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<$150 desktop headphone amp options?

amadeuswus

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I'm looking for a new headphone amp, my only requirement is that it has a 3.5mm or RCA input, any other features are a bonus, but not necessary. Preferably, the closer it is to a black or dark grey metal box, the better. Clean power, and clean sound is all I'm after in an amp, I'll let my headphones color it afterwards.
I have a Schiit Magni Heretic. Dressed in black (with red but not garish-red side panels), it does its job without fuss. It also feels well made for the modest price. I do not know if your Verums are hard to drive, but the Heretic has plenty of power for the phones I've tried, even in low-gain mode.
 

staticV3

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The A10h is nice, except that just like the original Topping L30, its low +9dB gain means you have to input more than 3V to get the full output that the Amp is capable of, which most DACs can't do.

In practice this is rarely an issue as few headphones require more than 6V for proper volume, but it is a bit dissatisfying imo.
It might actually be an issue if you apply heavy EQ though, as you may run out of gain then.
 
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aether_tech

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I have a Schiit Magni Heretic. Dressed in black (with red but not garish-red side panels), it does its job without fuss. It also feels well made for the modest price. I do not know if your Verums are hard to drive, but the Heretic has plenty of power for the phones I've tried, even in low-gain mode.
My E10K can drive the Verums, so power from most amps shouldn't be an issue.
 

staticV3

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Again, when ordering an Atom from JDS, you can ask them to put metal plates as ballast inside the housing, to make the Amp sit more stable on your desk.
 

Lambo1985

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So, between the various forums and discords, the Magni+ seems to be winning out.
I picked up a Magni 2 a few years ago, based on community hype. I couldn't believe how compressed it sounded. It pushed upper mids so hard that it was irritating (some people refer to it as "glare"). I had a Samson QH4 amp that blew it away, cost a pinch, and no one knew about it. I dont know about the newer Magni's but, apparently the Magni 3 had the same issue as well. Out of the common recommendations here, I have the Atom+ & L30 II. - The Atom+ has 3.5 & RCA in, and the sound is super balanced and clean. However, the L30 II sound is more dynamic and has sharper transients. It also has more power and has your desired footprint. You can't go wrong with either, but given your HP set, it looks like the L30 II fits your needs best.
 
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