Headphone amps

[von.ah]

**EDIT: I now see the other headphone amps thread... Mine is different, I swear! My interest for this thread is not necessarily in stand-alone headphone amps...**

I've been thinking about this recently and I'd like to draw on the collective experience of the AK mind.

What are some examples of good amplifiers that are/were good headphone amps as well?
:guitar: +

I vaguely know that there are different approaches to including a headphone out in an amp, from mundane and noisy opamps to magic voodo "downscaling" of the regular output. I'm naturally more interested in the latter. I seem to recall a post longish ago describing how a certain hitachi mosfet based amp used something in this manner to generate the headphone output...

One of the better headphone listening experiences I've had came from plugging my Etymotic ER6 plugs into my sleeper office receiver, the Reference by Quadraflex 650 FET R, for the first time. I dunno how this receiver generates the headphone out, but it sounded great.

I'm interested in reading some of your experiences of the ear-cans side of the amps you've known and loved. Which ones stand out?

And don't turn this into a rave about how awesome STAX phones are -- that's a different topic.

Pics for clicks:

 

[ehoove]

My AKG 701's sound great out of my Bellari VP129 Phono Preamp, but they do sound outstanding using the headphone out on my Yamaha CR1020!
Regards,
Jim

 

[von.ah]

Do you know where in the signal chain the phones-out exits? Or what general method with which the output is generated? I'll bet merrylander knows these answers for the CR-1020...

 

[x_25]

My pre-amp has a separate headphone amp built in. If it's anything like the rest of the pre it should sound amazing, but it doesn't seem to agree with my headphones which (go figure) sound amazing with my iPod.

And don't turn this into a rave about how awesome STAX phones are -- that's a different topic.

Aw, you had to ruin my fun.

 

[Artie]

On most vintage audio that I've ever worked on, the headphone output came straight off the main output, through an appropriate sized resistor. 220 ohm and 330 ohm were typical. The resistor was in series with the headphone jack.

 

[zenith2134]

I steer clear of the voltage divider/stepdown series resistor jacks as much as possible. Luckily I have a class-a cans amp in my integrated.

 

[ehoove]

On most vintage audio that I've ever worked on, the headphone output came straight off the main output, through an appropriate sized resistor. 220 ohm and 330 ohm were typical. The resistor was in series with the headphone jack.

I don't use the CR1020 to drive the K701's often, and if I do it is at reasonable volumes. The power output meters show output with the speaker switch turned off, so I am pretty certain they are step down outputs. I am pondering a Little Dot 1+ headphone amp to drive the AKG K701's, and it will probably be my next purchase unless a certain CR2040 works out.
Regards,
Jim

 

[elcoholic]

One of the better headphone listening experiences I've had came from plugging my Etymotic ER6 plugs into my sleeper office receiver, the Reference by Quadraflex 650 FET R, for the first time. I dunno how this receiver generates the headphone out, but it sounded great.

I too have a sleeper office system. The 1966 Bogen sounds really nice pushing 192 & 256 VBR AAC files from my dock connected 5.5 Gen iPod through my 1976 Yamaha HP-1s. It's a system that took 50 years in the making. The WTF? looks I get from 1st time visitors to my cube are priceless.
BTW I love my Etymotic ER6is with my iPod. Very detailed and 25 dB of isolation.:thmbsp:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2f60DXnGnGttnAAGyG-P-A?feat=directlink

 

[von.ah]

previous work office

One of the things I really miss about my previous job (where the top picture is from) is the hodgepodge nearfield reference listening office I steadily developed over 4 years. Similar WTF moments were explained there to coworkers ("a turntable?!") and interns (dead-pan gawking). The 650 FET R, small bookshelf monitors in front, and two stacked KLH 23's directly behind my chair between file cabinets -- that's the way I had it when I left. It really did sound great from my desk.

I staged nearly all my audio acquisitions there first, before bringing them home. And the funny thing is, I had more opportunity to sit and listen in that concrete box than anywhere else. Ah, good times.

Back on topic reference: First try with Ety ER6's
I still feel the same way about them. Now I have a better portable player, though: Fuze thread