[Stitch]

So i have bit the bullet and wanna go for a solid state amp.
The dutch meet offered me the change to listen to some ss amps. How much as i'm a sucker for tubes, i cant resist to try a good solid state one.

Stuff i looked at so far:
The Graham Slee Solo: Tried it at the meet and it sounded pretty good. Detailed and neutral with a nice punch
Goldpoint HP pro: Also heard at the meet and sounded nice but it was very brief.
Ray Samuals HR-2: Been verry intrigued by his work from the start. The HR-2 looks realy intresting and reviews are great
Headroom Micro Ultra Reviews look good but i'm having the idea that its a step below the others
Headroom Amp/Dac: Also very promising and the opportunity to hook up a potentianly bookshelf speaker system.
Headamp GS-1:Seems to be on the same level as the HR-2, but more neutral

Things to keep in mind:
Budget: Around $950 but the low dollar($1 at about €.63) allows me to stretch it a nice bit on usa made stuff.
Sound wise; Acurate, Deep and tight bass. Somewhat forward mids. Fairly large soundstage
My music is mostly on the heavier side of metal, with the occasional blues thrown in.
Small footprint would be nice(about 35cm max width)
Gain switch for changing cans.

Help and sugestions are more than welcome.

Stitch

 

[Zombie_X]

The Solo is a good small amp indeed. Headroom amps are good as well. I have heard their Ultra Balanced Desktop and though it was amazing.

Look into the Audio-GD C2C amp. It's a very good amp and meets all your requirements except for forward mids and size.

 

[Stitch]

I've been looking around some more. I am leaning a bit towards the HR-2 or the GS-1.
Will look at the C2C later today when i get home.

 

[Stitch]

I came across the Stello HP100. Some say its neutral, others say its darker than the GS-1. A dark sound is not really what im looking for.
The $1000 mark appears to have a lot of great amps, but it doesn't really make the choice easier.... Any input is highly appreciated.

 

[Aimless1]

Another amp to consider would be a used Meier Corda Opera w/o a DAC. The pairing of the DT880/Opera is particularly sweet. At the time I had this combo I also had the SR225 which also paired well, but the 325is will sound different.

 

[johnwmclean]

Beta22 is very neutral with a hint of warmth from mosfets. You could stay within your budget with a 2 channel build and a Sigma22 psu.

 

[Stitch]

Havent put much thought in Beta and Sigma. Actually thought they were way out of my league. Will give it a thought.
Edit: The beta22 is out of my league atm. I wanna do some DIY things in the future, starting with a b22 is not really the way to go.

 

[johnwmclean]

You may be able to get a builder to put together a 2 channel build for under $1000.

 

[Stitch]

If i am to get a DIY amp i will build it myself. See it as a pride thing

Also isnt the opera out of production?
I got the change to get a HP100 for less than half its new price due to some cosmetic damage, would that be a no brainer, sound wise?

 

[johnwmclean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitch /img/forum/go_quote.gif If i am to get a DIY amp i will build it myself. See it as a pride thing

OK no worries, I'll just add this and then I'm done here.

The Beta22 is strongly regarded as the best solid state headphone amp to date. Instead of swallowing your pride you'd rather buy something commercial, that does not even start to compete.

By the way even if you did buy from a builder, your money would flood back into the DIY community, good support when and if you do want to try and build something.

Done!

 

[nattonrice]

Something you may want to consider is the Talisman T-35HP (or the same amp without preamp out).
I used it for the time before I finished my b22 and it was, and still is, an awesome ss amp.
I'm not one for audiophile poems but if I was asked how it sounded I would say like an unbalanced version of the b22. ie: it gets out of the way, doesn't color the sound in any discernible fashion (wire with gain like the b22), and has oodles of power.

It is almost unheard of on HF (like a lot of stuff) but in AU it is very popular.
They are hard to find but definitely worth it if you can.

 

[sinisterm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwmclean /img/forum/go_quote.gif By the way even if you did buy from a builder, your money would flood back into the DIY community, good support when and if you do want to try and build something. Done!

Sorry for offtopic, but is there active DIY'rs in head-fi who build b22's per order? Thinking of new amp and b22 surely is one of the canditates.

 

[nattonrice]

Your best bet is to check the AMB website for the beta22 and get in contact with one of the builders listed there.