HeadPhone Amp ?

humax

humax

humax

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Hi All

Do you guys think I might need a Headphone Amp ? My Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones - 250 Ohm, just don't sound that good. At the moment I have a Epiphany Acoustics E-DAC 24 bit connected to my PC by USB it then runs to my NAD 320BEE and I then use the headphone socket on the NAD but I just can't put my finger on it but it sounds a bit crap. Do you guys think a Headphone Amp would help in a case like this.


Thanks All .
 
At the moment i have my TV connected to the Nad as well and that sounds fine,but the headphones don't sound that good. So should i replace the NAD or go with a headphone amp.


Thanks for the help so far

;)
 
maj said:
Can't find much info about the NAD you have but Schiit do some good price vs performance headphone amps. I've got a Vali 1 I'm going to be listing on the MM soon and it will drive the DT770 250ohm's no problem (I know this as I have a pair too). What media are you listening to? FLAC/Loseless will make a big difference.
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Hi

I listen to all kinds to be honest mostly in to rock music in any form FLAC/Loseless however it comes.
 
Hi

Thanks for all the help so far guys. What i also should have said it that the NAD in also connected to my TV and it sounds fine. Its just the headphones that sound kinda crap on the NAD So from what I'm reading here the best way to go is to try a headphone amp and see how it goes. I was thinking about getting one that also has the DAC with it as well but i think that then means i would also have to change the speakers as well and I'm trying not to do that if i can help it as i love my mission speakers.
 
EsaT said:
Do you need headphones connected also to TV (for example at night to not bother neighbours) or are you using only speakers with TV?

Would be lot easier to say what are possible options if you told what sources need to be connected to which "output device".
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Hi

Yes speakers on kinda of low on the day time but i live in a street house so to blast my music at night i put the headphones on so i don't wake the street up :D
 
Rroff said:
You don't need to spend a massive amount on a headphone amplifier - aside from some specific exceptions like the Sennheiser 600 series it rarely makes sense spending more on an amp than the cost of the headphones either.
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That's good to know as i hate spending money :D so what would you say i should be spending and on which Amp.

Thanks
.
 
Rroff said:
As someone mentioned above the Schiit series seems to be popular with the Beyers and start around £100 or a little less if you are lucky. Fiio also do some reasonable options though more designed for portable use and/or DAC/amps.

Or if you are feeling adventurous make your own CMoy :D
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Make my own :eek: I cant even make a cup of coffee :D a guy on another forum has suggested the Modi2 around £165.

.
 
EsaT said:
So that means headphone amplifier needs to be after NAD unless putting it paraller with it.
Line inputs don't cause any real load so you could certainly use y-cable from E-DAC to connect it to both headphone amp and NAD.
TV is likely to also have some analog out.

Actually If NAD's headphone output has switch which disables/mutes speaker output when headphones are connected that would be better.


No need and sense to pay anything over 100€.
Heck, £120 gets whole USB sound card with very good DAC, and the connections of sound card including inputs maknig it possible to use it as headphone amp.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/crea...-card-with-headphone-amplifier-sp-183-cl.html
https://techaeris.com/2016/09/29/sound-blasterx-g5-review-amplify-enhance-headphone-audio/
That should tell how much "audiophile" makers charge for single purpose devices.

And Objective2 was designed for "straight wire with amplification" neutrality and being indistinguishable from headphone amps considered reference level in blind testing.
http://www.headnhifi.com/amplifiers
It's available also as DIY kit, myself made two of those some five years ago.
You just don't want to turn gain to high on it with 250 ohm headphones.
Because it was designed to drive 600 ohm Beyers to hearing damage in minutes and some more volume.
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Great stuff. :D I was wondering how it was all going to connect together. So i just need a Y-cable with them little plugs on to go to the back of the NAD and I'm good to go ?

Also liking the look of them Sound Blaster cards as well so i think i need to read some reviews on them to see what people think about them


.
 
Marsman said:
Both the K2 and A5 are rated for 300 Ohm headphones, but the Ohm ratings are just guide lines really.

FiiO seem quite conservation when it comes to recommending what Ohm headphones work best for each of their products. E10K is recommended for up to 150 Ohm, but it does a decent job of driving Sennheiser HD600/650 headphones which are 300 Ohm. My FiiO X1 DAP has less power than the E10K and that does a commendable job to be fair with my HD600's.

The E10K would have no trouble with the DT770's, but then, it is a DAC as well as amp. Can't use it as just as an headphone amp. A good inexpensive option though.
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Looks great and not to expensive but I'm not sure it will fit on to my NAD as i don't think it has that fitting on it.


.
 
EsaT said:
One line out can be easily connected to line inputs of two devices, like speaker amplifier and headphone amplifier.

That NAD likely has quite a few separate inputs, both analog and digital/optical.
And you should already have it working with one source cable from PC and another from TV.
We just need to have headphone amp as parallel other output/listening device.

But connecting outputs of two different sources directly to one input isn't excatly something I would do, because that connects those outputs also to each others.
Device called "audio switch" can be used to connect two sources to only one input. You simply use switch to select which source you listen like in this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-...eo-Headphones-Selector-Switcher-/253153739961
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So does that little box just connect to the back of my NAD

.
 
Marsman said:
It can do, as there is a 3.5mm line out for connecting powered speakers or an amplifier. You'd just need a 3.5mm to 2x RCA cable.

Whether or not it's the best choice though, I suppose depends on what you're looking to spend and whether you're looking for any more features than just simple stereo DAC with a headphone amp and connection to the NAD amp.

The Creative G5 has more features, as it's essentially an external sound card.

If you're just looking for a decent simple DAC/headphone amp with line out for speakers though without spending a great deal, then the E10K is a good budget solution.
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I'm really torn between the Creative G5 and the E10K as they both get very good reviews in you tube. How much better would the Creative G5 be over the Epiphany Acoustics E-DAC sound wise ?


.
 
EsaT said:
NAD has separate inputs for different sources, so it doesn't need audio switch to separate sources.

Looking from pictures that NAD has only analog inputs so your TV's analog out is connected to it.
TV likely has only one analog (line) output, right?

So you would need two Y-cables, one for both E-DAC and TV.
With one "branch" from cable of both E-DAC and TV connected to separate inputs of NAD.
Other branch of Y-cables would then connect to audio switch with headphone amp connected to "common" connector.
Using pics of that eBay switch A and B connectors would be inputs and C used as output for connecting to HP amp:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-...eo-Headphones-Selector-Switcher-/253153739961

Could do drawing if that isn't clear enough.


So much easier when you use only PC for listening and watching everything and there's no need for complex connections between lots of devices... :p
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Just had a look at the back of my NAD and there is a cable that comes from it and leads to my Humax PVR. I think my brother fitted it and that must be how i get the sound for my TV because when the Humax is swithed off i don't get the sound coming out of my speakers and i have to use the TVs crappy little speakers. Yes a drawing would be great as i get a little lost with were everything should plug into. If you do a drawing can you do a picture of me in the background scratching my head please.

:D :D :D
 
EsaT said:
Well, that's weird...
Though could it be that TV some model which lacks analog line out?
Can't think of any other reason for why to make it that complex needing to have PVR powered for getting sound to external speakers.

Anyway just substitute TV with that PVR in previous explanation.
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Not sure why its like that to be honest it is an old TV and having looked at the back of the TV i don't see anywhere for that cable to fit. so does that mean i only need one Y-Cable to get the headphone amp to work now ?
 
Marsman said:
The Creative has a better DAC than the E-DAC. It's better on paper, but whether you'd hear any difference is hard to say. Some people might, some won't. One of those things you can't know without trying first.

Not sure why you're asking about the G5 compared to the E-DAC. That would imply you're either considering getting the G5 or using the E-DAC with a different headphone amp; unless you were thinking of using the analogue input on the G5, with the E-DAC as the DAC and G5 as the headphone amp.

If the latter, then I'd just use G5 as DAC and headphone amp.

As for the E10K, that functions as a DAC and headphone amp; but as it's USB input only, it can't be used just as a headphone amp.

For the choice between the E10K and G5, then it comes down to whether you will want the extra features of the G5, like microphone input and the 5.1/7.1 surround effects provided by SBX prostudio, or just a basic stereo DAC that the E10K is.

As for which sounds better; then, according a guy on Head-Fi who has both, he couldn't hear much difference between them.
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I'm really just looking for something that wont cost the earth and is easy for me to fit without having to run cables all over the house. i don't really need microphone input and the 5.1/7.1 surround effects so i think the E10K would be fine for what i need it for.
 
Well i could just leave the TV to Nad cable as it is as i don't use the headphone much for the TV. Then i could just get a G5 for the PC sound and headphone amp. Do you see any problems with doing it that way



:)
 
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