Headphone amp that is the equivalent of a muscle tube amp?
David Matz -- Thu, 05/06/2010 - 07:44
Is there a headphone amp that is the equivalent of a VTL Siegfried or Wotan / ARC 610? Woo Audio, maybe?
Is this comparison valid?
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After doing A LOT of listening, I can answer my own question. I guess audiophiles are not into headphones that much - and I understand why, owning huge electrostats. Or they listen through crappy amps.
The top 2 contenders I found are Woo WA5 and Manley 300B. The Woo is faster and more dynamic. It is also 2 huge pieces, requiring adequate rack space. The Manley is a tad slower (but not slow by any means!), but has much more depth and dimensionality. The Manley is also a preamp. The Manley is more expensive.
Both have SS qualities of speed and control yet have the warmth and dimensionality of tubes. Have your cake and eat it too.
The answer is here - http://www.avguide.com/forums/best-headphone-amp - see the last post.