Finally getting a worthy Headphone amp...

[billbillw]

I bought a pair of Senn HD580 more than a year ago. Haven't really listened to them very much. They didn't sound very good on my HT receivers so I only used them with my dedicated 2-ch system, which I sold off last winter. I've since re-acquired a few pieces to have for a rainy day (or when I have the room to setup a full blown 2-ch again). Of course, the preamp I ended up getting (Acurus RL11) doesn't have a headphone output.

I've also been trying to get the Creative soundcard out of my system for awhile. I picked up an Entech 203.2 a few months back to use on my computer (which sounds effing great), but then realized that I wouldn't have headphone output if I removed my Audigy Platinum. Hmm. I really needed a headphone amp :( (yeah, you know how we justify things;) )

I could use it in the short term on my desktop system (Entech/Accurian/Athena) to listen to flac files and later on, I can put it into my dedicated 2-ch.

So after many months of pining, watching, debating, etc, I sprung for one of these:
http://lh5.google.com/Little.Tube/R64eIDbiL3I/AAAAAAAAANE/_EzPF40BvhU/s800/MK%205%20Iso.jpg


http://www.little-tube.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=142&posts=4&start=1

Little Dot Mk V. Dual mono solid state headphone amp.
http://lh5.google.com/Little.Tube/R64eiDbiL9I/AAAAAAAAAN4/egIgyQ96sEo/s800/001.jpg

This thing is a beast and from what I've read, its just wonderful with the Senn 580/600/650 series.

Should be here by the end of the week. I'll be doing some major listening over this weekend, that's for sure. I hope to hear the Senns like I've never heard them before and hopefully make me a believer that headphone systems can be truly magical (I've not yet heard a quality setup)

Looks like I'll be adding to my signature...

[GV#27]

WOW, thats a nicely put together HP amp.Gotta love those dual toroids.

[billbillw]

WOW, thats a nicely put together HP amp.Gotta love those dual toroids.

Yeah, many of the somewhat expensive headphone amps you see are pretty cheezy inside. They use walwart power supplies, and very simple circuits. This one impressed me from first sight.

[george daniel]

Nice Bill,,let us know about the synergy between it and the senns. I waited for about a year for my headphone amp,, but I must admit,,it was not planned that way,, just happened that way. Enjoy--george :)

[steveinaz]

Scha--weet.

[TNRabbit]

Sweet; I had looked at one of those before I bought my Benchmark DAC-1. Nice~

[sucks2beme]

The little dot quality has been improving greatly. The originals were pretty
cheezy.

[AudioFilet]

I use a Headroom Desktop Balanced amp, with Senn 650's. Plugs right in to a computer for a pure digital signal input to the balanced amp. Best quality sound I have ever heard, just fantastic. I'm sure you will enjoy yours too, looks like a nice setup.

[nspindel]

I've got the Little Dot MKIVSE. I just love it. I use it as a pre-amp in my SDA rig and I use it with my Senn 650's. 2 thumbs up for Little Dot.

[billbillw]

I've had this almost a week now and I'm loving it. Perhaps its because I don't have my full 2-ch system up and running, perhaps its because I've been getting my hands on better source material (MFSL/DCC Gold discs), but this combo is sounding just amazing! The build quality is very nice too. Very thick metal all around. Quality feel on the controls.

Oh yeah. My son is loving it too ;) Can't keep him away from the headphone rig!

Not even 2 years old and I'm turning him into a music lover who appreciates good sound.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

I love my ASL amp with my HD650s - headphones are about the only thing audio that still excite me at this point.

[Shizelbs]

Is that SS or tubed?

[nspindel]

the MKV pictured above is solid state, dual mono. The MKIV is tubes.

[sucks2beme]

I love my ASL amp with my HD650s - headphones are about the only thing audio that still excite me at this point.

Dibs on the Rainmakers!:D
But I'm in the same boat. I switched from Senns to Stax, and I find
myself listening to them about 90% of the time now. The effect
of good headphones is very different. It frees you from room coloration.
The soundstage with Stax seems to be better than dynamic headphones,
and it pulls out more detail than any speakers I've ever heard.
I am still looking for my next set of speakers, but my headphones have
raised the bar as far as what I expect from my next speaker purchase.

[billbillw]

Don't get me wrong, I still prefer listening to the SDAs at about 85dB, but its been very hard to get away with that lately (with two very young children and a sleep deprived wife ;) )

I don't really like the imaging that I get with headphones. The SDAs have that department hands down. I do like the uncolored, detailed sound that I get with the headphone rig though. Its almost too detailed, and makes many recordings that I previously thought were good, sound like crap.

[nspindel]

What cable are you using for your Senns?

[billbillw]

What cable are you using for your Senns?

Stock right now, but I've got the upgrade HD650 cable coming from Sennheiser along with the HD600 grills. That's probably all that I'll do for upgrades. I don't want to have my headphone rig cost more than my main 2-ch system.

[nspindel]

Well, there's going to be an exciting new arrival to the Senn replacment cable market, not a very expensive one either. But I'm sworn to secrecy.... for now.... I'm just glad to hear you're not out buying an expensive cable. Sit tight.....

[billbillw]

Well, there's going to be an exciting new arrival to the Senn replacment cable market, not a very expensive one either. But I'm sworn to secrecy.... for now.... I'm just glad to hear you're not out buying an expensive cable. Sit tight.....

I look forward to hearing something.

[engtaz]

Great pic of the young Audiophile.

engtaz

[sucks2beme]

A low cost entry? That would be different. I've got a Cardas.
The best I've heard is the Apuresound cable.

[billbillw]

Ok,
Finally got this little amp in to a semi-permanent location. I now have my desktop/headphone rig setup like I want it.

I picked up an E-mu 0404 PCI soundcard last week to replace the SB Audigy that I sold recently. For 2-channel sound, the E-mu card just blows away the Audigy. I was also able to clear desktop space that was being taken up by the Audigy's external box. In this space (with a little shifting), I was able to put the Little Dot amp with the Entech NC203.2 sitting piggyback.

Currently, I'm using optical output to feed the Entech, which feeds the MkV headphone amp and my Sennheisers. I am also using the analog outputs from the soundcard to feed my desktop amp/monitors, which consist of my modified Accurian (see amp deal of century thread), and a nice little pair of Athena AS-B1.2 speakers.

Overall, I'm very happy with this setup. Running FLAC files in Foobar with the ASIO drivers to the Entech>Little Dot>Sennheiser combo is giving me some of the best sound quality that I've heard to date. The sound through the Athena monitors is also quite good considering the cost of the setup (<$75 for the amp and speakers together). I still don't like the imaging that I get with headphones as much as with the SDAs, but the detail is just amazing. I might try a crossfeed setup at some point to help with the imaging. I've read there is a plugin for foobar that can emulate this. I'll be searching at the Headfi forum for details on that.