SMPro HD6 reviews?

[AK Audio]

I'm looking at purchasing a headphone amp for tracking/monitoring purposes. I've recently found the SM Pro HD-6 and I think it could be a nice fit with my current setup. I'll spare you the details of my gear, but at the core I'm using a Digi003 Rack.

Anyone have any personal experience, reviews, etc? I'd really just like to know what the limitations are... brittle sound, inadequate power, falls apart? Thanks in advance.

[AK Audio]

I guess I was expecting a little more action than this. In any case, I've recently placed an order for one through a friend who works for a dealer. Apparently it will only cost around $70, so it will certainly be a good deal. I'll be sure to update anyone who is curious.

[Dave Stanley]

I have one of thier headphone amps.
I think it's the model you speak of.
It works great, solid build, sounds decent for tracking and gets plenty loud enough.

[AK Audio]

So after tracking an entire 5 song EP for a band, stuck with just two headphone mixes I finally received my special ordered HP6E (apparently there's a new model number) in the mail. I just racked it up and wired it to the patchbay.

Quite simply, I'm really impressed. The build quality is great - definitely something that looks and feels better than most of the alternatives in its price range. The only complaint I have is that the knobs look a little silly/cheesy. While the stepped pots feel solid, the silver plastic knobs I could do without.

Functionally this thing seems like it was MADE for my setup. I love it. 4 separate stereo mixes which can be mixed in with a master "Mix" - so essentially five mixes through six separate headphone outs... oh the possibilities. I haven't listened to the phones for an extended period of time, so I can't speak to ear fatigue - but I've always had pretty good luck with my AKG 240's.

So adding this piece to my rack has added an additional dilemma to my situation - I think I need additional analog outputs so that I can hardwire them to this unit and not use all the outs on my 003 while tracking. I'm thinking something with ADAT in, and 8 analog outs. The Behringer ADA 8000 looks like the only cost-efficient alternative, although I'm hesitant to add it to my current rack for a number of reasons. Any suggestions for alternatives?

[AK Audio]

I feel obliged to submit another update to this post -

Having owned this piece for an entire year, I'm sad to report that it has not held up well. Two channels are currently out of commission and one is sketchy.
- The first had a button stick,
- The second channel lost signal to the left side. I tried re-soldering the input jack, new cables, etc. It's just dead.
- One channel distorts terribly, regardless of input volume. Another sounds like it clips easily. Both of these channels cause serious fatigue if used for an extended period.

Currently I have just two channels that function without issue. I am quite disappointed. To be honest I'm very careful with my gear, it does not see abuse. Because many of my projects are smaller in scale, I seldom even need to use this amp. One of the flawed channels hadn't even been used until my latest project last month.

So if you're looking to buy a reliable headphone amp, I can't recommend the SM Pro. I've heard very good things about the Presonus unit though, which is what I'll probably try to check out next.

[mrc]

Thanks for the tips. I'm often to busy to surf, and missed this until now, but this is a piece of gear I need, but haven't purchased yet. I look forward to hearing how the presonus works out.

[AK Audio]

It's been a LONG time

SM PRO unit: Fortunately, since my latest update nothing else has pooped out on me. The remaining 3 or 4 channels are working with a bit of fiddling. However, there was one occasion where I specifically needed 6 channels, and it took some very resourceful work on my part to accommodate. In short, this unit has been a serious disappointment.

Presonus HP60: I finally broke down and bought this bad boy. I just got it in the mail a few weeks ago, so it's been wired up & turned on but seldom used. It doesn't look like I'll specifically need it for a while, but I'm looking forward to testing it out within the month. One feature I'm specifically interested in is the "Talkback" input! Now that I no longer use a Digi 003r, I don't have the extra 4 channels to dedicate to the TB.

I'll post my experiences later.

[jgimbel]

Please do post your experience once you've used it more! A 6-channel headphone amp is something I've got on my list for the future, and the two models I have marked down as what I was looking for are the HP60 and the Art HeadAmp6Pro. I'm a big fan of Presonus gear and love supporting their company, and I'd love to know if the HP60 would make a great addition other than just cosmetically to my two Presonus interfaces I've got!