[ProtegeManiac]

Yes, heard about that and heard good things. Thanks...will revisit that. Oh..BTW, Is that one of those build it yourself amps? Appreciate the input!

Some tube amps have the tubes in their own boxes to protect them in transit, then you just put the tubes in.

 

[Whazzzup]

Sorry nothing less than chordTT in the chord line. Amp is of your choice, I use gsx mk2, get a quality server and you are done but your budget is blown and your wife might leave you.

 

[yong_shun]

your wife might leave you

I like this

 

[Arniesb]

Sorry nothing less than chordTT in the chord line. Amp is of your choice, I use gsx mk2, get a quality server and you are done but your budget is blown and your wife might leave you.

Isnt Headamp too bright? I heard comments like "stay away from GS X Mk2 if 1 have HD800S" ... What is your secret to tame this amp? I have GS X Mini on my radar but im wondering how its gonna sound? ...

 

[Whazzzup]

Isnt Headamp too bright? I heard comments like "stay away from GS X Mk2 if 1 have HD800S" ... What is your secret to tame this amp? I have GS X Mini on my radar but im wondering how its gonna sound? ...

head amps brightness is greatly exaggerated. It’s a wire and gain amp, side stepping from offering any color and putting your dac and source under a microscope. So if your source is thin, say a noisy computer playing iTunes. Or, your dac has a thin middle then gsx will let you hear that.
So in the end if you are looking for distortion to warm things up gsx is not the ticket. If you have rf in your system producing thin mids then you hear that. For me in my system hd800S sounds great and no fatigue, granted ymmv and all that.

 

[Arniesb]

head amps brightness is greatly exaggerated. It’s a wire and gain amp, side stepping from offering any color and putting your dac and source under a microscope. So if your source is thin, say a noisy computer playing iTunes. Or, your dac has a thin middle then gsx will let you hear that.
So in the end if you are looking for distortion to warm things up gsx is not the ticket. If you have rf in your system producing thin mids then you hear that. For me in my system hd800S sounds great and no fatigue, granted ymmv and all that.

Ok noted that. Noisy system or bad interconnects is probably reason why people dislike those amps... Obviously Colored amps, dacs smooth things over and hide system problems...
P.S what do you think about Audioquest vs Danacables interconnects? In the future i hope To buy Qutest with Headamp Gsx mini, but im looking at rca interconnects too.

 

[Whazzzup]

Ok noted that. Noisy system or bad interconnects is probably reason why people dislike those amps... Obviously Colored amps, dacs smooth things over and hide system problems...
P.S what do you think about Audioquest vs Danacables interconnects? In the future i hope To buy Qutest with Headamp Gsx mini, but im looking at rca interconnects too.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ant...cial-guide-down-the-rabbit-hole.851997/page-8

Here is a page to my antipodes thread where I discuss audioquest fire thread I started, a chord company Sarum t digital super array USB, and pure wave Ac 12 power chord thread. Concerning hp cables I only know double helix cables and own prion 4 for hd800S.

 

[guein]

Hello,

In my opinion, HDVA600, Bottlehead Crack or other OTL amps are great for HD800/S or other high impedance sennheiser headphones.

Probably the Crack has less clarity, but its very musical and pleasant

 

[Cburd]

Yes, heard about that and heard good things. Thanks...will revisit that. Oh..BTW, Is that one of those build it yourself amps? Appreciate the input!

I did take a look at the Darkvoice 336SE and although it does look intriguing, I wonder if that will improve upon the iFi Micro iDSD Black that I run now mostly. I'm not an audiophile but I am certainly quite fussy about my sound. I think I like my amp/HP to sound musical no so much reference. I'm just beginning to soak up this terminology. I am always drawn to things that give my low end more presence which is why I am drawn to tube amps. I listen to a lot of classic rock, metal and just high octane stuff and it ALL sounds more fun and better when the drums rattle my brain a bit. It needs a heavy low end presence or it just sounds flat and boring. When I need to slow it down a couple of notches with some Mozart or Bach, of course I can tone it back to a more reference sound or switch up gear. The 800/S headphones I've been using for about 2 months now are just incredible and I'm only using them with the AK Kann and the iFi iDSD Black. I want more but want to be sure it get something that improves the whole game. The 800s's can be coerced into making my low end sound stellar and keep the great sound stage world class highs. I gotta believe that there is "MY" perfect amp out there, my end game amp that makes my selections of rock and roll music (and others) (ONLY excellent quality recordings!) sound like I have never heard. I want it to come alive! I want it to HIT! When it does, with these headphones, it is quite the listening experience. What are good tube amps that deliver that experience? I'm looking in the $1,000-$1,500 range. Dammit this is a fun hobby!

 

[nwave]

The new JDS Atom is honestly all you would need to power a HD800 to good hearing levels.

 

[Cburd]

JDS Atom with the HD800(S)? At $100 it simply cannot be ample enough to drive what I want to drive and how I want to drive it through these high end cans. If it is, we are being robbed by everyone else! Who knows, maybe this is where I'll end up. I'm just running around in circles here trying to figure out which to buy. This Atom, Moon's super cool looking shiny red Dragon Inspire IHA-1 , Woo's WA6 or 7 or the new SS WA22 and to add to the vast confusion twirling in my head there are just a gazillion other amps from dozens or hundreds of manufacturers spanning the globe to pile on the insanity, every single one of them seems absolutely goddamn perfect! Yep, that's right, there's a moment inside my head! Perhaps, what I should just put out there (here?) is my listening style. I'm 55 and I like loud rock music that sounds absolutely incredible, and there is a LOT of it that sounds terrific with these Senn cans and any reasonably good amplification but I'm getting greedy now. I really want to put these HD800(S) cans to work. One of my favorites (as of now) off Tidal is a song by the Police, Regatta De Blanc if you want to get an idea of my likes. I love the percussions. So crisp and you can really pump it up with these Senn cans and feel like you are sitting with your ear right up against the snare! It's exhilarating I say! Loud but soooooo good! And the funny thing, I NEVER liked the Police (or Sting) when they were working the charts but with their stellar sounding recordings and this new found habit (uh hobby) and my expensive listening apparatuses, I'm starting to warm up to them (and many others I ignored many years ago) I'm finding over and over that I don't even have to like the music. Hell, if it sounds really good, I'm usually really good! On that note, my new "music analyzing criteria" has become stupidly simple! Regatta De Blanc by The Police? Been around for many years. Never knew it existed as a piece of music until a month or two ago. It's not necessarily the song I like. It's "that" sound! That awesome, fully encapsulating musical piece -+ being injected directly into your brain from the twin Sennheiser mini speakers attached to your ears! My new criteria! Any tube amps that can mange that?

 

[Jimmy Gazelle]

Hi!

I have borrowed a Sennheiser HD800s with an Burson Conductor 3R and am listening over tidal with my notebook plugged in via usb-c. The sound is quite underwhelming to be honest. Can the source be that bad? Listeing to Tidal Master recordings and the amp shows its either 88k or 96k. really just sounds thin...any suggestions to beef this setup up?

Thanks!

 

[DenverW]

Hi!

I have borrowed a Sennheiser HD800s with an Burson Conductor 3R and am listening over tidal with my notebook plugged in via usb-c. The sound is quite underwhelming to be honest. Can the source be that bad? Listeing to Tidal Master recordings and the amp shows its either 88k or 96k. really just sounds thin...any suggestions to beef this setup up?

Thanks!

I haven’t heard the burson, but my guess is that it’s not the best pairing with the hd800 line. Someone with more experience with it may chime in, I’m only guessing.

I will say that I’ve had an 800s and 800 with sdr mod, and my favorite pairings are from OTL tube amps. Bottlehead crack and crackatwoa are fantastic, and I slightly prefer those over the mainline (which is not otl but also excellent). The crack was imho much better with the high impedance senns than the dark voice, although the DV was also enjoyable. Basically, my preference for the entire sennheiser HD line from top to bottom was: tubes, tubes, and more tubes.

 

[Jimmy Gazelle]

I haven’t heard the burson, but my guess is that it’s not the best pairing with the hd800 line. Someone with more experience with it may chime in, I’m only guessing.

I will say that I’ve had an 800s and 800 with sdr mod, and my favorite pairings are from OTL tube amps. Bottlehead crack and crackatwoa are fantastic, and I slightly prefer those over the mainline (which is not otl but also excellent). The crack was imho much better with the high impedance senns than the dark voice, although the DV was also enjoyable. Basically, my preference for the entire sennheiser HD line from top to bottom was: tubes, tubes, and more tubes.

Thnank you for the reply. I am somewhat surprised tho. I havent been listening to over-ear cans for some time due to ear problems, but i kinda expected more haha. but the source is good enough right? i mean, it should run through the burson dac right?

 

[DenverW]

Thnank you for the reply. I am somewhat surprised tho. I havent been listening to over-ear cans for some time due to ear problems, but i kinda expected more haha. but the source is good enough right? i mean, it should run through the burson dac right?

I wish I could give a better answer, but I don’t have a burson and have only heard one once at a canjam. Just because an amp CAN play adequately doesnt always mean it’s a good match. An example I would use is the drop thx. It’s a great measuring amp and has power, but I found the pairing with the hd800 completely dull and lifeless. If you’ve got the time and gumption, build a crack amp. If not they show up used often. If you still don’t like the pairings it may be time for a different setup.