[darknessproz]

I am planning my future home rig based around the HD650 that i will be putting together over the next few years(student's budget here). I have (almost) decided on getting the Yulong D100 DAC to go with the HD650 balanced. What i am not very sure of is the amp. I have been looking at a balanced beta22. However, i have not decided yet. Here are my questions:
 
1) Do the HD650 pair better with a tube amp, or a solid state amp?
2) For a price of $2.5k, what are the options, both tube and solid state, that i should be looking at?

 

[ukkisavosta]

Did you check out the A / B COMPARISONS thread in the amps section?

 

[darknessproz]

Yes i did, i followed it since it came out. I'm not sure how the information inside is relevant to my queries though?

 

[ukkisavosta]

In that thread the beta22 is compared to a number of other amps, so I thought it would be very interesting from your standpoint, seeing as you are considering the beta22.

 

[darknessproz]

Can someone with a HD650 give some opinions?

 

[winma]

If you're planning on getting the 650's the HA-160 is a nice amp for them. Guys from burson also made a Dac/amp combo. 

 

[glitch39]

First go with a nice source. no tube or SS amp will give it justice if the source is not able to extract the notes out of the material. HD650 needs power. Tube amps will give it enough voltage. Little Dot and Darkvoice amps are ok. it does not mean the SS amps will not work. I have used B22 and Phoenix properly with these cans. and if you can go balanced, even better.

 

[darknessproz]

The HA-160 looks nice. However, since my planned budget is far above that, are there any *better* options for around 2k, than the beta22?
 
Quote:

If you're planning on getting the 650's the HA-160 is a nice amp for them. Guys from burson also made a Dac/amp combo. 

The Yulong D100 i am targeting seems to be a pretty good source, compared favorably to the Benchmark DAC1 in the reviews. What type of amp would complement the HD650 better? Tube or solid state?
 


Quote:

First go with a nice source. no tube or SS amp will give it justice if the source is not able to extract the notes out of the material. HD650 needs power. Tube amps will give it enough voltage. Little Dot and Darkvoice amps are ok. it does not mean the SS amps will not work. I have used B22 and Phoenix properly with these cans. and if you can go balanced, even better.

 

[winma]

Quote:

The HA-160 looks nice. However, since my planned budget is far above that, are there any *better* options for around 2k, than the beta22?
 

Then take a look at the HA-160D. Around 1k. 

Why spending that much (2k) anyways? just curious.....

 

[darknessproz]

I'm planning for my future, and hopefully final rig. After consideration, i would be willing to spend $2-3k to get the BEST possible sound quality at that price point. The HA-160D is about $1.1k, and includes both a DAC and an amplifier. Would it be equal/better to that of a balanced DAC(Yulong D100) into a balanced beta22?

 

[darknessproz]

Hey, one of my original queries has not been answered yet: Does the HD650 pair better with a solid state, or a tube amp? Would appreciate any replies to this question.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'm curious, but why limit yourself with the HD650 and an uber amp, when a better, higher priced headphone with a cheaper than 2K amp would more than likely yield much better results?
 
I'm more or less just curious, and in no way suggesting anything.
 
Also, I'm no expert, but considering how warm/smooth the HD650 is considered to be, I dunno how a tube amp (adding warmth and smoothness) would help it anymore when it comes to clarity. I'd personally go with a transparent SS, but I dunno if tube amps can be that transparent.

 

[darknessproz]

Well, i tried the HD650 at a local headphone shop, and i liked its presentation very much. i preferred it to the AKG K701, and the Beyer DT880 that i tried. They didn't have the HD800 to try, but from what i have been reading, the HD650 and the HD800 have very different sound signatures?
 
What i want is to get a VERY good amp, since i have read that the HD650 scales up well with good amplifiers, and a good amp will allow me to get the best performance from any future headphone purchase.
 
It seems that for solid state options, the beta22 is the best at the price point i'm looking at($2-2.5k). The only question i have now is if a tube or SS amp is better for the HD650. In your opinion, a SS amp would be better. I would like more opinions to take into consideration. Thanks for your help. 
 
Quote:

I'm curious, but why limit yourself with the HD650 and an uber amp, when a better, higher priced headphone with a cheaper than 2K amp would more than likely uield much better results?
 
I'm more or less just curious, and in no way suggesting anything.
 
Also, I'm no expert, but considering how warm/smooth the HD650 is considered to be, I dunno how a tube amp (adding warm and smoothness) would help it anymore when it comes to clarity. I'd personally go with a transparent SS, but I dunno if tube amps can be that transparent.

 

[olor1n]

Quote:

Also, I'm no expert, but considering how warm/smooth the HD650 is considered to be, I dunno how a tube amp (adding warmth and smoothness) would help it anymore when it comes to clarity. I'd personally go with a transparent SS, but I dunno if tube amps can be that transparent.

When I first received my HD650 I paired it with the earth opamp which any Audio-GD owner will tell you has amazing resolution, without being artificial or harsh. I thought earth struck the right balance and I could tell in some poor recordings that the dreaded veil was being resolved. I therefore questioned why people suggested adding warmth to an already lush and textured headphone was a good idea, and my moon opamp (described by many as warm and tube like) barely got a look in.
 
When I first tried moon, the thing that immediately jumped out was the increase in texture and lushness, but I felt it came at the expense of detail, separation and soundstage. I've since reinstalled moon and now concede I was wrong. Very wrong. This pairing is simply amazing to me and lends itself very well to live recordings, guitar driven music, classical, basically everything I've thrown at it. The added warmth moon provides gives the already layered presentation an almost Alessandro like zest. I never understood the term "musical" when used to describe headphones. I do now.

 

[olor1n]

OP, you should check out the balanced Audio-GD gear. It's the course I've plotted for myself, without the astronomical budget.