Hafler HA75 Professional Tube Headphone Amplifier

Not to 'bug' about the English usage in Amazon's description - but it isn't "Choice of either RCA or Balanced connections" - this unit Includes Both - got it......? I run this with a Benchmark DAC usually fed lossless apple MacBook music files or plane jane CD 44.1kHz content from the cheapest NAD CD player I could find with an RCA type optical output (Onkyo's work too! / use 'Optical Type' RCA cables of course, not audio). My listening is primarily with Focal Elear Headphones but sometimes I switch to my Audeze LCD-X's (yes, I am using balanced cables from the Benchmark to the Hafler and they're $80 ($38 times two actually for 3ft length) at Benchmarks Internet Store - I'm sure it will sound just as good unbalanced). The sound is exquisite - detailed but non fatiguing - warm and full but not bloated / the naturalness of tone and the leading edge of all the instruments is so much more audible with good headphones and a good headphone amp that all speakers have their work cut out for them! The ability to add what I would call 'old fashioned loudness' compensation to allow full dynamics at low listening levels is Very Important to me. There is also a 'focus' knob so you can mix / blend the left and right channels slightly for more soundstage width - if you want to that is...... There's also a feedback control that varies the amount of negative feedback so presumably you can alter the harmonic distortion and add more 'tube distortion' (for good or bad presumably) if you want to fiddle with that, I don't use that because I'm a foe of negative feedback :P ....... However, the big added bonus is that this Hafler has a TUBE OUTPUT via left/right channel RCA outputs - I plugged these into my Hegel H80's Aux 2 input so I can switch to the Hafler and use it as a Preamp with the above mentioned feedback, focus, VOX A (Bass Boost) / O / and B (Loudness) controls. This allows me to tune the low level dynamics of my Harbeth Compact 7ES-3's in my bedroom for those low level mellow listening sessions. Highly Recommended. You should go to Hafler's website and download the product manual - interesting product, no ? You can use it as a simple, tubed, line preamplifier too of course - I couldn't resist rolling in a Tungsram ECC83 NOS tube 'cuz I had one around (about $140) it took about 20 minutes with a Phillips head screwdriver and a very small Allen wrench for the 4 front panel fasteners. More detail and sparkle ensued. Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool and Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase. in heavy rotation right now (give it 5 complete album listens, OK) - Milk Carton Kids and EBTG also : P - Happy Returns (Steven Wilson fans will get that one!).

I rarely spend the time to leave reviews, but this headphone amp has changed my listening experience. It is truly awesome. I have it connected to a Pioneer XDP-300R digital audio player, and am using Sennheiser HD 800S headphones. The quality of the audio is astonishing. Bumping up the feedback control to provide more tube affect is incredible. I have never heard such warmth and definition in the past. I have Mcintosh audio gear in my basement, connected to Sonus Faber Olympica III speakers, so am used to some pretty nice sounding gear, but this is truly a new level of audio perfection. If you are on the fence, just go for it. You won't regret it.

Awesome! I was on the fence, not cheap, but it had a LOT of features I was looking for. A great amp to drive my Grado SR 325i's, a loudness switch, tube output, and also balanced input, which my NAD 116 pre-amp has balanced outputs, and had never used in the 19 years I've had it. I have an NAD 216 amp, Rega Planet cd player, NAD turntable, Paradigm Monitor 3 speakers, all wired with a combination of Kimber Kable, Mapleshade and Guerilla Audio cables, and a couple sets of my own homemade cables( to include my homemade XLR set), every set has some kind/100% of silver for the extra kick of clarity. I've only had the Hafler HA75 for a few days in my system, and with working 12 hours a day, I don't get a lot of listening time, but the 1 1/2 hours so far have been VERY promising. I will be spending less time on the computer, more time listening to my main rig. I know that electronics need a break in time, so an update will be following, perhaps after 100 hours. As of right now every time I listen, I can't stop smiling from the truly honest, organic quality. I love the VOX switch, with the loudness, and then the added bass with the VOX switch up, and the feedback and focus knobs are a really nice touch. They really help my Grado's sing, I like the added bass kick. With over 35 years as an audiophile, this is some of the best sound I have ever had. I had considered Schiit, Line Magnetic, and a bunch of other headphone amps, but the XLR inputs, VOX switch and feedback knobs sealed the deal. I have been familiar with the Hafler brand for a few decades, never owned the Hafler brand, but I did own Rockford Fosgate Car amps for years, which I knew was tied to Hafler, and is a very good product. Long story short, highly recommended! Do not hesitate, just buy it! Update September 2019, I now have a Mytek Liberty DAC, upgraded from the Meridian Explorer, and PSB Alpha PS1 speakers, hooked up through the tube output. I also got a pair of Mr Speakers Ether C Flow headphones, Kimber Kable Silver streak RCA's, Pangea USB cable. EARGASM!!!. It would take some serious speakers ($25k and up) to come close to the sound I get. I now have 2 of the headphone amps, one on the home system, the other on the computer. I have NEVER had any issue ever with either one of them

It's not very portable but that's not why one buys this little gem.

Great product, seller on the other hand wants a 20% re stock fee!

Well suited with the HD600's. This is one of the best headphone amps I've used period. It ticks all the boxes and then some. I'm also using it as a tube pre amp which is an added bonus. Really amazing amp which I guess is the reason why so many well known audio engineers use them.

Excellent build/sound quality. Using them with Beyerdynamic T1's. Changed the tube to a NOS Mullard superb.This review is for the HA75 with DAC.

BEAUTIFUL AMP! Warm and full but completely natural sounding. I've tried it with my Sennheiser 580, 600, JH16-IEMs, Grado 125s. ATM-50s, Sony 7506s and Phil Jones headphones. It powers them all wonderfully. The focus knob is fantastic for creating a more natural sound field that really emulates the imaging of a great pair of studio monitors. There is also a tube output section for sending the warmth to additional sources. And a feedback knob that sends the output stage back into the input to give an extra saturation stage. You won't be disappointed.