Amp for HD650 with very limited budget - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

rahavsmt · #1 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 01:28 AM

Hi all,

Right now im using an HD590 and would like to upgrade to HD650. Since i have a limited budget, i cant exactly buy a high end amp.

What about this amp here?

I can stretch my budget to buy the Pro-Ject Headbox Head Box II if the above amp is no good.

This is just my starting amp. I will buy a better one if I have the funds later.

Just a newbie wanting to upgrade.

FallenAngel · #2 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 01:36 AM

Wouldn't bother with that CMOY.

Just save a bit and get a used amp off the forums.

Uncle Erik · #3 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 01:51 AM

Agreed, the CMoy doesn't do a very good job with the HD-650. Nothing wrong with a CMoy for some cans, but Sennheisers are power hungry. A used amp from the For Sale Forum is a good way to go.

Another option is finding a used two channel receiver. Some people have had excellent results with those. Check thrift shops, junk stores, secondhand places, Craigslist, garage sales, and ask friends and relatives if they have one in the garage you can have. You can learn more at Tuner Information Center - Vintage Stereo Tuners. A side benefit of a receiver is that you'll get an AM/FM radio and, usually, a phono preamp if you want to check out vinyl.

A third route is DIY. Anyone can build an amp who wants to, it just takes longer if you haven't done it before. But the projects are fun and very, very rewarding. You can get the performance of expensive commercial amps for 10% to 25% of retail. If that interests you, visit the DIY section and feel free to ask questions.

Gollie · #4 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 02:02 AM

With a limited budget, your best best is to get one of the Chinese amps i.e. Darkvoice or Little Dot.

CMOY will do nothing but piss you off and waste your money.

rahavsmt · #5 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 02:09 AM

Thanks for the reply.

As for looking for stuff from the forum, well thats not really feasible since in not in the US and I cant really build my own since i dont have a lot of free time to do the researching, buying the material and the building itself.

What im looking right now is for improvement from my current HD590. The source of the headphone is from my PC using a Creative X-Fi soundcard. Would a HD650 powered by Pro-Ject Headbox Head Box II sounds better than a HD590 without an amp using my source?

If there is no improvement, I will delay my purchase until I have the funds to buy HD650 with a better budget for the amp.

So what do you suggest, stay with the HD590 or upgrade to HD650 with a lousy amp?

Quote:

With a limited budget, your best best is to get one of the Chinese amps i.e. Darkvoice or Little Dot.

CMOY will do nothing but piss you off and waste your money.

Just saw your reply after i posted my post.

I tried looking for the Darkvoice amp and found 2 different model on ebay.

Darkvoice 336SE Headphone Tube

2008 Brand New Darkvoice Headphone Tube amp--Figaro

With the price I guess both of them are better than the Pro-Ject Headbox Head Box II? Between the two do you have any recommendation which is better? I can probably buy the Darkvoice 336SE Headphone Tube but then it is really stretching my budget since well I initially only wanted to buy a CMOY amp.

pabbi1 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 02:23 AM

A Creek OBH-11 will get you started - a snotty little beast, but the first amp of many of us here - and at a decent price, until you get funds together for something more substantial, and once you start to figure out what it is you want. There is also a OBH-21, and higher grade... oh, and there are some mods you can do later to make it a tad better. And, there are several on eBay - be patient.

Just an option.

scaz · #7 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 05:25 PM

I would say wait till you have the funs and a amp that is burned in. I bought the 650 with out really relizing that it needed a really high end amp. Now I have had the 650 for over half a year and the zero is the best thing I have to power it. The zero gets me just enough to want a huge upgrade in headphon amp.

DunninLA · #8 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 11:08 PM

650 without an amp is still better than a 590 without an amp.

Buy cans first, amp second.

Luminette · #9 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 11:37 PM

I'd post a WTB for someones used starving student millett

glitch39 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008, 12:04 AM

Get an XS 708B tube amp. cheap and not so bad for starters.

as mentioned by many, the 650 scales well. so if you don't think you'd be able to give it proper amping, don't expect a lot out of it

nikongod · #11 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glitch39

Get an XS 708B tube amp. cheap and not so bad for starters.

QFT. It also responds well to upgrades if the OP has any interest in that.

Jules · #12 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008, 09:42 PM

Just get the headphones, then take your time researching on here for amp recommendations. This questions gets asked quite often and there are lots of threads on it. The caliente is supposed to be a good amp, very good for the money, you may want to look into that. I would build my own though, it will be better, half the price, and you have the satisfaction of building it yourself. It's not a big deal if you buy a kit, ask in the DIY forum. Even without an amp, my ipod drives the 650's to a decent volume.

FallenAngel · #13 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jules

Even without an amp, my ipod drives the 650's to a decent volume.

Amps are 99.99% NOT about volume level.

I'd agree with Luminette here, Starving Student with decent output caps is a good option at this budget. Could probably land one at the $120 range from FS forums or $180 commercially sold.

Jules · #14 (**permalink**) 11-22-2008, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel

Amps are 99.99% NOT about volume level.

Humorously, and I say this in a jovial manner, you reveal your literal (mis)interpretation of my (mis)statement, which was merely intended to point out that typical sources with a headphone out can drive the Hd-650's to a reasonable listening level despite their high impedance and thus a dedicated amplifier would not be immediately required, with a statement which, also literally (mis)interpreted, is an oxymoron since an amplifier by it's very nature amplifies sound. Regardless, I know what you are saying.

FallenAngel · #15 (**permalink**) 11-22-2008, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jules

Humorously, and I say this in a jovial manner, you reveal your literal (mis)interpretation of my (mis)statement, which was merely intended to point out that typical sources with a headphone out can drive the Hd-650's to a reasonable listening level despite their high impedance and thus a dedicated amplifier would not be immediately required, with a statement which, also literally (mis)interpreted, is an oxymoron since an amplifier by it's very nature amplifies sound. Regardless, I know what you are saying.

I did understand exactly what you meant about getting high impedance headphones to loud enough listening levels. (And impedance again has little to do with volume - it's sensitivity that determines how much power is required for the headphones to reach a certain volume).

I was remarking that amplification is not about "raising volume" or amplifying "sound" but amplifying voltage and current; thus about providing the voltage swing and current output to allow the driver to act as it was designed. An iPod will surely allow HD650 to "make noise" but because they require quite a bit of voltage at low frequencies, the bass will be a blur of what it should be.