Here is my main home headphone system, and desktop speaker system. I have a pair of APPJ valve amps - one for driving headphones, and the other one for driving an old pair of modified Tandy Genexxa LX5 speakers with the unusual Linaeum tweeter.
Here the two APPJ valve amps. The Minwatt N3 speaker has a pair of Psvane EL84s with a TJ Full Music 12AX7 and the PA1502A headphone amp has a pair of Genalex Gold Lion CV511 / 6V6GT Cryo'd output valves and a Psvane 12AX7. I've replaced the metal feet with rubber Acoustifeet, and they sit on SSC Minibases. When I'm using the Hugo as a portable I use the HD USB input, but for desktop prefer the Coax input via a Bel Canto uLink USB to S/PDIF converter
Here are my three full size headphones. I love the Audeze LCD-3 driven by the APPJ PA1502A, it makes them sound almost like electrostatics as there is so much sweet detail, and the bass seems to be at least as good as via the Hugo direct. The Audezes are quite heavy though and I find they can get quite sweaty and uncomfortable on a hot evening. I saw the AKG 701s going for just over 100 pounds including shipping on Amazon Spain, and I thought for that price I've got nothing to lose and maybe they would still sound really good, but be a bit more comfortable than the Audezes on hot evenings. I use the Sennheisers for watching films on YouTube, but they sound better with the APPJ for music than they have ever done before.
My various other headphone bits and pieces:
I had been using my Android phone as a USB transport until recently, but I have switched to the amazing little Shanling M0 instead. I've tried it with both my iFi Nano and Hugo with good results, and I'm looking forward to trying it with my iFi BL Micro iDSD too. The Shanling M0 is actually good enough to use for driving IEM headphones directly and works really well with my Ortofon eQ5s and KZ ATEs.
I've got another couple of KZ IEMs on order - a KZ KSA and a KZ KST with silver upgrade cables as they are going for peanuts on GearBest - about 12 pounds for each headphone and 6 pounds for the cables.
- Raspberry Pi/Moode Audio OS/iFi Nano iUSB3.0
- Bel Canto uLink USB to S/PDIF converter powered by AQVOX linear PSU
- Original Hugo driven from the S/PDIF interface
- Audeze LCD-3 Fazor
- Nordost Heimdall 2 headphone cable
- Sennheiser HD580
- AKG 701
- Tandy Genexxa LX5, rewired with new crossover
- IsoAcoustics Stands
- Miniwatt N3 speaker amp
- APPJ PA1502A headphone amp
- Duelund interconnects and speaker cable
- Black Cat USB and S/PDIF cables
- SSC Minibase amplifier stands
- Isotek EVO3 Premier mains cables
Here the two APPJ valve amps. The Minwatt N3 speaker has a pair of Psvane EL84s with a TJ Full Music 12AX7 and the PA1502A headphone amp has a pair of Genalex Gold Lion CV511 / 6V6GT Cryo'd output valves and a Psvane 12AX7. I've replaced the metal feet with rubber Acoustifeet, and they sit on SSC Minibases. When I'm using the Hugo as a portable I use the HD USB input, but for desktop prefer the Coax input via a Bel Canto uLink USB to S/PDIF converter
Here are my three full size headphones. I love the Audeze LCD-3 driven by the APPJ PA1502A, it makes them sound almost like electrostatics as there is so much sweet detail, and the bass seems to be at least as good as via the Hugo direct. The Audezes are quite heavy though and I find they can get quite sweaty and uncomfortable on a hot evening. I saw the AKG 701s going for just over 100 pounds including shipping on Amazon Spain, and I thought for that price I've got nothing to lose and maybe they would still sound really good, but be a bit more comfortable than the Audezes on hot evenings. I use the Sennheisers for watching films on YouTube, but they sound better with the APPJ for music than they have ever done before.
My various other headphone bits and pieces:
- iFi Black Label Micro iDSD
- iFi Nano iDSD
- Original Sennheiser Momentum over ears
- Audeze Sine headphones
- Ortofon eQ5 IEMs
- KZ ATE IEMs
- Shanling M0 DAP
I had been using my Android phone as a USB transport until recently, but I have switched to the amazing little Shanling M0 instead. I've tried it with both my iFi Nano and Hugo with good results, and I'm looking forward to trying it with my iFi BL Micro iDSD too. The Shanling M0 is actually good enough to use for driving IEM headphones directly and works really well with my Ortofon eQ5s and KZ ATEs.
I've got another couple of KZ IEMs on order - a KZ KSA and a KZ KST with silver upgrade cables as they are going for peanuts on GearBest - about 12 pounds for each headphone and 6 pounds for the cables.
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