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Best way to spend my $1000 - Page 3

post #31 of 37
1/29/13 at 4:56am

A setup I would consider hi-fi from Hifiman should be based on the HE-500 or above. The HE-400 just doesn't pull it.

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post #32 of 37
1/29/13 at 5:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifimanrookie View Post


No to be unrespectfull here..but ru serious? I have a he500 myself and tried it directly from my hm602(one of the best dap's around) and with at least 10 amps..i agree..with some amps sound was even worse (with the darkvoice 3322 or the normally excellent matrix mstage for instance).. My hm602 was better in general..But with the 337 the sound was transformed! And trust me..it isnt 5% difference..and no its not placebo effect..everyone ( and i mean EVERYONE!) says that the sound coming from my wonderfull he500 is many times better now then being connected directly to my hifiman hm602 or cowon d2 or ipod touch 16gb or ipad 3.(owe them all) .and funny thing is most of them say its ludacris to buy an tube amp (and almost all of them find my 337 super ugly and old fashioned looking by the way biggrin.gif ) specifically for ur headphone before listening!!! .so they were negatively biassed towards the sound of my amped he500..but oh my god..their faces when they start to listen to flac high quality files..as if they never ever heared music before! I believe if u connect the right ( dont read that as expensive!) GOOD QUALITY amp..it will give the perfect synergy to make the he500 shine even more then directly from any dap..no matter how expensive it was. I tried many amps before i by accident stumbled upon my wonderful 337 and i wont be selling him for a long time to come. tongue.gif
May i ask something? Do u believe that good cabling (headphone, rca, and powercable) and or vibration absorbing can help to improve sound?

Dont get my wrong here..i respect anyones opinion..as we are here for the same hobby..but am just curious where ur opinion is based upon.


Got kinda the same experience with my tube amp. Sound is just delicious and musical, whilst being dull out of my fiio e17. My first feeling of owning something 'hifi'. I'd say, that the HE-500 pairs well with a tube amp.

Seriously, I almost never listen to my HE-500 in bed due to knowing that the sound quality is impaired with my e17 biggrin.gif

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post #33 of 37
1/29/13 at 5:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidsh View Post


Got kinda the same experience with my tube amp. Sound is just delicious and musical, whilst being dull out of my fiio e17. My first feeling of owning something 'hifi'. I'd say, that the HE-500 pairs well with a tube amp.
Seriously, I almost never listen to my HE-500 in bed due to knowing that the sound quality is impaired with my e17 biggrin.gif
Am glad u love the sound with ur tube amp and the he500.. But i know from experience (darkvoice 3322) that not all tube amps pair well with the he500.. OTL tube amps from design..normally dont pair well with planars...but u have exceptions.. Thank god for us biggrin.gif
As i stated before..ss or tube amps.. affordable or expensive..u just have to find the right amp who has that perfect synergy with these wonderfull cans According to UR EARS... If u do find that amp..then ur a lucky man/woman (and lately also some cats that are into hifi also i understand biggrin.gif)

..u and me are one of those men...lucky us wink.gif
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post #34 of 37
1/29/13 at 5:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifimanrookie View Post


Am glad u love the sound with ur tube amp and the he500.. But i know from experience (darkvoice 3322) that not all tube amps pair well with the he500.. OTL tube amps from design..normally dont pair well with planars...but u have exceptions.. Thank god for us biggrin.gif
As i stated before..ss or tube amps.. affordable or expensive..u just have to find the right amp who has that perfect synergy with these wonderfull cans According to UR EARS... If u do find that amp..then ur a lucky man/woman (and lately also some cats that are into hifi also i understand biggrin.gif)

..u and me are one of those men...lucky us wink.gif


Well, I have the x-can v8. Not that I can find many reviews/comparisons, but I know I must have found something real nice :P

Only thing I could wish is a bit more spacious sound stage, but I am with the stock tubes, which aren't that good..

 

But I also need to try more amps, since I haven't really compared thoroughly with other amps than my e17.

 

Any idea why OTL tube amps don't pair well? Just because they can't deliver the current?


Edited by davidsh - 1/29/13 at 5:33am
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post #35 of 37
1/29/13 at 6:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidsh View Post


Well, I have the x-can v8. Not that I can find many reviews/comparisons, but I know I must have found something real nice :P
Only thing I could wish is a bit more spacious sound stage, but I am with the stock tubes, which aren't that good..

But I also need to try more amps, since I haven't really compared thoroughly with other amps than my e17.

Any idea why OTL tube amps don't pair well? Just because they can't deliver the current?
I have the darkvoice337 and with tungsol 5998 as powertubes and tungsol 6sj7gt mesh plates as drivers.. the soundstage is huge!!! For instance..on a adele live song...on other amps her voice is almost on same level as instruments in a line so to speak....but now her voice looks like in the back in the middle while u can hear the instruments exactly where they are..front left front right , behind her..and so on..just like the real deal..with layers and wide soundstage..it goes low!! And still her voice stays that layback sexy..the highs..well.. Dont even know how to describe them tongue.gif .. Yes..the tubes were expensive..and yes my powertables costed 420 euros total ( needed 2) and yes..the new feet costed 120 usd and yeah the rca and headphone cable costs around 200gbp..so yeah..it made me bleed out (as i bought my he500 and the 337 also last november)..but until now..it put me in heaven also..like a poorman's heaven biggrin.gif good that my wife dont even know half of it, she would kill me tongue.gif
Bout otl tube amps not well pairing with planars..i am not technical..but i believe it has to do with them being very inefficient (they loose lots of power by heat) and so not able to produce enough power..Ss amps are better in that.. But the 337 and 339 are a few of the exceptions as far i know of..there are others am sure...
Edited by hifimanrookie - 1/29/13 at 7:21am
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post #36 of 37
1/29/13 at 8:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifimanrookie View Post


I have the darkvoice337 and with tungsol 5998 as powertubes and tungsol 6sj7gt mesh plates as drivers.. the soundstage is huge!!! For instance..on a adele live song...on other amps her voice is almost on same level as instruments in a line so to speak....but now her voice looks like in the back in the middle while u can hear the instruments exactly where they are..front left front right , behind her..and so on..just like the real deal..with layers and wide soundstage..it goes low!! And still her voice stays that layback sexy..the highs..well.. Dont even know how to describe them tongue.gif .. Yes..the tubes were expensive..and yes my powertables costed 420 euros total ( needed 2) and yes..the new feet costed 120 usd and yeah the rca and headphone cable costs around 200gbp..so yeah..it made me bleed out (as i bought my he500 and the 337 also last november)..but until now..it put me in heaven also..like a poorman's heaven biggrin.gif good that my wife dont even know half of it, she would kill me tongue.gif
Bout otl tube amps not well pairing with planars..i am not technical..but i believe it has to do with them being very inefficient (they loose lots of power by heat) and so not able to produce enough power..Ss amps are better in that.. But the 337 and 339 are a few of the exceptions as far i know of..there are others am sure...

Good to know thanks for that commentary.  I have the same amp and tube set incoming.  Hoping it pairs well with my K701.

 

Curious, is your 337 the preamp model?  If so, how good is the preamp section?  Is its soundstage as good sounding as the headphone out?

 

thanks again

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post #37 of 37
1/29/13 at 9:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kramer5150 View Post

Good to know thanks for that commentary.  I have the same amp and tube set incoming.  Hoping it pairs well with my K701.

Curious, is your 337 the preamp model?  If so, how good is the preamp section?  Is its soundstage as good sounding as the headphone out?

thanks again
Nope sorry..no preamp.. Only connections i have is rca in the back and 1/4 out on the front..so i cant help u with that.. But am sure somebody else can help u.. But what i do know..this amp is a very very very good amp..but pls do urself a favor a exchange the chinese tubes with better ones wink.gif knowing ur k701 is a bit on the colder side and very airy u could maybe use a chatham or rca tube as those will make ur sound a bit more warm..
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