Vinyl, NAS, and DAC based Headphone Rig...

[chaskelljr63]

Good Morning Everyone:

Let's just say that I have a friend who has moved into a shared housing situation, and he wants to have a high quality high-end audio rig, but he's not allowed to have any loudspeakers on the premises.

He wants an analog, computer based nas, and dac based headphone rig.

He has an overall budget of about $2K to about $4K.

What would you suggest??

I suggested the following:

Headphones -- Sennheiser HD-650

Preamplifier -- NAD (any model... used.... I suggested a preamplifier because the preamplifier has a headphone amplifier and a phono stage built-in, minimizes space and system footprint requirement)

Turntable -- Thorens TD-147, TD-160 or TD-165 (or a late model Dual to save money)

Phono Cartridge -- Ortofon 2M Blue (Thorens) or OMS-5E (Dual)

PC or Apple Mac Laptop (already provided by friend.... in this case, he has an Apple iMac, but a PC can be used as well)

DAC -- Bluesound NODE 2 (DAC, Music Player and Streamer.... works with or without a PC/Mac)

Interconnects -- AudioQuest, Cardas, or Nordost

Total Cost -- -/+ $2K (give or take)

What would be your suggestion instead of what I suggested above?? Dedicated Headphone Amplifiers are fine, as long as the Headphone Amplifier in question has enough inputs to accommodate a DAC and an external Phono Stage. Headphone Amplifiers with built-in DAC's are fine as well, but again, it MUST be able to accommodate an external Phono Stage.

Thank You in advance for your suggestions and creations.

--Charles--

 

[sqlsavior]

I'd aim a little higher with the cartridge for sure, and maybe with the preamplifier. I'm not a headphone listener, so can't comment on that part, but my Hafler DH-110 preamp sounded better than my NAD 3020, and my Apt-Holman was better still. Going with a modern phono preamp won't be as good unless you're spending $350 or more, imo. For the cartridge, so much more is available, by reputation at least. Maybe the 2M Bronze, or a Denon DL-110. Or an SUT plus a LOMC like the Denon DL-103 (with a heavy arm) or DL-301mkII (with a light one).

I can't help but think that there should be some all-in-one piece nowadays, but good luck on identifying one excellent in all respects...

 

[xero-D-hero]

That's pretty much the way my headphone rig is set-up right now.

Desktop PC w/SB Zx soundcard using optical out > cheap Fiio D3 DAC (temporary ~ just to figure out a thing or two) > NAD 106 preamp > AKG K240 Sextetts.
(I also have AKG K140 / K141 / K240 Monitor high impedance cans)

I got the NAD 106 preamp for two primary reasons,first it has a VERY powerful headphone section (upto 8v > 600ohms) so it can EFFORTLESSLY drive these high impedance AKG phones,and second because it has XLR outs to drive the nearfield portion of this rig.
(that portion = NAD 106 w/DOD 830 ser. II EQ in the tape loop > ElectroVoice 7100 power amp > Canton GL-260 Speakers w/Canton AC85 SC Subwoofer)

Right now only the headphone part of the rig is up & running,as the nearfield portion is awaiting the completion of a new desktop surface to provide a place to put the speakers,and the subwoofer was just bought so it's not here yet,but the headphone portion of this rig is absolutely awesome,I'm really loving these 4-600 ohm AKG cans for sure,so I've found that once you feed these AKG's properly they just open up a whole new relm of listening enjoyment.

My plan is to add a better DAC,and because I'm on a pretty tight budget that'll probably be a Schiit Modi Uber as it has the features I'm looking for and good reviews/feedback and not too much $$$$.

That SB Zx soundcard was supposedly rated to drive the 600 ohm cans,but ask me in truth it struggled to do so,I would have to have the volume(s) @ nearly full blast just to get a decent listening level,and now with the NAD 106 preamp it's like night & day,you cant get the volume knob over half volume with the preamp as it gets soooo F'n loud you would'nt be able to stand it,and the SQ difference is just ridiculously good,this NAD preamp blows away the SB Zx soundcard via that ACM.

Now mind you not all NAD preamps have this same headphone section,near as I can tell form the scant info on it,this model (NAD 106) was aimed more towards studio oriented use as opposed to consumer oriented use,and in pro situations high impedance headphones were much more common,so the headphone section of this preamp was "beefed up" to drive those high impedance cans,the only other model I know for sure is like this is the precursor to the 106 and that is the 1000s,and it too has the XLR outs.

Oh,and I have WAAAYYY less than the stated budget into this rig,even after I get that Schiit DAC later on,and that includes the nearfield portion of the system as well.

FWIW I used Mogami IC's with this system.

So yeah I think it aint that bad a plan,LOL.

FWIW

Bret P.

 

[Condorsat]

Maybe consider the possibility of a dedicated headphone amplifier(s) with separate phono pre & USB Dac. Small footprint and value or "bang for your buck" advantage.

IMHO ... cans are personal ... you have to set aside some time to audition headphones ... conduct some listening tests ... and get a feel for what your friend likes.

 

[chaskelljr63]

That's pretty much the way my headphone rig is set-up right now.

Desktop PC w/SB Zx soundcard using optical out > cheap Fiio D3 DAC (temporary ~ just to figure out a thing or two) > NAD 106 preamp > AKG K240 Sextetts.
(I also have AKG K140 / K141 / K240 Monitor high impedance cans)

I got the NAD 106 preamp for two primary reasons,first it has a VERY powerful headphone section (upto 8v > 600ohms) so it can EFFORTLESSLY drive these high impedance AKG phones,and second because it has XLR outs to drive the nearfield portion of this rig.
(that portion = NAD 106 w/DOD 830 ser. II EQ in the tape loop > ElectroVoice 7100 power amp > Canton GL-260 Speakers w/Canton AC85 SC Subwoofer)

Right now only the headphone part of the rig is up & running,as the nearfield portion is awaiting the completion of a new desktop surface to provide a place to put the speakers,and the subwoofer was just bought so it's not here yet,but the headphone portion of this rig is absolutely awesome,I'm really loving these 4-600 ohm AKG cans for sure,so I've found that once you feed these AKG's properly they just open up a whole new relm of listening enjoyment.

My plan is to add a better DAC,and because I'm on a pretty tight budget that'll probably be a Schiit Modi Uber as it has the features I'm looking for and good reviews/feedback and not too much $$$$.

That SB Zx soundcard was supposedly rated to drive the 600 ohm cans,but ask me in truth it struggled to do so,I would have to have the volume(s) @ nearly full blast just to get a decent listening level,and now with the NAD 106 preamp it's like night & day,you cant get the volume knob over half volume with the preamp as it gets soooo F'n loud you would'nt be able to stand it,and the SQ difference is just ridiculously good,this NAD preamp blows away the SB Zx soundcard via that ACM.

Now mind you not all NAD preamps have this same headphone section,near as I can tell form the scant info on it,this model (NAD 106) was aimed more towards studio oriented use as opposed to consumer oriented use,and in pro situations high impedance headphones were much more common,so the headphone section of this preamp was "beefed up" to drive those high impedance cans,the only other model I know for sure is like this is the precursor to the 106 and that is the 1000s,and it too has the XLR outs.

Oh,and I have WAAAYYY less than the stated budget into this rig,even after I get that Schiit DAC later on,and that includes the nearfield portion of the system as well.

FWIW I used Mogami IC's with this system.

So yeah I think it aint that bad a plan,LOL.

FWIW

Bret P.

Hello Bret:

It's funny you would mention the NAD 106 with XLR Balanced Outputs. I was about to mention the same model. I actually saw one on Audiogon recently for about $375.00 plus shipping. And it is in excellent shape with JUST one or two minor hairline scratches (barely visible to the naked eye). The spec brochure, owner's manual, and remote control are all included, and is being shipped to the new owner in its original shipping carton.

Get that piece, then I would look for a Phono Preamplifier like my own PS Audio GCPH for about $600.00 (-/+ -- give or take.... that is ONE SWEET PIECE.... can be used with an line stage preamplifier like a NAD 106, has stereo/mono capability, phase adjustment capability, pF and capatiance can be adjusted to your Phono Cartridge on the rear panel, and has XLR Balanced Outputs. Now here's how things get even more interesting with this piece. It "EVEN" has a volume control, AND, it can be used as a stand alone preamplifier if you only have a turntable, and it can drive a power amplifier directly, without a line stage preamplifier. SQ is beyond description. Since adding this piece to my own system, my records have NEVER sounded better. You gotta spend $2K to $3K to get sound quality like that now. I paid only $1K for mine back in 2012 (brand new, in the box)).

Get the PS Audio GCPH used for $450.00 to about $650.00 or so used, then that would leave a lot of room in the budget for a fine affordable DAC such as the Schiit model you've mentioned, or a Bluesound NODE 2.

Cans are more of a personal choice. My friend would need to audition those in his spare time. I listed the Sennheiser HD-650 based on my experiences (after listening to other models at the time), and felt that these were the cans for me.

--Charles--

 

[stoutblock]

Headphone systems are about as personal as you can get. People are looking for different things I guess. I'm not a big fan of listening to vinyl with headphones so I stay with pure digital sources. Here is my setup.

I would try to find a good PCM1704UK DAC as they simply sound the best to my ears. In my case, I use an audio-gd reference 5.32 which is no longer made but a DAC 19 would work in a snap. I use a Neutral USB Blue cable to feed it FLAC files.

The DAC is connected to a Decware Taboo MK III amp using Avanti Audio Allegro balanced to unbalanced cables. The Taboo was made for Audize headphones and in my case the LCD 2.2. I use an Aphrodite Cu Zeus Quad 21 headphone cable. I am a big fan of Planar headphones and with the right tubes in the Taboo this setup sounds great!

 

[chaskelljr63]

That's a real nice setup there.

How much did this rig run you?

--Charles--

 

[chaskelljr63]

Now, my friend lives in shared housing, he LOVES vinyl, and loudspeakers are not an option, so what do you do then??

--Charles--

 

[xero-D-hero]

Well,I dunno if were talking about the same NAD 106 preamp,the one I'm talking about is a descendant of their Monitor Series (circa early 90's) and it does'nt have ANY provisions for a remote. Also the NAD 106 preamp I was talking about has an internal phono preamp as well (MC/MM ~ 47kohm 200 pF ~ 76db S2N ~ < 0.02% THD).

Mono Switch,yep has that.
Tone Direct Switch,yep has that too.
Tape Monitor switch (for Tape 1),again yep.
Optional RH-75 Rack Mount Handles w/Red Inserts,,,ohhhhh yeeeaaahhh you betcha !!!

Inputs for Phono ~ Tuner ~ Video ~ CD & Loops For Tape 1 & Tape 2.
2pr. Unbalanced RCA Pre-Outs & Balanced XLR Outs.
Knobs for Bass & Treble ~ Balance & Volume.
Power Button w/LED & Headphone Jack.

What it does'nt have is a loudness switch,,,any specific Tape 1/Tape 2 dubbing controls,,,and as stated earlier no remote...

Like I said I believe this NAD 106 preamp was intended as a more pro-oriented studio monitoring preamp near as I can tell,but that's kinda hard to say for sure as the info on these units is almost non-existant other than a few threads here @ AK and maybe a few others scattered across the web.

This NAD 106 is actually quite basic compared to the more consumer oriented Monitor series 1300 preamp (Which BTW I have one of as well).

That Monitor series also had the more basic consumer oriented 1000 preamp that did'nt have the XLR outs till the 1000s preamp came out,and that 1000s later morphed into this 106 preamp,heck the 1000s & 106 even share the same service manual.

The XLR outs and other misc. features mentioned turned that somewhat basic 1000 preamp into their TOTL preamp for that Monitor series.

Oh,BTW I got mine off that big auction site for less than half what you mentioned the one on Agon was going for. (otherwise I could'nt have afforded it,LOL)

Dont know too much about that particular phono/pre you mentioned,so I cant really comment too much about that,sorry.
Like I said right now I'm all digital,though I doubt that will always be the case,but certain events back in '04 sorta forced me into that deal.
But yeah I'm sure if the internal phono preamp in this NAD 106 were'nt to one's tastes a nicer external one could easily deal with that situation.

As for DACs,I just mentioned that Schiit Modi Uber as it seems a good budget choice (again my budget dictates such),though I'm sure there are better DACs if you got the budget to spare.

I was just relating that the basic plan you layed out sounded completely reasonable to me.
Plus it offers the option to add an amp & speakers at a later date should the need to do so ever arise.

And yeah headphones are indeed an area where one has to decide what they personally prefer,I absolutely loved my Sony MDR-7506 that I've had since the 90's,thus I never really felt compelled to try anything else,but I wanted a set of cans to match my vintage silverface system (Kenwood KA-7300/KT-7300/SA-90/ADC SS-10) and I wound up with a pair of AKG K140 as the aluminum cups pretty much spot-on match the vibe of that system,but the kicker is that choice sorta unintentionally introduced me to the world of high impedance headphones,and I really liked what I heard,so I did some research and in the course of doing so I just kept moving up the AKG foodchain and getting deeper and deeper into all this related gear,and it was all over then,I was hooked,LOL

Right now I'm loving these AKG K240 Sextetts though,and I'm really keeping my eyes open for the right deal on a pair of K240DF.

Listening to that rig right now...

FWIW

Bret P.

 

[chaskelljr63]

Oh no, the one I was talking about was the NAD 116 with a Remote Control and no Tone Controls.

But if I would come across a NAD 106, I would definitely snap that, if drives the type of headphones you say it drives.

But I didn't know any NAD Preamplifiers had any XLR Inputs and Outputs back in the early 1990's.

I am familiar with the Monitor Series from the late 1980's and early 1990's.

The one I'm referring to was released back in the 2000's, and also had a higher-end model that was finished in white at the time.

The 106 has Phono Inputs, which in my opinion, negates the need for an outboard Phono Stage. I don't believe the 116 has Phono Inputs, which then, makes an outboard Phono Stage more of a necessity.

I'm going to take a harder look into the 106 and examine that one more carefully.

I don't see a lot them coming up for sale very often.

--Charles--

 

[chaskelljr63]

Oh no, the one I was talking about was the NAD 116 with a Remote Control and no Tone Controls.

But if I would come across a NAD 106, I would definitely snap that, if drives the type of headphones you say it drives.

But I didn't know any NAD Preamplifiers had any XLR Inputs and Outputs back in the early 1990's.

I am familiar with the Monitor Series from the late 1980's and early 1990's.

The one I'm referring to was released back in the 2000's, and also had a higher-end model that was finished in white at the time.

The 106 has Phono Inputs, which in my opinion, negates the need for an outboard Phono Stage. I don't believe the 116 has Phono Inputs, which then, makes an outboard Phono Stage more of a necessity.

I'm going to take a harder look into the 106 and examine that one more carefully.

I don't see a lot them coming up for sale very often.

--Charles--

And luckily enough, there is one up for sale on eBay (a NAD 106 Preamplifier that is).

I'm watching that one right along with an Apt Holman (always loved that Preamplifier as well).

--Charles--

 

[xero-D-hero]

And luckily enough, there is one up for sale on eBay (a NAD 106 Preamplifier that is).

I'm watching that one right along with an Apt Holman (always loved that Preamplifier as well).

--Charles--

That right there is why you always gotta scroll down the whole page when doing a search for any specific items on that auction site.

I regularly do a search for NAD 106 and I completely missed that one due to all the holster ads,,,LOL...

And yeah,anyone looking for these units should also watch for the NAD 1000s as well,as it's pretty much the same unit as the NAD 106.

No doubt a unique preamp due to those XLR outs. That's a great feature if one is planning on using some powered/active monitors at some point.
A real sleeper too at these prices,most times to get a preamp with XLR outs you'll be spending way more dough than this.

FWIW

Bret P.

 

[stoutblock]

That's a real nice setup there.

How much did this rig run you?

--Charles--

Close to $3K including tubes and cables