Recommend a Woo amp for HD650

LCD2 are low impedance cans and low sensitivity, so look for high powered transformer coupled tube amp!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by wired 

Want to get a nice amp for my HD650. I'm looking at the Woo Audio WA6-SE or WA2. Which will be better for the HD 650? I am also going to use this amp for future headphone purchase (either the LCD-2 or LCD-3). Thanks.

Frankly, you wouldn't have many options able to suit both the HD650 and Audeze drives. Such low impedance of LCD-2/3 requires very high electric current in design and components. While most of tube headamp support not lower than 30 ohms, so I suggest you have to consider for a separate amp for LCD-2/3 instead.

If just talking about HD650, both WA models are good options. Personally, I prefer the WA2.

I have the WA6SE and the HD600 (which is close to your 650's).  I find it to be a very good match.  I have also talked to many other Woo owners who are driving the LCD 2/3 off of the WA6SE with no problems....

The WA6 SEm is... superb... with the Senns... as well as... most other phones - which is why I got it!  

The WA3 / WA2 (OTL amps) are great with them also... but... not as good with low impedance phones as the WA6 SEm is - the benefit of a TC amp.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc9394 

X2 on gradofan2 said. WA6SE will drive LCD-2/3 perfectly fine. Is it the best combo? Probably not, with LCD-2/3, it is better pair with SS or hybrid amps.

I think its just as good as any SS combo. MH loved them with the WA22 and plenty of people use tubes with LCD-2/3. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gradofan2 

The WA6 SEm is... superb... with the Senns... as well as... most other phones - which is why I got it!  

 

The WA3 / WA2 (OTL amps) are great with them also... but... not as good with low impedance phones as the WA6 SEm is - the benefit of a TC amp.  

+1, OTL will be good for high-impedance and generally not recommended for low impedance. The WA2 works well with all beyers, senn hd 800, and the HD 650s (with the right tubes).

the HD 650s sounded quite nice with the WA6-SE, really shows how the HD 650s scale up depending on the amp. the highs are more present, the veil, if there ever was any, becomes non-existant, and the soundstage opens up, since the WA6-SE has a wider soundstage than the WA2. also, the "dullness" that some people find in the HD-650 kinda goes away. it just becomes a completely different sounding headphone. on the WA2, i found that it was a little too dark sounding. it certainly still sounded good, but i felt that it became a little slower and lost some detail. the WA2 is better paired with brighter headphones like HD 800 or any of the beyers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wired 

Quote:

Thanks. I'm sure she'll tell me the same thing. I think I may be better off looking at other amps. Perhaps the Lyr or the new Burson Soloist.

yup. WA2 might not power the LCD-2s well depending on your setup, also it will lack some of the dynamics and produce a thicker sound due to its warm nature.

The WA6-SE is great with LCD-2 and HD650s though, more than enough power, good dynamics and clear sound with just a hint of warmth that SS amps don't have. the WA6-SE is one of those few amps that works quite well with just about any headphone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kev pfeifle 

Wired, if you want send a PM to Dubstep Girl. She owns both a WA6SE as well as a WA2 and a ton of headphones (including the LCD 2). I'm pretty sure she will tell you (like she told me) that the WA 2 is underpowered with the LCD but the WA6SE powers them fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubstep Girl 

I think its just as good as any SS combo. MH loved them with the WA22 and plenty of people use tubes with LCD-2/3. 

 

 

If I remeber correctly, MH sold his WA22 for LF.  I'm not saying tube is bad combo for LCD-2/3 but certainly there are better options out there.  I think Musicman prefer the LF over his WA5, and to me IMHO, I prefer beta22 over WA22 with LCD-2.

LCD2 and HD650 share a smooth top end, meaning they are no bright headphones. So a SS amp is certainly possible, but if you want tube goodness, HD650 is really good being high impedance. What you have to know is an OTL (output transformerless) amp rely on output capacitors, while a transfomer coupled amp is well... transformer coupled.

In most design the OTL amp has low value output caps, meaning that it will cut off the bass response due the high filter a capacitor represent with low impedance cans.

But increasing the capacitance value lower the cutoff freq. Here is a calculator I used to upgrade my lafigaro 339 (which is OTL):

http://www.v-cap.com/coupling-capacitor-calculator.php

In my case I could have upgrade the capacitance with electrolytic caps in order to use low impedance HP, but I went optimizing the value to 260µF per channel (stock was 130µF) for my HD650 with film capacitor (MKP).

One could easily replace the stock capacitors with four 1000µF electrolytics and you would have the OTL goodness with your low impedance cans.

So if you would embark the DIY way, you could upgrade the output caps of a WA2 and use a LCD2!