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Headphone amps

I like to listen to music at night - my wife likes to sleep - I can't understand why she does this with so much good music to hear. Headphones have been a blessing for maintaining peace given our somewhat different nocturnal patterns. I'm soon getting a new integrated amp without a headphone jack, so I will require a little amp for the headphones. Please provide recommendations for headphone amps that you have used and loved. I like to listen to jazz and classical at night. I'm using a FMJ 23 as a source and I tend to like tube sound. I have Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.
johnrob
zargon's avatar
zargon
453 posts
 
I third the Earmax. Relatively inexpensive OTL tube amp, small and portable, and a very impressive sound with the Sennheisers.
johnrob OP
76 posts
 
To all,

Thanks for the ideas. I look forward to further research; however, it appears that auditioning some of these units prior to purchase might not be possible since they are mail-order. It does appear that several of the little amps have been endorsed by several people and will likely sound better than my existing, but soon to be eliminated, amp.

John
listener57
730 posts
 
At the risk of being a copycat, I agree Earmax is very fine with the 600's. I found that the choice of IC's into the Earmax inputs could make big differences in feeling of reality (as defined by the headphone experience), and ability to convey emotion of the music, and it can serve as a quick screener of the quality of IC's before they are inserted into loudspeaker systems which use tube amps.
jsujo
348 posts
 
if budget allows....try the Berning MicroZotl..
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Oh, yeah....if budget allows Cary 300B SEI. I almost forget about this when talking headphone amps. It's actually an integrated amp, but works amazingly well for headphones. At $4k MSRP, a bit pricey though.
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