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Need good starter amp

post #1 of 5
6/15/11 at 11:36pm
Thread Starter 

I hate to do this, but I've searched and haven't found the answer to my question.  I'm looking at buy the Hifi-man EF2A hybrid tube amp, and I've been wondering if this is a good match up for lower impedance headphones like the Sennheiser HD598.  Am I being an idiot and overstepping the bounds of my limited knowledge, or is this a good starting point for a budget limited college student.  

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post #2 of 5
6/15/11 at 11:48pm

Here's three threads I found by searching "ef2a low impedance":

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/532874/bad-experience-with-ef2a-what-should-i-replace-it-with

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/512922/hifiman-ef2a-gain

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/433150/review-head-direct-com-hifiman-ef2-tube-hybrid-amp-with-usb-dac

 

If you can't find specific info regarding EF2A + HD 598, you might want to read up on the relationships between impedance, gain/voltage, current and sensitivity.

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post #3 of 5
6/16/11 at 10:45am
Thread Starter 

I have read the posts... From what I understand is that tube amps have troubles driving lower impedance headphones, but this amp appears to be a hybrid.  Will this have an effect on quality/sound?  Bigger question is will I even notice the difference between a solid state and a tube amp.  Fact of the matter is that I need a dac/amp combo if possible since my on board computer source is a bit hissy. So if anybody has anything to add or recommend I'd love some help.  Every single amp within my price range I've heard/read horror stories at least once.  Is the EF2A a safe bet to start on, or should I just get the NuForce uDAC2 or Fiio E7 and save my money up for a more serious tube amp?

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post #4 of 5
6/16/11 at 10:49am

Buy mine, heh. Seriously though, it's a very good amp with better tubes.

 

The Fiio E7 also looks excellent, and it performs very well according to NewAvGuy. 

 

 

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post #5 of 5
6/16/11 at 1:16pm

The Schiit Asgard is a great match to the HD598 and it quite affordable too. I am using this setup, as well as a Fiio E7 and also a NuForce icon HDP. The Asgard has more ooommpph to drive the HD598 but the icon HDP drives it louder as anyone can hear too and the soundstage is good too. The icon also serves as a great DAC with digital (spdif and optical spdif), USB and RCA inputs.

 

The Schiit however is amp-wise the best partner for my Sennheiser. Full bodied sound that really lets the HD598 shine...

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