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Headphone amp advice

I am looking for a good headphone amp, probably tube. I will be using it mainly for recordings from my main vinyl rig. The Korg Mr-1, recently bought, makes these recordings much better than my earlier recording systems (PCM computer sound card, DAT, Revox A77), so headphone amps get interesting. I use Sennheiser 600 and Shure E3 headphones. This may change, but one point now is to drive the Senns to best effect.

I've been looking at several alternatives:
The Small-dot mk3, the Darkvoice SE, Lisa III. Haven't heard them, just from googling. Of these, possibly the Darkvoice gives the sound I am after.

However, these are non-portable designs, and I would like something more portable. In this area, the TTVJ hybrid portable, possibly the s-state Nuforce icon, are among the contenders.

Your advice is welcome.
o_holter
o_holter OP
541 posts
 
I will report back. So far, I've invested in an AKG K450 (small-above ear phone) which needs burn-in (300-500 hours) before reporting. Sounds a bit hard and closed in, still, after ca 50 hours, but I have hopes.

I am waiting for the Jade and GK1-J. When these are housewarm, I will do a test of vinyl recording comparing my best digital source with good analog (Studer Revox A77).
o_holter OP
541 posts
 
The Jade is a great value for the money. Still burning it in. Good OTL sound. The GK, also, has a positive effect, though not as much.
sharky's avatar
sharky
2 posts
 
do you have pics of the GK1-J?
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
It's a little late, but one of the tubed head amps I'm looking to build (you can also buy them pre-built) is the Millet Mini-Max. They come up for sale on Head-fi fairly regularly. Lots of good word on these with the 600's, which I also own.

Enjoy,
Bob
o_holter OP
541 posts
 
Sharky, GK 1-J foto: I have it, but haven't uploaded pics to my virtual system yet. It is an unassuming black box, weight ca 200 grams, size 12 cm deep x 9 wide x 5 high. It has two output jacks and a volume knob in front (can used balaned h-phone cable, or 1-2 standard h-phones) and 2 x rca inputs and power adaptor input at the back.

Ptmconsulting: wish you good luck with the building. Now that my Jade has become housewarm, there is absolutely no going back. The OTL sound was a bit bleak at first, but I'm warming to it, or vise versa. I guess most good h-phone tube amps will take you there.

Note also, I can use the Jade with my small active speakers, Sony SRS Z500, with good results (these are single-driver speakers, well designed). This is a bonus for me, since headphones are headphones, to put it that way.

Possibly, small passive single-driver speakers would sound even better, if the Jade and similar tube headphone amps are able to drive them. The GK can drive my bookshelf Royd "The Sorcerer" speakers to a listenable level, the Jade cannot, but the 2-way Royds are a fairly heavy load.
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