Crazy cheap headphone station

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Jim T, May 23, 2015.

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  1. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    So I was trying to be quiet in my house while my wife naps and rearranged some of my recording great to create a new headphone station.

    I won a little ART HeadPhone 4 headphone amp that will drive 4 sets of cans at once. Nice little piece I use for clients who record and want a headphone feed.

    It has only a stereo TRS in put which is odd for consumers to use, but you can buy, as I have, a male phono breakout cable with a TRS stereo 1/4" end on it from most sources. I took one of my Sony SACD/DVD/CD players and using one of the pair of stereo outs, plugged that into the ART and what a great sound I had coming out of my AKG 701s. It may not be high end enough for many of you, but I was very pleased with what this little $65 device was giving me. It was as full bodied and as grain free as any thing I've heard and drove my AKGs and my Sony 7506s to ample levels at only partial gain of the vol pots.

    Highly recommended for someone wanting to create a headphone station on the cheap. I am going to buy today a PreSonus HP4 ($129) which is their version and see if that is an upgrade as I can always use another headphone amp and I like being able to allow others to plug in and join in. I probably would be just has happy if I bought another ART headphone 4, and who knows maybe I will after I type this.
     
  2. Rockos

    Rockos Forum Resident

    Nice setup. I dig the budget systems. I run a Rolls HA43 headphone amp connected to a old Sony CDP-390 and it delivers pretty darn good sound. Got the amp on ebay for $10, cd player at a thrift store for $4.
     
  3. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    -------------------
    A man after my own heart. I love the creativeness and what one can do for almost no money. You are close to that. Good job.
     
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  4. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    I ordered the Presonus HP4 and I do like one thing about this unit as it has an inline on/off switch that the ART does not have. Unplugging the ART is only a minor pain and many would probably just leave it on, but I don't.

    I'll report back on how it sounds compared to the ART, but I'm not expecting much difference, but might be surprised.

    I also have a currently unused, old Sony Carousel Cd player that was given to me that I may try with this unit. Will most likely still use my Sony SACD players as there is no need to take a step down in quality.
     
  5. Rockos

    Rockos Forum Resident

    Ah, the ol' 5 disc carousel. I have seen stacks of these at the thrift stores and had my share of them. I also had the 200 and 300 disk machines back in the day.

    My Rolls has the same 1/4 stereo jack as it's only input. I use the this to solve that. [​IMG]

    I would love to get a used SACD player. Those are harder to find. What model SACD do you you have?
     
  6. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    ----------------------
    I have 3 of the Sony DVP-NS 755s that I really like. I bought my first one new and the rest off EBay for under $40 each....a real steal. I thought I saw one recently off EBay. One there now for $60. It has the remote a good thing.
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-DVP-NS...171?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e9aa56fab
     
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  7. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    I have that same Sony player but had to stop using it for music once it failed to keep playing the SACD layer of dual layer discs, only single layer SACDs work. It turned out that my Denon 1940 ci which I had only been using as a DVD player had much better sound for both CD and SACD so I swapped it with the Sony. The last eBay sale for the Denon was only $20, a great bargain for someone!
     
    dee and Rockos like this.
  8. Rockos

    Rockos Forum Resident

    Very nice! The SACD feature is sort of hidden on some of these Sony dvd players it seems.

    How is the sound on redbook cd's?
     
  9. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    ---------------------------------------
    The reviews of my player were excellent and just a step below the 777, which is high praise. I am sure the new Marantz 8005 betters it on all accounts, but, until any of my 3 quit, I will remain quite content. The Marantz units in B-Stock are usually available at great prices which is what I will do when one of mine dies.
     
  10. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    So my Presonus HP4 headphone station came to day and I am impressed. It still needs to have about 50 hours put on it, but it is super clear, but not harsh. I am sure that it will smooth out once some hours are on it over this weekend. I also like the on/off switch that is part of the power cord that is very convenient. I also like that it has a mono switch and a pass through with it's own level control.

    Compared to the Art Headphone4 amp I would say that the Art is clear and the Presonus even more so....maybe comparing a tube amp (the ART) to a great solid state one (the Presonus). I really like them both and find the ART for all of $65 a real steal. The Presonus is just a step up at twice the price. I will post more after the break in of the Presonus and really work had to compare the two.

    No one would be disappointed with either unit and a great way to share tunes with friends using cans. In listening to one of my 2496 DVDs the Presonus allows all of the details to come through with the edges in full force. There is no hiding or masking with this unit
     
  11. gloomrider

    gloomrider Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA, USA
    Hi Jim. Sorry I came a little late to the party. I had one of those and the volume pots will get scratchy with time, depending on your level of use. Scratchy pots are a common criticism of the HP4.
     
  12. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    ------------------------------
    Mine is new and so I don't have that issue yet. Mine has a manufacturing date of this year so maybe they've changed vendors...or not. Time will tell. Still the ART Headphone 4 is a great piece for all of $65 and would not hesitate to buy one again. It may be all anyone really needs. This weekend the HP4 will get many hours.
     
  13. Rockos

    Rockos Forum Resident

    This
    http://www.amazon.com/CAIG-DeOxit-C...=UTF8&qid=1432914279&sr=8-2&keywords=deoxit+5

    Will cure scratchy pots. I use it on all my vintage receivers and anything that has contact points. You can save yourself a ton of money with this. I have fixed many friends car switches-power windows, locks, etc. that had corroded/dirty contacts. It's worth it's weight in gold.
     
  14. gloomrider

    gloomrider Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA, USA
    The HP4 that I had contained sealed potentiometers. You'd have to drill a tiny hole to inject the DeOxit, but of course that would let in dirt as well.
     
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  15. Rockos

    Rockos Forum Resident

    Drill tiny hole, upside down, spray, seal with silicone or small tape piece.
     
  16. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    I will be curious as to how many Presonus HP4 owners are here on the forum and have had issues with their pots. I do have the full DeOxit kit, but have used it mostly on connectors of older gear like my old Hafler DH preamp I sold a couple of years ago.
     
  17. Rockos

    Rockos Forum Resident

    I have yet to meet a pot I couldn't get DeOx in. ;)
     
  18. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    So I have now spent some time with both my new PreSonus HP4 4-station headphone amp ($129) and the ART Headphone 4, 4-station headphone amp. I have used my Sony 7506 cans, my Grado 80's, and my preferred AKG701s.

    The PreSonus amp is a clarity champ, but it runs on the slightly cool side with great air and detail, but at a very slight lack of low end, solely dependent up which set of cans you use. It does a great job with the Sony 7506's as they can be a little ripe at 200hz and down, but this works well with the PreSonus. This was evident on the ECM Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden disc of Jasmine in which the Sonys and the HP4 gave some extra weight to Haden's solo work and helped him compete with Jarrett's piano. But, the Sony's sacrificed the clarity and air that comes more with the Grado's and even more with the AKGs. That disc was still fun with the Sony's, and I wished for a little more low end on my AKGs.

    The AKGs and the Grados seemed to like the ART slightly more with a very slightly more mellow sound and with a ever so slightly fuller low end. I noticed that the ART is very similar to the sound of the headphone amp in my Denon DRA 397 receiver, also with a warmer, fuller presentation with the AKGs and Grados.

    In listening to another ECM recording of Morimar and the Hilliard Ensemble of small ensemble vocals and solo violin in a very reverberent church space, the HP4 and the AKGs let every detail through and made the chanting style of vocals clear and the reverb tails seems to last forever and the solo violin never became etched or too bright, just extremely clear. The ART was just slightly warmer with great detail as well.

    I would think that ones' choices would be based on the cans you own and which presentation you prefer. If you love clarity then the HP4 might be your ticket, especially if you own some of the $99 sealed headphones used in many recording studios. It will also depend upon the type of music you listen to most of the time as well. The PreSonus will not be kind to poorly recorded material or that tends to be lean and bright. If your headphones tends to be on the darker side then the PreSonus HP4 should work well for you. My 2496 files sounded great through the HP4.

    If you prefer a slightly warmer presentation and like the sound of the AKG 700 and 600 series or the Grados, you may like the ART for what it offers. I am glad I own both and will use them based on the material I want to listen to and my choice of "cans" for that day. I am blown away at
    what the little $65 ART offers and no one could make a mistake owning one.

    It may also be as the PreSonus gets more hours on it, closer to 100, that it may warm up as well. Either way, both are a great way to listen to tunes and more than one person can share a private, listening experience.

    Hope this helps some.
     
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  19. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    So, knowing where I left off yesterday, today I started playing with changing out cables between my Sony DVP-NS 755 DVD/SACD/Cd player and my PreSonus HP4 and what a difference cables make. I am not going to tell you what cable I am going to stick with, but try many and land on one YOU like. Cables do matter greatly here. The HP4 takes 1/4" TS or balanced TRS depending upon your gear. I have some 1/4" to phono adaptors that I am using with various single-ended cables.

    For my ART Headphone 4 I tried some other cables before, but because the only input on it is TRS your choices are somewhat more limited. I did buy a pro breakout cable that is TRS to stereo L&R phono ends that I like more than anything else I've tried. It was about $30 from Sweetwater.com, so no adaptors are needed.

    I know cables matter, but I had forgotten just how much they COULD matter.
     
  20. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Mars
    Sorry, one more thing that I have learned is that the 2 pair of Sony 7506s that I own will be the last 2 pair I own. They may be sealed and for recording purposes they are fine, but when just listening to recorded music that are not going to be my go-to set of cans. I may look at a pair of AKG 612s to go with my 701s I really like. The Sony's are way too bass heavy and too closed in, with much less air and detail. I actually prefer my IEM Shure SE-215s to the Sonys. May also look at a pair of Sennheiser HD 380s, also in the $200 range.
     
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