Thanks Andrew.
I shall take you up on your kind offer.
It will be most interesting if their response is more akin to that of my AKGs :eyebrows:
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Excellent explanation.
To answer your question you need to consult an expert on big nuts: the Namibian Ground Squirrel :wow:
These are bollocks!
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Geoff
Steve,this opinion has a lot of its own. I think the main target audience for headphone amplifiers probably has no typical stereo system (receiver and/or amplifier) available. Typical sources are laptops, tablets and smartphones, and there’s no doubt that stand-alone headphone amplifiers offer a much better performance than the built-in headphone jacks of these source devices.
Werner.
Other instances too where a headphone amp is useful. I have a good hifi setup and recently added a pair of Hifiman HE400i headphones. Irritatingly, they come with a 1.2m cable which required me to sit beside my DAC to use them. Just acquired a pre-owned budget headphone amp which allows me to use a long digital cable from my DAC to the headphone amp on the coffee table beside my listening chair. Problem sorted!
Geoff
Chris,
I found with both 650s and 700s removing the inner foams make a significant difference.
HPAs make a very real difference sonically-Stans Capella is fantastic in the ability to tune it to different cans for sensible money.
Ive had several HPAs all sounded different but really helped to drive cans properly.
Stans SEG has a variable gain switch behind the volume knob that lets you tune the output to your cans of choice.
Let us know how you get on with 700s-they are a tremendous evolution of the 650s-worth every penny IMHO!
I wasn't convinced of the value of headphone amps until a) I bought my HD800s and b) my Chord Mojo turned up. Now I don't have to listen without because its totally portable.
That said, some devices have half decent output stages, and some headphones are very easy to drive.