Summer DIY high end audio project: The AMB Labs M³ headphone amp
I got bored with my current home audio setup and decided to trade my soundblaster x-fi fatality card for a qualified audiophile asus xonar essence stx card. I’ve decided to replace my beyerdynamic dt770 Pro/80 headphones with AKG K701s and to top it all off, the pièce de résistance:
A DIY AMB Labs M³(pronounced em-cubed) headphone amp
Even with a ton of research and prep I only have a poor knowledge of circuitry and electrical engineering, so I had to find a pro to help me out. The advantage to DIY is that you can get the same quality components of the uber-premium units and spend a fraction of the cost.
The downside is that I’ll have to wait to spend the extra money to get a custom power supply for even better sound. Since I don’t have quite the ear of my brother or Jared I don’t think I’ll be able to detect a big difference anyway.
I highly recommend the asus card for anyone who likes to listen to music on their pc, it’s super cheap. The AKG K701s are also pretty inexpensive for the super high quality. The M3 amp can be configured to your own satisfaction, so you can spend anywhere from $300 to a fortune if you really wanted.
