Dedicated headphone amp vs Headphone socket on amp

@mahgister, 

I use a Sanui Six receiver to power a pair of Stax SR-Lamdas (manufactured in 1978!) that have been my daily drivers for over four decades. They are easily the longest lasting gear in my system and I live in constant fear of them dying. I’ve tried a lot of headphones over the years but I have yet to find anything that gives me the same sense of space, detail and (realistic, not bombastic) bass response. I can appreciate your love of a quality vintage amp, even though I’m not using AKGs.

 

The Sansui receiver are among the best. But My Sansui alpha is the top of the line of all Sansui and their swan song because most alpha models  were sold only for the Japan market...

The AKG K340 was the best AKG ever designed as flagship. It is very picky and almost no headphone amplifier will do well. I tried 2 and one was a TOP one...

I kept the 100 watts alpha headphone out  only for the K340...

I use self powered speakers....but i listen music seriously with the K340 which beat most desktop speakers especially in non dedicated room.. Their timbre is natural et deep bass marvellous and holographic imaging with an out of the head soundfield spectacular with some recording...

 

But caution: it took me 6 months to optimize the K340...Very hard to figure out...

It is an old headphone and i dont recommend it save if you dont begin in this hobby...

But at 100 bucks optimized i will be in fear to buy anything  else at any price...

I know some many thousand bucks headphone with no deep bass etc...

I owned 10 headphones in the past of different type, none had timbre right save the Stax Sr5 gold... But this Stax gave as most headphone a sound impression in the head not out of the head  as the k340...

I begun my audiophile journey with speakers once i was dissatisfied with all headphones...

Then i was dissatisfied with all the speakers i owned... Even the top Tannoy...

Then i learned acoustics for 2 years non stop...

Then i discovered why i loved speakers/room over any headphone...

But then  suddenly i was in the obligation to sell the house  with my big speakers...

In my new house no choice : i had the K340  no more satisfying speakers...

 I used my knowledge of acoustics to understand how to optimize them...

I succeeded  after 6 months...

Now i had music of audiophile quality again with the K340...

It is not equal to my past  dedicated acoustic  room for sure but it is the best any headphone can do and it beat any low cost speakers in a living room  anyway easily... It is OK ...

 

 

 

 

Aune SR7000

Deep Forest 

 

I had always some minor niggling peeves towards the mid and lower bass sections of the Aune 7000 headphone running through the Aethos headphone socket. Then took a chance with and put my mind to rest with adding the Aune S17 pro headphone amp to the mix. After the second listening session, now happy to confirm the sound is as good as if listening through my reference system and even adds an additional layer or sometimes two to the presentation . Not revealed before. My headphone foray is now complete. A surprisingly good outcome and more quality sound on tap than ever thought possible. 

FYI, I'm going through a similar process.   I have an Aavik U-588, Borresen 01 SSE speakers all Ansuz cables, D3 power distributor, D3 power switch.  I wanted to get some headphones.  Bought some Focal Bathys and McIntosh MB25 bluetooth [BT)  receiver and transmitter.  Liked the sound somewhat but didn't like the MB25.  To make a long story short.  Bought Topping A50 III headphone amp and P50 linear power supply as a test.  Very impressed with the Topping items, sound, build, etc.  Hard to believe they we're so inexpensive.  Using the Focal Bathys wired, sound pretty great for the price.  Not sure where I go next.  Have Art Audio building long custom cable for the Bathys.  If I were to upgrade anything right now I think it would be the Bathys but I think I'd need to spend about $2000 to make much of a difference.  Just my current story and info for you.

I’m new to headphones, but will be moving to a life-care community next month where I will need to play my audio at moderate levels even though the units are said to be well sound proofed with cement walls.  I was impressed with my cousin’s McIntosh headphone amp driving Sennheiser 800S for loud large orchestrations.  I will be using the headphone output of my Ayre QX-5 Twenty Roon-ready DAC to drive 800S, and I don’t know what to expect.  Roon iis my primary source,  I hope I don't have to buy a separate headphone amp.

(The QX-5/20 will be used with an Ayre AX-5/20 integrated to drive KEF Reference 1s as an alternate to my KEF LS60 setup.)