I need a HP Amp but i have nfi where to begin...
Aug 2, 2002 at 2:53 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 77

Memph

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Hey all
I am VERY new to headphone amplifiers.....
All i know is i need one..

I got some HD580's the other day. And the sound i get really is quite poor.
So i did a little research and it turns out i need a headphone amplifier. So i was told to come here and check out these forums...

Now i dont have unlimited money...

And the amp doesnt need to to be extremely portable as it will spend most of its time on my computer desk at home..

So can anyone give me any suggestions as to what amp to get?

I saw the HeadRoom Little... Is that any good? What about the Corda HP Amp... (i really have nfi..)

Thanks alot everyone. And sorry for the 'n00b'ness but i really dont even know the basics about headphone amps..
THanks again.
 
Aug 2, 2002 at 3:09 PM Post #2 of 77
Hi Memph,

Here's my first shot at the official welcome, ->

Welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet
biggrin.gif


Hope I got that right. Now, what will you be using as a source, your computer, a portable CD player (pcdp), etc ? Type of music is also a factor. Not to worry though, there's a lot of members here who can offer sound advice (can't believe I said that...) There are also members who have designed amps, you could build one yourself if you're so inclined, or have one of them build you one to suit your gear/ear. Welcome !
 
Aug 2, 2002 at 3:11 PM Post #3 of 77
Thanks mate..
biggrin.gif

/me is from Australia hehehe

Anyway..
wink.gif

I listen to all sorts of music including techno and punk...
All of this music comes from my computer... So yeah

biggrin.gif


Thanks for the welcome..
 
Aug 2, 2002 at 3:15 PM Post #4 of 77
There are a few factors involved in making an amp recommendation.
  1. What is your budget?
  2. Will the amp need to be portable or will it be exclusively for home use?
  3. What will your primary source be?
  4. Are you thinking tubes or solid state?
The short list:
  1. META 42 - Have one built for you or build one yourself
  2. Creek OBH-11 - Had one myself, great starter amp.
  3. Corda HA-1 - Never heard one, but there are many positive reviews. And Dr. Meier is a great person to deal with.
  4. MG Head OTL - I had the DT version, great inexpensive starter tube amp.
  5. HeadRoom Little - Again, many positive reviews for this amp. Upgradeable, HeadRoom has a 30 day return policy.[/list=1]
    Check out the Amp Guide at the top of this Forum for the long list. Good luck.
    smily_headphones1.gif
 
Aug 2, 2002 at 3:20 PM Post #5 of 77
Ahh.
Cool. thanks dood...

What is your budget?
Around 450 Australian. Which is around 250 American.

Will the amp need to be portable or will it be exclusively for home use?
Will be mainly for home use. Doesnt matter if i cant take it to lans but if i could that would be a bonus

What will your primary source be?
My computer
biggrin.gif


Are you thinking tubes or solid state?
Dont know what that means. So it makes it hard to asnwer
wink.gif

hehe

Thanks
 
Aug 2, 2002 at 3:53 PM Post #9 of 77
Welcome to the board, Memph!

I have the HD600's - very similar to your HD580's.

The only headphone amp I have is an MG-HEAD DT/OTL. It's a little more expensive than the $250 in your budget, but I think a little extra well spent. You can check it out at http://www.divertech.com/. Several people on this board have given the opinion that the Senn's match well with the MGH. And I agree with them!

This is a TUBE amp (aka Vacuum Tubes, Electron Tubes, Valves) and tends to have what is often described (in very general terms) as a "warmer" sound than SS = "Solid State".

If you like to experiment, you can change the tubes in the amp to get different sound characteristics. A quick search of the archives will give you lots of info regarding "tube rolling".

And of course there are some very experienced builders on this board who can build a custom amp for you that is well within your budget. Once again, have a look in the archives.

Lindy
 
Aug 2, 2002 at 4:07 PM Post #10 of 77
I have the Corda HA-1 and the HD600 (which is supposed to be arguably just barely better than the 580) and I find it to be an excellent combination. It's $345 US assembled, $275 as a kit including shipping from www.meier-audio.com.
 
Aug 3, 2002 at 12:54 AM Post #12 of 77
It requires some basic soldering skills. If you've worked with PCB's and the like before this shouldn't be much of a problem. I wouldn't recommend it for newbies because you really wouldn't to fry a 275 dollar amp due to bad soldering skills!
 
Aug 3, 2002 at 1:01 AM Post #13 of 77
Would someone maybe be able to help me out?

Say you buy the amp and put it to gether and i pay you deirectly?

OR is that a no go..
Cos i really am stuck for cash.
I thought spending the amount i did on the headphones themselves was outrages. Let alone spend even more than that again to get an amp...
 
Aug 3, 2002 at 1:14 AM Post #14 of 77
Getting somebody else to do it is not much different than getting Dr. Meier and his associates to do it for you, and probably won't save you much.

Do a search here on budget amps and you'll find some answers.
 

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