[PAGEFAULT]

Hi! This is my first post on head-fi. Ok lets get to it! I got a pair of Sennheiser hd-580's a year, or two ago. I use them on my computer with games and mp3s. Mostly techno and clasical. I love them! I use my JVC RX-552v reciver from a few years ago. I want better quality sound. I got a Turtle Beach santa cruz sound card to impove quality, it helped. Now Im looking at a afordable ~$300 amp. the MG Head looks nice. Do you think this is a good amp? Any other too look at? I have only heard tube amp once before. A reciver (30+ years) concected to a cheap cd player. The tube amp has backgound hiss but I loved the warmth of the sound. It sounded less percise then SS and more errors in the sound but I really liked it. Will I get simular performace with the MG Head amp? I feel very silly. Its very hard for me to tell the difference from mp3 and cd. What is wrong with me! Anywize Id love any sugestions. Oh one more thing, is the MG upgradeable? In the future could I upgrade the tube for 100$ and get better sound or something?

 

[lextek]

Not sure about Techno and tubes. But the Classical and the Head is beautiful. Of course there is tube rolling. An addictive little activity. The MG Head is a great tube amp. Everyone should own one at least once.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

Or twice... right Lex?

 

[lextek]

Could be three...

 

[Born2bwire]

I think at that point you could be called an addict.

 

[lextek]

I don't have any in the house at this time. I could quit at any time. So if I sell my Creek I could....

 

[RGA]

The MG head is great and you don't get hiss nor does it have more ERRORs as you put it. For the m0oney it's maybe the only amp that sounds like music and not a gritty SS frenzy of artificiality.

And it also looks nice and is built like a tank..around 10Lbs or so.

A better cd player is in order as well IMO.

 

[TimSchirmer]

Go with a corda or a fully loaded Meta42

 

[shivohum]

If you like the warm tube sound, then the MG-Head will definitely satisfy that. It's a good amp. You'll probably enjoy it.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

If you already have a pair of HD-580's and listen to classical music, the MG Head OTL should be your default choice for a tubey experience. Upgrading the tubes is inexpensive and will deliver amazing results.

I regularly champion the MG Head OTL on the forums. Why? It is the best performing tube amp for high impedance headphones (like Sennheisers) in the under-$750 price tier. The Radii/Moretto HAP-03 might be an exception to that... but availability and warranty support is questionable and I have yet to hear one myself.

The Corda/META 42 are also excellent amps in your price range, but keep in mind that they render a typically "neutral" type of sound characteristic of many all-solid state designs. Not worse, just different. Since you previously mentioned liking the sound of tube amps, I say go for the Head.

 

[PAGEFAULT]

i have a JVC xv-d723 dvd-audio player i got for 150$. I dont have any dvd-a's but will it match well with the mg head? I know its not the best out there, but im shure its better than my computer cd-player! Cant beat the price

 

[RGA]

Tube amps are more forgiving of lesser sources. SS amps reveal more gritty sound(and create it) than tubes will. Some would argue that tubes are not as accurate or detailed...and on both counts they may be right...of course the other shoe is that tubes are smoother and less fatiguing due to slight rolloffs at the frequency extremes and 2nd harmonic distorion over the SS type.

The stock tubes are quite good and are IMO underrated...but it's nice to know you can tailer the sound to what you want with different tubes.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

If the stock tube is a Sovtek 5751, then it's OK. I hear that's what people are getting lately.

The stock JJ ECC83 I got with my amp SUCKED.