Amp Recs For CD3000 & Ultrasone HFI650

[KCrimson1972]

I would like some amp recommendations please. I currently have the Ultrasones HFI650's and will be getting the CD3000 in a couple of months. I am a closed cans guy for right now as I have a roomfull of audio equipment when noise is no problem. These are similar low impedance cans but the Sony may be a tad brighter. Music is acoustic guitar, piano and vocals for the most part.

I would like to set up a dedicated amp and headphone set up. I would use the tape loop or aux on a large receiver and a mini system. Very good sources on one and O.K. presently on the mini. Nothing computer related or portable.

What would be a couple of good tube and solid state choices in the under $500 new, used or built? I have no problem with a DIY built by someone reputable, but I don't want an experimental toy nobody can fix. I can't maintain something from someone out of business or soon to be out. I like a tube sound but I am not a tube tweaker. I just mainly want something reliable to plug and play that would compliment these two cans.

I have no idea how customs treats things in this price range and I suppose that could add considerable cost if bought European. If used, something realistic that I don't have to be unemployed and stare at this site marketplace all day for months to come across.

[evilcthul]

SS Choices:
http://www.headamp.com (Gilmore)
http://www.meier-audio.com (Corda Range)
http://www.headphone.com (Headroom Little)
PM JMT or Tangent and get a META42.

Tubes:
http://www.divertech.com (Get the MG Head MkII or if you want to spend around $700 the OTL32 would be very very nice)

I can't really think of any other bits of tubed headphone gear that is sub $500. You could always try audiogon.com

[Sovkiller]

The MGHead IMO, is not a good match for the CD3000, I don't know if for the ultrasones........and on this price range only the Gilmore and the Corda HA-2 maybe, Tubes MAD Ear+ and maybe a used Melos (with some tubes, with others is not a good match)

[KCrimson1972]

Why only solid state recommendations Slov? Because I would rather pay $700 for tube than $500 for solid state. But if I have to go $850 or more then I would have to bow out to the solid state.

Is it something about the CD3000 or any low impeadance phones that make them not advantageous for a tube amplifier? An MG OTL32 is going to be about $600.

[Sovkiller]

Originally posted by KCrimson1972
Why only solid state recommendations Sov? Because I would rather pay $700 for tube than $500 for solid state. But if I have to go $850 or more then I would have to bow out to the solid state.

Is it something about the CD3000 or any low impeadance phones that make them not advantageous for a tube amplifier? An MG OTL32 is going to be about $600.

Because fo the price range you offer, under 500......No, in fact the CD3000 will perform better with tubes, than with solid state, according to many headfiers, but look, these are tube amps and prices:

Xcan V2 is about 269.00 (but many people do not like it) other than these, look:
Ear Max Pro 650 or more
MicroZOTL 750 or more
RKV plus the impedancer for the CD3000, about 1100 or so
Melos 500-1000+ (depending on the mods)

all are over 500 except the Xcan.
All those will perform beautifully with the CD3000, the microZOTL is the match in heaven, along with the RKV.....according to hirsch, servinginecuador, markl and many others, I do not have heard any of those....
But the MAD Ear+ I suggested above is a tube one, and very good BTW, designed for 32 ohms impedance, check their website Mapletree Audio Design, they even now are offering a commemorative edition, with some improvements but Dr. Peppard (one of the tubes Gurus and the designer and owner IIRC of the MAD) has not too many parts in stock for this one, so hurry up if you want it....sorry if you misunderstood me or if I misunderstood you....

FYI, do not underestimate the Gilmore Dynamic Amp SS, even at 500 or so, it will outperform many tube amps...

[markl]

Can't speak to sub $500 amps and CD3K, but as was just pointed out, they go GREAT with the ZOTL, and would also probably like a Melos (my R10s sure did), and I speculate RKV with Impedencer (a must with the CD3Ks) would also be great as RKV is said to have rolled highs which might suit the CD3K's quite well.

As for SS gear, no one seems to like the Headroom gear with the CD3Ks so that combo should probably be ruled out. From what I've read of the Headmaster, it has a very "open" top end which one could *speculate* may be too much with the CD3K's.

That's about as much info as I can give you anyway. I know those are out of your price range, and seldom come up used, but you never know.

Mark

[KCrimson1972]

Thanks guys, like I said guys I have officially abolished the under $500 bar. That was my initial probe and it looks like the quality range to not be waisting your money is $500 solid state and $600 to $850+ minimum for tubes.

The Gilmore 2 is looking more like the safe bet but I had heard they were vapor/eval/coming etc. From what I have read here and I must admit it is a bit confusing, there is not a clear ETA much less production in stock. I could have missed one posting and be dead wrong about this.

A couple of the tube amps mentioned I can't tell which of the manufacturers are stopping building models, going out of business, parts will be unavailable for etc. I am not such a hot fix it up electronics kind of guy. I can change tubes but I am not a DIY guy yet with boards, crossfeeds and P/S's.

Thanks for the input. I learned a long time ago you don't buy in below the necessary price and expect to get the job done. You wind up with a couple hundred in your pocket and a solution that is not what you wanted.

[markl]

I learned a long time ago you don't buy in below the necessary price and expect to get the job done. You wind up with a couple hundred in your pocket and a solution that is not what you wanted.

Smart man! Amen to that!

A couple of the tube amps mentioned I can't tell which of the manufacturers are stopping building models, going out of business, parts will be unavailable for etc.

Well if proven reliability and long-term established companies are a hot-button requirement for you, that probably rules out Melos (who is no longer in business), and the RKV (IMO and the opinion of many other Members here, the RKV in its various iterations has a troubling reliability record, just do a search). Also, the Gilmore is the only product made by a one-man hobbyist operation that has been in business for less than a year, with no long-term track record. That may or may not matter to you. I'm not casting aspersions on the Gilmore or its builder by any means. If I have mis-spoken, though, please correct me.

David Berning's ZOTL has been around a few years, and he has at least one other product, but he's hardly a major outfit either, and probably not that different from Antness in truth.

Headamps are somewhat ephemeral niche products-- not many major established brands have them.

Mark

[Sovkiller]

At least you will be on the safe side with the RKV and the microZOTL, and the MAD Ear+ IIRC they are still in production, the MAD Ear+ was reported a pretty good amp do not underestimate it, just check it, is cheaper and has extremelly good customer support, Dr. Peppard is a very nice guy and always stand behind his products.......the others I don't know.....

[KCrimson1972]

I am winding this down to a choice guys. They all seem to have their plus and minus challenges. You summed it up well with the niche market comment. All my hobbies seem to wind up there. Nothing I do winds up mainstream beyond a house and car.

I just wanted to get your opinions on why you thought the low impeadance version of the MG Head. The MG OTL32 was a poor choice for the CD3000.

I know the high impeadance version is very popular with the HD600 several hundred ohm models. I understand perfectly why this or any of the other MG line would be completely unsuitable.

I was under the impression the OTL32 being 32 OHM was designed with phones such as the CD3000 in mind. Is it just the basic design of the boards and tube selection that give it unfavorable characteristics? It does appear very new and not much info on performance with the CD3000. I know there is a lot more than impeadance matching and you can have a great spec sheet that sounds like crap when the hardware is plugged in.

[Sovkiller]

I don't think is a poor choice the OTL32, is a pretty good amp, just that nobody has heard it paired with the CD3000, and I do not think is in the market yet, but if you want to be the first, let us know, when you get it.
OTOH to be for low impedance, does not mean to be a good choice for the CD3000, I could give you a short list of low impedance amps, that do not pair very well with it, eg: the MGHead works well with Gradoes on the transformer jack and does not pair at all with the CD3K, the RA-1 neither, non of the headroom line pair with it, so ...... Grado is one thing, and the CD3000 is another, most of these amps are design with Gradoes and tested with Gradoes in mind, but the CD3000 is very "pickky" with the amps.....

[Hirsch]

I heard RKV with Impedancer using CD3K this weekend, and am impressed. It's about the best I've heard this can. You get the full impact, without the hollow booming sound that some amps products. ZOTL can do this too, but doesn't have the impact the RKV can muster.