The place for general discussion about DACS/Amps/DAPs.
6 posts were split to a new topic: DAC/AMP Upgrades and Sidegrades Discussion
Just for Kicks I put 3 new AA batteries in my old AIRHEAD portable headphone amp. An early Airhead. Not a Total Airhead. 
The one that looks like this.
I connected my iPhone, and my HiFiMan HE-560s. And it drove them pretty well. Used Neutron player and listened to Chessky Audio Sampler a bit. Levels were adequate, really adequate. The little switch for crossfeed works - and with these phones I heard it like never before. For about the first time, I decided I didn’t need it.
Now I’ll put it away, but like I say, just for kicks. Sometimes the old stuff surprises you.
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Members;
I am looking to you for advice. I am fairly computer illiterate at least as far as the current generation is concerned. I would like to get a DAP to try high rez music, however I am afraid it will be too complicated for me. As far as I have gotten with computer music is storing cd’s burned to apple lossless. I have tried to read everything I can about the devices however I have been unable to discover any sites that discuss the operation and how you transfer music on to the devices. I know that they assume that everyone has a better knowledge of these things than I do. I am just interested in the music not the world of computers. Should I be avoiding them altogether? Any help will be appreciated.
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Hello and welcome @dumbone.
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Yes, hello and welcome. Sooner or later someone will answer your question. I don’t use a DAP either, because carrying a phone AND a DAP would probably confuse me so much that I would be answering calls and trying to message my wife on the DAP.
It was so much easier with the Sony Discman, because it was round, and the phone was attached to the wall in the kitchen.
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Thank you very much for your reply. I look forward
to hearing members thoughts.
If you are using Windows on your computer, then if you can copy files between different drives, putting music on a DAP will be the same thing.
If you’re using Mac OS some DAPs (e.g. the A&K players) will require the use of something like Android File Transfer to do the copying. But it is still just a file-copy operation.
In essence, most DAPs appear as USB drives when attached to a computer. Sony’s players require that you copy files/folders to the “Music” folder on the device, but most don’t care.
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If you get a DAP, I’m positive, if you ask for help, or someone to guide you, this forum will provide 
like @Torq said it is fairly simple process…if you can plug in a USB, and click on icons/folders you are majority of the way there =)
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Torq, thank you. I did have ipods in various forms
but that is the extent of it. How about the operating system on
the device it self, is it complicated? I notice that some of them
have apps and such. I am interested in the FIIO m11 and the m7
mark ii.
Thanks again.No more so than a typical smart phone, usually even simpler.
If you were fine with an iPod then the only real difference is that you’ll be manually syncing files to the device rather than it happening automatically the way it did with iTunes. And there are various applications for your computer that can take care of that for you if you want.
The Android-based players usually let you add various apps, which are either side-loaded or come via the normal Google Play Store. Some of these don’t directly expose the OS at all and you have a few settings directly accessible in the player’s interface which keeps things very simple.
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Thank you very much. You may have just
inadvertently answered my question. I think the “various apps”
and such is exactly what I didn’t want to get into. I was looking
for simplicity. Truth be told I don’t have a single app on my
iphone.
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Well, when DAPs do support additional apps they’re usually entirely optional.
The last FiiO DAP I had could run in either “pure music” mode, in which case all you saw was the player interface and its direct options or “Android mode”, in which case the player was an app, but once you launched it that’s all you had to interact with.
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Now that sounds much more doable. I have always
found trying to get this widget to sync with this or that doodad a
nightmare. So I had avoided computer audio like the plague. I
really do appreciate all your patience and helpful information. I
suppose now it is time to figure out which pad to get. Once again
thank you.
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I have an original Airhead, not sure if my memory is correct as it’s the same shape as pictured, I could be wrong(Tyll why did you retire too early 
) but I thought mine only used 2 AA batteries(don’t have it on me at present). Got as a combo deal with HD600s from Headroom 1996 or '97? Not nearly enough power to do much for the HD600s. I think I got ground loops & also when airplanes few overhead, I was in landing path of small airport, I could hear faint plane to tower conversation leaking into them when on quite passages of music…guess it’s a good shortwave radio receiver also.
Newer AA batteries like Eneloops can supply much more current than older AAs, if only the airhead could take advantage of that, I’d bet it could power an HD600 decently.
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Does anyone know where to get replacement batteries for the Headroom Portable Desktop Amp? I hate to have to replace it.
You’re probably going to need to open it up, and post CLEAR pictures of both sides of the batteries, and their connections to the amplifier’s board, to get an answer to this.
As I recall (and it’s been a while), it used a pair of dual-cell 7.4V batteries (li-ion batteries are usually comprised of 3.7v cells). Though it may have been a single battery with four doubled-up cells.
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Thank you for answering so quickly, it is very much appreciated. I will follow your advice and have a go at opening it up. Will post pictures soon.
Stay Safe and have a Happy Holiday.
Robert Ryan
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I had the even older version of that amp. I guess that was the >first< headphone amp I ever purchased. I used it in Iraq to drive some Shure 530s. I don’t think I needed it, but it was cool that I could share my music by letting someone plug into it. That was probably the coolest feature. I don’t think I needed it really. The 530s weren’t that hard to drive. Not like those planars you push with it. You want to know what I am using to drive my 6XXs? My JDS Labs OL DAC. As in the RCA outputs with an adapter. They say it is 2 volts RMS, so I figure I would see how it went. It definitely drives them. I’m just using it in a pinch. I need to see how my headphone out is on my Nad. Probably way better. Does anyone else do that with the RCA line outs? Is there a scientific reason why I shouldn’t? Tell me now before I jack something up
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Hey I still have my Micro Amp and DAC. Just had the 3.5mm jacks replaced. That’s why I don’t like them. Plugging gear or headphones in and out causes the clamps to get lose and I always wind having to jiggle the plug. I just bought HiFiMAN Ananda headphones and that’s the connecters on them. Cleaned the plugs, applied Caig Deoxit Gold contact enhancer, and I’m not going to remove those plugs unless I have to. The jacks are high quality. But I digress. I used the crossfeed circuit for years as I’m a product of 70’s rock n’ roll. However it always effected the center mix, mostly vocals. They sounded boomy and out of focus. But the engineers and producers heavily panned instruments during the final mix. Try listening to an old Beatles record right where stereo replaced mono. However there is a fellow named Jan Meier who designs some of the most advanced headphone amps out there. He wrote his own crossfeed circuit you could only get if bought one of his amps. However, out of the kindness of his heart, he developed a software component for Foobar2000. You can adjust the amount of crossfeed with a slider that goes from 1 to 100. Every song you can change the crossfeed or shut it off for classical or early Dylan or Woody Guthrie. I set it on 10 which is very low for Dark Side or Aja, Yes, Supertramp’s amazing Crime of the Century.
Don’t know that much about modern DAC’s. I mean I know all about digital audio. There are hundreds of different chips, circuit topology, solid state, tubes,. If anyone has suggestions or feedback. I know ESS Sabre chipsets are ubiquitous. I also know the DAC doesn’t necessarily make for a good sounding unit and I’m suspicious of anything powered by a computers USB circuit. I can’t go over $400 for a standalone DAC. Any help would be appreciated.