[bigevilalien]

I'm not too knowledgeable about amps in general but I love my Klipsch 2.1's. I have recently ordered some Denon D2000's for when I can't be bothering my roommates and I'm waiting for them to get to me. In the meantime, I've been thinking about amping solutions. I don't have an unlimited source of income, so I am trying to keep things cheap (especially considering the fact that I just spent more than I cared to on a new set of cans), which is why I'm wondering whether my Klipsch's will drive my Denons sufficiently to avoid buying an expensive amp.

Any thoughts? Advice?

 

[moonboy403]

Sufficient level of volume for sure, but if you're already satisfied with your Promedia driving your D2000, stick with it for now and get an amp later (although there's always that curiosity as to how much sq can improved with a better amp and or dac).

 

[scootermafia]

The good news is that the Promedia will cause your D2000s to output sound.

If you want the D2000s to sound their best, or anywhere near their potential, you'll need a headphone amp. I'm sure you will be satisfied at the outset (my dad likes his K701s plugged into his ipod but I still got him one of those $80 ebay OBH-11s they were selling) but in order to hear what they are capable of, they need voltage and current.

 

[scootermafia]

If you want to amp the D2000s on a budget just subscribe to the RSS feed for the for-sale amps section on headfi and watch for a deal. If you can tell us your actual budget allocations, we can offer some more advice.

Definitely something like a well-made CMOY would be better than just a headphone jack on a set of computer speakers that is likely little more than a pass-through.

 

[bigevilalien]

Something that's definitely less than $100 for use with my computer would be a possibility. If I can get away with less than $50 that would be the best.

I've read that the headphone jack in the Klipsch's is amplified 25dB. Is this not enough?

 

[terriblepaulz]

It will be loud enough, but as you get into listening, and get a chance to compare it to a better amp, you will be looking for something different.

 

[scootermafia]

The more you read this site, the more money you will begin to be willing to part with.

Maybe check out a pre-assembled Rockhopper Mini3? It's about $150 and it's a pretty good rechargeable portable, perhaps comparable to more expensive minis. It's definitely way nicer than a $50 ebay CMOY.
At $225 you can get a Corda Arietta shipped out which is another nice small amp that is well constructed (non portable).

 

[MikeW]

I own the Klipsch speakers, and the headphone output is aweful. Your better off hooking it straight to the sound card. If you've put down the money to buy D2000's you should do them justice and buy an amp of some sort, the klipsch output is a disgrace for this headphone, seriously.

 

[jaykay]

Agreed, my promedia 2.1 headphone jack colors the sound in a very negative way. For less than $100 theres a quite a few options. I've been using a nuforce icon mobile with my d2000 and find that they go pretty well together. I also have a lyrix which also goes well with the d2000. You can find the icon mobile for $99 on the nuforce website and the lyrix is discontinued. Perhaps you could look into a total bithead. If you don't want a dac then I'm sure there's plenty of other amps for less than $100 that others can offer suggestions for.

 

[bigevilalien]

Whoa whoa whoa if it really is going to make a difference I could shell out $75 or so, but I'm not looking to spend any more on that just based on what is subjectively the absolute best out there. I'm not looking to go nuts here. I don't even have a job.

What are my options as far as a sub-$100 amp that would do my D2000's some "justice"? What about a little Headroom Airhead? Again, I don't know anything about amps so guide me here.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MikeW]

It's hard for less then 100$... i'd suggest saving your pennies for a little while and try to pick up a used Millet Starving Student in the for sale forum. It will probably set you back 125$ or so. If you can't afford it now, Just wait and save up. Im not sure it's worth your time to buy something in the sub 100$ price range. Maybe a creek obh-11, they where 80$ on ebay last month, not sure what they are runing now.

edit: you kinda strike me as a total newb, that's ok i was there once too, the way you phrase it "Ok if it really will make a differnce im willing to.... " there is absolutely no doubt, it will make a difference, proper amping is not a subtle improvement. I'd go as far to say i'd rather have a properly amped/sourced 100$ headphone then a 500$ phone with no decent amp/source.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeW /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd go as far to say i'd rather have a properly amped/sourced 100$ headphone then a 500$ phone with no decent amp/source.

The difference is big with amping but it's not THAT big.

 

[bigevilalien]

You're right I'm an absolute n00b here. I recently came into some warrantee money from some horrible noise canceling logitech phones that were given to me as a gift and finally crapped out. I felt like I could do a lot better for the money so I went looking for some decent cans for listening to music with.

I really am not looking to go nuts here and I don't have the money or the interest in spending my life savings on audio equipment. I want as simple a setup as I can get away with at this point. You kind of see where I'm coming from?

I understand what you mean about amping and if it really makes a huge difference to have an amp, then I can justify spending maybe up to $100, but I really can't spend as much on an amp or any other accessory as I have on my phones, at least for a while now.

If I won't be able to enjoy listening to my D2000's without an amp, let me know. Point me to the best amp under $100 and I'll make some decisions.

Am I in the wrong place here? Did I choose the wrong phones if I don't want to spend all sorts of cash on amps and other equipment? Now I'm getting buyer's remorse like none other. I'm getting worried here.

 

[scootermafia]

The used market is your friend at this point, if $100 is your budget and you are not willing to save for something bigger. A little CMOY like a PenguinAmp would be a noticeable improvement over nothing, but really DAC/Amp is inevitably the way to get away from the nasty onboard sound of computers and the possibly questionable DAC sections of home components.

Watch out for the Audio-GD Compass, if you can save up your money by then, it's a nice headphone amp with a full featured optical/coax/USB DAC, it'll work with all manner of setups and it will be very well made - it's going to premiere at a $250 shipped price as a promotion. If the rest of the board can't tell I have my eye on this thing just because I wouldn't mind hearing one myself and it is going to be for at least a while, potentially the best one-box for under $300 that can be had. Audio-GD is a serious company and their products look and sound robust, based on impressions I have read. I have no personal need for one as I paid up for separates, but I do think it's a neat item and a good replacement for the well loved yet flawed Zero.

 

[scootermafia]

iBasso
iBasso

These little amps are pretty well loved, offering a taste of the quality of Ray Samuels' portables while costing 1/4 the price. I have heard mostly good things, and their whole product line is under $200.
The $165 one has a built in USB DAC, so you can bypass your sound card and listen to music off any computer through it, which gives a marked increase in sound quality. The $109 one is new, just connect it directly to the jack of your sound card...pretty affordable.