[taso89]

Looking for something warm, transparent, with no signs of sibilance. I would prefer SS over tubes but I guess we will see.

I used to have the Little Dot I+ and was unimpressed. My source would be the Asus Essence STX. Just looking to see if you guys can come up with anything better suited

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Have you considered the Gilmore Lite? It is rather neutral, but it does wonders to show the HD 600 for what it is.

 

[Uncle Erik]

X2 for the Gilmore Lite. It should meet everything you're looking for. You might be able to turn up a used Eddie Current EC/SS for your price range, too.

 

[deaconblues]

Another good one to look out for is the M3. Be quick to snap that up if one should show up for sale.

 

[sacd lover]

I always liked the Headamp products build and design and I used to own a Lite and the GS-1 x 2. But, over time I always find these amps to be to sterile and slightly hot in the upper midrange = ruthlessly revealing of poor source material and sibilance. Consequently, the Gilmores wear on me over time and I end up selling them. The Gilmores are transparent .... but your requirement for warm will not be met with the Gilmores.

I am much happier using the Millet hybrids or one of the other hybrids like the SOHA 2 or SOHA/ JISBOS with the Senns. If you are up for a compromise the hybrids really deliver. The new Millet Mini-Max, in particular, mates very well with the Senns .... and is the one I would recommend as there is even a commercial version available from Whiplash Audio.

These hybrid amps are exceptionally GOOD sounding and very refined despite being so inexpensive. The tubes are easy to find and also inexpensive. If you check out the for sale forum you can sometimes pick a Millet hybrid up for $200-250 .... although the word is getting around and the prices seem to be creeping up some. If you ever get some low impedance headphones the hybrids may actually sound even better.

I own several hybrids and I have been experimenting with these amps for months. I continue to be amazed by their value. Moreover, I remain VERY impressed by their sound quality .... these amps are keepers.

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by taso89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looking for something warm, transparent, with no signs of sibilance. I would prefer SS over tubes but I guess we will see. I used to have the Little Dot I+ and was unimpressed. My source would be the Asus Essence STX. Just looking to see if you guys can come up with anything better suited

I'd get the Compass if I were to get yourself a solid source to replace the STX while at it. Also FYI the Gilmore Lite is $399.

I personally find reviews for the Millet MiniMax very tempting! It's on my list of amps to look at!

 

[Lil' Knight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deaconblues /img/forum/go_quote.gif Another good one to look out for is the M3. Be quick to snap that up if one should show up for sale.

Can't agree more

The M3 simply sounds stunning w/ my HD600.

 

[sbulack]

A Purity Audio KICAS Caliente is a gorgeous-sounding amp with the HD600.
Transparent? - check.
Warmth? - check.
No hint of sibilance? - check.
SS? - check.

I owned a M^3 before I owned a Caliente, but I ended up selling it when I realized that it was portraying voices in the upper register as too thin, to my ear (with beautiful detail and lovely highs, BTW) and just was not giving the sound sufficient foundational support in the lower register - again, to my ear. This was especially apparent to me with acoustic arrangements. All of those same CD's and tracks are portrayed as ear-satisfyingly full-spectrum sounds. The M^3, with the HD600, provides a lot to enjoy. To my ear, the Caliente provides substantially more with the HD600.

 

[BIG POPPA]

There is also the Rega Ear. I have one. The gain is really high and made for the Senns or Cans with high impendance. It retails for around 300 bucks or so.

 

[sdgserv]

How bout a PPAv2..One for sale in the forums..(how would I know that)

 

[jpstereo]

How about the X-Can v2 or v3? Tubes yes - but they sound wonderful with the HD600s. I can also recommend the Audiotailor Jade - very nice indeed - but tubes again!

 

[Currawong]

I like my Audio-gd C2C with HD-600s. It has just enough smoothness that even with colderr sources, such as the Lavry DA-10 or Apogee Duet I could easily enjoy listening, yet still is very transparent.

I agree though with what Skylab said in his review: "...it’s a VERY good time to be into headphone audio. There are just a LOT of great, affordable headphone amps out there."

 

[jimmyjames8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG POPPA /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is also the Rega Ear. I have one. The gain is really high and made for the Senns or Cans with high impendance. It retails for around 300 bucks or so.

Different strokes and all that but the Rega Ear is one of the worst amps I ever hooked my Senns up to. YMMV!

I really like the Woo 3 tube amp with my 650's. $350 is in the realm of used price for this amp. Maybe $400 but who knows in this economy.

 

[Murugesh]

I would suggest Gilmore Lite for HD 600 though it's $45 more than your budget

 

[PFKMan23]

Another option is to commission a CKK2III.