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Sennheiser HD650 AMP

post #1 of 38
10/4/10 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 

Hello everyone. What's the best value amp for a pair of HD650's for under $100?

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones
NuForce Icon HDP (High-end Headphone Amp, USB DAC, Preamp)
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post #2 of 38
10/4/10 at 8:36pm

Welcome to Head-Fi! Have you already bought the HD650s? The only reason I ask because they're 300ohm and most people would tell you its a bit hard to drive and an amp under $100 might be tough.

 

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post #3 of 38
10/4/10 at 8:55pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the welcome. My roommate sold me his HD650s for a good price because he was going to buy something more expensive. He sold me his HD650's but didn't sell me his amp, and he says they sound so much better w/ an amp. But i don't know what amps to be looking at and  how much i should be spending. What is the best value amp that really lets the HD650 shine in all its potential? Thanks  

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post #4 of 38
10/4/10 at 8:58pm

At the minimum, you'll need to be looking at around $250-$300 for an amp that will drive the hD650 decently.

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post #5 of 38
10/4/10 at 8:59pm
Thread Starter 

any recommendations?

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post #6 of 38
10/4/10 at 9:55pm

A quick search will reveal a ton of HD650 amp threads. It's a rather popular topic around here.

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post #7 of 38
10/4/10 at 10:37pm

If you can up your budget a little more you'd have some options for the HD650. Otherwise you may want to save up, if that's a possibility??

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post #8 of 38
10/5/10 at 1:29am

Do you also need a DAC? The best price-performance ratio is in the NuForce Icon HDP as far as I know, all comments I´ve seen on the combo have been extremely positive. But it´s 450 $... I´d wait and save up, to be honest I don´t think there is an amp under 100$ that drives the HD 650 well enough...

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post #9 of 38
10/5/10 at 1:46am

G2 on e-bay.

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post #10 of 38
10/5/10 at 1:55am
Either save up a bit more $, or DIY!!!
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post #11 of 38
10/5/10 at 3:15am
Thread Starter 

thanks for all the responses, I'll definitely be saving up for an amp.

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post #12 of 38
10/5/10 at 5:06am

You might want to consider the Meier Corda Swing.  It retails for $295 USD.

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post #13 of 38
10/5/10 at 5:02pm

I'm using an Audinst HUD-mx1 DAC/ Amp driving my HD650s and its working rather well. I know there are (much) better things out there, but for its $180 pricetag I couldn't be happier.

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post #14 of 38
10/5/10 at 9:47pm
Thread Starter 

your responses are really helpful for someone who is just starting to dive into the world of high-end audio. I have a question about amps in general.

 

Do I need an amp for my headphones if i don't listen to my music really loud? Or is the amp necessary regardless of what volume I play my music? Thanks. 

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post #15 of 38
10/6/10 at 5:50am

The idea of buying an amplifier isn't just so that your music is louder. Many headphones, the HD650s in particular, require A LOT of power to drive, power that many onboard systems just can't really provide. Getting an amplifier solves this problem (assuming you get one that matches your needs) because it bumps up the power to a point that can actually run your headphones the way they are meant to be run. You can obviously run them from any headphone jack, but if you properly amplify the sound signal, then you will benefit from more clarity and such. You must realise however, that because the HD650s have a resistance of 300 Ohms, the number of amplifiers that can properly drive them diminishes. From what I've read, few portable amps can run them (though would you really want to walk around with them on?), and many of the cheaper desktop amps can't provide adequate power either. Then you have to worry about synergy (how well your headphone pairs with a certain amp)... A dark and endless hole this is. wink.gif

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones
NuForce Icon HDP (High-end Headphone Amp, USB DAC, Preamp)
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