[Barncore]

Hi all,

I have an Antelope Audio Discrete 4 Synergy Core (non-Pro version) audio interface that i use for recording and mixing/mastering. I bought it 3 years ago for $1,300 AUD and by all accounts the AD/DA converters inside of it are really good for its price (which is why i bought it. They make my monitors sound amazing).

After having upgrade my headphones (to Hifiman Ananda Stealth v3) i'm trying to assess whether the internal headphone amp is helping the Hifimans reach their full potential or not. I don't have any other amps to compare against, since headphone amps is a new concept to me (i've always just used interfaces), i don't know what i don't know.

These are the HP amp specs that are publicly available:
Output Level ( unloaded ) 20dBu max
Output impedance 120 ohms
Dynamic Range: 121dB
THD + N: – 100dB
Recommended HP Impedance 16Ω to 600Ω

(It should also be noted that the interface has 4 HP 1/4" outputs, that i'm fairly sure are able to play at the same time.)

I asked Antelope support for more info and this is what they said:

Thank you for reaching out. Victor here with Antelope's tech support.
I'm copy-pasting the answer from our hardware engineer: 7.5Vrms / (120ohm resistor in series + hp impedance)
Wattage: 7.5 * 7.5 / (120 + hp impedance)

I have no idea what to do with that information.

Is it enough to drive these Hifiman headphones? (16Ω and 93db sensitivity) How do i calculate it?

Thanks for any help

 

[dunring]

I've had those and they're amazing. The output power on that interface isn't published, and with 4 outputs I'd assume it's not enough for the Arya Stealth..They need 1.8 watts into 32ohm and balanced with a 4 volt DAC helps since planars need current.
Which outputs do you have available for an amplifier? The good news is adding one has never been more affordable. I've used several with it and it's my favorite planar headphones. I have the he6se, but to equalize them you need Ampzilla. The Arya stealth is much easier to power.

 

[Barncore]

I've had those and they're amazing. The output power on that interface isn't published, and with 4 outputs I'd assume it's not enough for the Arya Stealth..They need 1.8 watts into 32ohm and balanced with a 4 volt DAC helps since planars need current.
Which outputs do you have available for an amplifier? The good news is adding one has never been more affordable. I've used several with it and it's my favorite planar headphones. I have the he6se, but to equalize them you need Ampzilla. The Arya stealth is much easier to power.

I have the Ananda Stealth, not the Arya Stealth. How much wattage do they need?

What do you mean by "which outputs do you have available for an amplifier?"
Are we talking about in the interface. Well there's definitely XLR outputs, which is what my speakers are currently using. There's probably more that I'm not currently using, I'll have to double check

Do you think it would be more optimised for me to buy an amp or a DAC-amp? How do i compare my interface's amp against other amps, given the data I was provided by Antelope?