[SonyFan121]

An old setup i've since replaced but still the best I ever had: Cyrus CD6, Cyrus Linkport, connected to Linn LK85 then to my headphones via a standard switch box. All my headphones sounded better with that system but the one I had that synergized the best with it by far was the Sennheiser HD700. I know it's really just an illusion, but the soundstage moved from inside my head to about 3ft all around me. The second most headphone that synergized so good with that system was AKG K712. Though the soundstage didn't manage to reach the width/depth of the HD700.

 

[bagwell359]

Agreed with previous poster regarding HD600 and Bottlehead Crack w/Speedball combo. It's like the Crack w/Speedball was made for HD600 (was it?).

Some amps don't do well with planars (supposedly easy load). For instance the wonderful Threshold Stasis 3 - a Nelson Pass amp from the early 80's was really bad with any Magnepan of the time. But it was great with the DQ-10 - by far the best amp of the many I heard them with. Later Pass amps like the X Series have no such issues. You said the BC didn't sound as well with the HE-600. It could be a design thing, or maybe they didn't demo it as much as possible which could have led to a change.

Some amps are bullet proof - like KSA Series Krells and X Series Pass. Others are not. Even amps with big reps for driving everything - like the Rag - won't drive speakers such as Magnepan 1.7i, 3.7i

As for good pairings in my experience? Rag and HE-500 using XLR - really brings the bass interface issues with the low mids right under control.