[OldManBill]

Hello everyone. I'm guessing this is silly but I'd like help deciding if it's worth trying. My use case is this: When traveling, I use IEMs with various different portable DAC/AMPs. At my office, the headphone setup is a chord qutest into a hybrid tube headphone amp that is terrible for IEMs. It can be used as a pre-amp however. I'd like to try using the DAC set at 1V RMS output through the pre-amp into a small quiet dedicated amp just for IEMs for when I don't feel like using headphones. Any advice is appreciated regarding amps that might be a good match with a qutest and U12t (mostly) through a pre-amp, prioritizing performance over expense.

Thank you for any guidance. If this is not a terrible idea, please say so. I have a lot to learn.

 

[pbui44]

If you want a stationary (desktop) amp for just IEMs, then the JDS Labs Atom Plus amp will work fine, as my CA Solaris Gold with stock cable has no audible hiss with the JDS Labs Atom (just interference from the 3.5mm input making physical contact) and works great with the source and amp at around 60% or around 1 o’clock at low gain. There is even an input switch to toggle between 3.5mm-in and rca-in. Check it out here:

https://jdslabs.com/product/atom-amp/

 

[OldManBill]

If you want a stationary (desktop) amp for just IEMs, then the JDS Labs Atom Plus amp will work fine, as my CA Solaris Gold with stock cable has no audible hiss with the JDS Labs Atom (just interference from the 3.5mm input making physical contact) and works great with the source and amp at around 60% or around 1 o’clock at low gain. There is even an input switch to toggle between 3.5mm-in and rca-in. Check it out here:

https://jdslabs.com/product/atom-amp/

This looks perfect. Thank you very much!

 

[pbui44]

If the Atom’s high gain works with your over-ears, then maybe you can leave the tube amp at home with the good stuff.

 

[OldManBill]

If the Atom’s high gain works with your over-ears, then maybe you can leave the tube amp at home with the good stuff.

Huge thank you. Pardon the dust/mess. I have some clean up to do. I'm amazed at how good this sounds! No noise that I can discern from the Atom. The Qutest really does work well with the U12t. I'm a happy man. Thank you again!