USB interface with good headphone amp

[Type-55]

Looking for opinions on a interface for $150-$200 with a headphone amp with clean gain. My Cafe Walter spoiled me. Any comments are welcome.

 

[seamonkey]

In the $150-200 price range They all have good headphone output these days.
Look for one that includes a Direct Monitoring option. It comes in handy.

MOTU M2 or M4 is a good one.
Or any other interface in the same range.

 

[Type-55]

I've read good things about the MOTU M2.

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

Indeed, Even a Focusrite scarlett Solo3 will have a good and clean headphone amplifier. In other hand, headphones with a good bass reproduction tend to be expensive. Anything less than $100 is unusable. For around $100 sony MDR7206 are a good option. AKG K240 are great but very bass shy. I use Sony MDR7520. Non pro-audio headphones like Beats by Dre are awful for bass because the bass frequencies are so exaggerated, your tone becomes just a pile of low mud. It is only good for teenagers blasting pop music.

 

[Type-55]

For phones I use beyerdynamic DT-250
The main thing about the interface headphone amps is the lack of clean gain.
All the gain seems to be in the last 25% of the pot.
Nothing I"ve tried so far has been able to touch the Cafe Walter I had for years.
The phones I have are pretty easy to drive.

 

[GalleyCat]

Maybe a USB headphone amp to one of the USB outs on the interface?

Edit to say this is assuming there's more than one USB out on an interface. I'm learning this stuff myself.

 

[seamonkey]

If it matters, you can take the line out from the interface and feed it into your favorite headphone amp.

Nothing for a Mac, but if you use a PC you can also use drivers like ASIO4ALL to have your PC soundcard output along with the interface output available in any DAWs that only understand ASIO. Dedicate one output to your favorite headphone amp and another output to cheap headphones since most people will listen on cheap ones.

Check this out for routing audio any which way on a PC:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Or Voicemeeter, or ... many virtual audio routing options.

 

[Type-55]

Yeah, I thought about a headphone amp, and that is a good idea, but trying to keep it to 1 box at this time.

 

[Type-55]

Should clarify I’m on a Mac