[SYSTEM ALCHEMiST]

Just ordered my HD650 from dvdupgrades,now I'm looking for an amp to work with it. My budget is pretty tight after I brought these phones,well actually i was planning to buy a pair of HD580 which obviously are much cheaper than HD650,but after i saw all the impressions/reviews here about how incredibly good HD650 is,I totaly changed my mind... i guess i'm just another one who came here and empty their wallet with a lightning speed...
so you guys have to help me out here,a best LOW-PRICED amp please!

 

[agile_one]

Define low price ... ie: $150, 250, 400, 500 .... ???

Also, as reference, are there amps you've seen or heard (regardless of price) that you like?

Answer these, and we can help faster and better

 

[SYSTEM ALCHEMiST]

$400 at the most,best around $300 that is. And yes,i've been around for about a month now and i read a lot of amp recommendations here,but almost all of them cost a lot of money,so i have no idea which cheap amp is best for HD650s.



Greetings,
SysAlch

 

[danaa]

Take what I say with a tiny grain of salt, as I'm new, or reborn, into headphone gear, but if you've read a lot of threads here, you'll have seen that the Perreaux amp is quite a bargain for the money and it does fit into your budget. All I can say is that I'm plum pleased with the combo. Still, doesn't beat my regular system when I'm in the sweet spot

, but I think the combo is pretty amazing for the price. It provides all the clean power you'll ever need imo.

 

[agile_one]

ok, then, for <= $400, a good short list might be:

- Perreaux SXH-1
- PPA (may be a budget buster - shop around for a builder)
- Ray Samuels XP-7 (another budget buster at $495, but it's so dam good, you might consider it)
- Gilmore V2 or V2SE
- MG Head DTL MK II

Do some searches here on Head-Fi for these to get a feel of others opinions. Also keep checking the Gear For Sale forum for good buys on used amplifiers.

Good luck in your quest ...

 

[sbulack]

At www.headsave.com, the standard-configured PPA, shipped, is $412.00. I've had one for about a month now, and the sound I am getting with it is far better than the comments about it on the head-fi threads would have led me to believe. The brand name amps each seem to have earnest cheerleaders. The PPA, on the other hand, seems to get the obligatory mention is lists of amps, but I have yet to read a really enthusiastic impression of one. Well, I am enthusiastic about my PPA. Its spectral response, noise-free background, wide, deep soundstage, detail and musicality get my mouth to drop open in amazement daily. I was thinking pimeta for more like $200.00. I contacted Norm at Headsave and described my gear and sonic preferences. Norm recommended the PPA and promised me that I would not be disappointed and that I would not regret it. He was absolutely right. I have not once re-thought spending the additional $200.00 on the PPA. I've been too busy re-exploring my CD collection and being amazed at what I'm hearing.

 

[Uncledan]

Maybe you should consider a used unit, you may able to get 15-30% off from retail price if you get a used unit.

 

[gradofan]

Yeah, definitely go for an open box whenever you can. It saved me $65 on my Grados, $30 on the Perreaux amp. And they sound the same (well, except my amp was revision 3, had to get that fixed

 

[SYSTEM ALCHEMiST]

Thanks guys,I've just ordered Perreaux SXH-1 from AA,it costs a little more than i expected,but because all the positive reviews of this unit i think i should give it a try.

 

[Skarecrow]

Good choice. I also got the perreaux to power my HD650s, for the same reasons you did. They're pretty close to fully burnt-in (I've lost track of the exact number, but almost certainly past 120 hours now), and the combo is excellent to my ears. You really have to push the Perreaux near it's limits (About 90% of the knob's full volume) with some quiet sources, but the amp doesn't seem to care one whit. Enjoy.

 

[Vedder323]

if you wanna do a tube amp... there is this guy...

http://cgi.msn.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...tem=3072769717

 

[Vedder323]

oops... 2 late...