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djdolcevita

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Hi there,

I’m an intermediate musician who primarily mixes on headphones (please spare me the “don’t mix on headphones” lecture).

I recently upgraded to the UAD Apollo Twin X Gen 2, replacing my Babyface Pro FS. However, I’ve noticed that the headphone output on the Apollo is clearly colored and doesn’t provide enough power to properly drive my HIFIMAN XS headphones at the levels I prefer (full volume, no headroom).

Here’s my current setup:
• Main Headphones: HIFIMAN XS (not easy to drive)
• Mids Reference Headphones: Sennheiser HD490 Pro (with mixing pads)
• Lows Reference Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro
• Slight EQ correction applied to all headphones, tuned to the Harman Curve + Canopener in mixing chain
• Yamaha HS8 monitors (in a poorly treated room, so they’re rarely used).

What I Need Help With:

I’m looking for a headphone amp that meets the following criteria:

• Neutral sound (no colorization of frequencies)
• Budget: $200–$400 max
• Low distortion
• Enough power for HIFIMAN XS (requires 64mW according to Headphonest.com – see screenshot below)
• Ideally, two headphone outputs to run multiple headphones simultaneously

I was thinking about the Topping L30 mk2, but really have no clue on what‘s considered good in the Amp world.

Additionally, I’d like advice on how to best connect the amp to my Apollo Twin X. I was considering using the optical out, but I’m open to suggestions.

I’m not very experienced in the audiophile world, so I’d really appreciate any recommendations or guidance you can provide!

Thanks in advance!
Cheers J
 

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I’d like advice on how to best connect the amp to my Apollo Twin X. I was considering using the optical out, but I’m open to suggestions.
From what I can tell, the Twin X only has Optical in, not out.

Even if it was an output, Optical is digital and Amps are purely analog devices (Analog in->Analog out).

Therefore, to connect an external Amp via Optical out, you'd have to do Source device->Optical->External DAC->RCA/XLR->External Amp.

There are of course devices that combine a DAC and Headphone Amp into a single box.

In the end, I think your only option to connect an external Amp to the Twin X is via the 1/4" Line out ports.
 
Review Index upper left -> Electronics (in banner) -> Headphone Amp (search box) -> price (column head) -> Recommended (yes)
Good luck Welcome to ASR
 
From what I can tell, the Twin X only has Optical in, not out.

Even if it was an output, Optical is digital and Amps are purely analog devices (Analog in->Analog out).

Therefore, to connect an external Amp via Optical out, you'd have to do Source device->Optical->External DAC->RCA/XLR->External Amp.

There are of course devices that combine a DAC and Headphone Amp into a single box.

In the end, I think your only option to connect an external Amp to the Twin X is via the 1/4" Line out ports.
Hey man, didn‘t anwer the main question, but is obviously a very helpful tip! Thanks for that!

Yes I can confirm the Apollo Twin X Gen 2 only has one optical in.

If I‘d do Source> Apollo XLR out> Headphone Amp RCA in,

Would that mean the sound would be coloured from the Apollo anyways?
Would it also mean that I could skip the DAC in the setup?
And would‘t I then be bottlenecking my headphone amp if I feed it 44.1/24bit audio from my Interface?

Thanks for the help!
 
Hi there,

I’m an intermediate musician who primarily mixes on headphones (please spare me the “don’t mix on headphones” lecture).

I recently upgraded to the UAD Apollo Twin X Gen 2, replacing my Babyface Pro FS. However, I’ve noticed that the headphone output on the Apollo is clearly colored and doesn’t provide enough power to properly drive my HIFIMAN XS headphones at the levels I prefer (full volume, no headroom).

Here’s my current setup:
• Main Headphones: HIFIMAN XS (not easy to drive)
• Mids Reference Headphones: Sennheiser HD490 Pro (with mixing pads)
• Lows Reference Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro
• Slight EQ correction applied to all headphones, tuned to the Harman Curve + Canopener in mixing chain
• Yamaha HS8 monitors (in a poorly treated room, so they’re rarely used).

What I Need Help With:

I’m looking for a headphone amp that meets the following criteria:


• Neutral sound (no colorization of frequencies)
• Budget: $200–$400 max
• Low distortion
• Enough power for HIFIMAN XS (requires 64mW according to Headphonest.com – see screenshot below)
• Ideally, two headphone outputs to run multiple headphones simultaneously

I was thinking about the Topping L30 mk2, but really have no clue on what‘s considered good in the Amp world.

Additionally, I’d like advice on how to best connect the amp to my Apollo Twin X. I was considering using the optical out, but I’m open to suggestions.

I’m not very experienced in the audiophile world, so I’d really appreciate any recommendations or guidance you can provide!

Thanks in advance!
Cheers J

Topping A70 Pro for $399. One of the most powerful and neutral amps you can buy.

 
The tonal deviations caused by electromechanical transducers such as your headphones are vastly more audible than any non-broken piece of audio electronics. I can't speak to output, you should certainly aim for a good amount of headroom.

Two headphone outs would be somewhat unusual, but in general I'd recommend the MOTU products.
 
I was thinking about the Topping L30 mk2, but really have no clue on what‘s considered good in the Amp world.

Additionally, I’d like advice on how to best connect the amp to my Apollo Twin X.
L30 II daisy-chained from the existing headphone output via a corresponding off-the-shelf adapter cable should be a good starting point. Most issues with substandard headphone output performance have to do with load interaction of one kind or another, and tend to dissipate once the load is no more than a line-level input.
 
I assume there is nothing unique about the way that audio interface handles output, so why not just set the out in your DAW to a dac and then the Headphone amp.

I don’t have any recommendations but in the review index you’ll see a search icon that will allow you to choose search parameters. Enter your budget and device type and you’ll find your choices narrowed. Amir usually tests with a difficult to drive pair.
 
Hey man, didn‘t anwer the main question, but is obviously a very helpful tip! Thanks for that!

Yes I can confirm the Apollo Twin X Gen 2 only has one optical in.

If I‘d do Source> Apollo XLR out> Headphone Amp RCA in,

Would that mean the sound would be coloured from the Apollo anyways?
Would it also mean that I could skip the DAC in the setup?
And would‘t I then be bottlenecking my headphone amp if I feed it 44.1/24bit audio from my Interface?

Thanks for the help!
If the "line out" of any UAD Apollo device was "coloured", we would have heard about it, a long time ago. Lots of credible enthusiasts have measured these audio interfaces, and we can generally trust the published specs from a business like UAD - they would not dare be fraudulent, in that way, to publish untrustworthy specs.

Far too many users of UAD audio interfaces.

Permit me to share my experience.

I also use speakers, for mixing, and listening, but it is expensive to treat some rooms adequately, and it is expensive to get a really good set of speakers - active or passive. Expensive, meaning, the kind of speakers I would want are beyond my budget. But hopefully I'm not the only one in this predicament. !

So my thinking has been, and this is still a work in progress, that if I could use headphones or IEMs I could achieve a similar quality to high end speakers, @ less cost. The ideal would be to use all three to listen, reference, mix and master audio - speakers, headphone, and IEMs.

I have had some success, mixing and mastering a track predominantly on an IEM, which the client was very happy with, while I was sorting out my speaker environment/room/etc. Client was happy, and paid, which is what is also important. Of course the client need not know it was mixed and mastered on an IEM!!!

The challenge with many audio interfaces is that they are expecting high impedance headphones, so their headphone amps have impedances as high as 30 ohms, which would not be ideal for working with low impedance IEMs. Furthermore when you have these ALL IN ONE things we call audio interfaces, they have a choice to make, where to place priority, and many a times, its the headphone amp that suffers. Either the output impedance is too high, or it cannot deliver enough power to difficult to drive headphones.

I have come to accept, it is rare to have a jack of al trades, that does everything well. So by and large, I would say, we should not hold the audio interface manufacturers to too much reckoning, for any less than desirable headphone outputs. And atimes, the quality of the headphone output, noise, crosstalk, etc etc, SINAD, is not as good as the line outputs - cos its extra cost, to add another high quality DAC or DAC pair, or quad DAC, to achieve similar good measurements.

Of course some like RME will tend to have headphone outputs that are both low impedance and have a bit of power, and measure well also.

My point in all this is that - I needed a headphone output, that would support IEMs, earbuds, and headphones of all kinds - with electrostatics being the only exception - cos these need their own dedicated headphone amp.

Fortunately the current market has options, especially from the Chinese brands. Based on Amir's testing, I bought a Sabaj A20h. I think this may be just what you may need, to receive audio from one of the line outs of your Apollo audio interface. It measures very well, and is about $140 at this time. Of course there are other options.
 
Just a little tip from my experience that if you use the monitor outs instead of the ones marked "line 3/4" then you get your monitor controls on the front panel
 
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