I’m very excited about this amp. My first impression of the amp is that it’s more powerful than the Protector. It utilizes a 24V power supply, where the Protector is powered through dual 8V batteries. In my case I’m using a 24V walwart from my Canon printer (It’s the only 24V walwart I happen to have laying around).
The power is plenty for the HD800. I also want to add that the volume control is digital, and using an ALPS rotary clicker, so the feel is like using an stepped attenuator. The amplifier reflects the source quality very well. I did a short A-B between using the Audinst’s HUD-MX1 DAC to the Grace m902 DAC, and the TPA6120 amp reflects the changes in the source very well.
Right now I’m just listening through it with the HD800 in balanced and the Grace m902 as the source. Definitely more power and more punchy than the Protector.
I’m just sharing the excitement for now. Should I do a review? I don’t know. What’s the point? These things are no longer available, and they were made in very limited quantity I believe.
Here is the thread from Head-Fi if you want to do more reading:
Balanced TPA6120 amp – photos & thoughts
doobooloo’s TPA6120-based balanced headphone amp.
Alex
Bah, I'm looking for something to power my balanced HD800s on the road, but powerful portable balanced amps are harder to find than socks eaten by the dryer. The Protector doesn't have the battery, the iBasso's doesn't exist (yet), and that's all that there really is.
I wouldn't mind a review…
Mike
Hi Alex,
What do you mean by:
The Protector doesn’t have the battery, the iBasso’s doesn’t exist (yet), and that’s all that there really is.?
The problem with the review is that Doobooloo only made a few PCBs (perhaps less than 10), and the project has been stopped on 2008 and there seems to be no intention of reviving it. So, I highly doubt you can still get one.
Actually I've been thinking of asking Doobooloo about this, and so I'll post an update here if I have something going.
BTW, this amp requires an external power supply, and so it's not really that portable. At the moment, if you want to hear the HD800 from a portable set up, the headphone out of the Hifiman HM-801, even it's only single ended, is the best bet.
Here's link to the review:
http://www.headfonia.com/?p=2783