[texanater]

Greetings,
 
With so many great headphones coming out today that are not the normal 300ohm plus for high quality cans, what are the good power options?  I have a pair of Focal Classics which are wonderful.   I like them much better than my Sennheiser HD600s and slightly better than my beyerdynamic DT880s.  But how to power them?  They seem a little fussy about power. I have a Parasound Halo P5 integrated and audio quest dragonfly v1.2.  They both are improved upon significantly by putting my Ray Samuels P-51 Mustang in series.  I love the P-51 but would prefer something more dedicated for home listening.  Its a little clunky to have a 1/8th inch jack out from the audio quest or p5 to the small lightweight P-51 to my big heavy cables.  I worry it will eventually wear the connections on the P-51.
 
It an interesting question in general and I would like some specific advice too for my situation.
 
Thanks!
 
Nate

 

[Rearwing]

A Chord Hugo should have the power and the robustness that you are looking for; but do audition one first to ensure that it gives the sound that suits your ears.

 

[texanater]

I'm sure you are correct but it is a bit out of my price range.  I was thinking something closer to the price of the Focals which retail from $400-$450 new.  I don't have a strict budget but I think $2500 is not something I can talk myself into!  Plus I really don't need a DAC.  I am happy with the DAC on the audio quest and the Halo, although you wouldn't have to twist my arm to upgrade!
 
Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[superjawes]

In general, if you have low impedance, you just need to check efficiency to determine how much power is "enough". It looks like the Spirit Classic is pretty efficient, so you shouldn't need too much in terms of amp. Something like a Schiit Magni 2 would provide more than enough power and is only $99. That little one would be able to power almost anything you throw at it (maybe not true if you're using $1,000+ cans, but it still wouldn't fail too badly).

 

[DCofficehack]

I"m enjoying my Beyerdynamic DT 770/32 straight out of my laptop. Sounds good straight out of the iPhone as well. Isn't that the point of buying a 32 Ohm headphone?

 

[texanater]

Interesting, I am like a green belt in circuit theory, meaning I know just enough to get my ass kicked.  But I thought impedance mismatches between the amp and the cans would lead to over or under damping.  Did I just make that up or is it a thing?  If it is a thing then an amp designed for high impedance headphones would not mate well with the Focals regardless of power/sensitivity.
 
Thanks

 

[texanater]

  I"m enjoying my Beyerdynamic DT 770/32 straight out of my laptop. Sounds good straight out of the iPhone as well. Isn't that the point of buying a 32 Ohm headphone?

True but in my fiddling the Focals I've noticed they do significantly benefit from the better power amp on the P-51 in both cases.  They can be powered by portable devices but are good enough to really shine with higher end amplification.  I'm talking about sound quality not necessarily volume.  I'm not too concerned about volume.  Decades in the military and this hobby in particular have made me very sensitive to the issue of hearing loss.  The problem is most of the higher end amplification is made for the higher impedance headphones like the sennheiser HD600s.  I'm curious what kind of high quality headphone amplifiers are out there that are designed for the lower impedance headphones.
 
Thanks!

 

[Two Ton Ted]

I use an ifi ican micro set to 0 gain for my low impedance headphones.

 

[superjawes]

The rule of thumb on damping is 8:1, meaning that the input impedance of your headphones should be 8 times the output impedance of your amp (or greater). Even Valhalla 2 manages to meet this in low gain mode (3.5 Ohms, or a damping factor of 9.1).

So I guess I missed that bit, but high output impedance amps generally only come into the discussion if you want/like high impedance cans. I doubt anyone would suggest a big tubey monster for some 32 Ohm headphones

At any rate, I've used my Magni 2 Uber for my HD600 and HE-400. One is high impedance, one is lower impedance, lower efficiency. Both sound great, and I've still got tons of headroom to damage my hearing.

 

[BobMonkhouse]

I enjoy my Focal Spirit Classic a lot with Fiio E12A. For most other headphones I use Cayin C5 amp but prefer the Fiio for the FSC. It has a little more treble and tightens the bass a little which I like.

 

[Rearwing]

The Schitt Magni as stated above might be the best bang for your buck; unless you want portability? How about the Fiio E17 for out and about and then pair it with the E09k as your desktop solution?
Apologies for the Hugo comment, I have just heard one, and I'm still a little in awe of it!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
With so many great headphones coming out today that are not the normal 300ohm plus for high quality cans, what are the good power options?  I have a pair of Focal Classics which are wonderful.   I like them much better than my Sennheiser HD600s and slightly better than my beyerdynamic DT880s.  But how to power them?  They seem a little fussy about power.

 

I'd wager the Parasound's headphone output has a high output impedance. Does the HD600 work fine with it? If it does but the Classic sucks then that's most likely it. Parasound's site doesn't even list any specs for the headphone output, that tells you a lot by saying nothing - meaning it seems to suggest they didn't really care too much about that part of the circuit.

 

Also there's one more thing you have to be wary of other than output impedance: GAIN. Some amps disliked because the too-high gain makes the volume adjustment too sensitive, and in some cases can't even get past the range on the potentiometer where there is still channel imbalance. The Rega Ear and the first MF V-Can are the prime examples of this.

 

In any case, if you want one that you can just easily hook up to your computer and might work with your smartphone as a transportable system (ie if you go on a trip you can take this, then when you're back in the hotel you can use the system), try the Ibasso D-Zero MkII.

 

If you just need one that can be integrated into your main system, try the Schiit Magni2.

 

[texanater]

THanks, I'm not too concerned about portability, I have the P-51 for that.  The P-51 sounds wonderful but I want something dedicated to my main stereo.  I have a wife and kids and a dog and etc... Sometimes it is nice to listen to my stereo and cut all that noise out or listen while everyone is in bed.  The P-51 works but it is really meant for a portable set up with portable phones.  It is so small and the cables for the Focal are so large and stiff that it gets knocked around a lot.  I worry about the strain the headphone jack is under.  Plus I'd like to keep it dedicated for portable use.  

It sounds like everyone is converging on the Schiit Magni.  The Schiit valhalla is also in my price range but at the high end of it.  Would I be better served buying that one?  Would I miss the $250?  I notice the Magni gives spec info down to 16 ohms whereas the valhalla only gives spec down to 50 ohms suggesting the Magni is better for the low impedance headphones.
 
Thanks!
 
Nate

 

[texanater]

Or what about the Asgard 2?  

 

[superjawes]

Yes, the Valhalla is really designed for high impedance headphones. I only brought up the Valhalla to illustrate that even it can manage a respectable damping factor for 32 Ohm headphones. It won't necessarily pair well (or be cost effective).

Personally, I don't see too much point to the Asgard 2 at this point. It manages more power into 300 and 600 Ohms, but a Magni 2 Uber has all the features (preamp outs, gain switch) at a lower price. Unless you're crazy about class A amplification, you might as well spend less and get the smaller chassis. Just my opinion.