# $1100-$1500 budget for headphone amp. Only Bumblebee need apply.



## WhiteNoise (Dec 10, 2014)

So gonna buy a new amp. happy with both of my Garage1217 amps but want to invest in a higher end amp to play with. Please provide sum suggestions.

Will use with my Pagoda DAC and LCD-2 Rev 2F

Tube I prefer. SS okay if good enough.

I love good prat, clean highs, robust mids and clean bass. Clarity, natural, yet providing lows through highs in a realistic yet slightly colored sound.

I'm just looking for a quality amp.

Give me some ideas. I will research. I've been looking at amps for a few months now and I'm no closer to buying anything.

and I would prefer an amp that pushes 2.4-3 watts @ 50 ohms if that is even possible.


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## AhokZYashA (Dec 10, 2014)

i assume you need a desktop tube amp, 

have you tried the WA6SE from wooaudio?
its a pretty darn good amp, but i think it lacks the 2.4W@50 ohms power


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## OneMoar (Dec 10, 2014)

you might be better off asking over at head-fi .. .

https://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 10, 2014)

I already asked at Head-Fi as I spend more time there than here. I just want Bumblebee's thoughts on the matter. I respect her knowledge.


on hind sight I suppose I should have just sent her a PM.


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 10, 2014)

AhokZYashA said:


> i assume you need a desktop tube amp,
> 
> have you tried the WA6SE from wooaudio?
> its a pretty darn good amp, but i think it lacks the 2.4W@50 ohms power



Yes I'm actually considering the Woo Audio WA2. And yes a desktop amp.


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## AhokZYashA (Dec 10, 2014)

i havent tried the WA2,
but seeing those 2 are quite different in design (OTL on the WA2, transformer coupled on the WA6SE) and the same price
it comes down to your choice.

i havent really used much the LCD2 2F, but the amp which sounds good on the LCD2 rev.2 and i have tried is the burson HA160D.
or if you want, the soloist is also pretty good

the WA6 with the sophia princess tube amp sounds very nice, especially if paired with a neutral DAC.
i tried it once with DACMini > WA6SE > Senns HD650, sounds very very good.


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## BarbaricSoul (Dec 10, 2014)

if you want Bumblebee to answer here, try tagging her. @BumbleBee


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## EarthDog (Dec 10, 2014)

Or just PM her as you mentioned you should have...

How does the tagging work? How does that notify the person they have a post to read?


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## RCoon (Dec 10, 2014)

EarthDog said:


> Or just PM her as you mentioned you should have...
> 
> How does the tagging work? How does that notify the person they have a post to read?



Like this @EarthDog


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## EarthDog (Dec 10, 2014)

Ok, but where do I see that? Where does it notify me that someone tagged me? I wouldn't have known you did that as I didn't get any kind of notification (like a PM would).


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## RCoon (Dec 10, 2014)

EarthDog said:


> Ok, but where do I see that? Where does it notify me that someone tagged me?



Your Alerts tab at the top right

(Apologies OP for hijacking the thread)


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## BumbleBee (Dec 10, 2014)

WhiteNoise said:


> So gonna buy a new amp. happy with both of my Garage1217 amps but want to invest in a higher end amp to play with. Please provide sum suggestions.
> 
> Will use with my Pagoda DAC and LCD-2 Rev 2F
> 
> ...



I really liked the Decware Zen Taboo MKIII but if I had to do it all over again.. I would have bought something from Eddie Current


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## Easy Rhino (Dec 10, 2014)

Ever heard of sending a PM?????????????????

edit: nevermind looks like you have been scolded accordingly.


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 11, 2014)

BumbleBee said:


> I really liked the Decware Zen Taboo MKIII but if I had to do it all over again.. I would have bought something from Eddie Current



Those look awesome but way out of my budget. Wooo nice though.


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 11, 2014)

Easy Rhino said:


> Ever heard of sending a PM?????????????????
> 
> edit: nevermind looks like you have been scolded accordingly.



I do realize that I should have PM'd her instead but at the same time this thread might be helpful to others looking to upgrade if more suggestions are made.

I was about 6 shots into a bottle last night and common sense was out the window. lol

If I had around $3k I'd consider one of the Eddie amps for sure but $1500 is my max budget.


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## BumbleBee (Dec 11, 2014)

WhiteNoise said:


> Those look awesome but way out of my budget. Wooo nice though.



sometimes Craig's amplifiers pop up on the second hand market.

this was his first company

http://www.mothmuseum.com/mothaudio/products2.html


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## AhokZYashA (Dec 11, 2014)

Eddie Currents amp are definitely very beautiful, 

but last time i tried the Zana Deux paired with the LCD2s it sounds very bad, i dont know whats really wrong with it, 
because when i tried the same amp with a dynamic headphones it sounds marvelous.

for planar headphones i think your best bet is to go solid state. like the burson soloist. 
oh, and i really like Bakoon amp products, but i dont really know if its within your budget.


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## BumbleBee (Dec 11, 2014)

Schiit Mjolnir is within your budget


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 11, 2014)

BumbleBee said:


> sometimes Craig's amplifiers pop up on the second hand market.
> 
> this was his first company
> 
> http://www.mothmuseum.com/mothaudio/products2.html



Oh right on. I've seen these amps before. Beautiful!


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 13, 2014)

So I went completely against the grain and bought the Bryston BHA-1 solid state amp. Now let me hope that I don't regret selling my Ember amp earlier today.


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## NormanStokes (Dec 18, 2014)

I advise you WA6SE from wooaudio amp. This can meet your expextations.


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## TheMailMan78 (Dec 18, 2014)

I have come to realize spending more than 150 bucks on headphones is worthless to me. Spending more seems to just have a placebo effect. I say this because of years of "being manly" and not using ear protection shooting has cost me hearing quality. The only reason Ill even spend that kind of money is durability. I'm tough on headphones.

In the end I cant even tell the difference between 20 dollar cans or 300 dollar cans.


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 18, 2014)

Thats a bummer dude.


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## BumbleBee (Dec 20, 2014)

another LH Labs indiegogo 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/geek-audio-a-crowdsourced-high-rez-sound-system#home

brought the Geek Pulse back and some new products.


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## Aquinus (Dec 20, 2014)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I have come to realize spending more than 150 bucks on headphones is worthless to me. Spending more seems to just have a placebo effect. I say this because of years of "being manly" and not using ear protection shooting has cost me hearing quality. The only reason Ill even spend that kind of money is durability. I'm tough on headphones.
> 
> In the end I cant even tell the difference between 20 dollar cans or 300 dollar cans.



I could tell the difference between cheap headsets and my current Senheiser HD 280 Pros but only with a half-decent audio card. Nothing quiet sounds right after using those as not many headphones will offer a flat response and sound good at the same time.

There comes a point where headphone quality does you little good until you get a better audio device. I can say that my 280 PROs can be limited by the ALC898 on my motherboard or by the content I'm playing.

http://en-us.sennheiser.com/professional-dj-headphones-noise-cancelling-hd-280-pro


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## EarthDog (Dec 22, 2014)

> In the end I cant even tell the difference between 20 dollar cans or 300 dollar cans.


If you can't hear the difference either your soundcard is garbage, or you are not a discerning listener.


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## TheMailMan78 (Dec 22, 2014)

EarthDog said:


> If you can't hear the difference either your soundcard is garbage, or you are not a discerning listener.


Its my ears man. I've had good sound cards and such in the past. Did you even read my whole post?


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## Aquinus (Dec 22, 2014)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I say this because of years of "being manly" and not using ear protection shooting has cost me hearing quality.


You can try to make up for some of that with a software equalizer and better quality headphones are going to handle that better than cheap ones. I guess it really boils down to how badly do you want it to sound good and how messed up (or sensitive) your hearing is.


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## EarthDog (Dec 24, 2014)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Its my ears man. I've had good sound cards and such in the past. Did you even read my whole post?


Glad you threw your two cents in then since you can't hear! That is helpful though for those that have trouble as you do.


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## WhiteNoise (Dec 30, 2014)

So I have been using the Bryston amp for a bit now and I have to say it's wonderful. This along with my Pagoda DAC = total win.

Something else happened too. This amp really jives well with my Grado 325 cans too. I find myself (depending on music) swapping from the LCD2's to the Grados often now. This amp really did wonders for the 325.

Now I just need to buy a new set of balanced cables for the LCD-2 cans. Something with pure silver me thinks. I'm currently using a Canare balanced cable.


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## Vario (Dec 30, 2014)

Aquinus said:


> I could tell the difference between cheap headsets and my current Senheiser HD 280 Pros but only with a half-decent audio card. Nothing quiet sounds right after using those as not many headphones will offer a flat response and sound good at the same time.
> 
> There comes a point where headphone quality does you little good until you get a better audio device. I can say that my 280 PROs can be limited by the ALC898 on my motherboard or by the content I'm playing.
> 
> http://en-us.sennheiser.com/professional-dj-headphones-noise-cancelling-hd-280-pro


HD 280 Pro is as good as it gets for closed head phones imo, anything more is just wasting money.
Had a set of HD 570s as well which were decent open, but the 280 sounded better due to closed nature.


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## BumbleBee (Dec 30, 2014)

Sennheiser HD280 Pro are not great closed back headphones. the passive noise cancelling is so good because the headphone squashes your melon and between the dated pleather ear pads and bass response I know you can do a lot better.


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