Newby from Barnsley

 I have the classic, found a Rega in the loft during lockdown, bought 3 records, plugged it in and just like back to the future it's 1978, story. My trusty 1985 planar 2 has been decommissioned and has a bias 2 fitted. I bought a rega io and I have been using it to power my AKG headphones but have just reclaimed my yamaha hp2's from the kids PlayStation.

I am already amazed at how much lost detail there is in a record versus spotify but dont want to get carried away. 

I have some questions; first is a headphone amp overkill for a Planar 2?

Are HP2's still any good? Does anyone replace earpads locally? Will a headphone amp mean I have to upgrade everything?  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.  

   Headphone amps have always given me a superior performance than any inbuilt unit I’ve owned. More detail, better dynamics, more engaging, more music. Try out what fits your budget via the loan scheme and find out if the improvements are worth the outlay to you.  My experience has been that a headphone amp lets me hear more of the performance of my headphones and source.

As for whether or not it would mean upgrading everything else, that’s up to you. For me, I’ve simply enjoyed getting more from what I already own.

Best of luck,

Mick.

Thanks for joining us Mark.