amp for T1 and HD650
Jan 17, 2013 at 4:02 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 23

alwaysec

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sorry new here. if i do something wrong, pls let me know :p
 
i own T1 and HD650, am looking for an amp and dac which will match both pretty well. 
 
currently, i have a tiny and lovely Fiio E17. it is mainly for my iems, but does help a lot to power hd650. 
 
i asked the same question in other posts. 
 
one of the reason i start this thread is while many ppl recommended is meier audio concerto, but i just could not find it anywhere. 
 
on their website (http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/amplifiers.htm), the closest (by appearance) is corda classic + corda daccord. is corda classic same as corda concerto? 
 
my budget is $1000 (including shipping, etc). i dont mind buying the amp first (without a proper amp, T1 is totally useless) and get a dac later when i have more fund. but if $1k can bring me a good set of good value, i will go for it. 
 
the current top 1 option is still A1. i know it goes pretty well with T1, but dont know if it is as friendly with HD650. (another reason i have not pull the triger is i really dont want to buy a step-down transformer to go with the US version A1, but it is not a biggie..)
 
wa2 tube is over $1k + plus shipping, so at this stage, i will pass it. 
 
the last, i am flying to hawaii next month from sydney, is it possible i can find anything good in, say honolulu? so i can avoid the tax + gst charged by AU goverment
 
thanks.
 
Jan 17, 2013 at 4:52 PM Post #2 of 23
Honolulu has nothing. There are about 2 or 3 high end audio/headphone carriers out here and they don't really have any offerings as far as headphone amps go. Your best bet would be to order it online and have it shipped to an address in Hawaii to pick up while you visit.
 
Jan 18, 2013 at 11:07 AM Post #4 of 23
I got both headphones, and found that there are many options you can do to get the improvement. I also a years old Corda Meier user, and love their amps. With my latest finding, these phones sound perfect when pairing with my new DECWARE CSP2+ headphone amp with the Corda StageDAC. With your budget and you have considered the tube amp, I believe the CSP2+ should meet your requirements including the budget. In my view, the tubes using in CSP2+ is much ideal for tube rolling compared with the WA2 - only need one matched pair 6DJ8/6922 tubes.
 
You shouldn't be regret to go for the DECWARE, the service is excellent, the products have very good reputation in sounding. I can endorse these as I have most of these equipments.
 
P.S. I am now using the CSP2+ plus T1 listening the TAS records when typing this.
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Jan 18, 2013 at 1:14 PM Post #5 of 23
Quote:
one of the reason i start this thread is while many ppl recommended is meier audio concerto, but i just could not find it anywhere. 

It has been replaced by the Classic.
 
T1 and HD650 are phones with high resistance/ohm drivers, and they really love an amplifier that can deliver a lot of voltage. OTL tube amplifiers will do that, but if you are into solid state the SPL Auditor is also built for delivering voltage. Take a look at the specs, and you will see, that it pushes out more and more power, the higher the resistance from the phones gets.
But since you don´t really need 1.7W into a T1, and the output says nothing about sound/synergi, amplifiers with less output can be fine as well 
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Jan 18, 2013 at 2:47 PM Post #6 of 23
A good number of users on the Soloist thread seems to be enjoying the T1's + soloist combo. You can look into it. 
It will drive the HD650 with ease. 
 
Jan 20, 2013 at 2:46 AM Post #8 of 23
I'm unable to comment on 650's, but the T1's sound wonderful through SPL Auditor.  Computer streaming FLAC into NAD M51, and using 1/2m Kimber KCAG interconnect between analog sources.
 
Jan 20, 2013 at 8:29 PM Post #9 of 23
Woo Audio 2, it will be worth it, and works beautifully with both headphones. 
 
its a little over your budget, but even with stock tubes, its worth it. 
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of course, the auditor, classic, and soloist are all great options as well.
 
Jan 22, 2013 at 2:40 PM Post #10 of 23
Quite a few people say the Bottlehead Crack sounds cracking with the T1s and HD650s. Even with import tax it's great for the rpice. 
 
Jan 23, 2013 at 9:07 PM Post #11 of 23
i have ordered the wa7. they retailer has not shipped it, as they dont even receive the stock yet. so still have some time to consider other options, like wa2 and soloist. i know bottlehead crack is pretty good with anything, but just not my thing. never good at soldiering anything.  
 
Jan 24, 2013 at 3:39 PM Post #12 of 23
Still highly recommend for Decware CSP2+ 
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, you can check that it is a reputable tube amp with lot of options for tube rolling. It is in the same grade of WA2 but better without using too many tubes.
 
See Skylab's review and the user comments : http://www.head-fi.org/t/338147/review-decware-select-zen-csp2-tube-headphone-amp
 
I wonder why you never consider this option, as it is one of the very few best options in this price level.
 
Jan 24, 2013 at 4:12 PM Post #13 of 23
I suggest you the Soloist which is surely the best sub 1000$ amp on the market today.

When I tested the T1 one month ago, I was completely blown away. I found myself smiling while I was listening to song that I knew for ages now. Usually I have chills but there I was happy to ear the T1 shine with the Soloist and rediscover my favourite songs !
 
For the HD650, they are stellar, I've received the LCD2 one week ago and I was not disappointed in the HD650 at all compared to the LCD2 with the Soloist.They are less detailed and transparent of course but they are punchy and dynamic and not veiled as some can say :).
 
I'm thinking that my search for an desktop amp is over now with the Soloist. You can drive almost every can on the market with it, for relatively good price and it sounds awesome. You can't go wrong with it.
 
Jan 24, 2013 at 5:29 PM Post #14 of 23
Quote:
 
For the HD650, they are stellar, I've received the LCD2 one week ago and I was not disappointed in the HD650 at all compared to the LCD2 with the Soloist.They are less detailed and transparent of course but they are punchy and dynamic and not veiled as some can say :).
 

 
+1
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