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_FinalPantasy_ t1_j9tznrf wrote

When someone says “x headphones are difficult to drive - we recommend this $2000 amp to drive them properly” but then I see the wattage output at all ohm levels and its less than my $300 schitt amp, what exactly else could they mean other than maybe the tonal changes a tube amp or something else it might introduce? Is there any reason a cheaper solid state amp like a Schitt or a Topping or a Monolith THX that put out 6W at 32ohm wouldn’t be sufficient enough to drive anything but the most very demanding headphones?

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a_wifi_has_no_name t1_j9v2kjo wrote

>Is there any reason a cheaper solid state amp like a Schitt or a Topping or a Monolith THX that put out 6W at 32ohm wouldn’t be sufficient enough to drive anything but the most very demanding headphones?

No. It's bullshit. Clean power is clean power. Anyone telling you that you need a $2,000 amp to drive anything is either a marketer or has drank the marketer's Kool-Aid.

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_FinalPantasy_ t1_j9v3quv wrote

Shweet. I'm ordering a Monolith THX 887. 8.8w at 16o, 6w at 32o for only $240 is rediculous. What planar/dynamic drive can would even struggle with that much power? I've been looking for the best value per wattage and it seems like you have to spend $1000+ for 10w+ 16o.

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a_wifi_has_no_name t1_j9va6g0 wrote

Don't talk to me about enough power for planars. I'm running Sundaras satisfactorily off a Valhalla 2.

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_FinalPantasy_ t1_j9vag7v wrote

I’ve got an Asgard but I like my L30 II more. But I want more powah without breaking the bank.

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ThatGuyFromSweden t1_j9vn22l wrote

Most usually not from a power perspective, and there's a lot of misunderstandings going around. Watts are voltage × current, and some headphones need proportionally more of one or the other. That's one of the reasons why it is generally good to leave some headroom when specing a setup just based on wattage. Then some people take this argument way too far and draw the wrong conclusions.

Depending on who you ask, and there are credible people on both sides of the argument, some headphones may sound nicer on certain amps. But then we get into the weeds of equipment that don't claim full transparency to the source and do introduce colourations. Also, you might need to consider the question of whether or not it's good to listen to recordings using equipment more perfect than what it was originally made with. Yadda yadda... We can go on forever.

Fundamentally, if your idea of listening is to replicate the source file as accurately as possible (according to current standards of analysis), then a THX amp is all you'll need for everything apart from the most ridiculously demanding headphones.

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