NOSAudiophile
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2017
- Posts
- 39
- Likes
- 14
I am just venturing back into audio again after years of absence. I was an audio aficionado of sorts and had multiple sets of speakers, sources, and amps back in the day, including at least one SS and one tube amp always. I currently run my digital music through my Denon HT receiver but misses the tube sound now and then. So I began digging around a bit on here and on ebay.
And I find on ebay & amazon tons of headphone tube or hybrid amps that are around $50-75. My head is dizzy looking into all of them. Few are ever reviewed. My understanding is with Chinese brands that many are similar designs, or copycats, of the same or similar variants as earlier successful models. And as seeing that I do NOT see a comparative list here I thought I'd ask for your more experienced thoughts in this regard. Of course I would not exclude tube buffers which are essentially pre-amps in a sense that will add that tube sound to the system.
As a request, aside from the well-reviewed budget headphone amps/preamps can you also list at least one other that you've listened to that you'd recommend.
Is there a hybrid or tube amp that delivers in the following 4 criteria:
- lush mids (vocals, guitar) - which most but not all tube or hybrids deliver but I need to ask nevertheless.
- extended magical highs
- tight bass (quality, not quantity)
- detail in the music
If possible, on a scale of 0-5, 5 being absolute best, 3 being good, 2 being average, 0 being abject fail.
Yes, that is A LOT to ask of these, as full components that costs thousands do not all deliver these. But we won't know unless we ask.
Thank you for taking your time in reading this post, and much appreciation for your considered responses.
Which would you recommend that has a grade of at least 2 in the above criteria?
And I find on ebay & amazon tons of headphone tube or hybrid amps that are around $50-75. My head is dizzy looking into all of them. Few are ever reviewed. My understanding is with Chinese brands that many are similar designs, or copycats, of the same or similar variants as earlier successful models. And as seeing that I do NOT see a comparative list here I thought I'd ask for your more experienced thoughts in this regard. Of course I would not exclude tube buffers which are essentially pre-amps in a sense that will add that tube sound to the system.
As a request, aside from the well-reviewed budget headphone amps/preamps can you also list at least one other that you've listened to that you'd recommend.
Is there a hybrid or tube amp that delivers in the following 4 criteria:
- lush mids (vocals, guitar) - which most but not all tube or hybrids deliver but I need to ask nevertheless.
- extended magical highs
- tight bass (quality, not quantity)
- detail in the music
If possible, on a scale of 0-5, 5 being absolute best, 3 being good, 2 being average, 0 being abject fail.
Yes, that is A LOT to ask of these, as full components that costs thousands do not all deliver these. But we won't know unless we ask.
Thank you for taking your time in reading this post, and much appreciation for your considered responses.
Which would you recommend that has a grade of at least 2 in the above criteria?
