Douglas256
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2002
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Last night, I downloaded RMAA and proceeded to test every DAC, ADC and amp I own; in the end, I found the balanced (XLR) outputs of my Benchmark DAC 1 to be my hands down winner of my sources. Since my HeadRoom Max only takes unbalanced (RCA) inputs, I decided I'd try the analog pre-amp side of my Grace Lunatec V3 as a headphone amp. After making special cables to connect my 1/4" headphone jack to two XLR outputs, I was ready to go.
Hooking everything up, I carefully made sure the Benchmark DAC 1 was set on variable output volume. As I slowly turning up the volume, the V3 sounded amazing but hot (too loud). Popping open the DAC1 I set the internal jumpers to -30 dB on each of the XLR outputs. Since the V3 was still a bit hot, I set the internal jumpers on the V3 to -20 dB as well. Now that the volume was just right with the calibrated output from the DAC 1, it was time to listen to some music.
In short, it sounds amazing! I have never heard such clarity and power from a pair of headphones. The highs are razor sharp without being fatiguing and the bass is just as (if not more) powerful and controlled than the Max's. In the last hour, I've heard things in my recordings that I have never heard before. The RMAA test results show that the V3 is more accurate in all respects to the Max (although, it of course lacks HeadRoom's processing).
Has anyone else tried using high-end microphone-preamps as headphone amplifiers? If so, what were your experiences? There are more companies making high-end mic-preamps than there will ever be making headphone amps . . . perhaps Head-Fi's next favorite headphone amp won't be a headphone amp at all.
Hooking everything up, I carefully made sure the Benchmark DAC 1 was set on variable output volume. As I slowly turning up the volume, the V3 sounded amazing but hot (too loud). Popping open the DAC1 I set the internal jumpers to -30 dB on each of the XLR outputs. Since the V3 was still a bit hot, I set the internal jumpers on the V3 to -20 dB as well. Now that the volume was just right with the calibrated output from the DAC 1, it was time to listen to some music.
In short, it sounds amazing! I have never heard such clarity and power from a pair of headphones. The highs are razor sharp without being fatiguing and the bass is just as (if not more) powerful and controlled than the Max's. In the last hour, I've heard things in my recordings that I have never heard before. The RMAA test results show that the V3 is more accurate in all respects to the Max (although, it of course lacks HeadRoom's processing).
Has anyone else tried using high-end microphone-preamps as headphone amplifiers? If so, what were your experiences? There are more companies making high-end mic-preamps than there will ever be making headphone amps . . . perhaps Head-Fi's next favorite headphone amp won't be a headphone amp at all.