I'm already on it my friend. Want to join? Water is nice and warm...CFA3 is clearly the best solid state headamp not on the market. Niimbus, AMP-13R all fall behind.
Comparing the CFA3 to tube headamps gets a little more interesting.
So let's build the CFA3 hybrid.
Amps that can drive the HiFiMan HE-6 planar headphones
Any links to buy the parts needed? Guides? Might strip the inside of my Burmeister 933 Clone, and build it myself
@Sebbai you may want to look at the ACA amp from Nelson Pass. It's a DIY project but sounds similar to the J2. I put one together and use it with a tube preamp from Elekit. Sounds great with all the headphones I have. Don't know about the pairing with the HE6.
https://diyaudiostore.com/products/amp-camp-amp-kit?variant=7072933085218
https://diyaudiostore.com/collections/elekit/products/elekit-tu-8500
https://diyaudiostore.com/products/amp-camp-amp-kit?variant=7072933085218
https://diyaudiostore.com/collections/elekit/products/elekit-tu-8500
Thanks for you suggestion, I have read about the ACA, but the numbers of Watt here and there are hurting my brain. A lot of people say you need at least 15W to drive the HE6 to its maximum potential. And that is why I have gone away from the ACA as my first diy (I know too bad since it’s really good guides for first timers out there)
My Topping A90 delivers 4.8W into 50ohm and it sounds nice. Now I got a Burson Soloist 3x on loan and it sound more energetic in the bass territory, not sure about other frequencies since bass is my specialty, and most songs I listen to are centred in that sub bass space.
Burson claims the soloist output is 8W but into what!!? So using the headfi review of the soloist as a reference, he claims to have measured 15W into 30ohm, And compared to the A90 at 80% the soloist is at 60% when on same volume with my EQ profile.
I’ve also heard the HE6 from Ragnarok 2 and mcintosh mha 150 (speaker taps) and they sounded really nice with great control, but compared to the Soloist the difference wasn’t huge. And the price difference isn’t worth it to me.
Do you know if any measurements is made from the ACA amp into 50ohm?
The CFA3 was measured to deliver 15W into 50ohm, about the same as Ragnarok. Also scary things happen when I have extra headroom on the volume knob when I have enjoyed the company of a nice glass of Spanish. The soloist I think make me safer because it’s a headphone amplifier.
My Topping A90 delivers 4.8W into 50ohm and it sounds nice. Now I got a Burson Soloist 3x on loan and it sound more energetic in the bass territory, not sure about other frequencies since bass is my specialty, and most songs I listen to are centred in that sub bass space.
Burson claims the soloist output is 8W but into what!!? So using the headfi review of the soloist as a reference, he claims to have measured 15W into 30ohm, And compared to the A90 at 80% the soloist is at 60% when on same volume with my EQ profile.
I’ve also heard the HE6 from Ragnarok 2 and mcintosh mha 150 (speaker taps) and they sounded really nice with great control, but compared to the Soloist the difference wasn’t huge. And the price difference isn’t worth it to me.
Do you know if any measurements is made from the ACA amp into 50ohm?
The CFA3 was measured to deliver 15W into 50ohm, about the same as Ragnarok. Also scary things happen when I have extra headroom on the volume knob when I have enjoyed the company of a nice glass of Spanish. The soloist I think make me safer because it’s a headphone amplifier.
My wallet feels attacked...No no. You need to buy a Primavera and Join Ken and I. LOL
The water is warm, I peed.
paradoxper
Headphoneus Supremus
Your ears will thank you.
Burson makes some great kit. I run the Conductor 3 XR right now on my main headphone system and love it. I also run a few tube amps with the Conductor as the source and my powered speakers. Awesome preamp for all my gear.
it’s not always the amount of power that makes a pair of headphones pair well with an amp. There are quite a few other factors. For instance Nelson Pass thinks the first watt out of an amp has the most significance. I’ve found this to be true in my audiophile journey. The amp that had the best specs or most power aren’t always the best sounding. The best sounding amp I’ve had is probably the J2 for SS and Woo WA5 for tubes. They only put out 25 watts and 8watts respectively.
https://www.firstwatt.com/
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neogeosnk
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Recently picked up the Burson Soloist 3xp, makes the 6se sound like speaker taps.
Yeah the Soloist is punching my HE6 and HE6SE like a boss. Couldn’t notice any improvement A/B’ing Ragnarok 2 and mcintosh MHA 150 with the Burson.
It is definitely packing more juice than my A90, it’s weird that they advertise it to give 8W at 16ohm
One reviewer even measured 15W at 30ohm, and I have more volume left on the Burson compared to my A90. Sound difference is not worth the price jump tough, wee bit better subbass control, and little bit softer sounding treble
It is definitely packing more juice than my A90, it’s weird that they advertise it to give 8W at 16ohm
One reviewer even measured 15W at 30ohm, and I have more volume left on the Burson compared to my A90. Sound difference is not worth the price jump tough, wee bit better subbass control, and little bit softer sounding treble
The new power circuit is really shining. Really love my 3XR. I think I might pickup a pair of HE-6s to try the pairing.
The Amp camp HE6 pairing can be stunningly good. The outcome really depends on what preamp you have in front of it I tried a few that worked well but the best by far was a dht tube preamp. Still ranks up their after 8 or 9 years now one of the most engaging and memorable listens I have experienced.
Anyone using the Elekit tu-8600 300b amp to drive their HE6?
I use the TU-8200 and love it. Not 300b but really really good.
I’ve been wanting to build the 8600 but COVID has sapped all my resources. I’ll get one in the future. The Woo WA5 paired really well with the HE-6. WA5 is really similar to the 8600. But the 8600 costs 1/4 the price.
I have for my 4 screw and he6se v2. It's pretty good for mid volume level, but you have to run it off the speaker taps or change the output ohms on the headphone tap cause the lowest setting 110 or 120 ohms. I reduced mine to 10ohms and it worked fine.
It does fall apart if you want to crank it really loud though. Like normal listening volume is around 11 for me. Also remember the amp at 50ohms should be only about 2w based off its power rating. So probably not your best bet.
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