Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo replaced my O2 headphone amp

My O2 amp is a bit marginal with the 300ohm HD650s ... not bad but I need push the volume knob close to max when I crank the 650 ... so every so often I think about getting something better ...

A week ago I was looking at the DAC and headphone amp ratings at Audio Science Review. I noticed that Amirm gave high marks to the JDS Labs Atom Amp+ and Atom DAC+. At $110us each these were damn inexpensive compared to most of the others they were ranked with.

Two things stood out:
1st - Amirm is petty tough ... if he rates anything highly you know it's good.
2nd - was JDS Labs ... I bought my O2 amp from them and they are a great outfit, made in the US, and they stand by their stuff.

So, I ordered the Atom Amp and then a what the hell moment hit me ... and added the Atom DAC+ as well.

I've only been using them for a few hours and have not tried to compare them to the old setup ... but my impression is simply this: Why did I wait so long ... money well spent.

Hey rrlev, how’s the Atom stack treating you ? I just finished setting up my new home office…..and the Atom is priced right. And it may satiate an itch I’m having to buy some audio gear….have you tried the stack with anything other headphones than the 650?

I only have positive things to say about this combo. Deep noise floor … just blackness … you’ll only hear the music. Haven’t done any measurements myself … but from my subjective listening you can’t go wrong …

On different phones …
I’m listening on Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 ohm version) at the moment … sounds great! Just because you ask I switched to the Koss PortaPro (60 ohm and the best $35 headphone out there IMHO) … floor still deep with even with the volume full out (without the music playing of course). Very impressive…

Right on! That’s what I want to hear. I bet those Beyers are amazing! Thanks for the update. Looks like a perfect stack for my home office and to keep all the kid noise cancelled.

The quiet noise floor would be a welcome environment, great. The few things I’ve tried with my phones always have the low hiss in the background. At higher volumes who cares, but at lower volumes it gets annoying at ruins the experience, in my opinion.

When you listen to headphones, is the soundstage between your ears? Is your brain the venue?

2x,

Unfortunately none of the headphones I have (or have heard) present a stage in front of you ...
The stage (for me) has always been in the same plane as my head ... yes, center'ed between ears.

I've tried a few apps that claim to correct that but none did
Some recent phones are claiming to do 3d sound but since I've not tried them ... who knows

That's why I don't headphone.

Mojo, for a guy who likes to be front and center ... headphones can put you at the center of everything ... Master of the Universe in your own head, a legend in your own mind, the sex god of sonic bliss... now how can ya turn that down??

As for me ...
I'm really looking to close out the world, concentrate on what I'm doing, and do it with something that sounds great! So, when on the computer (often when programming, doing finance stuff, or even goofing off writing silly stuff in some nutty speaker manufacture forum) it's nice to have a pair of phones. I can ignore/trade-off zero depth because my focus is else where ... just enjoy the music ...

Did you go for it?

Hear hear!

( See what I did there….)

can't "hear" a thing ... my phones are on

But from the happiness between the lines i think you did ...

Hey Rich,

No. Haven’t gone for it yet. I’m stuck in over analyzing it. ( as usual ). Paralysis by analysis. Started looking at Schiit products and then got sucked into the YouTube headphone world of reviews. What a rabbit hole…..

I should just go for it…

I’m also about to start my work season again of travelling. I’m thinking of picking up a DAC that’s mobile for headphone use off my phone and laptop while I’m away at work.

Have you tried the pre outs on you atom amp?

Wondering how that might sound if I added some small desktop speakers too…..

Yup im guessing it would sound perfectly fine. But if you’ve tried it would love to hear your impressions ….

I have not tried them but If your going for speakers over headphones you might consider the Atom DAC with the AIYMA A07. It's a nice tiny amp also reviewed by Amirm. I didn't spend a lot of time with it and only tried it on some very old Bose 101 monitors I have at my computer. I bought it because it uses a chip d-amp I'm interested in.

The office rig will be primarily headphones. I was thinking Atom plus amp with Atom DAC plus, and then adding some small desktop powered speakers and use the pre outs to control them. Then it all runs off my computer via USB to DAC to pre then the rca pre out to powered speakers.

At least that’s my current thought.

I’ll check out the AIYMA but I don’t know if my “ OCD “ symmetry, matchy matchy particular ness will allow to not have matching ATOM stack.

Passive speakers would a cheaper route , no point t in buying the atom amp and a powered speaker or separate power amp.

I’m open to suggestions to a matching stack of headphone and power amp plus DAc. …

There’s so many options…..paralysis analysis!!.

Well I finally bought an Atom amp. Used one. It’s great. Plays with tons of headroom with efficient 32 ohm headphones. Just gotta pickup a matching DAc now. Probably go will go with a atom DAc plus. ( I’m using my axiom transformer to stream and DAc to the atom amp. Which is also controlling my yammie that is powering my m2s in my office.

Eventually it will just be the atom stack and a power amp of some sort and then move my yammie to the garage for a setup in there.

Anyway enough about plans..the Atom Amp is a really nice little unit and sounds great with my headphones. Sounds worlds better than just using the phone out on my intergrated amps. Absolutely worth having a dedicated headphone setup. Makes going to the desk for work more enjoyable. ( and the m2s and sub are fun too!).

Atom Amp is worth it. Approved.

PS. Thanks Rich ( rrlev ) for recommending and making me aware of the atom amp. Cheers!!!

Happy you’re happy …

Yes thanks. Very happy. I love having the variety of all my different setups and adding a good headphone rig is yet another “venue” to enjoy and not be bothering anyone. ( or to tune out all the noise and get some work done in the basement office. ).

I want to try some different headphones too. Need to try some open back and others too. It’s good fun.

You need to stop kidding around with headphone amps and pick up one of these.

https://dandagostino.com/products/relentless-amplifier

I’ll need 2 of those. One for each headphone channel.