Earning up for my first system - DAC + Amp for Sennheiser HD650? - Page 2

Considering all the hoop-la about balanced HD650s (and the positive reviews of this amp/DAC w/ HD650s) I'd take a look at the NFB-10WM from Audio-GD.  But at the same time, I would think about picking up the LCD-2s with the $1K you're saving up, and using a used receiver you may have lying around, or some other budget amplifier for the time being.  If you have a computer source, a Nuforce uDAC wouldn't hurt.  Then I would think about quitting while I was ahead.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoahReQQuiem 

What amp would you recommend for more shimmer with high notes?

An inexpensive amp that really opens up the treble on the HD650 is the dynalo/gilmore lite.

Compared to driven by the typical cheap OTL tube amp, the HD650 sounds like a different can driven

by a quick, DC coupled solid state amp like a gilmore lite. It seems like the majority of posters here

prefer an OTL tube amp with the HD650s. I don't at all. The HD650s can be a bit ponderous and slow

on cheaper OTL tube amps to my ears. I went through the gambit with the DV332, LD IV and Bijou with

the HD650 and for me they are dead ends, sound wise. My home rig is electrostat, and that probably

makes me a bit more critical of underdriven/euphonic HD650 sound though. I like the HD650 a lot, but

don't like the infamous "veil" that's more apparent on some amps.

My current rig at work is a gamma II > dynamid > HD650 and in the ~$1000 price range it is by far my favorite

rig.  DIY stuff lends itself to tweaking and a simple tweak of raising the PSU voltage to +/- 20 volts and

dropping the output class A bias back to 100mv spec optimizes the gilmore lite/dynalo circuit for higher

impedance phones. Probably not useful information if you're shopping for a non-DIY amp though.