JA+       Hi Lewis,   Have seen a few high end "headphone amps" in some of 
he
  +catalogs and the specs looked fascinating. Needless to say the cost was
  +prohibitive for all but a few. One was solid state and three more models 
were
  +tubed and made to sit at the listeners side. I had to laugh, one even had 

  +remote! Although I have to admire the designers outlook/attitude of 
including
  +the remote.
  +       Is the major selling point the exceptional clean sound? Tweaked
  +especially for particular headphones? Or possibly the "warmth" from the 
tube
  +models? For apartment dwellers. etc, they could be the hot ticket to high 
end
  +sound if they perform anything like their promotional material. If memory
  +serves they were produced by the same company that makes some of the 
etter
  +headphones, but I would have to check.
John,
  My apologies for cutting in here.  I have had a HeadRoom Supreme 
headphone amp which I use to drive Sennheiser HD580s for over 3 years 
now.  Love it!  At the time I tried the newest Koss and various Stax 
electrostatics, AKG, Sony, and Grado dynamic cans to replace my old 
Koss electrostatics and antique Sennheisers.  The electrostatics had 
great mid and top end but comparatively weak bass; and although each 
brand mentioned had exceptional dynamic headsets, to my tastes the 
Sennheiser HD580s really stood out.  The special circuit in the 
HeadRoom amp (also now available in other makers headphone amps) adds a 
subtle but detectable imaging that relieves a portion of the "in your 
head" sensation normally associated with headphones.  The combo is 
worth the price.  Granted I still prefer my big speaker system, but 
there are times (and places) where the cans are the way to go.  
  I recently auditioned a friend's triode tube amp which he used to 
drive a pair of Grados.  The sound was grand but when I switched back 
to my setup (running on batteries) the sound opened up with that 
special imaging circuit.  I told my friend that HeadRoom sold that 
circuit on a board for about $80 and it could be integrated into his 
setup.  For a home (non-portable capable) setup, that tubed amp would 
be hard to beat although I'd still marry it to the HD580s.
 
-=[Bob Allman]=-      allmanr@sups28.ellsworth.af.mil
 * 1st 2.00 #427 * Variables won't; constants aren't.
--- Maximus 3.01
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