Amplifying HD 800

[Atortide]

I finally bought my first ever headphones, Sennheiser HD 800. From what I've read, the HD 800 responds differently to different amplifiers. I've narrowed down my amplifier choices to the following:

 - JDS Labs Objective2
 - Oppo HA-2SE
 - FiiO A5
 
I'm looking for amplifier with neutral sound profile with no coloration. Which one would serve me best?

 

[Me x3]

Do you need a desktop amplifier or a portable one?

 

[Atortide]

Do you need a desktop amplifier or a portable one?

I'm open to both. Portability would be a plus. I've been looking at Schiit stack as well, particularly Vali 2, Valhalla 2, and Magni 2 Über. But I still can't decide which one would serve me best.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I finally bought my first ever headphones, Sennheiser HD 800. From what I've read, the HD 800 responds differently to different amplifiers. I've narrowed down my amplifier choices to the following:

 - JDS Labs Objective2
 - Oppo HA-2SE
 - FiiO A5
 
I'm looking for amplifier with neutral sound profile with no coloration. Which one would serve me best?

 
O2 but the USB inputs of the HA-2SE could come in handy.

 

[Atortide]

O2 but the USB inputs of the HA-2SE could come in handy.

Other than​ the amps mentioned in the list, which would be the best amp under $200 to drive the HD 800?

As for O2, I've been told that they have really forward, glaring treble which would be a nightmare with the HD 800.

 

[manishex]

The hd800 is very system dependant, it already has way too much treble so find something that is warm and not so treble happy. I think something like the O2 would be a nightmare, thin and unengaging squared!

 

[Me x3]

Other than​ the amps mentioned in the list, which would be the best amp under $200 to drive the HD 800?

As for O2, I've been told that they have really forward, glaring treble which would be a nightmare with the HD 800.

For desktop use the FiiO K5 works quite well. It has a punchy bass that helps the HD800 slighly soft bass response.
FiiO A5 is in a similar playground, adds portability but you have to recharge it.
Without being rolled off, none of them are very agressive in the treble region, so both pair relatively well with HD800 for the price.
 
If you want tubes in your chain both Vali 2 and Valhalla 2 are highly regarded matches.
Tube amplifiers tend to measure worse than SS amps but they can add some warmth and make the sound easier on the ears, less clinical.
As far as I recall Vali2 is warmer than Valhalla 2 while Valhalla 2 is a tube amp that sounds reasonably close to a neutralish SS amp.
 
JDS O2 measures very well but it's quite forward, detailed some would say. My guess is that you'll enjoy the pairing with top quality recordings, not sure about the rest of your recordings.
 
Matrix HPA-2 could serve you well, not sure about its current pricing.

 

[Atortide]

  The hd800 is very system dependant, it already has way too much treble so find something that is warm and not so treble happy. I think something like the O2 would be a nightmare, thin and unengaging squared!

 
That's what I've been concerned about. What amp from $200 to $250 would you recommend pairing with HD800?

 

[Backtobasics95]

Hi guys I'm wondering how you start your own thread on this website? I'm on my phone looking through this website and can't find any links pertaining to starting a new thread. Appreciate any help, cheers

 

[Atortide]

 
For desktop use the FiiO K5 works quite well. It has a punchy bass that helps the HD800 slighly soft bass response.
FiiO A5 is in a similar playground, adds portability but you have to recharge it.
Without being rolled off, none of them are very agressive in the treble region, so both pair relatively well with HD800 for the price.
 
If you want tubes in your chain both Vali 2 and Valhalla 2 are highly regarded matches.
Tube amplifiers tend to measure worse than SS amps but they can add some warmth and make the sound easier on the ears, less clinical.
As far as I recall Vali2 is warmer than Valhalla 2 while Valhalla 2 is a tube amp that sounds reasonably close to a neutralish SS amp.
 
JDS O2 measures very well but it's quite forward, detailed some would say. My guess is that you'll enjoy the pairing with top quality recordings, not sure about the rest of your recordings.
 
Matrix HPA-2 could serve you well, not sure about its current pricing.

 
I've been considering K5 and A5, but I'm not entirely sure if they have enough power to drive the headphones to its full potential (or pretty close). What would you say about Magni 2U? Or would you recommend me going with tube amp such as Vali 2 and Valhalla 2?

 

[Me x3]

   
I've been considering K5 and A5, but I'm not entirely sure if they have enough power to drive the headphones to its full potential (or pretty close). What would you say about Magni 2U? Or would you recommend me going with tube amp such as Vali 2 and Valhalla 2?

I've had a Bifrost4490/Asgard 2, now I use them plugged directly into a FiiO X5 3rd Gen.
If you listen to music at normal levels, you don't need much power for HD800. All of the amps mentioned above have enough power with extra room.
The full potential thing is a tricky concept, you might have to try something like a Schiit Yggdrassil/Ragnarok or Auralic Vega/Taurus mkII or a Chord Dave setup trying to find out where's the full potential to your ears. The "full potential" a tricky concept because at the end of the day, preference is a subjective matter and it's also influenced by many variables such as listening levels and enviornment, the recordings used to test, personal characteristics and so on... You will hear slight differences between amps and dacs, but they are relatively subtle in the big scheme of things.
All the mentioned amps can drive the HD800 properly, that said you might enjoy some of them just a tad more than the others.
 
I don't have much experience with Magni 2U in particular but it should work quite well.
I've owned the original Magni and also the Asgard 2 in the past, both worked well with HD800.
Asgard 2 sounded a tad more roomy and organic to my ears, while the Magni was a little bit too splashy in the treble region but still nice in terms of overall SQ.
As far as I recall Magni 2U is not as splashy in the treble as the original Magni. Still different than the Asgard 2.
 
Tube amps have pros and cons, they are typically less stable than SS and technically inferior in many regards.
If you don't care, then Vali 2 is a nice affordable pairing, and it'll surely sound good.

 

[Atortide]

 
I've had a Bifrost4490/Asgard 2, now I use them plugged directly into a FiiO X5 3rd Gen.
If you listen to music at normal levels, you don't need much power for HD800. All of the amps mentioned above have enough power with extra room.
The full potential thing is a tricky concept, you might have to try something like a Schiit Yggdrassil/Ragnarok or Auralic Vega/Taurus mkII or a Chord Dave setup trying to find out where's the full potential to your ears. The "full potential" a tricky concept because at the end of the day, preference is a subjective matter and it's also influenced by many variables such as listening levels and enviornment, the recordings used to test, personal characteristics and so on... You will hear slight differences between amps and dacs, but they are relatively subtle in the big scheme of things.
All the mentioned amps can drive the HD800 properly, that said you might enjoy some of them just a tad more than the others.
 
I don't have much experience with Magni 2U in particular but it should work quite well.
I've owned the original Magni and also the Asgard 2 in the past, both worked well with HD800.
Asgard 2 sounded a tad more roomy and organic to my ears, while the Magni was a little bit too splashy in the treble region but still nice in terms of overall SQ.
As far as I recall Magni 2U is not as splashy in the treble as the original Magni. Still different than the Asgard 2.
 
Tube amps have pros and cons, they are typically less stable than SS and technically inferior in many regards.
If you don't care, then Vali 2 is a nice affordable pairing, and it'll surely sound good.

 
Thank you for your incredibly detailed and informative response. You are correct about the full potential concept, and given it is my first headphone setup it's best if I started out with affordable amps before moving on to more pricier ones. 
 
All things considered, I've narrowed down my choices between Magni 2U, Vali 2, Asgard 2, and FiiO A5. Choosing amp is more tedious than I thought.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

As for O2, I've been told that they have really forward, glaring treble which would be a nightmare with the HD 800.

 
The HD800 has somewhat glaring treble, the O2 when it begins to distort slants towards glaring, exacerbating what the HD800 already has. if you keep the volume low anything glaring is coming from the HD800 and not the O2.
 
 

Other than​ the amps mentioned in the list, which would be the best amp under $200 to drive the HD 800?

 
Meier Corda Rock or save up for a Meier Jazz FF and get a DAC to feed it a line signal.

 

[thyname]

IMHO, any portable amp will not do justice to HD800. Maybe Chord Mojo.

A relatively inexpensive Amp (List price of $419, but can be found used for less) is Matrix HPA-3B. It works great with HD800, and has plenty of power (Check out specs at 300 Ohms). Fully Balanced design is a plus.

 

[biquer]

I use the Schiit Lyr 2 with tubes. I have their LISST which replace the tubes making the amp solid state. I prefer the tubes.
The Lyr 2 connects to the Linn Wakonda to tape out.
The sound does not matchup to the aktiv Linn Katans with the REL B3 sub bass, but I like it.