List of Amps with Balanced Input...?

[didwlgh]

Hi,

Can anyone give me a list of amps with some balanced input (I don't care if it has unbalanced input or not, but if it does, please note it)?

I'm thinking about getting one of those....but not necessarily to use balanced headphones with it.

Just want to use balanced sources with headphones.

Thanks in advance!

[n_maher]

You're kidding right?

[grawk]

If you're not using balanced headphones, just use a single ended amp and xlr->rca cables to use the balanced out from the source.

[didwlgh]

I'd like to keep my options open for balanced headphones tho...

And I'd rather use a good xlr cable that I already have than getting xlr-rca cables.

[grawk]

Ok. You'd rather buy a balanced amp to use with unbalanced phones than use xlr->rca cables or adapters. Interesting.

Every balanced amp would work with the right output cable adapter. I'm not sure which balanced amps will let you output balanced inputs to the unbalanced outputs. But if you're gonna spend $900+ on a balanced amp (balanced desktop being the cheapest commercially available balanced amp that I know of), why wouldn't you have your phones reterminated?

[didwlgh]

I guess it's because I'm mainly focusing on a speaker rig (so I don't really want to bother with caabling issue at the moment), and I'd like to get rid of DHA3K and actually make good use of highend DACs. Waste of money to get a balanced headphopne amp, you think?

I may end up getting rid of most of my other headphones and just get a balanced HD650 sometime in the future...so I would like to keep the option open.

[PFKMan23]

So then what's your budget? There are plenty of good choices out there, most of which you probably are aware of.

[grawk]

I guess it's because I'm mainly focusing on a speaker rig (so I don't really want to bother with caabling issue at the moment), and I'd like to get rid of DHA3K and actually make good use of highend DACs. Waste of money to get a balanced headphopne amp, you think?

I may end up getting rid of most of my other headphones and just get a balanced HD650 sometime in the future...so I would like to keep the option open.

You're using the balanced amp as an expensive and inefficient balun. Just buy baluns. Several manufacturers sell XLR->RCA adapters, then you can use your cables. When you decide you want to go balanced end to end, then buy the balanced amp. Or just use the unbalanced outs on your source, which will probably be better.

[didwlgh]

So then what's your budget? There are plenty of good choices out there, most of which you probably are aware of.

No set budget right now...I guess I'll just buy anything thats good enough. Not looking to get a custom-amp though.

You're using the balanced amp as an expensive and inefficient balun. Just buy baluns. Several manufacturers sell XLR->RCA adapters, then you can use your cables. When you decide you want to go balanced end to end, then buy the balanced amp. Or just use the unbalanced outs on your source, which will probably be better.

I guess I shouldn't have gotten rid of my Supra-XLR. Got rid of it to fund my speaker rig upgrade and now I'm kinda regretting it...

[granodemostasa]

just buy a GS-X. it's got all the pre amp, loop out, XLR out, 1/4th out, and stuff like that you could ever need.

[grawk]

just buy a GS-X. it's got all the pre amp, loop out, XLR out, 1/4th out, and stuff like that you could ever need.

Pretty sure the GS-X doesn't output balanced sources to the unbalanced outs.

[granodemostasa]

i had the GS-X around for a while (thanks to humanflyz)..and it does output balanced sources through the headphone unbalanced out, not hte pre amp.. buy anyone could get those 5 dollar adapters and turn the balanced pre amp and loop out into unbalanced.

[grawk]

i had the GS-X around for a while (thanks to humanflyz)..and it does output balanced sources through the headphone unbalanced out, not hte pre amp.. buy anyone could get those 5 dollar adapters and turn the balanced pre amp and loop out into unbalanced.

Ok, cool, I didn't realize.

[Dusty Chalk]

I guess I shouldn't have gotten rid of my Supra-XLR. Got rid of it to fund my speaker rig upgrade and now I'm kinda regretting it...

Yup.

[Icarium]

I'd try and get Craig to release the balanced redtop/el34 or whatever it is now amp. Those should be in a pretty competitive price range though there might be a wait and I guess given their status they essentially might be custom. The HD2 is pretty sweet but that essentially is custom as well. Unsure. Still build times might not be too bad. Always the beta22. GS-X is also a simple convenient option. Then there's singlepower but I'm not sure what the current status on the squarewave or even really how it might sound.

I think if you want to minimize wait time... gs-x and beta22 from a reliable builder is your best bet given the budget you can swing. If I were you and want to stick to under 5k I'd probably get the Eddie Current HD2 (~2.2K I think was the last price I heard if you go with Electraprint transformers and nothing too esoteric). I haven't heard it yet but it should be really sick... will hear it weekend after the coming one. If you want to go over 5k well everything there is essentially custom and will take awhile.

[didwlgh]

I'd try and get Craig to release the balanced redtop/el34 or whatever it is now amp. Those should be in a pretty competitive price range though there might be a wait and I guess given their status they essentially might be custom. The HD2 is pretty sweet but that essentially is custom as well. Unsure. Still build times might not be too bad. Always the beta22. GS-X is also a simple convenient option. Then there's singlepower but I'm not sure what the current status on the squarewave or even really how it might sound.

I think if you want to minimize wait time... gs-x and beta22 from a reliable builder is your best bet given the budget you can swing. If I were you and want to stick to under 5k I'd probably get the Eddie Current HD2 (~2.2K I think was the last price I heard if you go with Electraprint transformers and nothing too esoteric). I haven't heard it yet but it should be really sick... will hear it weekend after the coming one. If you want to go over 5k well everything there is essentially custom and will take awhile.

Ooooh. let me know how they sound!

[aerius]

Go tubes, and transformers. That would my personal first choice for something you can buy off the shelf. I've heard one and it sounds great.

[Icarium]

Looks like the EL84 amp from Eddie Current turned into an EL509? I think amp and became a one off and was solid. The redtop solid fully discrete solid state is still in development. The HD2 is going into production early next year under a different name. Might be able to get him to turn it into a one off. Current incarnation uses 6c33 as output and is transformer coupled so it also fits under the tubes/transformers philosophy. I personally would go with it over Moon Audio's amp but I haven't heard either, but I do dislike Moon Audio cables a lot and I've been really into EC's products except for the EC/SS.

[humanflyz]

Looks like the EL84 amp from Eddie Current turned into an EL509? I think amp and became a one off and was solid. The redtop solid fully discrete solid state is still in development. The HD2 is going into production early next year under a different name. Might be able to get him to turn it into a one off. Current incarnation uses 6c33 as output and is transformer coupled so it also fits under the tubes/transformers philosophy. I personally would go with it over Moon Audio's amp but I haven't heard either, but I do dislike Moon Audio cables a lot and I've been really into EC's products except for the EC/SS.

The Luna isn't even a Moon Audio amp; it's designed by K&K Audio, Lundahl's US distributor.

[Icarium]

Is that a pro or a con?

[humanflyz]

Is that a pro or a con?

Just questioning your logic, since you transfer your dislike of Moon Audio cables to the amp, which isn't even designed by Moon Audio to begin with.

[Icarium]

I didn't really mean to imply that someone should make a decision based on that sentence as it is completely illogical. I was just trying to flippantly say that I had a completely baseless preference for the HD2 based on random shit as I explicitly stated that I have heard neither amp. Moreover, I really haven't heard anything about either design. Though I think if it ends up being between those two particular amps there probably are exactly 0 people who have heard both.

[philodox]

The Luna is a great amp, my favorite from the first National with my K340s... and that includes the SDS-XLR and Headroom Balanced Max. Though the Singlepower was rolled with tubes to match the R10s, so who knows if more appropriate K340 tubes were used.