Compact desktop monitor manager + headphone amp?

[muxlow]

Does anyone know of a Mackie Big Knob / Heritage Audio Baby RAM-style monitor manager with a built-in headphone amp? I'm coming up empty.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-system

[mikehalloran]

Does anyone know of a Mackie Big Knob / Heritage Audio Baby RAM-style monitor manager with a built-in headphone amp? I'm coming up empty.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-system

Many do on this 4-page list:
https://www.sweetwater.com/c417--Studi ... Management

Without knowing your other requirements, I won’t try to make a recommendation. None of the passive controllers have ‘phone amps but most of the active ones do.

[muxlow]

Thank you for replying, much appreciated. That's where I was looking, but I had a price filter on, weeding out the ones with built-in headphones amps. This PreSonus is a bit extra, but fits the bill nicely.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... station-v2

[HCMarkus]

Thank you for replying, much appreciated. That's where I was looking, but I had a price filter on, weeding out the ones with built-in headphones amps. This PreSonus is a bit extra, but fits the bill nicely.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... station-v2

TL:DR: Get the PreSonus, but test the balance across the range of volume control before the return period ends.

The Presonus has excellent, very powerful headphone amps. I used to own Monitor Stations; had a V1 then a V2. I went to the V2 when the master volume pot got pretty scratchy in the V1. But the V2 had a real problem: very poor stereo tracking on the main volume. As one moved it to different positions, the main volume control would shift the stereo balance significantly which caused me to be unable to trust the L-R balance when mixing.

I went to the Audient Nero which has tightly balanced L-R volume across its entire range. I like the Nero, but the headphone amps are pretty weak, with barely enough gain for some circumstances. I have a separate multi-channel headphone amp, so this is not an issue for me.

This might be perfect, but for the lack of headphone amps:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-system

Inexpensive, bare-bones passive two input/two output monitor controller with accurate L-R tracking thanks to its use of a switched resister network in lieu of a pot. Had it been available when I bought the Nero, I may well have tried it. But, then again, I run three sets of monitors...

[mikehalloran]

Do you need four independent headphone outs where each user can tailor his/her mix? If not, this little Mackie HM4 is great.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -amplifier

It sounds good, extremely low self-noise, has plenty of output and takes its input from any headphone jack. Only downside is that everyone gets the same mix. Not bad for $40.

[muxlow]

Nope, just 1 headphone for myself.

I'm currently running tracks out of DP to an analog board that has a headphone jack in it, which gets the Main L-R mix.

I do a lot of solo tracking sitting next to an amplifier, so I was thinking if I got something like the presonus, I could flip between the Main L-R output (what I have now) and set up a cue mix on one of the aux outs. I could listen to the cue while tracking, then switch to the Main L-R to hear it back in the mix.

Absolutely a "nice to have", which limits how much I want to spend on it. But I would spend a bit to have it all in one box.

I appreciate the brainstorming