Silicon Carbide Headphone Amplifier on Kickstarter

[quadpatch]

I just found out about this project on kickstarter. I am very tempted to make a pledge for one of these! Anyone else think this sounds interesting?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1682246865/sicphones-a-high-end-silicon-carbide-headphone-amp

 

[dalethorn]

This would be a lot more attractive if it contained a good DAC.

 

[quadpatch]

Agreed! I like all-in-one solutions, perhaps this will be their next model.

It's not too bad for ppl like us, who have plenty of good sources to feed it, but yeah it's a good point and was my first thought. It's not putting me off being tempted.

 

[dalethorn]

I see I could get one for $280, then feed it from the output of my Dragonfly. I would expect minimal improvement over the Dragonfly's own headphone output, not because this isn't a better amp, but because 1) The real potential of this amp is limited by my low-cost DACs I assume, and 2) Because of the extra signal leads and processing connecting my DAC and bypassing its amp to get a pure signal to the Sic.

I think the only way I could justify this is if they published a list of DACs that 1) Would be ideally matched to the Sic, and 2) The Sic is known to greatly improve the SQ over the DAC's own headphone out. Too many times this just doesn't happen.

Edit: If Sic were to recommend a new DAC comparable in price to their amp (instead of using the existing mini-DACs I have), that would raise the overall cost to $600 USD.

 

[quadpatch]

That's an interesting way of looking at it and probably also wise. Perhaps it would be wise to put it to them so that they can make some suggestions. I think that the Dragonfly could do a nice job with the Sic, but I'm really not sure. I just read one reviewer described the sound as being on the cool side and that reminds me of the CEntrance DACport, which I was not very happy with. Hmm...

 

[dalethorn]

In the past I didn't care so much about trends since I wanted just the very best sound I could get, and now I realize how much that cost me over time. So I watch and I see more and more integration of DACs and headphone amps. Now I can understand someone making a very expensive amp like the new Sennheiser (well, actually I can't, but....) and since it's a purist item more or less, they expect you to buy a good DAC separately. But even that isn't clear anymore. I'm not certain whether manufacturers think that DACs are just a commodity any more, or whether they detract from concentration on their own amp designs, or what the logic is. But I am convinced that nobody should be making a new audiophile headphone amp today without a DAC, unless they have tested it with a variety of suitable DACs, and listed them along with any notes, any pluses or minuses they observe in using DAC 'x' or 'y' with their new headphone amp. Any less than that and IMO it's not audiophile.