[hosj321syd]

hey guys,
ive just purchased a pair of senn 600s and i was thinking about purchasing the gilmore v2 for these cans. Would this be a good choice, and do you have any other suggestions for an amp.

 

[mulveling]

I have them, and I really like how they sound together. However, I don't have experience with how it would compare to other amps in that pricerange, like the Emmeline XP7, PPA, and tube amps. I do have the Perreaux and a headroom little, and I like the V2 the best with any of my headphones. If you watch DVD videos with your 600s the V2 is fantastic for that because of its high gain and vast power reserves. My other amps just don't cut it for the power demands of DVDs without the help of dynamic range compression.

 

[mjg]

Hi,

I used my hd600s when i had them with my emmeline hr2. The hd600s are gone now, and now i own hd650s. This amp turned me into a sennhead, and converted me from a cd3k head.

The emmeline hr2 is a must have with the 600s, they really complement each other well.
I can't speak for the xp7, but i would rather not have a portable amp for my main rig.

I did own a gilmore v2, and I would be the first to discourage you from buying one in that price range. I was not a fan. I feel it might sound lean in the bass, and have a tendancy to make whatever source you have sound like crap. It also has some noise issues. I prefer the smoooth dark sounding HR2, which has an awesome power supply, and beautiful midrange, with the sennheisers would really appreciate.

Then, i would also look into the PPA, PPA deluxe model, I got to sit down with one for a few weeks and really liked what it did with my 600s. It had the detail of the gilmore v2, but the musicality it lacked. If you opt for the PPA, make sure you go with a good power supply option, as the elpac I feel sucks.

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjg Hi, I did own a gilmore v2, and I would be the first to discourage you from buying one in that price range. I was not a fan. I feel it might sound lean in the bass, and have a tendancy to make whatever source you have sound like crap. It also has some noise issues. I prefer the smoooth dark sounding HR2, which has an awesome power supply, and beautiful midrange, with the sennheisers would really appreciate.

While the HR-2 is not a bad amp, I rank the Gilmore V2 in the same league sound quality wise and often prefer the Gilmore V2. It does have a tendency to make your source sound like crap, if indeed your source does sound like crap. It is a rather revealing amp. It certainly has the potential to sound lean, especially compared to the Emmeline which has a great smooth midrange. One thing the Emmeline HR-2/XP-7 don't do for me (with AD-797 op amps) is get the dynamics right. I find that they both have the tendency to gloss over transients, offering liquidity at the expense of excitement. Also, I had no noise issues when I owned mine. The problem here is that the Gilmore tends to treat Grados better than it does Sennheisers. I always liked the Gilmore/Grado combo, but not always the Gilmore/Sennheiser. The PPA is definitely worth looking into if you go the solid state route, but my experience with it is limited.

I have always preferred tube amps with the Sennheisers. It gives them a sense of palpability that doesn't come alive on solid state amps with these cans for some reason. The Singlepower amps are my choice for the Senns. The PPX3 is a great match at a great price. The Melos amps are also darn good with the Senns. The RKV is also a sweet one if you like a more tubey warm sound. At the low end price wise, the Antique Sound Labs MG Head is supposed to be a good combo as is the Musical Fidelity X-Cans V3, neither of which I have tried.

 

[photobob]

I have a New PPA from ITZBITZ that I love!!!!
I ordered it with the Steps power supply and bass boost.
I tweaked the bass boost to 1/3 power, so that it is more of a bass "nudge", which is perfect for the Senn 650's, at it brings out one of their strong suits-bass response.
I was considering the Emmeline HR-2 as an alternate and was wondering if anybody has compared these 2 amps with the Senns. The Emmeline HR-2 is a few hundred dollars more.
Like everyone else (blessed with the ability to appreciate good sound or cursed with this obsession) , I was curious as to the path not taken.

BTW, I would strongly recomment Chris to build or tweak your existing amp. His craftmanship and customer service is superb!

I have a Gilmore V2, as well, but the PPA is more musical and involving with my Senn's
Bob

 

[mkmelt]

I would recommend one of the older Marantz integrated amplifiers or receivers as a great sounding headphone amplifier for Sennheiser HD-580, 600 or 650 phones.

The Marantz 1060 works extremely well as a headphone amplifier with high impedance phones such as HD-600. This amplifier is quite common on the use market, there are usually several for sale on eBay. This recommendation is for the original 1060, not the 1060B although I am sure the 1060B sounds fine too. Don't pay too much though, $75 - $100 perhaps but not more, unless it happens to includes the optional walnut case. Before you spend hundreds of dollars more on a different amplifier for your HD-600 phones, try a Marantz.

If the search function is working, a quick search of the amplifier forum for 'vintage' and 'Marantz' will turn up lots of information on these fine sounding older amplifiers and receivers.

I am not claiming these vintage Marantz units sound better than the current crop of dedicated headphone amplifiers, just that they cost a fraction of what one of the new amplifiers cost and they include a long list of features that are not found in today's dedicated headphone amplifiers at any price.

 

[gort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canman I have always preferred tube amps with the Sennheisers. It gives them a sense of palpability that doesn't come alive on solid state amps with these cans for some reason. The Singlepower amps are my choice for the Senns. The PPX3 is a great match at a great price. The Melos amps are also darn good with the Senns. The RKV is also a sweet one if you like a more tubey warm sound. At the low end price wise, the Antique Sound Labs MG Head is supposed to be a good combo as is the Musical Fidelity X-Cans V3, neither of which I have tried.

Maybe you should provide some links for those amps to the newbie. I been here for 2 months now and still have no idea where to get lot of amps above. Namely Singlepower, PPX3, RKV, Melos, and MG Head.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Graham Slee Solo £445 8/10 with HD600
MF X-Can V2 £150 7/10 with HD600
Creek OBH 11 £129 6/10 with HD 600
Chiarra kit £209 9/10 with HD 600
B-Tech 928 £30 6/10 with HD600
MINT £50 6.5/10 with HD600

From my experience with these amps.


If you can DIY then the Chiarra may be the way to go but if you don't know one end of a soldering iron from the other then the MF X-can V2 cannot be overlooked at the budget end of the scale. If you've got £445 to spend on a commercially made amp then the Graham Slee Solo works particularly well with the HD600's.

The X-can V2 can be recapped and you can roll better valves into it to suit the HD600's but this costs money and is an ongoing thing!

If you're on a real tight budget then a MINT with a 24V power supply is up to the job....... if you're on a "really" tight budget the B-tech 928 is a good buy at £30 but only if you spend an additional £20 (or thereabouts) to replace the caps with ELNA silmics and swap the NE5532 op amp with a OPA 2107 and bypass the tone control. The "stock" B-tech is pretty dire

You can also look at the secondhand market and pick up a PPA, Sugden headmaster, Pimeta etc. etc. etc. for a good price.

It's best if you can audition the amp before you buy to ascertain if it's pleasurable to "your" ears...... forget the reviews here.... it's your ears that will be listening to the music. Use Head-Fi as a guideline to the amps that are available and nothing more...... your ears are the final judge.

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gort Maybe you should provide some links for those amps to the newbie. I been here for 2 months now and still have no idea where to get lot of amps above. Namely Singlepower, PPX3, RKV, Melos, and MG Head.

Singlepower website (not all done yet): www.6SN7.com. Final site will be at www.singlepower.com when completed. Builder and designer Mikhail Rotenberg can be reached at info@singlepower.com. PPX3 runs about $465, MPX3 about $850, Supra, SDS, and Maestro models run higher.

RKV is available from Meier Audio: http://home.t-online.de/home/meier-audio/ Cost is $1050.

Antique Sound Labs is available from a number of US dealers. Do a web search.

Melos amps are out of production and only available on the used market. The SHA-1 ranges from $450-$550 and the SHA-Gold ranges from $800-$950 here on Head-Fi and on Audiogon. The SHA-Maestro is the same circuit as the SHA-Gold but adds some functionality and cosmetics. Runs around $1000-$1150.

 

[GlowWorm]

I think the MG-Head OTL will give you the best bang for the buck.

 

[fyrfytrhoges]

i will agree with the worm on this one, the mg head makes the hd600s sing like birdies.