GoldfishX
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2013
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I am doing my research on various amps and I keep having the same question: Is there an amp (preferably a tube amp) that can drive both Dynamic headphones (primarily HD600/800) and orthos (primarily Hifiman and the Mr Speakers headphones) equally well?
I have read that SET/OTL amps (ex Woo Audio 2) drive dynamics the best, but struggle with the requirements of orthos. I also gather that orthos pair best with either solid state amps and transformer-coupled tube amps (like the Lyr).
My problem is I don't want to end up owning two expensive ($1500+) amps, one for orthos, one for the Senns. The EF6 looks like it is what I need for the HE-560, but I have seen nothing about its synergy with the HD800 (which leads me to believe its nothing special). Likewise, I'm also tempted to try a higher end OTL to see how it works with the HD800, but I don't want to shut out orthos.
Is there a sweet spot between these designs?
I have read that SET/OTL amps (ex Woo Audio 2) drive dynamics the best, but struggle with the requirements of orthos. I also gather that orthos pair best with either solid state amps and transformer-coupled tube amps (like the Lyr).
My problem is I don't want to end up owning two expensive ($1500+) amps, one for orthos, one for the Senns. The EF6 looks like it is what I need for the HE-560, but I have seen nothing about its synergy with the HD800 (which leads me to believe its nothing special). Likewise, I'm also tempted to try a higher end OTL to see how it works with the HD800, but I don't want to shut out orthos.
Is there a sweet spot between these designs?