Headphone amps...

[tonym]

Just to muddy the waters further I need your collective advice on which headphone amp I should buy. I'm tempted by the Grado RA1 or the Gilmore Lite as I'm uncertain about tube amps for my first amp.

Anyone out there use these or have had experience with them ni the past?

Thanks, Tony.

[Deuterium]

I use headphone amps to drive my cans. I have not used the two you mentioned, but have three others which I can comment on. I know you posted about IEMs previously (by the way, how do you like your Etys?). For my portable headfi rig I use a Ray Samuels RS-71 battery powered amp. This is a great little amp with a lot of power and dramatically improves the sound of the cans I use it with in conjunction with my iPOD. These include big closed cans like the AKG 271s to the E3c IEMs. In addition to this amp, Ray makes a smaller version that is called the Hornet. This little amp is also highly recommended.

If you would like a small desktop amp that is solid state, but has been voiced to be warm (i.e. tube sounding), the HeadFive by Meier Audio is an excellent choice. This amp, $250, is a treat and I use it as my secondary amp.

Finally, I drive my primary headphone listening station directly from my DAC, which is a Lavry. I run this in a balanced configuration and the DAC does amazingly well run this way. I will be adding a balanced tube amp to this rig at some point in the future.

I strongly recommend that you visit the HeadFi forum. Using the search feature, you will get a lot of information directly related to the two amps you mentioned in your post. Hope this helps.

Edited September 6, 2006 by Deuterium

[tonym]

Thanks, I've been spending a lot of time over there the last few days and I'm eager to test a few models. They'll be used mainly for the Grados which I believe are a lower impedance phone than some others.

The Etys are great but I've not had chance to appreciate them 'out and about' yet.

[Deuterium]

The key is matching the amp to the can. If you can decide what kind of sonic signature you are looking for, you can choose an amp to complement the Grados to achieve that sound. For instance, I like a warmer sonic signature, so for my Grados I went with the HeadFive amp which has a warm tube like sound. I think it is a great pairing with the Grados. However, if you prefer a more analytical sound, a different amp may be more to your liking. Enjoy the journey.