[GreenYodaEars]

Hello Head-fiers!
I need your help with an amplification problem I have. I recently purchased a pair of Hifiman HE-400, which i really like a lot. But I can't shake the feeling that the feeling that my Fiio e10 amp just isn't allowing them to fulfill their true potential. May that be true? I've been looking at the Nuforce Icon HDP as an all-in-one-solution for which to run high-quality music through from my computer, how significant would the increase in sound quality be?
 
Cheers!

 

[The Fed]

I would not recommend the Nuforce Icon HDP for the HE400... The Icon has a 10ohm output impedance which is way too high for the HE400's. Not to say it couldn't deliver current or that it won't sound good.... it says it can kick 288mw at 30ohms (which is nearly double what the E10 can do) but the high output impedance on lower impedance headphones tends to cause a dampening effect and you lose some of your low end oomph from the dampening effect.... I would think the Icon is only good for headphones 60 ohms and up. Generally you want headphone impedance (35ohm) divided 8 so you want 4ohms as a maximum output impedance of your amp/ dac.
 
For that type of cash there are plenty of options out there..... Fostex HP A3 comes to mind as an all in one for $400.... or the Matrix M-Stage with USB....for $300.00 or get a decent $200 DAC like the HRT Music Streamer and a Schiit Asgard amp.
 
I actually have the HE400 and the E10 and am planning on continuing on for a while with the E10 as my DAC and am getting a  Lake People G103 or G109 amplifier because they have less than 1ohm of output impedance.... and can push tons of current to 30 and 40 ohm headphones. After that I may get the HRT Music Streamer or Audioengine DAC but right now I am pretty happy with the resolution I am getting with the E10.
 
That is just my two cents

 

[GreenYodaEars]

Thanks, you may have spared me some buyer's remorse!
It's a shame though, I was reading good things about the Nuforce and liked its connectivity.... while I may consider a setup with seperate DAC and amp units, I still like the idea of having an all-in-one solution. Any more suggestions in that regard?
 
Cheers!

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

but the high output impedance on lower impedance headphones tends to cause a dampening effect and you lose some of your low end oomph from the dampening effect

 
This is not the case with planar headphones.

 

[GreenYodaEars]

Can anyone confirm this?

 

[hekeli]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/617902/effects-of-damping-factor-on-planar-magnetics-orthodynamics

 

[GreenYodaEars]

So I decided to probably order an Asgard amp. Been looking at the Little Dot MK3 too, though, would that make a good match for my HE-400? And then there's the matter of buying a DAC to match, any suggestions for an amp that offers USB and optical connectivity and won't bust my wallet?
 
Cheers!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

So I decided to probably order an Asgard amp. Been looking at the Little Dot MK3 too, though, would that make a good match for my HE-400? And then there's the matter of buying a DAC to match, any suggestions for an amp that offers USB and optical connectivity and won't bust my wallet?
 
Cheers!

Little Dot 1+ hybrid amplifier, $150
O2 (Objective 2) headphone amplifier, $155
 
Dac Destoryer, USB-DAC, sells on eBay for around $55, seller HotAudio40.

 

[RAZRr1275]

second little dot i+- i have a pair of orthos as well (fostex t50rp soon to be modded) and it has plenty of power for them and sounds great