[Opethian10]

Hey guys, this is my first post here at Head-Fi!!

 
I'm looking at picking up an amp or two for the following sets of headphones that I own:
 
Sennheiser HD598
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250
Beyerdynamic DT880/600 (Balanced 4 Pin XLR)
Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium 250
 
My source is a Cambridge Audio DACmagic fed by either my Oppo SACD/DVD player or PC via FLAC or WAV files.
 
I'm mainly interested in purchasing a balanced amp for the DT880 which has plenty of power to drive them properly while providing excellent detail and imaging.  These are the Moon Audio Black Dragon V1 edition 880s.  I have listened to each of these headphones with a Project Sunrise hybrid amp and the sound is remarkable but there is not enough power to drive the 600 ohm Beyers without observing clipping and distortion.  This amp would also need to be able to run well enough in SE mode to power the DT770 and the DT990. Does anyone have some suggestions for me?  I enjoy the tube sound but if there are other tubeless options within my budget I woud consider them as well. One option I've been considering is the LD MKVIII SE.  My budget for the amp would preferably be within the $700-800 range.
 
I'm also considering picking up another amp for the HD598 and have been looking at the Schiit Asgard.  Would this be a good pairing for the 598?  If there are others within the $250-300 range I'd be interested in hearing about those as well.  Preferably, this amp should also be able to be drive the 880s fairly well in SE mode but this is not a priority for me.
 
I usually listen to metal, rock, prog, prog metal, atmospheric rock, blues, classical but occasionally I'll listen to some hip hop or electronica.  I currently have a Fiio E11 and will continue using that with the DT 770s or Klipsch Image S4 with my iPod while I'm at work.
 
Thanks so much in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Passingthrough]

Hello and welcome,
 
Since you like the Sunrise a lot and you're also interested in the non-balanced Asgard, you may want to check out the new "Project Horizon" amp from the same company.  It has just started shipping and is a 48v version of the 24v Sunrise and is optimized for headphones from 120 Ohm to 600 Ohm.  Jeremy (the designer) checked with me when I placed my Sunrise II order to make sure I was getting the amp best suited for my headphones (mine are 60 Ohm AKG Q701 so the Sunrise II was right).  I think the Horizon costs a little more due to more expensive parts at approx. $300 built.
 
Disclaimer:  I don't have this amp and am not affiliated with it in any way, just thought that in theory it might give you the same Sunrise SQ you love with those higher impedance phones.

 

[Opethian10]

Thanks for the advice.  I've actually been considering the Horizon based on how well the Sunrise sounds but I'm weary of the amp pairing well with the HD598.  I'm basically illiterate when it comes to how much power an amp can provide and whether or not certain OTL tube or hybrid amps would be too much for the low impedance 598.  If the Horizon is not too much power for the 598 it would be hard for me to choose a different amp.
 
Basically what I'm looking for is a balanced amp for the DT880/600 which has enough power to drive them properly as well as the 250 ohm Beyers in SE mode.  I am not planning on using the 598 for this amp.
 
I would also like an SE amp (used mainly for the 598) that will work well with the 250 ohm Beyers as well.  If it is able to drive the 600 ohm beyers as well that would be a plus.  I don't want to spend more than $300 on said amp.  Amps I have been considering are the Schiit Asgard and LD MK III and IV.
 
Hope that helps you guys figure out what I'm trying to achieve with my amp purchase(s).  If there's one amp out there that will do it all (is able to drive all four of these headphones) I would certainly welcome that idea.  I appreciate your suggestions.

 

[NimbleTurtle]

Quote:

Thanks for the advice.  I've actually been considering the Horizon based on how well the Sunrise sounds but I'm weary of the amp pairing well with the HD598.  I'm basically illiterate when it comes to how much power an amp can provide and whether or not certain OTL tube or hybrid amps would be too much for the low impedance 598.  If the Horizon is not too much power for the 598 it would be hard for me to choose a different amp.
 
Basically what I'm looking for is a balanced amp for the DT880/600 which has enough power to drive them properly as well as the 250 ohm Beyers in SE mode.  I am not planning on using the 598 for this amp.
 
I would also like an SE amp (used mainly for the 598) that will work well with the 250 ohm Beyers as well.  If it is able to drive the 600 ohm beyers as well that would be a plus.  I don't want to spend more than $300 on said amp.  Amps I have been considering are the Schiit Asgard and LD MK III and IV.
 
Hope that helps you guys figure out what I'm trying to achieve with my amp purchase(s).  If there's one amp out there that will do it all (is able to drive all four of these headphones) I would certainly welcome that idea.  I appreciate your suggestions.

Why not just get an O2 amp. It can power both low and high impedance phones.. for 150 dollars. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Why not just get an O2 amp. It can power both low and high impedance phones.. for 150 dollars. 

My O2 arrived a few hours ago, tried it with 32-Ohm, 40-Ohm, 55-Ohm and 250-Ohm headphones, they all worked nice.

 

[trothad2]

I just got the Asgard for my HD 598 and it was the best purchase I've ever made. And from what I've read it's also powerful enough to drive your other headphones. Just not the balance ones.

 

[Opethian10]

My top choice at the moment is looking like the Asgard, but I need to do a bit more research regarding the O2 and Horizon before making any decisions.
 
Does anyone have experience running Beyerdynamics in balanced mode?  Is there a balanced amp out there for a reasonable price (new or used) with enough power to drive the 600 ohm impedance?  The Schiit Mjolnir seems like a great option but since it isn't at all compatible with unbalanced headphones it would be tough to pull the trigger on this one.
 
Thanks again.

 

[NimbleTurtle]

Quote:

I just got the Asgard for my HD 598 and it was the best purchase I've ever made. And from what I've read it's also powerful enough to drive your other headphones. Just not the balance ones.

Hello trothad2, 
 
What was the difference in sound? 

 

[stv014]

I would just re-terminate the balanced DT880 with a TRS plug. Balanced headphone outputs do not really improve the sound (especially with a 600 Ω headphone, compared to which the impedance of the common ground on the TRS output is insignificant, and the cable would still remain "balanced" with separate ground wires), and limit your amp choices.
 
Regarding O2 vs. Asgard, the Asgard has the advantages of:
- more power (but the O2 is still enough for most people, even with high impedance headphones, and significantly more powerful than the FiiO E10 or E11)
- 1/4" TRS output instead of 1/8", and other advantages that affect usability as a desktop amplifier (e.g. RCA inputs that are located on the rear, rather than the front panel)
- it may look better than a small semi-portable amplifier that is designed for DIY
- audiophile buzzword compliance: all discrete design, no integrated circuits (not even in the power supply), single ended class A output, no negative feedback, and more
- protection relay against turn-on/off transients (the O2 does not have them at dangerous levels even without the relay, although they may also come from some sources if the volume is turned up)
- 5-year warranty
On the other hand, the O2:
- costs about $100 less
- probably has better measured audio quality (lower distortion and noise)
- can be used as a (trans)portable amplifier, although it is relatively large for this purpose, and does not fit in a pocket like the FiiO E11
- consumes much less power, while the class A Asgard is infamous for running very hot even when it is not playing any audio
- is less prone to RFI and ground loops (the Asgard is grounded and has a 3-prong power connector, people have reported noise problems with computer sources such as sound cards and non-isolated USB DACs; the O2 is wall-wart powered, "floats", and has RF filtering on its inputs)
- may be less likely to damage headphones as a result of reliability issues (DC on the output, etc.) or simply too much power, and includes a protection circuit against too low power supply voltage on either rail (e.g. if one battery is disconnected)

 

[NimbleTurtle]

Quote:

I would just re-terminate the balanced DT880 with a TRS plug. Balanced headphone outputs do not really improve the sound (especially with a 600 Ω headphone, compared to which the impedance of the common ground on the TRS output is insignificant, and the cable would still remain "balanced" with separate ground wires), and limit your amp choices.
 
Regarding O2 vs. Asgard, the Asgard has the advantages of:
- more power (but the O2 is still enough for most people, even with high impedance headphones, and significantly more powerful than the FiiO E10 or E11)
- 1/4" TRS output instead of 1/8", and other advantages that affect usability as a desktop amplifier (e.g. RCA inputs that are located on the rear, rather than the front panel)
- it may look better than a small semi-portable amplifier that is designed for DIY
- audiophile buzzword compliance: all discrete design, no integrated circuits (not even in the power supply), single ended class A output, no negative feedback, and more
- protection relay against turn-on/off transients (the O2 does not have them at dangerous levels even without the relay, although they may also come from some sources if the volume is turned up)
- 5-year warranty
On the other hand, the O2:
- costs about $100 less
- probably has better measured audio quality (lower distortion and noise)
- can be used as a (trans)portable amplifier, although it is relatively large for this purpose, and does not fit in a pocket like the FiiO E11
- consumes much less power, while the class A Asgard is infamous for running very hot even when it is not playing any audio
- is less prone to RFI and ground loops (the Asgard is grounded and has a 3-prong power connector, people have reported noise problems with computer sources such as sound cards and non-isolated USB DACs; the O2 is wall-wart powered, "floats", and has RF filtering on its inputs)
- may be less likely to damage headphones as a result of reliability issues (DC on the output, etc.) or simply too much power, and includes a protection circuit against too low power supply voltage on either rail (e.g. if one battery is disconnected)

I second this. The ODA is coming out pretty soon... with a 1/4 output and an internal power supply. 

 

[jmarsiglio]

Yes, you will likely need to purchase either a ground loop insulator or usb insulator for the Asgard to get rid of RFI and/or ground loops.

 

[Opethian10]

Quote:

I second this. The ODA is coming out pretty soon... with a 1/4 output and an internal power supply. 

 
Sorry to bring this thread back....Do you know when the ODA will be coming out?  Can the ODA and ODAC be combined into one unit?
 
Thanks.

 

[Digital-Pride]

Quote:

 
Sorry to bring this thread back....Do you know when the ODA will be coming out?  Can the ODA and ODAC be combined into one unit?
 
Thanks.

 
 
There hasn't been much new info on the ODA from its creator, but I'd guess the release is sometime late this year.  There will be an option for an ODA/ODAC combo as far as I know.

 

[NimbleTurtle]

Quote:

 
 
There hasn't been much new info on the ODA from its creator, but I'd guess the release is sometime late this year.  There will be an option for an ODA/ODAC combo as far as I know.

I'm waiting for it... sigh