Emotiva BASx A-100 amp - oh my...

[mprince]

I picked up a set of HE-4XX's last year on Massdrop when I got a preamp with a HP jack. Previously I had a passive pre and had tried a pair of Sennheiser HD-598's with a Schitt Magni 3 amp. That didn't work out too well and I moved that combo on.

Anyway, I'd been running the HE-4XX through the preamp's jack, which has an output of 90 mW @ 33 ohms (the HE-4XX are 35 ohms). While this output sound, I had to crank up the gain to get decent volume, and I knew I wasn't getting everything these cans had to offer.

Started looking for a headphone amp, and found a mint A-100 on Barter Town. Got it hooked up today (with the jumpers installed) and got it dialed in. My intent is to use this as a dedicated headphone amp, as speaker duty is covered already by my much more powerful Adcom.

It's like I got new cans - at 33 ohms, the amp can put 12 watts to the headphone jack, and it has brought the HE-4XX alive. I now have the sub-bass I've read about along with the forward mids and a bit of treble sparkle.

I was looking at amps that retail for more than the A-100, and in truth was about to pull the trigger on a new one direct from Emotiva before this one showed up for sale on BT. Easily the best audio cash I've spent in a while.

 

[musichal]

I have a pair of these amps and have never plugged a set of cans into them. Have been impressed with their SQ via various speakers, though. Great value for the dollar, imo.

 

[mprince]

I have a pair of these amps and have never plugged a set of cans into them. Have been impressed with their SQ via various speakers, though. Great value for the dollar, imo.

I believe I recall reading that you have HE-400i cans, you should pull one of those amps out, connect the jumpers, and give it a try. Totally transformed my HE-4XX, my speaker amp has been off for two days now as I've been addicted to the sound of this combo.

Funny side story - I think I have the PT-100 preamp you used to own in my system as well, bought it from Barter Town from the member who bought it from you...

 

[musichal]

I believe I recall reading that you have HE-400i cans, you should pull one of those amps out, connect the jumpers, and give it a try. Totally transformed my HE-4XX, my speaker amp has been off for two days now as I've been addicted to the sound of this combo.
.

That went on the to-do list when I read your first post.

Funny side story - I think I have the PT-100 preamp you used to own in my system as well, bought it from Barter Town from the member who bought it from you...

My Emotiva experience is limited to three models. The A-100 Flex Amp, the PT-100 preamp, and their TOTL stereo preamp, the XSP-1; the first two of those from their very affordable BAS-X line. What's funny (as in odd) to me is that I like the BAS-X components more than the pricier model. I'd likely yet have the PT-100 had it any fixed outputs for a Nak RX-202 I added to that system.

At any rate, it's nice to hear that the PT-100 I bought new and later sold is being used and enjoyed. It's the AK circle of life. The Yamaha A-S500 I put in that rig came from an AKer, too. As also did the Nak. Buying from familiar contributors via Barter Town is my favorite way to acquire used gear, and has always been a positive experience. I don't feel that I am rolling the dice. Bet your PT-100 could still almost pass for new with you, the third AK owner. Still have the box and all the packing materials? Consider that a rhetorical question, or plead the fifth, if you want or need to... ​

 

[mprince]

Still have the box and all the packing materials? Consider that a rhetorical question, or plead the fifth, if you want or need to...

I do, and the PT-100 could indeed pass for new, as can the A-100.

Another nice thing with the A-100 are it's pass-through RCA jacks. This allows the A-100 to sit between the preamp and speaker amp with no y-cables or anything like that. A lot cleaner to me, and the pass-through is not volume controlled by the A-100, they also work with the A-100 switched off.