Balanced amp on the cheap - suggestions anyone?

[mapstec]

After doing my first recable I find that I would like to see if really running left/right separate make a difference.

So now I am looking for a nice easy cheap (!) solution.

Ideas anyone?

[Duggeh]

Cheapest you're going to get is probably to DIY a balanced CMOY.

Balanced amps aren't really known for being cheap.

[mapstec]

Ok, the phones I am talking about are K340 and the like, so a Cmoy is not really an option (imo).

Lets clarify, with cheap I mean something around 300$, if that makes any kind of difference...

[Duggeh]

For the K340 on that budget you would almost certainly be far better off getting as powerful a single ended amp as possible rather than trying to go balanced.

[mapstec]

Duggeh,

you probably are right, but I have a SE amp, this is about exploring new frontiers

[Duggeh]

Better to look at new frontiers with a more powerful telescope than a crappy pair of binoculars. Youll see further and better.

[thrice]

the least expensive balanced headphone amp that I'm aware of is te Headroom Desktop balanced at $899...not sure how it would fair with the K340 though. But it's a damn good amp. Going balanced isn't as easy to do well for $300.

Nate (n_maher) built a balanced Mini3....you might ask him how much that might cost.

[n_maher]

Nate (n_maher) built a balanced Mini3....you might ask him how much that might cost.

Oh, I see how it's going to be Mr. Penguin....

[thrice]

LOL

[hYdrociTy]

MOTSMTOSTMOSTMOSTDSOTMOSTMOSTMSOTMSODSOTMSOTMOSTDSOTMTOSMTOS

[mapstec]

ok, so basically you are telling me that I asked a stupid question....

So herewith you can consider this question unasked, thanks for your input, from now on I will rather concentrate on other aspects of headphone listening / tweaking.

[PFKMan23]

I don't think anyone took it that way (assuming you're being serious). A proper balanced amp costs a fair amount of money, no way around that.

[hYdrociTy]

nah we're just retarded.

I say have someone build you a balanced wall powered mini3. It wont be under 300 though, but probably not that much over it unless you want audiophile volume controls and square rcas. and a case.

[bhd812]

Maps what is your source? the source has to be truly balanced in order to obtain a Balanced setup. if your amp is just balanced then technically your not true balanced, just single ended with fancy xlr's

[grawk]

Maps what is your source? the source has to be truly balanced in order to obtain a Balanced setup. if your amp is just balanced then technically your not true balanced, just single ended with fancy xlr's

Good transformers can do a better job making a single ended source sound good than some balanced implementations in the sources themselves.

[Duggeh]

Ive never understood that. With headphone audio the advantages of balanced are in the difference it makes upon control over the driver, so it shouldn't matter a rats arse where the phase splitting takes place, amp or source, so long as its done properly wherever its done. For a lot of sources which have balanced outputs as an afterthought and just phase split a single ended signal for output, its probably better to leave the split until the amp.

[bhd812]

Good transformers can do a better job making a single ended source sound good than some balanced implementations in the sources themselves.

Agree but the rig is still not truly balanced and in theory would still be a single ended...no?

[hYdrociTy]

Home: Winamp 2.x -> ibasso D1 (op amp rolling right now) -> AKG K340 | DT880 (early 80s) | Ultrasone K750

Office: Winamp 2.x -> Go-Vibe v5s (stock) -> AKG K81DJ (modified)

on the go: Toshiba Gigabeat F40 (Rockbox) -> V-moda Vibes FlashblackChrome | Super.fi 5 Pro

[grawk]

Agree but the rig is still not truly balanced and in theory would still be a single ended...no?

Not really, no. You could argue that it's not, but in terms of how it works, a transformer balanced single ended input has all the benefits of being balanced through the entire signal chain, with the exception that you don't get the noise rejection between the source and amp. But really, most people don't need that, because they're not running 100 ft interconnects in a high noise area.

[thrice]

ok, so basically you are telling me that I asked a stupid question....

So herewith you can consider this question unasked, thanks for your input, from now on I will rather concentrate on other aspects of headphone listening / tweaking.

I fail to see why you would think we thought that you asked a stupid question....take your thumb and forefinger and use them to take your panties out of your ass for a moment....calm down, have some dip.

You asked about a balanced amp for $300. We answered...we're not calling you stupid for asking, we're just letting you know that for $300 you'll be hard pressed to find a good (or any for that matter) balanced headphone amp.

Add to that the fact that you're looking for a balanced amp for a particularly difficult can to drive (the K340) and your options for a $300 amp are severely limited.

Just because you don't like the answer doesn't mean we think it's a stupid question.

[aerius]

Thrice nailed it. The problem is this, the K340 needs a good balanced amp. Good, balanced, and $300 budget don't belong in the same sentence, you get to pick 2 out of the 3. A $300 balanced amp with a K340 is a waste of your money, and that's what we're telling you. But feel to knock yourself out and do it anyway, just don't come crying to us when it sounds like ass.

[philodox]

Well, its not going to be $300, but if I wanted a balanced amp for the K340's on the cheap... I'd get one of the DIY'ers [n_maher, jbloudg20, etc] to build me a balanced VanOTL or whatever it is called.

[aerius]

I wouldn't. I'd build the tube amp I'm using. But you need a surplus shop from which to scrounge parts, else the cost goes up astronomically.

[philodox]

I wouldn't. I'd build the tube amp I'm using. But you need a surplus shop from which to scrounge parts, else the cost goes up astronomically.

I would.

...then again, I haven't heard your amp recently. So who knows.

[philodox]

A balanced Aikido could be nice too, but I'm not sure on the parts cost there.