OK...here's my impressions after a whoppin' 30 minutes (well, 60 now as I write this...no, now 90 minutes...gotta' get back to work) of John Klemmer (Touch) and Diana Krall (All for You).
I only have a Meier Audio Corda HA-1 (the original) to compare it to; I'm not a big amp owner like some of these boys on this board. I own a pair of HD-650 phones as well as an older HD-580. These are being fed CDs through Foobar2000 and an M-Audio Revolution. The Creative Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro you see is strictly for sound-effects and gaming...
First off...the amp came well packed. Double boxed and stuffed full of packing material and each of the two pieces of the amp well swathed in large-cell bubble-wrap. Tubes packaged separately and very well protected. No chance of any accidental breakage while in transit...well, not unless something very heavy happens to land on the box. I regularly receive computer hardware that is better packed, but these servers run in the $50,000-$200,000 range. The HD 300 was very well boxed for a sub-$500 item. I'm well satisfied with the security of the packaging.
Unwrapping it and laying out the parts took only a few minutes. I knew in advance that the power supply was hard-wired to the amp itself, so that was no surprise, but still a disappointment. It made for more hassle unpacking, moving about, placing, and adjusting the amp in it's final resting place. I know a removable cord would add money, but would be worth a few extra bucks in my opinion. However, now that the amp and power supply are in place, I'm sure it's just fine and becomes a moot point.
The power supply is smaller and the amp larger than I imagined, yet everything fits just fine in the location I had pre-planned.
Build quality and appearance are wonderful. I can't believe this amp cost me less than $500 to my door. My one gripe is that the orientation of the two tube sockets is such that the text and labels of the tubes "point" directly at the front of the amp. This is purely esthetical, but I would have preferred not to see the text by having them oriented to the back. Maybe that's just me...I do love the bulbous shape of the 6AS7G, though... I've already had two co-workers drop by and ask, "What the hell is that!?!?" Good conversation-starter.
I disconnected the input to my existing Corda amp and plugged it right into input 1 of the HD 300, then used a pair of RCA cables to run out of the Tape-outs of the HD 300 to the Corda on a temporary basis to allow me to easily compare the two amps by matching volume and then switching the phones from one to the other.
Right off, I recognized the "tube sound" I've heard many of you describe. The sound from the HD 300 is warmer and more full than from the HA-1. I noticed it right off in Klemmer's tenor sax riffs (which I have been listening to for over 20 years, first on LP then CD). I was surprised at the greater mid-base (well just not mid-bass--it's really all the bass) presence of the HD 300 over the HA-1. I have a greater sense of "being-there." Highs are a little less sharp then the HA-1...more like I remember from my LP-listening days. It's definitely less digital-sounding. At first, I didn't like that. The HA-1 sounded so much more "crisp" in several of the Klemmer tunes where the drummer is just sitting on that ride cymbal. But after some time with the highs of the HA-1, my ears grow tired. The HD 300 doesn't have that effect. Additionally, the HD 300 produces the same volume of sound as the HA-1 at a much lower dial position. I have the HD 300 set at about 10 o'clock, but the HA-1 at 1 o'clock. I judge that to be more headroom...
As for Diana...all I can say is that I've always loved her voice. But the experience of hearing that voice on the HD 300 makes me want to reach right through the headphone cables and get to know her a whole lot better...RIGHT NOW...if you know what I mean... What more can I say. Now I understand why some folks turn into stalkers.
The HA-1 is a decent amp, especially for the price I paid ($199), but it's just not the same as the HD 300 tube sound...
I'm sure much of what I hear is more the difference between solid-state and tube amps than an ability to review the HD 300 itself. I'm just not as experienced as many of you.
I'm well satisfied with my purchase. Money well spent. As I spend more time with this, I'll try and write a better review. For now, look to some of the other, more experienced, "phoners" to give you a more analytical write-up.
