[Landis]

I've decided that my Christmas gift to myself will be a new audio set up.

I'm looking into a more powerful amp than my Travagan's Red, as at the moment I'm considering picking up an HE-5. I'm aiming for around $500 USD (new or used), but that budget can be pushed if money is taken out of other areas in the whole set up pool.

To try to preemptively answer any questions:

The amp will be used as an all-rounder as my taste in music is quite varied (jazz, blues, rock, metal, mali, classical & folk) and my K601 and SRH840 will more than likely be carried over to this new set up as well as their new big brother. I prefer a more life-like or organic presentation and try to stay away from anything too bright or fatiguing.

Also, if you have a source in mind that compliments the amp you're recommending, please be sure to make mention of it!

Total budget (headphones, amp and source incl.) = $1600 - $1800 USD

 

[AmanGeorge]

If you're going to get an HE-5, I think you'll likely have a hard time beating the value of an HE-5 / EF5 combination (rumored to be around ~$1,000 total once the EF5 is released). That would leave you $600-800 to spend on your source, which could definitely get you something very nice.

 

[Landis]

When is the EF5 due?

I was planning on picking up the source first to benefit my current gear off the bat and after working out the price of an amp, I would be left with how much I have to roughly spend on that source and all this will be split up over the next few months.

But thanks a lot for reminding me about the EF5, I remember seeing it mentioned in the HE-5 thread, but it slipped right out of my head. What worries me a bit with some tube amps is the the warm-up time... I'm the kind of guy who wakes up in the morning and will slap on my phones to pick me up before having a cup of coffee or even a cigarette; I know the EF1 was this way, so I'm assuming that will carry over.