There’s also Tor audio for tubes under 1 grand.
edit: ifi also just came out with the zen can version for the meze 99’s. might be something to look at for efficient headphones.
You are a man of many suggestions! 
Thank you.
I do love my iFi, for the reasons mentioned above.
I just sold a Little Dot MKIII a few weeks ago.
I have looked hard at the Crack, the Dark Voice, the Eufonica’s, etc. All of these companies recommend a minimum Ohm rating of 100 Ohms for the headphones used. I currently own ten sets of headphone and have two of them up for sale. And will likely move more.
Right now I am working with:
GH2’s = 32 Ohm @SPL of 99.8
Freq. range of 14Hz - 28Khz
Elex’s = 80 Ohm @ SPL of 104
Freq. range of 5Hz - 23Khz
Cascade’s = 38 Ohm @ SPL 100
Freq. range of 5Hz - 33Khz
HE6se V2’s = 50 Ohm @ SPL 83.5
Freq. range of 8Hz - 65Khz
LSA HP-2’s = 33 Ohm @ SPL 116
Freq. range of 10Hz - 50KHz
Elegia’s = 35 Ohm @ SPL of 105
Freq. range of 5Hz - 23Khz
T5’s = 32 Ohm @ SPL of 100
Freq. range of 5Hz - 50Khz
T60 Argon’s = 50 Ohm @ SPL 92
Freq. range of 15Hz - 35Khz
1 Like
Thanks, I forgot about the Tor! Never see them used though.
I don’t think any iFi amp could beat the iFi that I have now.
1 Like
Hey Shane,
You’re welcome.
Your statement is true.
I struggle with similar problems.
The thing about Otl amps is that they prefer a certain ohm range and have their ideal working point there.
But sometimes they still don’t have enough power.
A classic example is the Feliks Euforia or Elise, which would be wonderful, work well but are just weak on the chest.
And they also have problems driving planar headphones even if they only have 30-60 ohm.
But doable,my Euforia amp needed a tube change to get where you want.
A Vcap capacitor rounded the whole thing up and made it better.
But as you can see it costs extra so it is suboptimal but doable and ready for it.
The Woo Wa6 seems to suit you better with all the headphones you own.
It’s also designed to handle low ohm headphones and drive with enough power.
Otherwise, this can only be done with a custom build where it is specifically mentioned.
Most tube amplifiers are not designed in this way.
If they are, there are very few where the Cayin also plays along.
If there is nothing in the description that says they are low ohmic operable, then pay attention to the output power at 32 ohm should be 400 mw the minimum.the higher the better of course so it also makes fewer problems.
Otherwise, there is not much on the market for $1000 at the moment.
Otherwise, I still have this one.
https://www.wbamp.com/product/hpa-master-pro-otl-headphones-amplifier/
I had my custom hybrid amplifier built there for similar money and am very happy with it.
You might have to wait a bit until it’s built.
You’d have to ask beforehand by email if it’s interesting.
Cool and a decent price. I am not in any rush and will keep looking’ and learnin’.
Just looking for interesting idea’s.
1 Like
Schiit Vali 2+
Had a Vali2 and was completely unimpressed. I do wonder about the Valhalla 2, but not sure if it would work with my collection.
the valhalla 2 was damn good as a preamp for adding tube flavor. i don’t know if i’d pay retail for one but i paid $200 for mine and kept it for a long time. i think the only problem i had with it was that as a straight amp on sensitive headphones it had quite a bit of noise and i think it was because it didn’t have a 0 gain setting.
1 Like
Interesting amp for under $1000 SS ??
There are many SS amps less than $1K for sure.
But why would you be interested in these over what you have!
The iFi is superb…
You could go thru several try, buy or return from many vendors…
I did this many times and have come back to what I have at present.
I still try different amps, but honestly what you have is really decent.
But I understand the itch!!
Good luck!
I have no intention of getting rid of the V220 or the iFi. Both are keepers. I am just looking for an interesting addition to the collection without breaking the bank.
All of this still to me points to the answer being a dedicated tube preamp, rather than getting a OTL tube headphone amplifier that also has preamp capability. You have lovely amplifiers already. If you had Senns and Beyers and ZMFs, I’d pursue this path.
1 Like
I have never owned or even looked into pre-amps. That will be a new path for research! Thank you.
My headphone line-up is listed above and I am Way to poor to own ZMF’s. 
Hello,
I thought of that.
But my knowledge of Peramp is not good.
That’s why I felt it was better not to say anything.
But it would be an option.
Whether it should be equipped with tubes and is better is another matter.
From a purely technical point of view, I would notionally make a “hybrid amplifier” out of both units.
At least that’s how I feel about it.
As far as I know, the preamp goes analogue in at the end and analogue out to the amplifier, which then also needs an analogue input.
I don’t know if the Ify amplifier has one, but the V280 should logically have one.
I have just discovered pre-amping myself. So far, I’m loving it. I’m currently using the stuff I have to do it. I have the TA-20 configured to preamp the SP200 for headphones, and I use the SA-1 to pre-amp the DA-9.
I am really enjoying the extra nuance and depth each solution is bringing to the table. The SA-1 is really surprising as a pre. And I was a guy who pretty much crapped on the notion of pre-amps for anything other than minute signal amplification. I was completely wrong! My next speaker amp solution will most certainly include a pre-amp.
Your mileage will vary, of course, but it might be fun to investigate.
Both amps do have SE and XLR pre-outs.
One amp that I am looking at again is the XDuoo MT-604. Apparently it has very high gain, like my recently sold LP, but I wonder what would happen if I preamped it from one of my big boys?
It gets a lot of love from many reviewers and it is Dirt cheap.
I am now looking into this. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on an expensive tube amp to be, possibly, underwhelmed or disappointed.
My headphones are pretty efficient and I am not a real loud listener.
I just wonder if I can pre-amp a small tube amp, or do I need to buy a tube pre-amp to pre-amp my big boys?
Lots to learn.
1 Like
Hello,
Yes, the Mt 604 is one of those things - it’s cheap, so it’s built that way.
Things can break quickly with these things.
My Little Dot 1+ went out after 6 months with a defective capacitor and socket.
As an experiment, I repaired it and fitted it with better components and it has been running very well and reliably ever since.
As an experiment, you can try the Mt 604 and switch between them.
But I would definitely equip it with better tubes and not use the Chinese tubes.
They are usually pointed in the upper area and tend to fail.
On the subject of tube amplifiers in general, there’s not much to it.
Usually the transformer costs the most, but it is also important that everything else works as it should.
The rest of the board resistors are not that expensive, capacitors are always a question.
Whether they are made of wax/paper, foil/telephone etc. and of course the size and brand.
The advantage of the tube amp is simply that if it is cleanly built like Feliks,Woo,Quicksilver,Decware show it has enormous potential compared to SS amps.
They are simply more flexible and can make a big difference to the sound with just one set of tubes, both positive and negative.
Once you have found a tube set, it will usually outperform the SS amp (usually for you).
And usually there is still potential in it through capacitor swapping where you can push the amp where you want if you want.
I did this with the Euforia, for example.
I installed Vcap TFTF and it improved a lot, the amp suddenly worked better and more harmonically even with less good tubes that I considered a bad buy.
Just as an example.
So it doesn’t always have to be expensive tubes to get good sound out of it if the rest of the interior life is coherent.
The small, expensive upgrade alone puts the Singxer Sda 2 C up against the wall in terms of sound with a tube set of less than $100.
So tube amplifiers are not to be underestimated.
They are often frowned upon by the fads of various manufacturers, communities and so on.
Which is a bit of a shame because tube amps also benefit enormously from today’s technology in capacitors, resistors, solder, cables and transformers.
The little toys from Little Dot,Dark Voise ect also have potential but not as big.
You can often only adapt them with better electrolytic capacitors, and help with better cable in the circuit and tube socket.
The same would probably also be possible with a preamp on a custom basis, that you look that there are enough inputs and outputs, and equip with common tube types, then you also have something long-term in your hands.
The costs are usually less than what the market offers.
Ask here for an amplifier, how much it should cost, it is on your doorstep.
2 Likes
Thanks for the info. I am not going to buy another expensive tube amp.
I have had several hybrids and a few “pure” tube amps. None have blown me away.
I did really like the sound of the LP and currently am in love with my iFi, but not because it is in any tubey.
I had a chance to buy a Cayin tube amp the other day, but I wasn’t ready to commit and tried to trade for it.
I will be looking and taking notes for the next while.
1 Like
just sounds like you haven’t found the ‘one’… the tube amp that opens the world to you.
perhaps check out the forum on CAM n see if there is anyone close enuff to you that has something to demo? or get on the horn and reach out to resellers of potential tube amps you find interesting / intriguing from what you read and see if you can demo? 
2 Likes
There are pretty much no sellers around me. All my “testing” is done via buy and sell. And of course lots of losses.
2 Likes