[Kevin.T]

I currently have an entry line AV receiver (Harmon/Kardon AVR 146) which I personally think is not driving headphones very much. However, I COULD BE WRONG, so if I am, let me know!

Let's say that I'm right: my headphones are not driven near their potential with what I have. I would then like to invest in a headphone amp to get more punch out of my cans. There is one thing that I'm worried about though, and this is where you experienced people come in:

My source is a Sony CDP-CE375.

Even though my headphones aren't the best of the best (AKGs K414S and K530), I'm sure they can well benifit from amplification. What I really want to know: Is my source a "bad" source? I know that high-quality CDPs are sold for thousands of dollars... does that mean that if I connect an amp to my budget Sony CDP, I will get a crappy sound?

Bottom line: Given what I have, should I get a headphone amp, or is my CDP so bad it doesn't even deserve to touch one? If I was to get an amp, what to recommend?

* Keep in mind that my budget is around $ 250 US (around 300 $ CAN), won't go much higher than that...

 

[peanuthead]

Yes. Even line out from iPod sounds much better with a good amp.

 

[GreatDane]

I vote yes it will be worth it, unless you need to pay bills,etc.

You might also want to try using the receivers DAC instead of the Sony DAC.

 

[Kevin.T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatDane /img/forum/go_quote.gif I vote yes it will be worth it, unless you need to pay bills,etc. You might also want to try using the receivers DAC instead of the Sony DAC.

To achieve that I would leave my CDP connected to my receiver (through optical cable) and use an audio out on the receiver to connect the amp to, am I correct?

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin.T /img/forum/go_quote.gif To achieve that I would leave my CDP connected to my receiver (through optical cable) and use an audio out on the receiver to connect the amp to, am I correct?

Yes. If you have both analog and digital connections to the receiver you can compare fairly easily. Volume matching might be an issue.

 

[Maxvla]

Great advice, GreatDane, but if his AVR146 is anything like my AVR125 the DAC is junk. Still worth trying though.

 

[Audio-Omega]

A good amp can improve sound quality. I bought an amp to go with my old Sony CDP and that provided better detail, tighter bass and clarity.

 

[intoart]

All modern CD players sound excellent, regardless of price. 10X the price might give you a 1/10 improvement.
All headphones benefit from an amp, whatever the source. (The benefit is greater if the phones are high impedance and/or low sensitivity, though.)

 

[vkvedam]

Or else have you tried connecting your headphones straight out of line out of your CD player or your receiver. Remember to use an in-line attenuator or volume control, otherwise you are going to blast your ears.

 

[.coco]

You can pick up the Creeak OBH-11 amps for pretty cheap these days (not when I got it, damn...lol). It will definitely give a visible increase to the sounds quality. You can probably pick one up new or used, for around your price.

 

[peanuthead]

Meier Arietta at $225, including shipping, is hard to beat.