Amp and DAC for HD800
May 21, 2012 at 5:15 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 95
MayorAdamWest

MayorAdamWest

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Hi all,
   I have been reading through hundred and hundred of threads here and I am having a very hard time figuring out what options are best for me. I have HD800s and listen to music through my Mac. It's probably 50% large orchestral, and 50% a mix of pop/rock and jazz.  I'd prefer to have a solid state amp.  What would everyone suggest?  I'd like to keep the whole setup under 1500, but can push if necessary. I listened to the m903 and the M1DAC/M1AMP today. Both were very good, but I wasn't blown away.
 
Thanks!
 
May 21, 2012 at 9:01 PM Post #4 of 95
May 21, 2012 at 9:12 PM Post #5 of 95
I just see really glowing reviews in the ~2k range for a lot of setups. The only reason I'm trying to steer clear of tubes is just that I don't really want to deal replacing them and break/warm up, etc. I'm open to any suggestions. I was actually expecting a flood of responses. Is this not a reasonable range?
 
May 21, 2012 at 10:11 PM Post #6 of 95
The HD800 are very picky; trust me. I went through so many amps and DACs in the 45 ish days I have owned them. One piece of advice I will give you is don't try to save money; you will end up spending more. I kept buying new equipment, each time more expensive than the previous, and I'm back where I started. I wanted a WA22 from the start, but didn't want to spend 2K + 500 ish in tube upgrades. After not being satisfied with other amps, I finally bought one (from a head-fi member). I still haven't listened to it yet, but I'm sure it will be awesome.
 
Once combo that I heard was AMAZING is the Yulong A18 and D18; I bought the D18 to go with the WA22 (still waiting for it). I was going to get the combo, but it was on back order. If you buy it as a pair from grantfidelity.com you get like a 50 discount. The total is like 1550 for what a lot of people are saying hangs with combos that cost A LOT more. I think I would have really liked this combo tbh and could have saved some money. 
 
May 22, 2012 at 2:09 AM Post #8 of 95
tube is smooth, not crisp
 
May 22, 2012 at 3:18 PM Post #10 of 95
Quote:
mayoradamwest said:
That's what I've read, so that's why I was asking about solid state. I guess not too many people on here have that setup?
Click to expand...

 
Are you looking for an analytical sound? Based on the feeback of someone who's opinion I value, the A18 + D18 combo won't meet your requirements if that is what you are looking for. That combo with the HD800 is for musical enjoyment, not analysis. Here is a quote from our PM exchange:
 
The A18/D18 is an amazing balance of speed, warmth, massive soundstage, excellent detail, and an overall smoothness. It may be just the ticket for you. I do think it sounds superior when run in fully balanced mode, including headphone cable. So that's an added expense you may have to consider. But overall I think t is an excellent combo approaching some of the best I've heard. 
 
May 22, 2012 at 3:26 PM Post #11 of 95
Quote:
steel108 said:
 
Are you looking for an analytical sound? Based on the feeback of someone who's opinion I value, the A18 + D18 combo won't meet your requirements if that is what you are looking for. That combo with the HD800 is for musical enjoyment, not analysis. Here is a quote from our PM exchange:
 
The A18/D18 is an amazing balance of speed, warmth, massive soundstage, excellent detail, and an overall smoothness. It may be just the ticket for you. I do think it sounds superior when run in fully balanced mode, including headphone cable. So that's an added expense you may have to consider. But overall I think t is an excellent combo approaching some of the best I've heard. 
Click to expand...

 
I'm not sure. I'm looking for a setup that will replicate the sound of an actual orchestra as closely as possible. I would never describe an orchestra as smooth or dark.  The sound should be fairly flat (assuming it was mastered that way) and there should be exceptional clarity. I want to hear the strings placing their bows on the strings, brass taking a breath, and the basses and tuba should sound pure, as if I were sitting in the audience.
 
May 22, 2012 at 5:41 PM Post #12 of 95
woo audio 2! very natural sound.
 
May 22, 2012 at 7:04 PM Post #13 of 95
The HD800 will only blow you away if you drive them hard ( i.e. high volume levels ) and understand the neutral sound.  It sounds like you may simply prefer a more fun sounding headphone.  Perhaps the cheapest way to get what you are looking for is to go with a pair of Denon AH-D2000 headphones or even the new AKG K550.  The sound signature may be what you really end up liking and the HD800 may be a thing of the past.  You will have the HD800 around so always pop them in when the time arrives, but a new headphone may be the cheapest and best solution.
 
May 23, 2012 at 9:40 AM Post #15 of 95
One of the solid state amp which sounded pretty decent with the HD800 is Headamp's GS-1. It is crisp but I still think it's tonally a touch thin sounding, but
 
I suggest you should audition before buying. Do spare some budget for replacing the stock cable too.
 
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