[titusbartos]

Is there a noticeable difference between a solid state amp like the O2, Asgard and more expensive one like Lake People G-109? I understand there are fluctuations in sound and minor improvements, but is there really a huge difference between a $250 solid state amp and a $600+ amp?  If my kids blind test the cheap vs expensive one, will they note the difference?
 
I have a pair of HE-500 that I think sound great with my Schiit Modi/Vali stack, but I am looking at buying a solid state amp instead just to see how they HE-500s will perform. Will upgrading to the O2 or Asgard be an enlightening experience? What about spending $600+ on a more expensive one?
 
Thanks!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by titusbartos /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Is there a noticeable difference between a solid state amp like the O2, Asgard and more expensive one like Lake People G-109?

 

More power without piling on distortion and noise.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by titusbartos /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I understand there are fluctuations in sound and minor improvements, but is there really a huge difference between a $250 solid state amp and a $600+ amp? 

 

If you're not getting into enough audible distortion with whatever amp you're using now, then using a cleaner more powerful amp won't matter that much since all the extra power isn't all that necessary.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by titusbartos /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

If my kids blind test the cheap vs expensive one, will they note the difference?

 

Not really, since a night and day difference to be easily audible to children suggests one amp is totally distortion so as to have a totally different tone.

 

Speaking of tone...are they good test subjects for tonal variations if they can't for example tell the difference between B♭ and Am?

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by titusbartos /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I have a pair of HE-500 that I think sound great with my Schiit Modi/Vali stack, but I am looking at buying a solid state amp instead just to see how they HE-500s will perform.

 

If you don't have any problems you can point to then that's just plain upgraditis.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by titusbartos /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Will upgrading to the O2 or Asgard be an enlightening experience? What about spending $600+ on a more expensive one?

 

 

Not really, if you can enjoy that headphone with a Vali, which apart from lower power output isn't all that "tubey." 

 

You can get to listen a little bit louder before distortion really kicks in, but if you think that with the Vali your ears hurt before any actual painful distortion, then you won't get that far with these.

 

[Monsterzero]

 

 

 

 

If you're not getting into enough audible distortion with whatever amp you're using now, then using a cleaner more powerful amp won't matter that much since all the extra power isn't all that necessary.

 

 

 

 

That isnt a universal truth,esp. with planars. I have an HE6,which is the hardest headphone on the planet to drive.

I had a custom cable made so it can be driven from the speaker taps of a receiver.since the connectors are the same on the HE6 as on the HE-500 I tried my 500s thru speaker taps and it did in fact make a difference.

Planars like the extra juice,dynamics,not so much.

For further reference try this thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/629352/he-500-lcd2-d5000-dt770-sr80-on-a-speaker-amp-emotiva-mini-x-a-100-project

 

[titusbartos]

I don't mean to simplify matters too much, but are you saying that if there is no audible distortion at my preferred listening levels, then I shouldn't worry about spending more $$ on a more expensive amp? Will the sound get any fuller and clearer with the $600 amp, or did I just read too many reviews?
 
What makes me think that the Vali might not bring the best out of the HE-500 is that there are times when I feel like the sound is a bit muddy/confusing/blended - for example, on Vivaldi's 'Winter' from Chesky Classics album, my DT-880 did a better job at separating the instruments: the violin was super clear to isolate from the other instruments and I could pay close attention to it. With the HE-500, however, the violin kindof just blends in with the other instruments.

 

[Monsterzero]

  I don't mean to simplify matters too much, but are you saying that if there is no audible distortion at my preferred listening levels, then I shouldn't worry about spending more $$ on a more expensive amp? Will the sound get any fuller and clearer with the $600 amp, or did I just read too many reviews?
 
What makes me think that the Vali might not bring the best out of the HE-500 is that there are times when I feel like the sound is a bit muddy/confusing/blended - for example, on Vivaldi's 'Winter' from Chesky Classics album, my DT-880 did a better job at separating the instruments: the violin was super clear to isolate from the other instruments and I could pay close attention to it. With the HE-500, however, the violin kindof just blends in with the other instruments.

Is your HE-500 modded or stock?

As I said in my above post,my 500s do perform better with the added juice,however Im not sure that you would be able to obtain that kind of power thru a headphone amp @ that price point.

 

[titusbartos]

My HE-500 is stock - would love some feedback on modding it, but I don't want to change the topic of this thread . If you have any resources or advice, I'd really appreciate a PM.
Thanks!

 

[Monsterzero]

  My HE-500 is stock - would love some feedback on modding it, but I don't want to change the topic of this thread . If you have any resources or advice, I'd really appreciate a PM.
Thanks!

PM sent...lots of info out there

 

[Me x3]

Sometimes is not about the amp being cheaper or more expensive, more or less powerful.
Differences among quality SS amps are subtle but can be heard in my experience. Try to find the one that suits your preferences the best.
Asgard 2 for instance is neutralish but slightly warm amp, not that powerful in the bass but slightly warm, laid back, you know.
FiiO K5 is more punchy in the bass and slightly drier than the Asgard 2
None of them are overly splashy or detail focused in the treble. Violectric V200 for instance is slightly darker than both Asgard 2 and K5.
Magni is more splashy in the treble, a litle bit more along the lines of the Objective 2.
 
Schiit Jothunheim seems to be very precise although a tad forward sounding. This could be your Super Objective 2
 
You can read about them all. They are all slightly different here and there, and you preferences along with your headphones play a big role.
What's bigger soundstage for some, it's more diffuse presentation for others.
 
Not saying the O2 sounds the same as the Auralic Taurus MKII, but even at that level, the difference is still relatively subtle in the big scheme of things and those big boys still have certain character, and you might like one more than the other.
 
I've seen knowledgeable people preferring Asgard 2 over Violectric V200, and knowledgeable people preferring the Violectric over the Asgard 2.

 

[buke9]

If you want to notice the difference in a solid state amp I would recommend a Cavalli Liquid Carbon. For the price it is hard to beat.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I don't mean to simplify matters too much, but are you saying that if there is no audible distortion at my preferred listening levels, then I shouldn't worry about spending more $$ on a more expensive amp? Will the sound get any fuller and clearer with the $600 amp, or did I just read too many reviews?

 
It can, what I'm saying is that if you don't happen to have any actual complaints (more on this below) and it's more of upgraditis inflating your curiosity, you're more likely to expect that what people consider a huge improvement to be even bigger than what they mean.
 

 
What makes me think that the Vali might not bring the best out of the HE-500 is that there are times when I feel like the sound is a bit muddy/confusing/blended - for example, on Vivaldi's 'Winter' from Chesky Classics album, my DT-880 did a better job at separating the instruments: the violin was super clear to isolate from the other instruments and I could pay close attention to it. With the HE-500, however, the violin kindof just blends in with the other instruments.

 

Now since you're clearer about what the problem is, then yes, you can expect some clear improvements. But instead of the Asgard I'd recommend you take a look at the Corda Jazz or the Jazz FF also.

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/amplifiers.htm (scroll down; prices include worldwide shipping)

 

While the better amp can improve on teh muddiness though don't necessarily expect something like the violine just jumping out as much. That's partially due to the treble response of the DT880. And with Crossfeed on the Meier for example what it's likely to do is push other instruments backward (not to say they're not audible, they just have a more 3D space) rather than push the violin far forward.
 

 

 

Actually if you read the entire post you'd glean that my POV there wasn't purely technical but also because I'm taking into account that what he has might just be upgraditis and what improvements that happen might not be audible to him. Since he's more specific about it in the quoted posts above though then he's more likely to know what to listen for if an amp does or doesn't improve it.