The best Headphone Amp under 1000usd
Apr 4, 2011 at 5:23 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19
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I am looking to get an amp soon, budget is 1000usd and not sure which one to go for. Currently have the RS1 and CD3000 but may get the T1 or HD800. I dont need the amp with DAC as I will get the DAC on its own. Mainly listen to Pop and classics, hope you guys could help me out.
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 11:29 PM Post #3 of 19
Someone is going to say 'Corda Concerto.' So there you have it. The Concerto has a good reputation. And then there's the GS-1, XP-7...well, I'm not really familiar with this price point. But those are pretty well-regarded, well, for solid state at least.
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 11:36 PM Post #4 of 19
Ye the WA6-SE is very good with HD800, I heard it on a meet although it might be a little out of your budget , but you can try to get a used one. I think there is someone selling it right now, check the Sale/Trade . There are some other choices, the V200 from Lake people( Germany made i think), It's really bang for the buck. And CSP2+ from DEC-ware( my friend have this one, he's pretty happy with it ).
 
Apr 6, 2011 at 4:48 PM Post #6 of 19


Quote:
classakg said:
Burson HA-160 is a good choice. It does have enough power to drive the HD800's. There are some users here using a similar setup. 
Click to expand...


No need to go over your budget if you can afford to the HA160. 
 
Apr 6, 2011 at 7:37 PM Post #7 of 19
Thank you everyone, but actually I have stretch my budget quite a lot, and found one Leben C300X, ouch for my wallet.
 
Apr 6, 2011 at 10:50 PM Post #8 of 19
the burson HA-160 has superb synergy with the T!,
but the HD800 wont sparkle on it.
The EF5 hybrid amp matches better with the HD800, the treble is tamed, and the bass energised.
with a good dac, the HD800 is feenomenal.
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Apr 7, 2011 at 12:39 PM Post #12 of 19
Violectric V100, no question about it. This little amp is one of the most powerful headphone amplifiers you can buy. It can drive the LCD-2 and HE-6 quite well. And it's a perfect match for high-Z cans like the HD-800 and T1. Price fluctuates depending on the Euro but somewhere in the range of $800 shipped. Yes, I did own it and use it with the 2 ortho cans and the HD-800. I really can't say enough good things about it considering fact that unless you run a HE-6 or K1000, it's the only headphone amp you'll ever need. I also owned the EF-5 and although very musical with low-Z cans, its performance with 250/300 ohm cans was lacking, to say the least. I would NOT recommend this amp to use with anything over 50 ohms nominal impedance.
 
Apr 7, 2011 at 12:46 PM Post #13 of 19
Nuforce udac2...just kidding 
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There's no best amp, it all depends on what headphone you're using since amps synergize with headphones differently.
The Burson HA-160 is a horrible match for the HD800 in my opinion. They are bright by themselves and when paired with the HD800 which can have treble issues it was not a good match. The HD800 definitely pair well with tube amps so look in that direction. 
 
EDIT**** Nevermind, I did not see your post indicating that you're getting the Leben. You're probably getting one of the best tube amps in the market so I'm sure with the HD800 it would be a match made in heaven.
 
Apr 7, 2011 at 12:53 PM Post #14 of 19
Grab a FiiO E7/E9 combo and keep $800 in your pocket.
 
I'm not saying it's the "best" because I never use that term in describing audio products but it's a damn good little set up.
 
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