Other Gear > Headphones

Headphone impedance and Bottlehead Kits

<< < (3/4) > >>

Laudanum:
Some more Hi-Z phones for Crack.

The following list from both manufacturers are only the models I am aware of.


German Maestro

GMP 400 - 300 ohms
GMP 450 PRO - 300 ohms
GMP 800.3 D - 300 ohms
GMP 250 - 100 ohms
GMP 240 - 100 ohms

They also have some lower impedance models.

MB Quart

QP 220 - 100 ohms
QP 400 - 300 ohms
QP 805HS - 300 ohms

These MB Quart phones are NOS.  Quart isnt making phones any longer.  Some of the German Maestro models are reprotedly equivalent or based on/similiar to Quart models.

Doc B.:
In light of the upcoming Smack amp that has switchable output impedance settings creating yet a third headphone amp choice in the Bottlehead stable, I have created a short article about Bottlehead amp choices for various headphones and listening setups. This has what I consider to be the most current info with respect to the community's experience. Note that I have shifted the suggested minimum impedance headphone to use with Crack up from 120 ohms to 200 ohms. This is not cast in stone, it is simply an adjustment based upon the aforementioned community feedback, and it also takes into consideration the ability of the new Smack to be set as high as 128 ohms output impedance.

http://www.bottlehead.com/et/whichheadphoneamp.htm

xcortes:
You're missing the mighty Quickie. It's battery power supply make it a very good component for battery powered sources (iPod anyone?).

Of course with the Specos gone one needs to source other options. Hmmm, how about the Schmack (OK, just checked and the spelling is wrong but goes well with Schmalle) opt for a Crack?

Doc B.:
One can certainly do these kinds of mods. I have to say that I think the Quickie is a killer preamp stock and a just OK headphone amp with the Specos added. With respect to putting an output transformer on the Crack, to my mind it's not really optimal to put a transformer on a cathode follower. I think both CFs and transformers are compromises and one or the other is a necessary evil. But I am not that big on making both compromises together to get the output impedance down. That's why we are doing the Smack, it's really the best circuit design we have found to use with a purpose-built transformer. Both the Smack and the Crack do what they do very well with the type of headphones they are designed to run (Smack below 200 ohms, Crack above 200 ohms), and neither is quite as good as the other with headphones outside their designed impedance range.

xcortes:
Stoopid me. I meant a Smack OPT for a Quickie?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page