[TakeshiKaga]

Hello all,

I recently received the AKG701's as a gift. I would like to purchase an amp, unfortunately I don't have a lot of money to spend at the moment. Can anyone recommend an amp that will drive the 701's without issue? I came across the HeadRoom "Total BitHead" It seems adequate but I'd prefer a solution with AC power as portability is not a concern on mine.

I'm not an audiophile and probably wouldn't notice the difference between a $150amp and a $1500 one to be honest.

Also, I'm not sure if it matters but i will be using the 701's mainly for listening to classical & trance style music.

Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[sdfx]

Hey dude how are the 701s? I was thinking of getting them later on, I just got my AD700s.

 

[TakeshiKaga]

I haven't really spent a lot of time with them yet, waiting to get an amp. I can say without a doubt they are the most comfortable headphones I've even owned, and the quality/attention to detail is superb.

 

[L_and_P21]

from what i have read and if you are into DIY, the "beta 22" is a great amp to go with. that is what i am going to build to drive my 701's. you can read about it here. i know there are other amps. i just cant think of any off the top of my head that are fairly cheap other then headrooms total airhead (sub $100) or their total bithead (sub $175).

ps. wait until you have used the 701's for a bit, then they are amazing.

 

[TakeshiKaga]

I just came across this tiny amp by Firestone Audio "CUTE" Beyond
Headphone Amplifier. Would this be a suitable option for the 701's? @$187.00 there just in my price range.

link: Cute BEYOND Headphone Amplifier - Headphone Amplifier - Headphone Amp - Firestone Audio

 

[dgbiker1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by L_and_P21 /img/forum/go_quote.gif from what i have read and if you are into DIY, the "beta 22" is a great amp to go with. that is what i am going to build to drive my 701's. you can read about it here. i know there are other amps. i just cant think of any off the top of my head that are fairly cheap other then headrooms total airhead (sub $100) or their total bithead (sub $175). ps. wait until you have used the 701's for a bit, then they are amazing.

There's nothing cheap about the Beta 22 though, you're looking at over $600 to build a basic configuration. NICE pick though! Beta's next on my list of projects

I've been pleased with my Mini^3 (from AMB, same person as Beta 22), and at ~$100 for a DIY kit from Glass Jar Audio, it's much cheaper. You could also buy one pre-made from rockhopper audio for ~$120-140 I think.

To be honest though, I would first look at what you're using as a source. Going from the line-out on my iPod, the difference between my Mini^3 and a $700 amp was tiny. Then I got a real DAC and the improvement was HUGE. I would recommend something like an Alien DAC for $50 at Glass Jar Audio. If you don't mind DIY, you'd have a good, solid DAC (Alien) and amp (Mini^3) for $150.

 

[TakeshiKaga]

unfortunately I'm not very savvy when it comes to DIY. I'd rather just purchase the gear, and use the time I would spend building the amp, listening to music

 

[nd4speed]

What will be your source, a computer or a dac?

 

[TakeshiKaga]

Computer, specifically the latest MacBook Pro.

 

[nd4speed]

For a DAC/Amp at the $200 price point I would probably be looking squarely at a Zhaolu D2.5C. It's designed first as a DAC than hp amp, but the amp has decent sound quality out of the box. The Zhaolu is also very upgradeable.

Zero DACs are also another alternative; they're very inexpensive on ebay (less then a Zhaolu) and a lot of people here seem to like them.

If you're married to the look and form factor of the Firestones you may want to look at a Travagan's DAC/Amp (this is more Amp then Dac) it's regarded as having better SQ than the Firestones.

 

[dgbiker1]

The Zhaolu is an excellent recommendation nd4speed. It totally passed my mind since I've been in a DIY mindset lately (just built my Opus DAC). I came very close to getting the Zhaolu myself, and would have bought that one had I not gone the DIY route. Low price of entry, but clear upgrade path to a fairly high level (Zapfilter, Oritek mod) make it a great entry-level DAC. I would personally take the Zhaolu over the Zero just based on some quality control issues I've read about with the zero, but both would be a huge step up from simply amping the headphone out on your MBP.

I know the temptation is to splurge on an amp first (I did it

), but I can't emphasize enough how huge of a difference the source made, it's easily a 2-3 times more noticeable difference than the amp. The Zhaolu would be perfect because you have a HP out to get you going, but down the road you can buy an amp and use the line-out from the back of the Zhaolu.