Wow, look at all these new products

[nanahachi]

Please excuse me if this has been done before, but this little realization just hit me, so i thought i would share.

In the past year or so, we have seen quite a number of headphone amps enter the market, and my, what excitement they've stirred. While the headphones market has been pretty stagnant and uninteresting to ME (of course there are important & exciting new comers like the PS-1, HD650, the leatherheads, and those gorgeous CD3000 bowls...), we just keep getting graced by more amps and an increasing number of designers/builders.

To name a few:

the PPA!!
Undeniably a wonderful new addition to the DIY/commercial market

Singlepower
PPX3
MPX3
Supra (SDS)
Maestro
etc

Ray Samuels
HR-2
XP-7
Stealth
SR-71 (coming soon)

Headamp.com
Gilmore V2, V2SE, lite
Gilmore Balanced Reference
KGSS & Blue Hawaii electrostatic amps

LaRocco
some fancy PPAs
Pocket Reference

Xintech
Superdual
many iterations of the supermini

Rudistor (new to ME at least)
RP3, RP4, RP5

and some new designs from Norm at Headsave.com

I know I've left some out, so please add to the list.

I would just like to show my appreciation to Ray, Mikhail, the PPA team, and everyone else for giving us more choices in headamps, and continuing to make this hobby so damn addicting.

 

[gpalmer]

I'll second that, it's an exciting time in the headphone amps world. Now the question is, who will be left standing at the end?

 

[minya]

Don't forget Headamp's new electrostatic amps, the KGSS & the Blue Hawaii. Top-of-the-line for those of us with electrostatic headphones.

- Chris

 

[rsaavedra]

Kevin Gilmore's Dynahi should be listed as well, though the only existing one so far I think is Kevin's own. But not for long

 

[dave-the-rave]

Then there's this Chinese bad boy:

https://www.nysound.com/hifi/servlet...l&itemID=Z0003


The new Decware: http://www.decware.com/newsite/mainmenu.htm (Click on 'New' or 'Tube Gear.')

Not to mention Redgum...

and Aural Audio Audition: http://www.auralaudio.com/


Yikes!!!

 

[Nik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by minya Don't forget Headamp's new electrostatic amps, the KGSS & the Blue Hawaii. Top-of-the-line for those of us with electrostatic headphones. - Chris

... and don't forget even Rudistor's new electrostatic amps like Egmont Signature and Egmont Reference !!!
http://www.rudistor.com/soundsystems/signature.htm
www.rudistor.com/soundsystems/reference.htm

Best!
Nicola

 

[tom hankins]

Don't forget the new Singlepower SDS-XLR. Time for a balanced tube amp for the Senns. and Grados.

 

[DevilDog]

Musical Fidelity X-Can V3?

 

[tyrion]

Eddie "it was supposed to be shipped today" Current HD300.

 

[ooheadsoo]

WooAudio-I and WooAudio-II

http://wooaudio.com/products/wooaudio1.html

http://wooaudio.com/products/wooaudio2.html

 

[purk]

The headphone amp manufactures really owe its incrased volume sale to Headfi and Headwize. I believe Larroco will be coming out with a pure discrete headphone amp with in a couple of months. The headphone amp market really blooming unlike 2 years ago, where Maxed Out META42 was a king of DIY amp.

 

[Wmcmanus]

What a nice thread! I'd like to add my sincere thanks to some of the amp designers listed above whom I've dealt with. I've been astounded by their great amps as well as their world class customer service: namely, Mikhail, Ray, and Rudi Stor. I'd really be hard pressed to decide which of these fine gentlemen I think more highly of as a person, or which of their product lines are "better" (if that is the right word). You simply cannot go wrong when you are dealing with any of them!

I'd also like to put in a plug for Larry at heaphile.com who has been a real pleasure to deal with. He's a remarkably creative (and patient) guy and I can't wait to hear those purple heart Baby R10's!

I've heard/read great things about some of the other amp builders mentioned in this thread, but have not dealt with them directly (Justin, Xin, etc.) so I'm not is a position to comment other to say thanks for your efforts to support the hobby and bring more life to the music!

 

[lini]

...and Norm's new vibes, and the coming diy ipodstudio amp LISA

- and, completely new to me, the Heed Audio CanAmp (http://www.heedaudio.com/en/prod_el.html) from Hungary, which turned up in the most recent issue of Stereoplay magazine (also including a fairly good comparative headphone review...). Anyone heard of Heed Audio before?

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[ipodstudio]

I'm amazed at how many headphone amps exist, too!! I find a new one to put in the amps gallery almost daily!! There are now 290 images in that gallery alone!!!

 

[JohnFerrier]

...
Get a good job with more pay and your O.K.
...
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team
...
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off my stack.
...
Don't give me that do goody good ********
I'm in the hi-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a Lear jet
...
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
...
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're
giving none away