[becomethemould]

g'day fellow head-fi'ers. today im in the market for a decent amp that can drive my headphones well. i prefer a speaker amp than a headphone amp because the headphones i have aren't too high end, and i would rather spend the money on speakers.

so far this is my inventory:
Source: Sony C333ES
Headphones: Grado sr60, Sony 7506, Phillips 890

is there an amp that can drive these headphones significantly better than the included headphone jack at a price under 300US?

i dont have any speakers at the moment too, do you have a recommendation for an amp and speaker package?

thanks people!

 

[bifcake]

I don't think I'd bother with a headphone amp unless you're considering upgrading your headphones.

With regard to speaker amp and speakers, how much do you want to spend?

 

[markjia]

If you want an all around good speaker amp that also has good headphone output, i'd go with a NAD. Their amps all give exceptional bang for the buck, and their integrated amps all include a specialized headphone amp (which is uncommon in most int. amps). For around $300US, you can probably get a NAD C350 (which comes from the same line as their famous 3020). If you can't afford this, the C320 and C300 are also options. Personally, i'd go with the C340 is the predecessor of the C350, and from what i hear, is virtually sonically indistinguishable. This one has been discontinued, and can be had for less (assuming you can find one...try ebay or audiogon).

The only official NAD speaker package is the L40 + PSB bookshelf speakers. The L40 is an integrated amp with a built-in CDP. Apperently, this is a really well matched setup...but since you already have a CDP comparable to that of the L40, i don't know if it would really be worth it (the amp within the L40 would probably be similar to the C300). You'd probably be better off going with a seperate system.

 

[Hirsch]

Another option that doesn't get enough attention is the ASL UHC-Signature. This lets you run headphones off of the output of a speaker amp, and should be considered an option for those who want to focus resources in the speaker domain. The downside is that you need an extra set of speaker cables to use it.

 

[MacDEF]

I was just about to post the exact same thing as markjia. If you want a very good speaker amp that also has a great headphone output, you really can't beat NAD. Great quality, great sound, and dedicated headphone amplifier sections. For around $300 you can get a new NAD integrated amp, or a used NAD like one of the 300-series integrateds.

How much to you want to spend on speakers? For anything less than $300 (or even $500), I'd take a look at the PSB Alpha series. They match extremely well with NAD equipment, and are stellar price/performance deals.

P.S. I also have an Arcam Alpha One amp integrated amp that I'm selling in the For Sale forum. Also a good amp with a good headphone section

 

[MirandaX]

I'd recommend NAD amps too. Go for the C350 if you have reasonable speakers, or the C370 if you plan to drive larger speakers. (Something to think about: it's more cost-effective to buy a cheap unpowered subwoofer and power it with the C370 than to buy a decent powered subwoofer.)

To clear up a misconception, modern NAD amps don't have dedicated headphone amps. Older NAD amps used to have them, but now only the C160 has a dedicated headphone amp. The headphone jack on the C350/C370 is connected to the power amp section. It actually sounds pretty good though, and I'd still recommend it. You can get even better sound with headphones (especially Grados) if you buy a $5 potentiometer at Radio Shack and use it as a passive preamp, bypassing the preamp section of the C350/C370. This dramatically improves the speed and clarity of the sound, making it on par with some very good headphone amps, in my opinion. (Grados love current, and nothing, not even the Headroom Max, can provide current like a good power amp. The NAD/passive combo really has slam.)

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by MirandaX To clear up a misconception, modern NAD amps don't have dedicated headphone amps. Older NAD amps used to have them, but now only the C160 has a dedicated headphone amp

Thanks for that, MirandaX. I wasn't clear in my post that I was talking about used NADs. Good catch.

 

[becomethemould]

thanks guys for all the suggestions. i guess i will look out for the NAD amps

Hirsch, what do you mean by requiring another set of speaker cables? there isn't a headphone jack for the ASL amp? instead you connect it to an output at the back of the amp?

i have no idea what the specifications of what the amps mean. i guess i will be driving bookshelf speakers, not sure what ohms... is 8 ohms the standard for small speakers?

also for 5 lineins, does that mean you can hook up 5 speakers to it? like front stage and a couple of surrounds? i would like an amp that can be used as sort of home theatre later in life...

sorry for all the questions... and thanks again!

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by becomethemould Hirsch, what do you mean by requiring another set of speaker cables? there isn't a headphone jack for the ASL amp? instead you connect it to an output at the back of the amp?

The ASL UHC Signature is not a headphone amp. It's an adapter that lets you listen to headphones using the speaker output of your main amp. You run speaker cables to the adapter, that you can plug your headphone into. Another set of speaker cables goes out to your speakers. You can use this with any power amp.

 

[lini]

becomethemould: I second the NAD recommendation, but imho you should probably also compare what you can get from Marantz (PM7000 maybe?) and Rotel in your price range. HK might also be a choice, but the build quality of Harman Kardon stuff seems to suck nowadays (I know three people with recent HK surround receivers - two of three units are already out of order...), so I wouldn't really recommend these...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[becomethemould]

thanks for all your suggestions and help guys. i'm most likely gonna get the NAD C350 locally. the retail price is $800 roughly $400US, im pretty sure i can haggle a bit. i dont really like test listening too stuff, sort of feel under pressure from the saleman haha, but i might go to other shops and see what they recommend, still quite a bit of time till i have enough money to purchase an amp!

just gotta get speakers and cables next haha

thanks again people!

 

[TimSchirmer]

I've always wanted to try one of those headphone-jack Dynaco ST70's with a passive preamp. I'll bet it would sound pretty sweet.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by becomethemould thanks for all your suggestions and help guys. i'm most likely gonna get the NAD C350 locally. the retail price is $800 roughly $400US, im pretty sure i can haggle a bit. i dont really like test listening too stuff, sort of feel under pressure from the saleman haha, but i might go to other shops and see what they recommend, still quite a bit of time till i have enough money to purchase an amp!

The NAD 350 should be great for you. That said, unless you have a very big room and/or very inefficient speakers, you might consider the less expensive 320. It's a very similar amp, but with a little less power. Keep in mind that NAD's power ratings are VERY conservative, so a 40W NAD is more powerful than 60W, 70, or 80W amps from many other manufacturers. Just a thought that might save you some money

 

[Ian Milton]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch The ASL UHC Signature is not a headphone amp. It's an adapter that lets you listen to headphones using the speaker output of your main amp. You run speaker cables to the adapter, that you can plug your headphone into. Another set of speaker cables goes out to your speakers. You can use this with any power amp.

Sorry to but in on this thread but how much do these adapters cost and can you get them in the UK?

Ian

 

[becomethemould]

thanks for the suggestion MacDEF, there's gonna be a little hifi exhibition this week, most likely going to that and try to haggle and get a bargin

how much do you want to sell your Arcam for?