Need a Solid State Headphone amp for LCD X-Recommendation please

[kmanshaman]

Could someone please recommend a few Solid State headphone amps either to buy or have built.  I've read so much my eyes are popping out of my head.  I've got LCD X's.  I've listened to a few friends tube and SS amps (Woo, Lake People, HeadRoom (older Home amp). I don't want to deal with tubes and want to go SS but can't afford Stax for a few years.  You guys certainly know leagues more than I and there is no bull$itt here.  Thanks.

[grawk]

http://innerfidelity.com

[Wmcmanus]

^ Boom.  Done.

[Tyll Hertsens]

Actooly, I think the headphone amp reviews there are seriously lacking. 

 

Budgets....arghh.

[Voltron]

OK, then.  Get something from HeadAmp or ecp audio (brand new Black Diamond amps shipping soon) or call Todd at ttvjaudio.com and buy something he says is good with your cans.  Not too difficult.

[spritzer]

Yup, a sound plan. 

[Dusty Chalk]

Get something from HeadAmp or ecp audio (brand new Black Diamond amps shipping soon) or call Todd at ttvjaudio.com and buy something he says is good with your cans.  Not too difficult.

Best answer is best.

[postjack]

This is the most helpful headcase has been to a newbie all year.

[Grand Enigma]

The ECP Audio DSHA-1 is a fantastic amp with the LCD-X... was my office rig.  I suspect the Black Diamond is likely of similar quality.

[Tyll Hertsens]

^^^Eggsacery so, to all of the above.

 

 

 

We should ban this guy now...it's the nicest he'll ever be treated.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Tyll Hertsens

[postjack]

^^^Eggsacery so, to all of the above.

 

 

 

We should ban this guy now...it's the nicest he'll ever be treated.

he will spread good tidings of our kindness across the internet lands.

go forth kmanshaman, and carry with you a message of peace.

[Voltron]

Fuck that.  Tell people we are all assholes and don't know anything.  We can't go around being nice to more people.  It's all used up now.

 

             

[Augsburger]

OK, then.  Get something from HeadAmp or ecp audio (brand new Black Diamond amps shipping soon) or call Todd at ttvjaudio.com and buy something he says is good with your cans.  Not too difficult.

This.  To your credit, you are moving in the right direction and have not been distracted by the mindless drivel at the other place(s).

[eggil]

Or, if you want to waste your money, you could buy a Liquid Gold

[ellevoid]

You may want to check on Auralic Taurus MK2. I got one and it works very well with my HE-6.

Btw I knew this amp from http://www.innerfidelity.com/

[Tyll Hertsens]

I really want to get my hands on a GS-X...it's the one that will give the AURALiC a run for it's money, me thinks.

[Leonardo Drummond]

I really want to get my hands on a GS-X...it's the one that will give the AURALiC a run for it's money, me thinks.

 

Highly interested!

[Torpedo]

I had here an Auralic on loan and my Gilmore Reference which is more or less a GS-X. Tried it with the HD800, LCD2, R10, Ps1... On all accounts I liked better de GR, even on balanced with the cans I was able to try it like the LCD2. With these still my favorite amp is the B22 and it's not even balanced.

[Grahame]

Is the FOTM / FOTW HA-1 likely to get tested Tyll?

[Tyll Hertsens]

Yeah. I have to say I love the PM-1. I plays to my weakness for yummyliscious sound...but it's not going to be for everybody.

 

I'll be posting a very positive review after I post all my Newport shit. 

 

I've been talking with Igor (the designer) a lot about the review and stuff.

 

ANyway, to get back on topic, they're sending me the HA-1 after Newport. 

[Filburt]

I'm not familiar with the LCD-X. I like the LCD-2 with GS-X. Not sure how similar it is to the X, though.

 

Also...why did Oppo use an analog volume control on the HA-1? There is no "re-digitizing" involved using the internal ("digital") volume control on the Sabre32; it's just a multiply on the incoming data. This is more or less the sort of operation you're doing with an analog control too (well, ideally), except in practice you'll pick up some additional noise and distortion (e.g. phase and harmonic). I also don't recall pots typically having great crosstalk specs, but maybe that's changed since I last looked.

[Dusty Chalk]

Probably because they can report on paper that they have an analog volume control.  It's still a selling point unless you have a fair legacy in the digital realm -- Meridian, Wadia, et al.

[Filburt]

Probably because they can report on paper that they have an analog volume control.  It's still a selling point unless you have a fair legacy in the digital realm -- Meridian, Wadia, et al.

 

Ah, OK. So here's the worst part...

 

Since the Sabre32 runs at 32 bit precision internally, it doesn't have to truncate in order to attenuate even a 24 bit input. I don't recall if they use floating or fixed-point math for this operation but even at fixed point one should be able to get at least around 50dB before truncation. Also note, everything will be attenuated, including the noise floor of the recording. In practice, you'll be limited by the analog noise floor of your system long before you're limited by internal precision on the DAC. Thanks to the exceptional SINAD of the ES9012/18, you could probably get at least 10-20dB of attenuation without significant loss in dynamic performance at its output (so, then, it's up to the rest of the system to keep up). On the other hand, with an analog volume control, additive noise will go up as you attenuate in addition to other potential maladies (e.g. crosstalk, distortion, and so forth).

Edited May 30, 2014 by Filburt

[Dusty Chalk]

Aye, you wouldn't have to sell me on it, but ... FOTW and all that ...

[Filburt]

Oh...yeah, I figured...

 

It was just ironic enough that I thought I'd mention it anyway *shrug*