Speaker amps for headphones

[ra990]

So I'm considering a AHB2 to get the most out of my small headphone collection:

I've used my AHB2 for all kinds of headphones for a long time without any problems. The gain switch at the back makes it easy to control the power sent to the headphones. Obviously, you have to be extremely careful with headphones like the Utopia even on the lowest gains. It makes for a really versatile, very clean headphone amp. I would have no issues recommending it. I just moved it into a speaker setup, driving some LS50 metas and switched to this Aune S17 Evo Class A amp and it's been performing extremely well so this may be a permanent move, but I did run the AHB2 as my primary headamp with all kinds of headphones for over a year without a single issue.

 

[Thenewguy007]

Hello all. I hate to be that guy, but after reading about 600 posts, I reluctantly must become "that guy" asking embryonic questions.

So I'm considering a AHB2 to get the most out of my small headphone collection:

• 1266 Phi TC
• 2022 Utopia
• LCD-4
• Possibly adding an Empyrean II / Elite

I'm good on tube amps, but have been looking to expand or replace my trusty V281 as my daily driver SS. I've been looking at couple of headphone amps that come with a great reputation, but I sort of forgot that speaker amps exist as an option. Then it occured to me that they may be *the best* option. So I'm hoping to get a little feedback here. Specifically:

1. Can any (or all) of these headphones meaningfully benefit from a speaker amp like the AHB2 compared to a quality deadicated SS headphone amp like a US5 Pro, Soloist Voyager, or HPA4?
   1. My main interest is in figuring out where the full potential of these headphones can be reached. Without the ability to demo any of this stuff locally, I'm dependent on opinions and experiences.
2. Would any of these headphones be considered too sensitive for a speaker amp pairing? I'm assuming these are all acceptable, but I just want to make sure.
3. Is a speaker amp suitable for daily driving? That is, if I wanted to leave it on all day and not think about it, would that be a problem?
4. I've been having touble finding a Speakon to 4-pin XLR cable. Are these mostly just custom cables made upon request by the Viking's of the world? Are there brands that come recommended for these? Preferrably that don't cost an arm and a leg? I'd like to avoid the Hifiman box, as it does not appear to come recommended outside of a tube-based amp solution, which I am not considering. From what I've gathered, a quality adapter cable is sufficient for a SS amp like the AHB2.
5. Is there another SS speaker amp around the same price or lower that I should also be considering? I'm familiar with the Benchmark from its reviews a couple of years ago but wasn't interested in making a move like that at the time. But I'm not clear on what people have purchased vs what people are *happy* with, if you know what I mean.

With a speaker amp, I would continue using my V281, but as my pre-amp. It would be the main amp for IEMs and anything else super easy to drive.

Chain would be: PC --> Sagra DAC --> V281 pre --> Speaker Amp --> Transducer

Any insight or recommendations would be appreciated to clear up those few remaining questions.

Thanks, guys!

The Focal Utopia might be a little too sensitive, but still should be fine. The rest would be perfect.
The AHB2 are pretty efficient, they would do great for daily drivers.
There are a ton of affordable premade cables you can buy off eBay & Aliexpress https://www.ebay.com/itm/115518913535?var=415541377876 & https://www.ebay.com/itm/204704951613?_skw=speaker+cable+adapter+xlr&itmmeta
The price range of speaker amps is pretty high. Most good entry level ones start at the AHB2 price level & just go up.

 

[Doug2507]

Hello all. I hate to be that guy, but after reading about 600 posts, I reluctantly must become "that guy" asking embryonic questions.

So I'm considering a AHB2 to get the most out of my small headphone collection:

• 1266 Phi TC
• 2022 Utopia
• LCD-4
• Possibly adding an Empyrean II / Elite

I'm good on tube amps, but have been looking to expand or replace my trusty V281 as my daily driver SS. I've been looking at couple of headphone amps that come with a great reputation, but I sort of forgot that speaker amps exist as an option. Then it occured to me that they may be *the best* option. So I'm hoping to get a little feedback here. Specifically:

1. Can any (or all) of these headphones meaningfully benefit from a speaker amp like the AHB2 compared to a quality deadicated SS headphone amp like a US5 Pro, Soloist Voyager, or HPA4?
   1. My main interest is in figuring out where the full potential of these headphones can be reached. Without the ability to demo any of this stuff locally, I'm dependent on opinions and experiences.
2. Would any of these headphones be considered too sensitive for a speaker amp pairing? I'm assuming these are all acceptable, but I just want to make sure.
3. Is a speaker amp suitable for daily driving? That is, if I wanted to leave it on all day and not think about it, would that be a problem?
4. I've been having touble finding a Speakon to 4-pin XLR cable. Are these mostly just custom cables made upon request by the Viking's of the world? Are there brands that come recommended for these? Preferrably that don't cost an arm and a leg? I'd like to avoid the Hifiman box, as it does not appear to come recommended outside of a tube-based amp solution, which I am not considering. From what I've gathered, a quality adapter cable is sufficient for a SS amp like the AHB2.
5. Is there another SS speaker amp around the same price or lower that I should also be considering? I'm familiar with the Benchmark from its reviews a couple of years ago but wasn't interested in making a move like that at the time. But I'm not clear on what people have purchased vs what people are *happy* with, if you know what I mean.

With a speaker amp, I would continue using my V281, but as my pre-amp. It would be the main amp for IEMs and anything else super easy to drive.

Chain would be: PC --> Sagra DAC --> V281 pre --> Speaker Amp --> Transducer

Any insight or recommendations would be appreciated to clear up those few remaining questions.

Thanks, guys!

Best decision I made was to add a SS power amp into the chain tbh, but that's using a tube pre amp rather than SS/SS.

I think you're 1266 may well benefit from adding in an AHB2 but not so sure about the rest. If you were planning on usng the WA33 as a pre into AHB2 then that would make more sense in my head.

1. Only one way to find out.
2. No. AHB2 is very clean and even great for IEM (Storm for example). Good thing with AHB2 is being able to change input gain which will work in your favour. If you do end up using V281 as a pre, it's also got adjustable output gain so best of both worlds.
3. Sure, depends on the amp though and how much electricity you want to burn.
4. Seb at Viking Weave cables will make a speakon cable for you no problem.
5. At it's price (used), AHB2 is about as good as it gets IMO.

I originally had an Envy PE which i sold when i put the order in the the AE spec that's now in my sig. During that time I bought two SS amps with the intention of using Envy as pre when it came back in it's new spec. Those two amps were an AHB2 and a Pass Labs XA30.8. Both were bought used, the Pass came in at just a little bit over a new AHB2. Both are very different from each other.

Sound wise, the AHB2 is extremely neutral, to the point that I didn't enjoy Immanis using it, albeit that was one of the amp's Alex used for tuning Immanis. Even though he used it for tuning, it's not his go to amp for personal enjoyment. It's nice and small so if form factor is important it's great. Doesn't run too hot, well built, looks good, adjustable gain, lot's of things to like providing the sound is to your preference. Maybe with some tube flavour on the pre it might have been a different story for me but I didn't have my Envy at the time.

The Pass is a different kettle of fish. It's a BIG amp (although I've still got it sat on my desk!), it runs hot, gobbles up electricity like it's going out of fashion & fixed 26dB input gain (could be an issue depending on pre / DAC - I attenuate with the Bricasti M21 so I can run Envy with reasonable range of volume). Sound wise I thought there was no comparison, the XA was playing in a different league from the Benchmark (specifically with Immanis, maybe different with another HP - synergy). Granted, this was using no dedicated pre amp at the time (only DAC which basically has a Bricasti M20 pre amp built in) but even so, the quality of sound was that good, I could have easily cancelled my Envy AE order and been a happy camper.

So despite all the downsides of the XA, it stayed and the AHB2 went. Envy AE eventually showed up and the marriage was better than I could have expected. The XA is known for being slightly tubey sounding and I've got Envy running on the leaner side of tube life so maybe the similarity between them was the ideal, basically all the nice things tubes bring but with a SS foundation for grip, slam, heft, and better staging, specifically depth & height. With Storm, noise floor was too high but that's being taken care of now through some extensive modding of the XA to make it more focused from driving HP's (reducing input gain, XLR on front panel, lower noise floor and general upgrade to SQ).

I guess this is the long way of saying yes, adding in a power amp to the chain can definitely be beneficial if whatever transducer can take advantage of it. Not all power amps sound the same so try and be mindful of system synergy, it matters. Also keep in mind input gain and how you can manage overall gain throughout the chain, especially for an HP / IEM that's easily driven.

 

[Sonic Defender]

As an earlier poster mentioned, getting a speaker amp to drive headphones directly from the speaker terminals is not something anyone should need to do, and probably in the vast majority of cases there will be absolutely no improvement in sound.

There are just so many competent dedicated headphone amps across the price range now that you really should be able to find the right solution with ease.

In my case because I had a speaker rig that did not allow for headphone use it made sense at the time to have a speaker tap cable made. Would I do that now, years later? No, I would buy a dedicated headphone amp without hesitation.

I had used dedicated headphone amps before and really just wanted the novelty of the speaker tap approach. No regrets, but strictly speaking, not at all necessary.

 

[number1sixerfan]

As an earlier poster mentioned, getting a speaker amp to drive headphones directly from the speaker terminals is not something anyone should need to do, and probably in the vast majority of cases there will be absolutely no improvement in sound.

There are just so many competent dedicated headphone amps across the price range now that you really should be able to find the right solution with ease.

In my case because I had a speaker rig that did not allow for headphone use it made sense at the time to have a speaker tap cable made. Would I do that now, years later? No, I would buy a dedicated headphone amp without hesitation.

I had used dedicated headphone amps before and really just wanted the novelty of the speaker tap approach. No regrets, but strictly speaking, not at all necessary.

The Susvara, TC, Tungsten and maybe one or two others are the only that I'd consider it for and even then, it's a bit of a hassle, risk and inconvenient space (and heat) wise. The only thing is that you do have to pay a premium typically for headphone amps that can properly power these types of headphones and in that case a speaker amp becomes a bargain. But overall I agree, I'd really only do so if I had to.

 

[harris4crna]

The fit/form/factor of a speaker amp for headphones may be not necessary, but if like many of us who started with 2ch. with nice gear it makes it convenient and fun to add headphone capability. Also, to add, it's nice having flexibility of gear like adding a preamp with tubes to SS or vice versa than one in box setup. I am constantly changing my system. Nice to feed this need with the add of a headphone sysytem.

Not sure about this AHB2 amp all is talking about, but i must say it's looks would not fit in my gear, boy it's ugly.

 

[Armaegis]

I used to run a pair of AHB2 as monoblocks for my headphones... but some of us went off the deep end a long time ago.

 

[ajreynol]

Best decision I made was to add a SS power amp into the chain tbh, but that's using a tube pre amp rather than SS/SS.

I think you're 1266 may well benefit from adding in an AHB2 but not so sure about the rest. If you were planning on usng the WA33 as a pre into AHB2 then that would make more sense in my head.

1. Only one way to find out.
2. No. AHB2 is very clean and even great for IEM (Storm for example). Good thing with AHB2 is being able to change input gain which will work in your favour. If you do end up using V281 as a pre, it's also got adjustable output gain so best of both worlds.
3. Sure, depends on the amp though and how much electricity you want to burn.
4. Seb at Viking Weave cables will make a speakon cable for you no problem.
5. At it's price (used), AHB2 is about as good as it gets IMO.

I originally had an Envy PE which i sold when i put the order in the the AE spec that's now in my sig. During that time I bought two SS amps with the intention of using Envy as pre when it came back in it's new spec. Those two amps were an AHB2 and a Pass Labs XA30.8. Both were bought used, the Pass came in at just a little bit over a new AHB2. Both are very different from each other.

Sound wise, the AHB2 is extremely neutral, to the point that I didn't enjoy Immanis using it, albeit that was one of the amp's Alex used for tuning Immanis. Even though he used it for tuning, it's not his go to amp for personal enjoyment. It's nice and small so if form factor is important it's great. Doesn't run too hot, well built, looks good, adjustable gain, lot's of things to like providing the sound is to your preference. Maybe with some tube flavour on the pre it might have been a different story for me but I didn't have my Envy at the time.

The Pass is a different kettle of fish. It's a BIG amp (although I've still got it sat on my desk!), it runs hot, gobbles up electricity like it's going out of fashion & fixed 26dB input gain (could be an issue depending on pre / DAC - I attenuate with the Bricasti M21 so I can run Envy with reasonable range of volume). Sound wise I thought there was no comparison, the XA was playing in a different league from the Benchmark (specifically with Immanis, maybe different with another HP - synergy). Granted, this was using no dedicated pre amp at the time (only DAC which basically has a Bricasti M20 pre amp built in) but even so, the quality of sound was that good, I could have easily cancelled my Envy AE order and been a happy camper.

So despite all the downsides of the XA, it stayed and the AHB2 went. Envy AE eventually showed up and the marriage was better than I could have expected. The XA is known for being slightly tubey sounding and I've got Envy running on the leaner side of tube life so maybe the similarity between them was the ideal, basically all the nice things tubes bring but with a SS foundation for grip, slam, heft, and better staging, specifically depth & height. With Storm, noise floor was too high but that's being taken care of now through some extensive modding of the XA to make it more focused from driving HP's (reducing input gain, XLR on front panel, lower noise floor and general upgrade to SQ).

I guess this is the long way of saying yes, adding in a power amp to the chain can definitely be beneficial if whatever transducer can take advantage of it. Not all power amps sound the same so try and be mindful of system synergy, it matters. Also keep in mind input gain and how you can manage overall gain throughout the chain, especially for an HP / IEM that's easily driven.

ty so much for the thoughts, your time here is immensly appreciated. I'll pick one up, and will add the Pass Labs XA30.8 and Envy AE to the top of my considerations. Hopefully Viking Weave doesn't hurt my feelings with the price.

and ty @ra990 and @Thenewguy007 as well, truly. Those ebay cable options look sexy to my wallet.

Looking forward to reporting results.

 

[carlcs]

Hello all. I hate to be that guy, but after reading about 600 posts, I reluctantly must become "that guy" asking embryonic questions.

So I'm considering a AHB2 to get the most out of my small headphone collection:

• 1266 Phi TC
• 2022 Utopia
• LCD-4
• Possibly adding an Empyrean II / Elite

I'm good on tube amps, but have been looking to expand or replace my trusty V281 as my daily driver SS. I've been looking at couple of headphone amps that come with a great reputation, but I sort of forgot that speaker amps exist as an option. Then it occured to me that they may be *the best* option. So I'm hoping to get a little feedback here. Specifically:

1. Can any (or all) of these headphones meaningfully benefit from a speaker amp like the AHB2 compared to a quality deadicated SS headphone amp like a US5 Pro, Soloist Voyager, or HPA4?
   1. My main interest is in figuring out where the full potential of these headphones can be reached. Without the ability to demo any of this stuff locally, I'm dependent on opinions and experiences.
2. Would any of these headphones be considered too sensitive for a speaker amp pairing? I'm assuming these are all acceptable, but I just want to make sure.
3. Is a speaker amp suitable for daily driving? That is, if I wanted to leave it on all day and not think about it, would that be a problem?
4. I've been having touble finding a Speakon to 4-pin XLR cable. Are these mostly just custom cables made upon request by the Viking's of the world? Are there brands that come recommended for these? Preferrably that don't cost an arm and a leg? I'd like to avoid the Hifiman box, as it does not appear to come recommended outside of a tube-based amp solution, which I am not considering. From what I've gathered, a quality adapter cable is sufficient for a SS amp like the AHB2.
5. Is there another SS speaker amp around the same price or lower that I should also be considering? I'm familiar with the Benchmark from its reviews a couple of years ago but wasn't interested in making a move like that at the time. But I'm not clear on what people have purchased vs what people are *happy* with, if you know what I mean.

With a speaker amp, I would continue using my V281, but as my pre-amp. It would be the main amp for IEMs and anything else super easy to drive.

Chain would be: PC --> Sagra DAC --> V281 pre --> Speaker Amp --> Transducer

Any insight or recommendations would be appreciated to clear up those few remaining questions.

Thanks, guys!

Hello all. I hate to be that guy, but after reading about 600 posts, I reluctantly must become "that guy" asking embryonic questions.

So I'm considering a AHB2 to get the most out of my small headphone collection:

• 1266 Phi TC
• 2022 Utopia
• LCD-4
• Possibly adding an Empyrean II / Elite

I'm good on tube amps, but have been looking to expand or replace my trusty V281 as my daily driver SS. I've been looking at couple of headphone amps that come with a great reputation, but I sort of forgot that speaker amps exist as an option. Then it occured to me that they may be *the best* option. So I'm hoping to get a little feedback here. Specifically:

1. Can any (or all) of these headphones meaningfully benefit from a speaker amp like the AHB2 compared to a quality deadicated SS headphone amp like a US5 Pro, Soloist Voyager, or HPA4?
   1. My main interest is in figuring out where the full potential of these headphones can be reached. Without the ability to demo any of this stuff locally, I'm dependent on opinions and experiences.
2. Would any of these headphones be considered too sensitive for a speaker amp pairing? I'm assuming these are all acceptable, but I just want to make sure.
3. Is a speaker amp suitable for daily driving? That is, if I wanted to leave it on all day and not think about it, would that be a problem?
4. I've been having touble finding a Speakon to 4-pin XLR cable. Are these mostly just custom cables made upon request by the Viking's of the world? Are there brands that come recommended for these? Preferrably that don't cost an arm and a leg? I'd like to avoid the Hifiman box, as it does not appear to come recommended outside of a tube-based amp solution, which I am not considering. From what I've gathered, a quality adapter cable is sufficient for a SS amp like the AHB2.
5. Is there another SS speaker amp around the same price or lower that I should also be considering? I'm familiar with the Benchmark from its reviews a couple of years ago but wasn't interested in making a move like that at the time. But I'm not clear on what people have purchased vs what people are *happy* with, if you know what I mean.

With a speaker amp, I would continue using my V281, but as my pre-amp. It would be the main amp for IEMs and anything else super easy to drive.

Chain would be: PC --> Sagra DAC --> V281 pre --> Speaker Amp --> Transducer

Any insight or recommendations would be appreciated to clear up those few remaining questions.

Thanks, guys!

I've had a speaker setup using an AHB2 for almost 4 years now so i can answer some of these. I use mine with an HD800S.

1. I use an adapter from Zynsonix with an, i believe, 12 db attenuator. It can be turned off if I'm using a less sensitive headphone like the HE6-SE which I had before.
2. The AHB2 is a very quiet amplifier. A wire with gain. If there's noise, most likely it will come from somewhere else in the system. It also runs pretty cool.
3. I turn of my system when not in use because at best, I'm only using it for an hour a day. No issues with my setup in the 4 years I've had it.
4. I had my speakon cables custom made as i don't see them commercially available. I believe zynsonix has speakon cables so if you're buying an adapter, you can also get speakon cables.

I'm really happy with my current setup which uses an Ear Yoshino 834L for the preamp. My upgrade itch has been fully scratched and I've not had the urge for upgrades or other changes. For the most part though, this isn't necessary for a lot of headphones. Unlike when i started on this hobby more than a decade ago when headphone amps weren't that common and it's easier for people to use speaker taps for their headphones if they already have a 2ch setup, there are many headphone amps to choose from now so the speaker amp setup isn't necessary. But it is a fun setup.

 

[ra990]

I've had a speaker setup using an AHB2 for almost 4 years now so i can answer some of these. I use mine with an HD800S.

1. I use an adapter from Zynsonix with an, i believe, 12 db attenuator. It can be turned off if I'm using a less sensitive headphone like the HE6-SE which I had before.
2. The AHB2 is a very quiet amplifier. A wire with gain. If there's noise, most likely it will come from somewhere else in the system. It also runs pretty cool.
3. I turn of my system when not in use because at best, I'm only using it for an hour a day. No issues with my setup in the 4 years I've had it.
4. I had my speakon cables custom made as i don't see them commercially available. I believe zynsonix has speakon cables so if you're buying an adapter, you can also get speakon cables.

I'm really happy with my current setup which uses an Ear Yoshino 834L for the preamp. My upgrade itch has been fully scratched and I've not had the urge for upgrades or other changes. For the most part though, this isn't necessary for a lot of headphones. Unlike when i started on this hobby more than a decade ago when headphone amps weren't that common and it's easier for people to use speaker taps for their headphones if they already have a 2ch setup, there are many headphone amps to choose from now so the speaker amp setup isn't necessary. But it is a fun setup.

Great tip about the speak-on connectors. Try to use those because Benchmark claims it is better than the speaker taps (impedance is slightly lower, I believe).

 

[Armaegis]

In the realm of headphones, the impedance difference on the speakon outputs is practically nil. If you're looking for the "best" connection, then some ultrasonically welded spade lugs tightened into the binding posts is probably best, or a close tie to bare wire clamped down. The fewer transitions/connectors/whatever in the path, the better. The higher the contact area, the higher the contact pressure, the better.

That said, there's a certain twitchy part of my brain that finds the whole twist-click of the speakon connector so satisfying, and you can do all 4 wires into a single plug so it cleans it up a bit at the back. Then again, the likelihood of you have another amp with the same speakon setup is very low so pretty much once you connect the adapter you'll never unplug it again.