[beamrider]

Getting the itch again.......What would be a good amp for a pair of HD600's? Tube or SS, something I can build myself, cause it's more fun that way. Cost isn't really an issue, although I'm not going to drop a mortgage payment to do this........Doesn't have to be portable, just something tweaked out that sits on a shelf. I've heard the META42 is the new buzz, does tangent sell kits?

 

[Nezer]

Tube vs. Solid State... Oh crap! Hold on for this wild ride!! Why not ask if interconnects really matter. Oh, because there is actually a consensus to that question!

I find the Corda HA-1 mates very well with the 600s. The *best* mate to the 600s was the EAR HP4 but at $3500 it's a bit out of most peoples range.

The tube vs. ss question really comes down to a matter of taste but just because you prefer SS in the sub $500 category doesn't mean you will in the > $1500. I would suggest trying differnt amps and buying what you think sounds the best for your budget and not worry about tubes vs. ss.

I think the Meta42 could be made into a killer amp for just about any headphone (except the K1000s... G=1000??

).

Tangent does sell the PC boards and some of the harder-to-get parts but not a kit per-se. You'd have to buy the bulk of items from Digikey or mouser. Tangent does have posted a pretty extensive parts list and lists part numbers for places where the items can be had.

Of course, you could just always have him build one for you too! He quoted me a top-end Meta42 config and it was quite reasonable. I actually think it should have been closer to double what he was asking.

 

[Roger Golze]

I built a "no-compromize" single-ended vacuum tube amp for my HD600s. It employs a super-linear tube, has balanced outputs (like HeadRoom BlockHead), single gain stage, no feedback, no coupling caps, and a balanced choke-input power supply. It's probably $1,000 to build one.

The output is absolutly quite, and I belive this is the ultimate amp for HD600s. I always think that I'll someday do a production run of my tube designs, so I'm cautious about sharing my scematics, but if you really think you'll build one, e-mail me.
Roger Golze