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Post by jandl100 on Oct 4, 2015 8:34:32 GMT
Well, you know me. I just like to try things.   I was looking for a £ton's worth of headphone amp; decent sound but not bank-breaking. And I bought a Musical Fidelity V-CAN. And very nice it is, too. But while searching I came across this wee beastie .... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tube-headphone-HQ-amplifier-with-adapter-nos-PCC85-BB85-guitar-knob-retro-/301749562137?. £24 - including postage from Slovakia!  I mean, you just gotta try these things. Well, I do anyway. Here it is ...   Stereo RCA input at rear. And you know summat? - with my Koss PortaPro headphones it sounds damn good. With my Audio Flare R2a IEMs, it's little short of amazing.  There is a tiny amount of hum in my setup, but this can be minimised by suitable arrangement of input level and this wee beastie's volume knob setting. Not at all discernible when music is playing. Just stupidly stupid value for money.  Playing Dream Theater's Pull Me Under at the moment ....   |
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Post by John on Oct 4, 2015 11:15:09 GMT
Interesting
I might give it a try I like to be able to use headphones but never any luck
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Post by MartinT on Oct 4, 2015 11:43:58 GMT
Nice find, Jerry. I'm more intrigued by your choice of music.
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Post by John on Oct 4, 2015 13:55:04 GMT
Pull me under is a great bit of music I think Jerry has liked Images and Words by DT for awhile now
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Post by stanleyb on Oct 19, 2015 17:20:50 GMT
Well, you know me. I just like to try things. I was looking for a £ton's worth of headphone amp; decent sound but not bank-breaking. And I bought a Musical Fidelity V-CAN. And very nice it is, too. It's too late to mention I suppose that I have been selling a headphone amp as well for nearly a year now. |
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 19, 2015 19:46:41 GMT
all your DACs are headphome amps as well, Stan - and very good ones, too. But no, I didn't know you made a dedicated headphone amp. Coo, look - here it is www.homehifi.co.uk/S/tc-7110.htmCapella at £119.99 - it doesn't really fall within the category "ridiculously cheap", though I'm sure you get good value. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2015 20:31:25 GMT
I couldn't buy the raw materials for what that valve headphone amp sells for!
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Post by brian2957 on Oct 19, 2015 21:12:08 GMT
all your DACs are headphome amps as well, Stan - and very good ones, too. But no, I didn't know you made a dedicated headphone amp. Coo, look - here it is www.homehifi.co.uk/S/tc-7110.htmCapella at £119.99 - it doesn't really fall within the category "ridiculously cheap", though I'm sure you get good value. The Capella is also an excellent preamp Jerry . I used it with an Amptastic Mini-1 and it took the SQ up a couple of notches . Great piece of kit |
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 20, 2015 6:09:37 GMT
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Post by Slinger on Oct 20, 2015 22:11:27 GMT
Have you noticed that ever since you piqued my/our interest in this the guy hasn't had any more to sell, Jerry?
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 21, 2015 6:31:05 GMT
Have you noticed that ever since you piqued my/our interest in this the guy hasn't had any more to sell, Jerry? Ah, no - I hadn't checked. Well, good - he deserves success, if that's what it is. Anyone here bought and received one? - if so, thoughts? |
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Post by Slinger on Oct 21, 2015 11:37:26 GMT
Typical of my luck, I seriously thought about trusting your judgement and chopping it in for my Graham Slee, but it seems the guy only had 2 and they were both sold before I got there.  |
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 21, 2015 13:09:41 GMT
Ah, shame.
Have you asked him if he plans to make any more?
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Post by brian2957 on Oct 21, 2015 18:37:22 GMT
I would check his listing again . I just bought one earlier today |
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Post by Slinger on Oct 21, 2015 21:41:04 GMT
Looks like he made another one, and sold it to you. None left again now.
I'll keep checking.
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Post by brian2957 on Oct 21, 2015 22:18:12 GMT
I would mate . Perhaps I just got lucky |
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Post by John on Oct 22, 2015 4:04:20 GMT
You can have mine I not used it if you wish just cover the cost
I just think it very unlikely I will use it
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Post by MartinT on Oct 22, 2015 7:21:07 GMT
Looking at the switched-mode power supply, there's a very nice improvement waiting in the wings for anyone who wants to make a linear PSU for it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2015 13:08:17 GMT
Looking at the switched-mode power supply, there's a very nice improvement waiting in the wings for anyone who wants to make a linear PSU for it. Or not...... It probably has a further switch mode supply (a boost converter) inside it to generate HT from the likely 12V coming from the switch mode wall wart. As I've stated before though, SMPSU's are not necessarily so terrible... they can be poor and usually a linear supply will be better but it's perfectly feasible for a SMPSU to be good enough so the improvement going to a linear supply is not a night and day one. It's a bit of a lottery with SMPSU's though as the way a particular piece of circuitry reacts to the ultrasonic interference from the SMPSU is unpredictable. |
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Post by MartinT on Oct 22, 2015 20:59:04 GMT
There's also the likelihood that the SMPS wall-wart is a poor quality mass produced Chinese item. In my experience they are often unreliable and broadcast huge amounts of mains-borne and RFI hash.
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