us near by that would let you listen to their amp in your system.

 

[Nikos]

I live in CT.

Does anyone think my receiver is fine compared to a $100 headphone amp?

 

[mkmelt]

Your HD-497 headphones are not very demanding of an amplifier, and that's a good thing. If you had Sennheiser HD-580 or HD-600 headphones, then you would really need a separate amplifier that would be better able to drive the high impedance load presented by these headphones. In this case, the right dedicated amplifier would offer a noticable improvement, better bass for example.

When you start to talk about separate amplifiers the important performance areas include the all important midrange (where properly reproduced male and female singing voices can take on a very natural timbre), extended deep bass for those recordings that actually have really deep bass information (usually classical and jazz recordings), soundstage (both width and depth), and the ability of the amplifier to pass recorded ambient information through the amplifier circuitry to the headphone listener.

Many times it is the tube amplifiers that really excel in these areas, although for the very deepest bass response a good solid state amplifier will often outperform a tube amplifier in reproducing the extreme low bass. This is because most tube amplifiers use impedance matching output transformers and these transformers have some degree of roll off in the very lowest frequencies.

 

[Nikos]

so MKMELT u saying that based on my equipment I really don't need a HEADPHONE AMP unless Im willing to spend more than $200 (which I really don't have right now).

Basically I am willing to pay $100 or around there but only if I notice a big improvement with my headphones and that it can take 3 inputs etc....

So what do you think?

 

[mkmelt]

The only amplifiers that will meet your requirements for 3 or more high level inputs and still cost under $100 would be a to find something like a used Meta that someone built as a kit/project or pick up a vintage solid state amplifier, such as a Marantz 1060.

With the Meta, since it only has the one high level input, you would also have to pick up a 3-way input selector switch box (Radio Shack sells one of these for under $15).

The Marantz 1060 is the most common of the vintage Marantz integrated amplifiers. It shows up all the time on eBay. It is a lot of amplifier for the money, as these rarely fetch more than about $80 unless they are in pristine condition and/or include the optional walnut case.

For that price, the 1060 offer 30 watts per channel x 2 of true FTC rated RMS power. The main amplifier can drive two sets of speakers, a main pair and a remote pair, either separately or together. Also, the preamp and power amp can be used separately simply by removing two jumpers in the back of the amplifier.

If you are interested in vinyl, the 1060 has a highly regarded magnetic (no, not moving coil) phono preamp stage, as well as high level inputs for Tuner, Tape, and (2) Auxilliary inputs, and it even has a stereo microphone input. The preamp controls includes volume, balance, along with separate bass, midrange, and treble tone controls, a high filter, a low filter, and a loudness switch, and a pair of mono switches. (These novel switches allow you to listen to either the left or right channels out of both speakers or headphone side, or listen to mono by engaging both buttons at the same time.)

I have recently spent some time listening to the 1060 using my Sennheiser HD-600 headphones and I find it is a very revealing amplifier. Compared to other amplifiers it can sound a bit edgy on some types of music, but in spite of this I find it a very enjoyable amplifier and one I keep coming back to again and again.

I recently compared listening with headphones using the Marantz 1060 and the Marantz model 1070, the model that succeeded it. I found the 1070 to be a very smooth sounding amplifier, very tube like in overall sound, that offers a bit deeper bass response than the 1060. Yet I found myself wishing it had the clarity of the 1060.

Some here will either doubt or dispute me but I believe that for headphone use the Marantz 1060 firmly trounces any current solid state amplifier costing up to $400.

 

[Uncledan]

Quote:

Originally posted by Nikos so MKMELT u saying that based on my equipment I really don't need a HEADPHONE AMP unless Im willing to spend more than $200 (which I really don't have right now). Basically I am willing to pay $100 or around there but only if I notice a big improvement with my headphones and that it can take 3 inputs etc.... So what do you think?

Just like what I said in the PM, I don't think you are able to get a headphone which get 3 inputs for $100.