[freesole]

I wonder how the Holo Audio Azure stacks up to the amps listed here. $1,599 price tag.

 

[Moak]

I don't have a CD player anymore. I rip CD's from my computer.
I think I might have a 3.5mm to to RCA cable.

It's weird, but in the last 10 years I have sold most of my sound gear and have never been more into music. I sold all my records and then a decade later I sold all of my CD's. Then I sold my whole 5.1 home theatre system. Then I sold my NAD amp, cassette deck, CD player and tuner.

All the while I have been buying speaker docks, DAP's, headphone amps, headphones, computer speakers and TONS of music.

When I do buy my next DAP, I will make sure it has Line Out ability. I thought briefly about it when I was waffling between Fiio X7ii and the Sony ZX300.

Shane D

But if you sold cd player, etc., why and for what device do you need the Burson Fun?

 

[Shane D]

But if you sold cd player, etc., why and for what device do you need the Burson Fun?

I still have a Yamaha receiver and tower speakers for my TV.

My music in bought and stored on my computer and I recently bought a pair of Vanatoo Transparent Zeroes speakers which sound awesome.

My listening station is beside my lazy-boy recliner. Right now it consists of a Sony DAP ((NW-ZX300), Burson Fun amp, Loxjie P20 tube/hybrid amp, Schiit Loki EQ (that I haven't even used yet) and will soon be joined by a DAC. And of course several pairs of headphones.

Shane D

 

[Pablovi]

I will be using the 4.4mm to XLR to run the Loxjie.
The amp is only $129.00 in Canada, but it will probably cost me close on $100.00 to get a 4.4mm to dual XLR cable and XLR to dual 3.5mm cable.

Shane D

Did you managed to do this? I’m looking into a similar setup, to use my Sony WM1A as my main source, connecting a 4.4mm to 2 XLR balanced cable to a headphone amp or a preamp, but I want to know which amp to use? Or if it will be better just to use the digital out to a DSD DAC? I want to know if there’s a similar DSD DAC, I mean of the same quality as the DAC inside the DAP. Or is it better to use just a headphone amp or preamp and use the headphone 4.4mm balances out on the DAP?

Thanks for any input.

 

[Shane D]

Did you managed to do this? I’m looking into a similar setup, to use my Sony WM1A as my main source, connecting a 4.4mm to 2 XLR balanced cable to a headphone amp or a preamp, but I want to know which amp to use? Or if it will be better just to use the digital out to a DSD DAC? I want to know if there’s a similar DSD DAC, I mean of the same quality as the DAC inside the DAP. Or is it better to use just a headphone amp or preamp and use the headphone 4.4mm balances out on the DAP?

Thanks for any input.

It didn't work for me. There was a loud hum.
I ended up buying a line out cable from Japan and a DAC. Now I run ZX300 to SMSL SU-8 to Schiit Loki/Burson Fun-Classic via SE and DAC to Cavalli Liquid Carbon X via XLR cables.

Shane D

 

[Pablovi]

It didn't work for me. There was a loud hum.
I ended up buying a line out cable from Japan and a DAC. Now I run ZX300 to SMSL SU-8 to Schiit Loki/Burson Fun-Classic via SE and DAC to Cavalli Liquid Carbon X via XLR cables.

Shane D

Thanks! So, just to see if I understood. You’re using a digital out from your DAP to a DAC? And that DAC is the SMSL SU-8? Will that DAC sound better than a Sony WM1A?
I guess the hum was because of the balanced output? I don’t hear any hum from the SE output of the WM1A, but can’t try the balanced, since I don’t have a preamp that will take balanced right now.

 

[Shane D]

Thanks! So, just to see if I understood. You’re using a digital out from your DAP to a DAC? And that DAC is the SMSL SU-8? Will that DAC sound better than a Sony WM1A?
I guess the hum was because of the balanced output? I don’t hear any hum from the SE output of the WM1A, but can’t try the balanced, since I don’t have a preamp that will take balanced right now.

Is the DAC better than the one in the WM1A? I do not know. I suppose it is. I wanted a separate amp and DAC so that I could put a small EQ in the middle. I have and love a Schiit Loki. It can tweak any headphone to sound a little better. Unless you are a purist/audiophile. And then it is a VERY bad thing.


Shane D

 

[Shane D]

Thanks! So, just to see if I understood. You’re using a digital out from your DAP to a DAC? And that DAC is the SMSL SU-8? Will that DAC sound better than a Sony WM1A?
I guess the hum was because of the balanced output? I don’t hear any hum from the SE output of the WM1A, but can’t try the balanced, since I don’t have a preamp that will take balanced right now.

I should mention that the cable I was using was a 4.4mm to 2 X XLR.

Out of the balanced headphone output into an amp didn't work. Major hum.

I then had to buy a line out cable and a stand alone DAC.



My set up now is:

Although the P20 is on sale.

Shane D

 

[CasualListener000]

I'm looking into making my next purchase and thought it would be helpful for others to have a list of fully balanced headphone amplifiers that are currently available. Some of these are DAC/amp combos but I'm looking at the amp sections only for this. So far I have found the following. Please add more in the same format if you know of more.

Schiit Jotunheim $399
Balanced Headphone Output:
Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 7500mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 5000mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 3000mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 900mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 500mW RMS per channel

Monoprice Liquid Platinum $699
Output Power Balanced
33Ω 6.62 watts
56Ω 4.21 watts
150Ω 1.74 watts
300Ω 0.91 watts

Monoprice Desktop Headphone amplifier with THX AAA technology $479.99
Total Output Power Balanced (mW)
16Ω 1960
32Ω 3120
150Ω 1160
300Ω 580
600Ω 290

Massdrop Liquid Carbon X $379
Maximum power: Balanced 2.8W RMS into 50 ohms (no other power output specs given?)

Massdrop THX AAA 789 Linear amplifier $349.99
Balanced Output

• Output power: 6000 mW, 16 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)
• Output power: 6000 mW, 32 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)
• Output power: 800 mW, 300 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)
• Output power: 400 mW, 600 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)

Loxjie P20 fully balanced tube amplifier $99
Balanced headphones
32Ω: 425mW
64Ω: 665mW
150Ω: 565mW
300Ω: 325mW
600Ω: 175mW

Little Dot MKIII SE $439 on ebay ( pretty sure it was cheaper on massdrop when drop was active)

• Power output: 2.5W (32 ohms), 1.8W (120 ohms), 800 mW (300 ohms)

SMSL SAP-9 $94.49
Balanced output
32ohm: 373mW
64ohm: 342mW
150 ohm: 245 mW
300 ohm: 155 mW

SMSL SAP-10 $172.79
Balanced：
32 ohm 660mW
300ohm: 170mW

SMSL SH-8 $189.99 on ebay
Balanced output:
32 ohms / 655 mW
64 ohms / 835 mW
150 ohms / 717 mW
300 ohms / 400 mW
600 ohms / 205 mW

Topping DX7S $424.99
Output power:
1,000 mW x 2 at 32 ohms
546 mW x 2 at 300 ohms

Audio Gd NFB-1 amp $485
9900MW / 25 ohm
8000MW / 40 ohm
3500MW / 100 ohm
1200MW / 300 ohm
600MW / 600 ohm

I don't think THX 789 is fully balanced

 

[Moak]

I'm looking into making my next purchase and thought it would be helpful for others to have a list of fully balanced headphone amplifiers that are currently available. Some of these are DAC/amp combos but I'm looking at the amp sections only for this. So far I have found the following. Please add more in the same format if you know of more.

Schiit Jotunheim $399
Balanced Headphone Output:
Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 7500mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 5000mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 3000mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 900mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 500mW RMS per channel

Monoprice Liquid Platinum $699
Output Power Balanced
33Ω 6.62 watts
56Ω 4.21 watts
150Ω 1.74 watts
300Ω 0.91 watts

Monoprice Desktop Headphone amplifier with THX AAA technology $479.99
Total Output Power Balanced (mW)
16Ω 1960
32Ω 3120
150Ω 1160
300Ω 580
600Ω 290

Massdrop Liquid Carbon X $379
Maximum power: Balanced 2.8W RMS into 50 ohms (no other power output specs given?)

Massdrop THX AAA 789 Linear amplifier $349.99
Balanced Output

• Output power: 6000 mW, 16 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)
• Output power: 6000 mW, 32 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)
• Output power: 800 mW, 300 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)
• Output power: 400 mW, 600 ohms, <1% THD (watts per channel)

Loxjie P20 fully balanced tube amplifier $99
Balanced headphones
32Ω: 425mW
64Ω: 665mW
150Ω: 565mW
300Ω: 325mW
600Ω: 175mW

Little Dot MKIII SE $439 on ebay ( pretty sure it was cheaper on massdrop when drop was active)

• Power output: 2.5W (32 ohms), 1.8W (120 ohms), 800 mW (300 ohms)

SMSL SAP-9 $94.49
Balanced output
32ohm: 373mW
64ohm: 342mW
150 ohm: 245 mW
300 ohm: 155 mW

SMSL SAP-10 $172.79
Balanced：
32 ohm 660mW
300ohm: 170mW

SMSL SH-8 $189.99 on ebay
Balanced output:
32 ohms / 655 mW
64 ohms / 835 mW
150 ohms / 717 mW
300 ohms / 400 mW
600 ohms / 205 mW

Topping DX7S $424.99
Output power:
1,000 mW x 2 at 32 ohms
546 mW x 2 at 300 ohms

Audio Gd NFB-1 amp $485
9900MW / 25 ohm
8000MW / 40 ohm
3500MW / 100 ohm
1200MW / 300 ohm
600MW / 600 ohm

Which from the balanced amps could be the best for the HD800?

 

[Yaska729]

Little Dot actually have quite a bit of fully balanced amp, and here they are:
Little Dot MK III SE - hybrid
Little Dot MK 6+ - tubes
Little Dot MK 8 SE - tubes
Little Dot LD H1 - hybrid
Little Dot LD X1 - solid state
Little Dot LD Y1 - tubes
Little Dot LD Y2 - tubes
Little Dot LD A1 - DAC and tubes amp
Little Dot LD A2 - tubes amp.

From the list of Little Dot's products, I've only paired MK 8 SE and MK III SE with HD800, and both of them worked pretty well. However, the MK 8 does has more "flavor," but the MK III SE is only $495 right now, and I cannot think of another tubes or hybrid amp can drive the HD 800 like it. The downside of the MK III SE is that if you are looking for the tube "flavor," you might have to spend quite a bit of money for those Telefunken CCa tubes.....

 

[John Massaria]

This one is a steal if it's a ligit build. Just the forum factor...

Dynalo Mk.2 Mini
https://www.newbecca.com/product/548593598961

Do you recomend this amp? Looking to upgrade my Pass WHAMMY w/ Dual Opa 627- I returned the Topping A90 as it wasn't near the Whammy. Thanks!

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

I think not. Purchased them but my money got returned since Its out of production. How about a Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Platinum or a Flux labs FA 10 ? Or upgrade your opamps to Sparkos, Sonic Imagery Labs, Burson or the likes?

 

[frason]

I would add these to the list of truly/fully balanced headphone amplifiers:
Simaudio Moon 430HA (SS)
Smsl Sp400 (SS)
Woo Audio Wa22 (Tube)
Woo Audio Wa33 (Tube)

 

[Shane D]

I would add the iFi Pro iCAN Signature. I have the pre-Signature edition and it is awesome!
Insane power, bass boost and 3D sound effects. It is a hybrid amp, but not very tubey at all. Closer to the Monoprice Liquid Platinum.