Headphone amp advice

[Abroben]

Hi, I've got a denon dm39 for my CDs and speakers but want to get a headphone amp for when using my grado sr225i, budget 200 pounds and ideally one that can have the denon plugged into it but also my iPad mini (lightning) just so I've got more music to choose from. Bit new to all this so could have overlooked something but teach and suggest away!

 

[davedotco]

There is no output from the DM39 available to drive a headphone amp.

Simple answer is to plug your iPad into the usb input, plug your headphones into the headphone socket and get on with it.

Really, no simple answers that I can see. You can probably still find headphone amps that run off the speaker terminals but they are rare and usually not that great.

 

[Abroben]

So will I not need a headphone amp to get the most out of my grados? Or will it not make enough of a difference?

 

[Abroben]

Would it be better saving the money for something like a better hifi? If so I'll probably start a new post about how to get into buying separates on a budget and for beginners

 

[davedotco]

So will I not need a headphone amp to get the most out of my grados? Or will it not make enough of a difference?

I am quite sure that your Grados will sound better with a good headphone amplifier.

However there is no simple way of connecting one to your system.

 

[ID.]

So will I not need a headphone amp to get the most out of my grados? Or will it not make enough of a difference?

I am quite sure that your Grados will sound better with a good headphone amplifier.

However there is no simple way of connecting one to your system.

This. No audio out other than the speaker terminals and headphone out, and the headphone out gets compromised by the Denon's own headphone amp circuitry. Yoou could use something like a Fiio D5 taking a feed from the Denon's headphone out into the mic in, but I'm not sure that you'd see any benefit.

A lot of headphone related kit these days seems to focus on users listening to music from a computer, so there is a huge range of combined DAC/headphone amps that work off USB from your computer, such as the Epiphany e-DAC

e.g. something like this might be good for use with a laptop

http://epiphany-acoustics.co.uk/products-page/dacs/ehp-o2d-miniature-desktop-headphone-amplifier-with-usb-dac/

Otherwise you could focus on products for use with your iPad

Not sure whether there are compatibility issues with whatever generation iPad you have, but you could get something like this

https://www.nuforce.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=25:icon-ido&Itemid=1421

For your iPad and just forget about trying to use the Denon.

 

[davedotco]

So will I not need a headphone amp to get the most out of my grados? Or will it not make enough of a difference?

I am quite sure that your Grados will sound better with a good headphone amplifier.

However there is no simple way of connecting one to your system.

This. No audio out other than the speaker terminals and headphone out, and the headphone out gets compromised by the Denon's own headphone amp circuitry. Yoou could use something like a Fiio D5 taking a feed from the Denon's headphone out into the mic in, but I'm not sure that you'd see any benefit.

A lot of headphone related kit these days seems to focus on users listening to music from a computer, so there is a huge range of combined DAC/headphone amps that work off USB from your computer, such as the Epiphany e-DAC

e.g. something like this might be good for use with a laptop

http://epiphany-acoustics.co.uk/products-page/dacs/ehp-o2d-miniature-desktop-headphone-amplifier-with-usb-dac/

Otherwise you could focus on products for use with your iPad

Not sure whether there are compatibility issues with whatever generation iPad you have, but you could get something like this

https://www.nuforce.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=25:icon-ido&Itemid=1421

For your iPad and just forget about trying to use the Denon.

The best way to spend the money is to trade up to a Marantz M CR610 (or Denon equivilent). Airplay for your iPad and a better headphone amp built in.

If down the line you still want a separate headphone amp, you have suitable fixed level outputs on the Marantz (Audio Out).

 

[ID.]

If down the line you still want a separate headphone amp, you have suitable fixed level outputs on the Marantz (Audio Out).

Good call, although I'm something of a fan of the combined headphone amp/DAC solution and prefer a dedicated headphone amp over using one builting into many integrated amps, etc., but I mainly use it in bed at night or when I'm working or "working" at my computer