Headphone Amp for Audio-Technica ATH-W1000X?

[admin_exported]

Hi,

I am interested in buying a headphone amp for use with my W1000X headphones, but am currently confused by the overwhelming choices on the market.

I don't really want to spend more that £300 as this will be my first headphone amp.

The source will mainly be playing cds through my Denon DM-37, so it needs to be able to connect to that.

I have asked a similar question on Head-fi forum and had many suggestions including Little Dot Mk IV SE and other tube amps, as well as solid state amps but I really don't know what to go for. Alternatively I have also been looking at the Graham Slee Novo that received such a good review on this website.

Basically it has left me confused as it seems different amps are better suited to certain headphones so I really don't know what is best for the W1000X.

If anyone could point me in the right direction then it would greatly help narrow down my search!

Thanks in advance. [*-)]

 

[idc]

Headphone amp buying is so difficult as there is basically no where to audition more than one, if that. Head-fi can be too much, but my suggestion is to search for threads on the AT you have and then look at the posters kit list. I did that, but the other way round to get headphones for my Musical Fidelity X-CAN. I saw that many X-CAN owners who were happy with their sound had AKGs in their kit list. So I got the K702s and have not looked back since.

My own recommendation would be any MF headphone amp, particularly from the X-CAN range. There is a regular supply on ebay of the older ones, they will run any headphone, connect to your Denon with an aux channel or via the tape lop if there is one and are within your budget.

 

[El Hefe]

Ia gree with idc. MF X-CAN amps should be able to easily drive the Audio Technica. If you have the dough, go for the X-CAN V8 or the new MF HPA.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies, looks like more amps to add to the list. I have done as suggested and been searching threads, sadly this just seems to add more amps to an already long list, such as the Matrix M-Stage.

I definitely agree its a real pain not being able to audition amps. To be honest I have never heard what headphones powered through a separate amp even sound like so I am not quite sure what to expect, but hoping to be impressed if and when I do finally get to listen to one. I am a complete novice but since I won these headphones I have been wanting to try and get the best out of them, hence I have become interested in something I didn't even realise existed before this.

I am certainly interested in amps by Musical Fidelity - especially so since they can be bought within Europe, rather than importing from the US, China etc...something which I am not too sure about doing.

Looks like I am going to be spending a fair amount of time doing further reading until I can find a magical website that says the best amp for those headphones at X price is....