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HD650 amp replacement

post #1 of 20
4/26/10 at 8:00pm
Thread Starter 
Hi there guys, first of all, I want to say hello to this wonderful community. Although I've been visiting the place and getting a lot of info from here, it's my first time posting.

Now, to the point: I've been using for some months my Sennheiser HD650 with an iBasso D10 Cobra connected to my MBPro (where I have all my music collection) and I've got to say that I'm quite happy with my set. Anyway, I'm thinking of replacing my D10 for a new amp. To be honest, my knowledge about the amp world is very small and I don't know what would be the best deal regarding portable or full-size amp.

My price range would be around $600 (if it's something is gonna make me really feel the difference).

Thanks in advance guys and looking forward to hear your suggestions
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones
post #2 of 20
4/26/10 at 8:28pm
From what I've heard and read, the Woo 6 is a perfect match for the HD650s:

WooAudio6 Tube Amplifier | Headfonia

In particular:

Quote:
Somehow it was able to get a great synergy with two headphones with almost an opposite character: both the Sennheiser HD650 and the Grado HF2. If you listen to a lot of Jazz, RnB, Pop, and Vocal, you’ll definitely love the WooAudio6.
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post #3 of 20
4/26/10 at 9:54pm
Darkvoice, Woo, Little Dot all make amps that sync very well with the 650. The WA6 amongst them, i had the WA6 and loved it a lot. I recommend you spend the extra 150 down the road for the Sophia Princess.
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post #4 of 20
4/26/10 at 10:37pm
ipod iamp
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post #5 of 20
4/26/10 at 10:55pm
I just got my Darkvoice 337 a bit ago and it was better than I was expecting.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/dar...review-219504/
and there are others as well.
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post #6 of 20
4/27/10 at 12:16am
Some time ago, I had the same goal seeking an amp for HD650. I settled with WooAudio 3 (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/woo...amping-375343/). And I am pretty happy camper after the tubes rolling, before this it had no sufficient bass. Likely this is not an issue with WooAudio 6.

The lesson I learned building my rig is "source first". If your source is not on par with an amp and headphones, then you waist money. Both HD650 and either WA3 or WA6 are pretty high quality gear, so it is important to have adequate source. If you do not have it yet, then I recommend Nuforce Icon HDP for your money instead of dedicated amp. HDP is a nice DAC/preamp/headphone amp in single small box, selling for $449. It is also good as SS amp.
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post #7 of 20
4/27/10 at 1:29am
I heard that the Burson HA-160 is very good.
Headamp 160
There's been a few positive reviews floating around.
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post #8 of 20
4/27/10 at 6:33am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all your suggestions guys!

For what I've read at Kostalex's post and all your recommendations, Woo6 seems to be the perfect choice. But, all my FLACS and 24/96 Vinyl Rips are in my MBPro, so whatever equipment I get will need to be getting the signal from the computer. Is this issue going to affect the quality of the output? Would it be right to connect the computer-dac-woo6?
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post #9 of 20
4/27/10 at 8:41am
little dot mk7. It has both se and xlr jack. 650s will sound better if go balance.
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post #10 of 20
4/27/10 at 9:13am
Don't dismiss the PS Audio GCHA either, it's a classic for sale at 1/2 price ($1000->$500) and it has really good reviews (cannot personally vouch for it).

What you should do is hook up the computer to the D10, and then connect the amplifier to it (the D10 does have a lineout, right?). If you connected your amplifier direct to the Mac, it would use the probably inferior DAC inside the MBP. By putting the D10 inbetween, you take advantage of the probably better DAC in the D10.
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post #11 of 20
4/27/10 at 9:33am
Hi,

This one does magic.....with the 650...as long as you replace the stock tube 12ax7...

ANTIQUE SOUNDLAB

I still own one... You may listen to music either in Transfo mode or OTL mode... Very few amps do that...

Denys
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post #12 of 20
4/28/10 at 1:57am
In your price range, I'd go for the WA3 with some good, vintage tubes. I found the perfect match for the 650 with the RSA Raptor but it's twice the price of your budget.
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post #13 of 20
4/28/10 at 5:03am
You need to decide what kind of amp you want. Solid state or tube? For SS, I say go with a KICAS. I agree with the WA6 for tube. If you want a "fast" response, tube might not be for you though.
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post #14 of 20
4/28/10 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cholaino View Post
Thanks for all your suggestions guys!

For what I've read at Kostalex's post and all your recommendations, Woo6 seems to be the perfect choice. But, all my FLACS and 24/96 Vinyl Rips are in my MBPro, so whatever equipment I get will need to be getting the signal from the computer. Is this issue going to affect the quality of the output? Would it be right to connect the computer-dac-woo6?

If you're using your computer's line-out right now, I feel like a DAC would be absolutely necessary to keep your source as clean as possible. I'm running sound through a ZERO DAC from my computer, into a Little Dot MKIII out to my HD650's, and it sounds sooo much cleaner than if I were to bypass the DAC altogether. With a comptuer as your source, I would definitely recommend a DAC in addition to the amp.

PC -> ZERO DAC -> LD MKIII -> HD650 -> happiness.
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post #15 of 20
4/28/10 at 8:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by fenixdown110 View Post
You need to decide what kind of amp you want. Solid state or tube? For SS, I say go with a KICAS. I agree with the WA6 for tube. If you want a "fast" response, tube might not be for you though.
TBH I really don't know which of them is gonna suit better for me, in fact, I don't know much about the differences between SS and Tubes. Would be great if you could tell me the basics

What about using the D10 I already own as a DAC, or is gonna be better if I get the ZERO?

Thanks for all your responses guys!
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones
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