$15,000 Headphone Amp

[watchnerd]

For the guy or gal who has everything:

https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=WA33E


Assuming some kind of reasonable Amp::Headphone cost ratio, I don't know what headphones are out there that justify a $15k amp...

 

[Sal1950]

For the guy or gal who has everything:
https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=WA33E
Assuming some kind of reasonable Amp::Headphone cost ratio, I don't know what headphones are out there that justify a $15k amp...

Small potatoes, the Sennheiser HE-1 Orpheus is $59,000, but that does include the headphones.
Yea this is some crazy stuff, shouldn't take more than a couple hundred bucks to build a SOTA stand alone headphone amp.
As an internal addition to a existing component, should be done with a couple chips for peanuts.
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/sennheiser-he-1
The recent headphone rage has taken audiophoolery to new heights. ( or lows) LOL

 

[Wombat]

Small potatoes, the Sennheiser HE-1 Orpheus is $59,000, but that does include the headphones.
Yea this is some crazy stuff, shouldn't take more than a couple hundred bucks to build a SOTA stand alone headphone amp.
As an internal addition to a existing component, should be done with a couple chips for peanuts.
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/sennheiser-he-1
The recent headphone rage has taken audiophoolery to new heights. ( or lows) LOL

Are those tubes running extra-hot in small glass thermo-flasks?

 

[Sal1950]

Are those tubes running extra-hot in small glass thermo-flasks?

They go up and down when you turn it on and off too!!!
So KOOL, Gotta have one

 

[VintageFlanker]

Small potatoes, the Sennheiser HE-1 Orpheus is $59,000, but that does include the headphones.

Speaking of the HE-1 DAC/AMP, it has analogue outputs that could be measured. Would be curious to know... Even if I don't expect stellar results, to be honest.

 

[Dialectic]

Small potatoes, the Sennheiser HE-1 Orpheus is $59,000, but that does include the headphones.
Yea this is some crazy stuff, shouldn't take more than a couple hundred bucks to build a SOTA stand alone headphone amp.
As an internal addition to a existing component, should be done with a couple chips for peanuts.
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/sennheiser-he-1
The recent headphone rage has taken audiophoolery to new heights. ( or lows) LOL

Saw it at Harrods. The salesperson, who very helpfully told me that it was a "top of the range" model, wouldn't let me listen to it.

 

[BillG]

For the guy or gal who has everything:

https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=WA33E


Assuming some kind of reasonable Amp::Headphone cost ratio, I don't know what headphones are out there that justify a $15k amp...

I think the manufacturers' name, "Woo Audio", says it all...

 

[watchnerd]

I think the manufacturers' name, "Woo Audio", says it all...

I think it's named after the chief engineer, Wei Wu.

 

[JJB70]

I'd love to see an objective comparison with the JDS Atom.

 

[Veri]

I'd love to see an objective comparison with the JDS Atom.

I can already see the clickbait. You wouldn't believe the result of this A-B test

 

[Manbeard]

Specs:

• Headphones impedance: 8-600 Ohms
• Frequency response: 10Hz- 70kHz, -2dB
• Preamp maximum output: 10V + 10V balanced
• Preamp output impedance: 50 ohms
• Power output: up to 10 watts per channel
• Signal/Noise: > 95 dB
• THD: < 0.05%, 1kHz
• Voltage: AC 120/240V, 50/60 Hz
• Power consumption: 150 watts
• External dimensions: 17.5"(W), 12"(D), 7.5"(H), add 5" to 6" with tubes installed
• Weight: 53 lbs

Would love to see something like this measured (especially with how poorly their one product performed on the bench) but I don't think there would be any huge surprises considering tubes and all...

 

[pozz]

$10 per basis point of distortion (1bps=0.01%, 1000bps=10%) under load, when looking at the other Woo Audio review.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-wa7-wa7tp-dac-and-headphone-amp-review.7028/

 

[August]

Small potatoes, the Sennheiser HE-1 Orpheus is $59,000, but that does include the headphones.
Yea this is some crazy stuff, shouldn't take more than a couple hundred bucks to build a SOTA stand alone headphone amp.
As an internal addition to a existing component, should be done with a couple chips for peanuts.
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/sennheiser-he-1
The recent headphone rage has taken audiophoolery to new heights. ( or lows) LOL

When they start, the tube slowly extends and you feel that everything is worth it..

 

[JJB70]

The Sennheiser Orpheus is hideously expensive and bonkers but it is at least full on AV theatre and dripping in "wow" factor, the other one just seems hideously over priced (people don't buy gear like this for the SQ).

 

[cjfrbw]

Orpheus? If I am going to have an alien pod, I think I'd prefer this one:

 

[Soniclife]

When they start, the tube slowly extends and you feel that everything is worth it..

That's so slow it looks like it would get annoying fast. I'm more taken with how the gear selector rises up in my car, which turns out to be cheaper than a pair of headphones.

 

[digicidal]

That's so slow it looks like it would get annoying fast. I'm more taken with how the gear selector rises up in my car, which turns out to be cheaper than a pair of headphones.

Although I'm constantly amazed at what some people will spend money on (and how much) I think it's more like an audio equivalent of something like the Lexus LFA. Sure they make a few for actual sales, but really it's more of a statement piece to say "we can build this..." Apparently it's the newest way of covering engineering deficiencies in 'normal' consumer product lines - essentially saying "if you'd given us even more money, we could have made something better than this". So getting poorly engineered goods or having bad QC is actually the consumer's fault for not being rich.