Need portable headphone amp with DAC for HD 600.
Jan 24, 2006 at 4:58 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 4

RGA

100+ Head-Fier
Joined
Aug 13, 2001
Posts
206
Likes
11
Hi. I have posted this on AA but this forum makes more sense. I am going to be living in Korea for a year and I am going to be buying a big external hard drive and loading all my cds on it in WMA lossless. I have a laptop that has three USB ports.

Anyway money is going to be relativley tight and so far the Bithead and Stereo Link Dac seem to be in the foreground. The Bithead is more money but it is more portable in that it can be driven directly from the laptp -- the Stereo Link Dac looks to need a transformer to make the power conversion to Korean power. Those transformers are pricey enough to bring the Stereo link Dac 1200 to more than the bit head (plus it is significantly bulkier to lug around.

I am currently running an older variation of the ASL MG Dead DT with my heapdhones -- so I'm hoping to get something in the ballpark sound wise (read no edgy SS which is virtually impossible but I understand I have to compromise a little here).

Is the Bithead well thought of here for the money -- I realize that $500.00 units will be loved but then they're way more money and should be -- so give or take $50.00 how does the Bithead stack-up with its competitors and what are those competitor's.

Specifically driving the HD 600s because these are testy cans to drive and I don;t know which the Bitheads are suited to HD580/600 types or Grado types?

Thanks.
 
Jan 24, 2006 at 5:05 AM Post #2 of 4
I've hard good things about the Bithead (well the Total Bithead, specifically) - but I'm not sure how the little bugger will manage driving the big Sennheisers. You might consider asking this question directly to Headroom.
 
Jan 24, 2006 at 5:17 AM Post #3 of 4
The stereophile review says they work better with high impedence headphones (which the HD 600s are) and the Head room site advertises the bithead and one picture has the Senns on top -- LOL guess I should have looked at their advert before posting that part here.

Still some may have direct experience. I am on a tight budget since I just graduated after 5.5 years of school. So I was going to buy an iPod but they just don;t hold enough information for such a long trip. The 60 gig iPod is $500.00 Cad versus a a 250gig external hard drive for $162. Cad.

And I don't have to worry about the idiotic lithium battery dying every 12 hours. Indeed, I could get the hard drive AND a cheapie 512mb MP3 player ($97.00Cad) for far less moey than ipod.

And of course the money saved means that I can get the bithead or perhaps the Total bithead -- but I don't want to be a total BUTTHEAD if I miss out on something better for less
580smile.gif


There's something funny about buying an audio product called the total airhead. I love that kinda stuff.
 
Jan 24, 2006 at 9:28 AM Post #4 of 4
If you don't mind wearing a Head-fi Utility Belt, you can always go lossless files ->iRiver iHP-120/140->Headroom MicroDAC->Portable Amp->your headphones.

That would be the ultimate.

I am considering a similar setup. But I think I feel my wife kicking my ass right now.
tongue.gif


-Ed
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top