Follow-up from OP: After much soul-searching, I went with the Aune T1 as my primary amp. I've been extremely happy with it so far; I don't have great ears by any stretch, but things do seem warmer and more enjoyable with my HD 600's with a tube in the mix.

Hey guys,   I've been around on this site, but I'm still pretty new to high-end audio. My latest excursion is in to tube amps, with the Aune T1 with the 6922 upgrade. Now I'm looking to do some tube rolling, but I read that a lot of tubes won't work in different amps (even if their bases fit)...

I'm used to that hissing from the cheap amps I've been using though, so I don't think I'll have too much of a problem with it. I mean, I can't imagine it's any worse than the noise floors I've been dealing with

Alright, thanks a ton. I think I'll go for it, I doubt I'll regret it!

Oh awesome! You're the exact person I wanted to talk to haha. Is the hiss any more noticeable than the hiss you'd hear with a cheap amp like that? And is the difference pretty noticeable?

Hey guys,   I just got the 598's and I'm loving them so far. I have a cheap amp/DAC (Hifiman HM-101) that seems to be doing a good job of driving them, but I'm wondering if I should upgrade. I've had my eye on the Vali/Modi combo for a while now, is it worth it with the 598's? I know they have...

Hi everyone,   Just a quick question. I already have both items listed above, all I want to know is whether that amp/dac will be enough to drive the 598's. I know those cans have pretty low impedance, but I'm having trouble finding stats for the HM-101. Any help is appreciated!

Awesome reply, this is exactly what I was looking for. I'm just wondering though, how long does it usually resonate after it gets tapped? I know it'll probably be a little different for every unit, but just to get a ballpark idea

Ugh. I really wish there was a place for me to listen to all of these. I don't live anywhere that I could get to one of the meets. Thanks for the help though guys, I've got a lot to think about now!

Guys, let's calm down. I can see that you're both experienced Head-Fiers, so let's not turn this into a YouTube comments page. 

Alright, any suggestions for a DAC/amp combo for around $200? Unfortunately I really don't have a lot of money to spend :/

Is the little dot a DAC as well? Or is it a dedicated amp?

Anything else neutral that sounds good but is a little less than the 600's? If I do decide to go with a neutral sound they might be a little out of my price range.

Alright, awesome! Looks like I'll be venturing into new territory soon. One last thing: What is the difference between the 990 Pro and the 990 Premium? There's about a $70 difference on Amazon, but I'm not sure if the jump to the Premium will be worth it.

I listen to anything but country. Mainly, though, I listen to R&B, new wave rap, and indie rock (Black Keys type stuff). I usually look for a pretty clear sound, I like detail. Punchy bass, but nothing that takes away from hearing the mids and highs of a song. And I've never had a Beyer before...

I'm guessing the 600 ohm 990's are your suggestion? And that's something that's been bugging me, I feel like I could probably drive a higher quality headphone than any of the 5x8 series with either of those amps (Magni or Vali). Does anyone else think I should just save a little while longer and...

Actually, one last thing. I've been reading about microphonics with tube amps and it worries me a little. How long does that usually last after you turn an amp on?

Alright, thanks guys. That should be enough to keep me going for a while. I'll probably end up going with the Magni for now over the Vali, if I end up getting a really nice pair of phones in the future then maybe I'll upgrade. Thanks again for all the help!

I've been looking at the Senn 5x8 line, but I'm completely open to other suggestions

So in my price range of headphones, the extra $20 for the Vali over the Magni probably isn't a great idea? I want to try the tube sound since I've never had one before, but not if it's going to give me a really high noise floor.

So you wouldn't really recommend the 518 or 558 with that system? I feel like the magni/modi might be overkill for those two lesser models of the 5x8 line, but again, I'm not really sure. Could I go with the 558 or 518 and save some money, or are those pairs not really good enough to justify...

Right now I don't have anything that would need a really good amp, but I'm looking to get one of the Sennheiser 5x8 line. Any suggestions?

I've been hearing great things about Schiit's line of amps, but I'm not sure which one to get. I'm stuck between the Magni and the Vali. I know the Vali is a tube hybrid and the Magni is a solid state, but being the audio equivalent of a fetus I don't know the difference between the two types...

Hey guys,   I'm looking at a Schiit Vali/Modi combo to drive some new cans I got. The problem is that I don't know anything at all about tube amps and how they're different from a regular amp. Can someone give me a tutorial on tube amps? 

Alright, makes sense. Any suggestions for headphones around the price range of the 598's? (they go for around $200 on some sites)