Headphone amps

It's good, and an interesting circuit. Are you planning to build one?
 
The PIMETA is a bit aged. If you're not building...well, for example there's one for $160 on eBay now, and for that I might be looking around at a number of other options.

What headphones are you planning to use with it? That will determine things like benefit from amplification and preference for solid-state / tube amplifiers.
 
I'm going to use an amp with Realtek HD motherboard audio and a pair of Equation RP-21 or JVC HA-RX700.
 
FYI, the AT originals which the HARX are based on are known for being pretty indifferent to amplification. No clue about the RP-21s.

There are maybe more effective uses of the $150+...if nothing else, a desktop dac/amp like the Zero would upgrade more of your audio chain for the same budget, and isn't completely reliant on the effect of the difference in amplification on your headphones.
 
IMO it's mostly a matter of sample bias - happy users are more likely not to post about their experiences, while unhappy users are extremely likely to (looking for support, complaining, etc). But it's not like I ordered 100 of them and ran detailed tests to see how many had issues. And anything you ship a lot of will have some quirks.

The HDAM version is worth it anyway if you have the money, and would be more intimately tested before shipping. Better sound quality and tighter quality control.
 
Music tends to be the most sensitive and diverse application of audio, yeah. And really the case where sound = crack. Gaming you care more about atmosphere and positioning, while clarity of dialog and impact are more key in movies. But it will still help with games/movies, provided there's the audio quality there to begin with - it will improve the fidelity of the sound production to the original source.
 
I've owned a Pimeta in the past. It's a good solid amp and a great way to get your feet wet with headphone amplification.
 
i have the harx700 and have had the rp-21. both dont need much amp. an x-fo or audigy will drive them well. if u dont have those (which are strong output for sound cards) a small cmoy or fiio amp will do u good. the jvc 'opens up' with amplification. i use a creek obh-11 (a lower end desktop amp) with good results.also have a fiio e3 which works fine with these as well
 
Whats the best cmoy to buy on ebay? Looks like there's tons of them. I found a good looking one but it's being sold from Germany. I don't really mind that but I would rather buy something in the US.
 
The cmoy amp is really a retarded-simple circuit. Best is a bit dicey since these are all hobbyist builds. You should look at any improvements they claim to have made, do some quick reading on the op-amp they list (this page is a good reference), and look at their pictures of the casework & wiring for an indication of build quality.
 
I think I might get a dac/amp combo from Hot Usb on ebay. I've heard good things about their stuff.
 
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