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Thanks so much for the input, guys. So it seems that HP4 is best mated to Senns and Grados? Any experience w/ AKG 701 or UE9?
I'm a proud owner of an E.A.R HP4 - which, to my ears, delivers the greatest musical experience I've ever had via a headphone amplifier. Not to mention the feature set (balanced in and out as well as RCA, and an amp bypass - which makes it a killer tool for reviewing, as I can feed the same source to the HP4 and another headphone amp, side-by-side). I was sad to see the ALO Studio Six (currently under evaluation) not offer balanced inputs!
Sure, the HP4 is far from cheap. But after experiencing a handful of larger headphone amps, like Ray Samuels the DarkStar (which I also love), Burson Conductor (a KILLER unit w/ a feature set that puts all these to shame) and the ALO Studio Six (which lets lower than the E.A.R HP4, at least with the stock tubes in the HP4) the E.A.R HP4 just connects me to the music emotionally in a way the others don't quite pull off. I've been brought to tears on numerous occasions listening to the HP4. I can't say the same of other headphone amplifiers. It's also so addictive to listen to it occasionally throws me behind in my work!
And it's difficult to quantify that difference, since I am speaking to the emotive power of the music through the HP4. I like to call this sonic attribute "emotive transference"; which is the most important thing to me in sound reproduction, next to timbre and dimensionality. The ALO Studio Six is a great amp, as is the Darkstar and Conductor. Once you hear the HP4 however, (set up properly, some people mistakenly plug into the high or low Z outputs and don't experiment) you realize while those amps are great, there is another level of sonic integrity and the HP4 gets you there.
Tim DeParavicini of E.A.R has a strong background in studio gear (bands like Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Orb, and many others - only use E.A.R tape machines and other tube gear in their recording studios) and I believe this is why his high end audio gear is so damn musical.
I had my buddy @Warrenpchi over for a listening sesh last Saturday. I wanted to be sure I wasn't favoring the E.A.R because I love the line (and own an 868 tube pre-amp in my main reference system) - letting psycho-acoustics get the best of me. His reaction said it all. He said:
"That amp sounded great until I heard the HP4"
Nuff said I think! But, I am working on full reviews of all these amps. We're in the midst of a move - but I'll get em done ASAP!!
Also:
The HP4 is a sublime match for Audeze LCD2 and LCD3's, Sennheiser HD800's, and yes: Grados too - but in my experience,
the 225's and up.
YEAH:
E.A.R HP4 + Audeze LCD3:
A Headphone Bliss Out