[dwc]

Hi all,
I hope I'm not being too lazy here by asking before I've done all my research, but my scenario isn't fitting cleanly into a google search, so I'm bringing it here to get some direction and ask a couple questions. I was well into head-fi for a few years and it was instrumental in the great stack I have now for dedicated headphone listening. I'm asking now about an amp that I can use with my loudspeaker rig when it gets late (and my wife asks me to use headphones).

Headphones - primarily HD-600

My loudspeaker rig has a turntable and digital sources that run into a Schiit Freya.

(unbalanced) Technics 1200gr -> Parks Puffin -> Freya -> Monolith 200
(balanced) Logitech Transporter -> Freya -> Monolith 200

I would like to keep the Freya in the chain when I switch to cans. The Freya has some nice NOS tubes in it and the remote control volume and source switching. I want to use the unbalanced (SE) pair of outputs from the Freya into a HP amp.

...but I'm not (yet) comfortable with the idea of two volume controls in series, and I'm wondering if I can avoid that second volume control.(?)

[1] Are there are HP amps that have bypassable volume controls?
[2] Is that idea is not worth the trouble, and I should just get a standard HP amp (with volume) and set the volume to whatever my "max" volume would be?

I'm looking for something:
- low cost ($500 and under)
- super clean / transparent sound (THX AAA 888 chip?) - the Freya is doing my sound coloring, so the amp can be pure clean gain
- strong & able to power HD600 and other cans easily
- allows me to keep the Freya in the signal chain and use Freya's volume control (unless you convince me this is a pointless idea!)

I was looking at reviews of SMSL SH-9, and Topping D90, the THX chips looks interesting! ...but these amps actually seem to have more features than I need, and I'm not seeing a "bypass volume" option. So wondering if there is something with great sound that's simpler / cheaper.

Can you suggest more options? Happy to try and be more clear here. Thanks for all replies.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

[1] Are there are HP amps that have bypassable volume controls?

None that I know of since they're headphone amps, ie, not speaker amps where you can get just a power amp. If anything they even have a tendency to have not just a preamp circuit but also a preamp output that will bypass the headphone amp circuit and integrate with a speaker system by taking the signal and then routing it to either the headphone amp circuit in it or a power amp for speakers.

This is partly if not primarily because the headphone audio boom was due to a lot of factors like the boom in computer audio, smaller real estate closer to downtown, etc, that basically made for integration into speaker systems more of a bonus ie most people buying these likely don't even have space for a traditional 2ch system and if they have speakers chances are they're nearfield. In short, the volume control is very likely within arm's reach.

[2] Is that idea is not worth the trouble, and I should just get a standard HP amp (with volume) and set the volume to whatever my "max" volume would be?

You can use a speaker power amp, you just need to buy one of those converter boxes or you get headphones like the AKG K1000 that just need a new cable to run right out of the speaker outputs on the power amp (since their sensitivity is low enough).

Although personally if this is a dedicated music system where you have the copies I'd just get up and twist the knob as needed. Or just not have the Freja in the chain and use a headphone amp with a digital volume control that has a remote control.

 

[dwc]

Thanks - looks like something along the lines of the SH-9 is my best bet then.