[Azure]

I personally think that a compilation of a bunch of headphone amps (Portable and home) with their retail & used value along with brief description of either a cold, neutral, or warm sound would be really nice and helpful (Perhaps also with included links to posts/threads that had detailed impressions). But everybody hears everything differently and nobody would ever agree/compromise

 

[Uncle Erik]

I think Azure has the best idea. I'd go for something along the same lines. Leave subjective number/letter/whathaveyou ratings out, but have an entry or database for each one. We could put in all objective material, like photos, circuit topology and devices used, response graphs, power rating, price, contacting the manufacturer, or information on building your own.

I don't think any manufacturer would be upset if we did that. It'd get their products more exposure and new members could easily browse through it and see what's available. If there's one feature lacking here, it's a "library" of material. And not just for the amps, headphones (naturally) belong in there too, as do sources and DACs. Also, FAQs and detailed build guides for DIY amps would be fantastic. Finally, all the subjective listening reports can take place in the forums, just like they do now.

 

[mattigol]

I agree this would be very useful, but a huge pile of work to sift through literally thousands of threads and distill the essential information. I would find it very useful if specially synergistic amp+can combinations would be listed, as this information is more meaningful to most people here than the assesssment of individual components, which can be found elsewhere.

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoide Or someone could make the amp equivalent of www.headphonereviews.org, which is stickied in the Headphone section here at Head-Fi.

I like the idea and the effort in that site. What I don't like is the fact that there are too few votes bringing the current top choices to the top. That screams that those rankings lack consensus or sufficient agreement, making the rank very questionable. I doubt that more votes for top choices would happen with amps in an amp-equivalent www.headphoneAmpreviews.org

 

[debrey]

I think what would be really useful is something for people new to amps. Something that isn't too overwhelming and would give them some basic information. Something like:

Here are the six amps that are most often recommended to new comers. If you want to spend under $100, under $200, under $300. In general, it is recommended that you spend approximately Z% of the cost of your headphones on an amp (although, of course, milage will vary).

Hey wait, I want that! I am new to amps. After some time, I found out about the PA2v2, but I don't know if there is anything else under $100 that is worth considering. I also don't know if I will be really selling myself short pairing a PA2v2 with my Shure E5 (my thought was better to get that and a redwine mod than a more expensive amp).

-- David

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by debrey I think what would be really useful is something for people new to amps. Something that isn't too overwhelming and would give them some basic information. Something like: Here are the six amps that are most often recommended to new comers. If you want to spend under $100, under $200, under $300. In general, it is recommended that you spend approximately Z% of the cost of your headphones on an amp (although, of course, milage will vary). Hey wait, I want that! I am new to amps. After some time, I found out about the PA2v2, but I don't know if there is anything else under $100 that is worth considering. I also don't know if I will be really selling myself short pairing a PA2v2 with my Shure E5 (my thought was better to get that and a redwine mod than a more expensive amp). -- David

I hear the PINT is pretty good, so you might want to check into that. I found the PA2V2 way too bassy, so perhaps the PINT might synergize better with your Shures?

 

[Ko Nectic Jazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamCalifornia I think that it would be useful to have ratings of headphone amplifiers on this site. Adam

Well I can hardly imagine a efficient system...
For me, I know I'm happy with my Portaphile V2^2, and as long as it works I won't buy a more expensive one, so I'm advising it to everybody. And I know I would apply a maybe too high mark.

The only very efficient system I see for now is the prices of amps and your personal budget.

Quote:

there are too few votes bringing the current top choices to the top.

This is a problem too. On DeviantArt, we have that system of notes for comments ! (You can rate others comments to show if the deviant's comment is interesting or not.) You can imagine that nobody use it because nobody cares about it.

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattigol I agree this would be very useful, but a huge pile of work to sift through literally thousands of threads and distill the essential information. I would find it very useful if specially synergistic amp+can combinations would be listed, as this information is more meaningful to most people here than the assesssment of individual components, which can be found elsewhere.

How hard can it be? Just assign a few amps to a bunch of Head-Fiers that can be trusted with searching for info on these boards. Then after each Head-Fier has compiled a collection of detail impressions, submit it to the group people in charge of the whole operation (People who've heard a majority of the amps and have respectable opinions around here). Upon approval, the compilation link would be added to the headphone amp archive.

I don't imagine it being too difficult if you consider it one amp at a time (Then consider how many head-fiers you have that could work on it for you). I mean, all you have to do is search the name of an amp (In all of its variants) then look at each thread result and skim through all the brief posts and look for all the valuable posts. I do it all the time when looking up amps/pictures.

 

[elrod-tom]

That's all, huh??

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom That's all, huh??

How hard can it be if one person does one amp?

 

[PFKMan23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure How hard can it be if one person does one amp?

And you do realize how many amps/revisions/etc... there are out there right? Easy idea at the bare elemental level, but pretty hard to do in practice.

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PFKMan23 And you do realize how many amps/revisions/etc... there are out there right? Easy idea at the bare elemental level, but pretty hard to do in practice.

Yeah, I realize that there's tons of amps, but that's why you have a lot of members work on it (Each doing one amp) and do it over the course of at least a few months. Of course there are more amps than are people who'd consider working on this, so multiple amps could be assigned to each person but with more alloted time to send in the compilations. I'd guess that it'd be possible to have a pretty darn good compilation in 6 months time and something complete in a year.

Also, I doubt we'd do it on ALL the headphone amps that have ever surfaced on these boards. Perhaps amps that have a certain degree of popularity (Perhaps having at least 2 or 3 threads about the amp for it to be a candidate).

 

[Febs]

I think that a wiki would be the best way to accomplish what Azure is suggesting. That way, rather than having one person responsible for one amp, anyone who wanted to work on compiling information, links, etc. for a particular amp could do so.

Perhaps a more practical idea (albeit less flexible) it to use the existing reviews forums to have a single thread for each amp, headphone, etc. Anyone wishing to review could post in the thread for that particular piece of gear. Then, anyone wishing to get a sense of the varied impressions of that piece of gear could at least start by reading that thread rather than searching all over the forum.

(Slightly off-topc, but the Headphoen Reviews forum has about 50 stuck threads. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a sticky?)

 

[cantsleep]

i like the idea however...

i dont think it would be possible since we do have to consider one's source and so on... as well as one's taste..

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Febs (Slightly off-topc, but the Headphoen Reviews forum has about 50 stuck threads. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a sticky?)

The forum isn't meant to be a discussion forum, so it doesn't matter.

A wiki would be nice.