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Antique Sound Labs Headphone Amp

Audiogonisti...any feedback regarding this inexpensive tube headphone amp?

I recently saw a couple of their other products but did not have a chance to listen to them. Looks seemed way beyond the price points. But, on the other hand, one brand new unit had a loose knob tipping off point of origin.

Here's the deal. My system is sounding good. Real good. Finally rounding into shape. But the wife is giving me heavy "stink eye" in the wee, wee hours. Now that I'm self employed -- and worse yet, doing business in Asia at odd hours -- I just need only one squinting eye to make it to the coffee pot in the morning, so I'm staying up until near dawn working and listening to music. Every night. Good electricity at this time to boot.

I thought about picking up a Melos SHA Gold which works damn, damn good as a headphone amp and would be a fine back-up line stage. But, I have serious fever for a turntable. I sold the Sota a couple of years ago and have been vinyl deprived since. I just scored an Arcici Lead Balloon and am hell nebt on getting some buckshot and something to put on top of it. Which brings us back to the headphone amp...

I need something inexpensive and reasonably good. Stuff like X-Cans and Headrooms offend my sensibilties. Anything else out there for a man prowling for good sound on the cheap?

Oh, need headphones too. Left those with an
ex-girlfriend. I'd rather confront a rat in heat than talk to her about returning the SR80's. Any headphone suggestions to go with my inexpensive headphone amp?

Thanks in advance. Jim.
jim

Showing 6 responses by jim

jim OP
418 posts
 
Looks like the MGHead, XCans2 and the Antique Sound Labs will get auditioned. Thanks for the feedback.
jim OP
418 posts
 
Bmoto... guess I'll add the Wheatfield to the list. My system is also tube based and I've been doing quite a bit of tube rolling during the past year or two. I need to maintain the tube vibe is whatever headphone amp I ultimately go with. I initially thought about going with electrostatic headphones (since I have esl speakers) but I don't believe I can have those and the tubes at the same time. If I am mistaken, I'd be very happy to be corrected.

Like Khokugo, I need to balance price and performance. The wife likes the 4 Mazda chrome plates I just picked up, and since my new Modulus 3a looks identical to the Mod3 I'm not sure if she even knows that an upgrade occured while she was getting her hair done, but I know she's going to "poop" when I track down 12 matched NOS 6L6GC's or EL34's. Then there's the turntable I want to add to the system...

Thanks for the input.
jim OP
418 posts
 
Lonecherry, reflecting on my comment regarding esl headphones and tube headphone amps I seem to recall that Stax offered a choice of solid state or tubes with the Lambda Pro. Do you know if this is correct?

By the way, maybe ts time for you to get rid of those *aging* Stax phones ;-)
jim OP
418 posts
 
Sorry, meant "Lornecherry".
jim OP
418 posts
 
Lornecherry, now you've gone and done it. I checked out the Stax and their new line of products has piqued my interest. Looks like they've made some significant imrpovements -- especially in the specs of the diaphram. Several amps, including tubed, to choose from. I kind of forgot about Stax as they had sketchy distibution in recent years. Oh, and cost is another reason they weren't top of mind.

One more thing gives me "the fear"... I don't really want to start comparing a top-of-the-line Stax system with my esl speakers. This is the kind of thing that could drive one right over the edge, if you know what I mean. It's a good thing that I'm going to stick to my intention of doing this on a budget for now. The Stax, however, is a very likely longer term goal.

Very cool tweak with the Stax pads. Thanks for your feedback.
jim OP
418 posts
 
Pete, good points and an interesting take. I hadn't considered portability and my initial thinking was to try and get a headphone set up that matched my main system as closely as possible. Being a tube junkie, I naturally zeroed in on tube headphone amps. Your idea is food for thought.

I, too, have an AI pre (just upgraded to the 3a after many years with the 3). Also using a Mesa Baron amp and CLS/SW800's (the subs driven by an old Adcom 555). I'm just a hair South of neutral right now in two-thirds triode, due to tube rolling. Two-thirds pentode is pretty damn neutral. I find myself listening more in the pentode mode because of greater detail, adding more triode when the material needs it. Since headphone amps do not have the adjustable features of the Baron, I may be better off leaning towards detail and speed. Thanks for your suggestion -- I'll compare both ss and tube.
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