I like the marble pattern because it's a unique, legendary headphone, so it's appropriate for it to have some unique touch. If it were a random, forgettable headphone, marble finish would just like weird and cheap.

I wonder if anyone has both HD-600 and HD-650 as complementary headphones and if so, what types of music do you prefer each of them for?

I used to be on head-fi ten years ago (I lost the pwd to that acct and email), where based on advice here I got me a little dot mk3 and Ultrasone 2500 and Etymotic ER4Ps and Sennh HD595. While I liked the headphones, (Ultrasones since then have broken down), I somehow never ended up using...

@tesarpa Since you recommended Khadas tone board before (which recommendation I somehow missed/forgot), do you think it sounds better, or about the same, than Airist R2R?

Thanks to all who answered, I bought the Airist R-2R dac from forums here on head-fi, I will get it soon! Very exciting. A follow up question - I will now have this chain laptop -> usb cable -> Airist R-2R -> ZDT jr. -> HD600. Everything stock except GE tubes on ZDT. I don't have any other good...

I have some money but i mostly spend it on books and expensive green teas, so just a little bit left for hi-fi :(

Thanks, that's good to know re: transformer. As for measurement, ideally I would want to have both: a chain as close to perfect accuracy as possible, and another one that sounds most enjoyable to me on widest variety of music. But since i have notably less than infinite money, the latter is...

I'm using GE tubes I got along with the (used) ZDT jr. , don't know how much they cost but they sound pretty wonderful to my ear!

@Ymzable Is that your experience with SS amps in that range in general or specifically (or more so) with AAA 789?

Thanks, I did get the ZDT Jr. (without or w/negligible hum), and really love it. What did you hate about AAA 789? I was thinking about getting a used 789 in a few months to be able to compare to a good SS amp because I've never had one.

It's not that i like incremental steps, it's that $700 is more than i can spend now :). D70 or D90 sounds really good, thanks!

thanks all! What if I go up to $450 used?

I don't have any DAC and.. I guess I need one!!

Thanks! Very happy to hear that!

I was also looking at AAA 789 and eventually want to get that or something similar, but in the interim I like the idea of softer, smoother tube sound. Similarly for source I like the idea of record players (and have one), and if choosing between more accurate vs. less accurate but warmer sound...

Just noticed it may not be in the right forum, but don't see a way to delete the post.. Mods please delete if it should not be here..

I assume it makes sense to do this upgrade - mostly for HD 600 and HD 6xx - because it's a much newer amp, mostly good reviews and more expensive but perhaps it's not enough of an upgrade? Did anyone compare the two? thanks!

I assume it makes sense to do this upgrade - mostly for HD 600 and HD 6xx - because it's a much newer amp, mostly good reviews and more expensive but perhaps it's not enough of an upgrade? Did anyone compare the two? thanks!