Good amp for Sennheiser HD650

[tom hankins]

Check the for sale forums for a used Singlepower amp. I have heard most of them with the HD650 (and owned three, fourth on the way) they have all shined with the senns.

 

[oscotto]

You guys have been very helpful thanks so much!!!

 

[SACD-Man]

I think I agree with the HR desktop max balaced since I'm listening right now on it with the HD650's..

I do like the AKG 701's better!!

 

[tfarney]

Well the Sennheiser house amp is, reportedly, the Graham Slee Solo. They use it in development, so their phones are voiced on the thing. If I could afford it (about $800, I think), that's where I'd start.

Tim

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mchang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Another vote for the Darkvoice 332. My preference is with Svetlana 6S19P-V and Western Electric 403b tubes. Tight, deep bass and lush sound throughout. I can listen for hours. For reference: I had the HeadFive and tried it briefly with the HD-650. I did not like the pairing. In addition, I also like my HeadAmp Gilmore Lite with the HD-650 with certain types of music (better with faster digital instrumentation and music that doesn't need as much bass slam). However I typically reach for the DV first and more.

Does the GS-1 do a better job of removing the "veil" of the HD650s (i.e. tighter more controlled bass, clearer, brighter, sharper mids and highs), than the DV332???

The DV332 does a pretty good job of doing all of that... but... does the GS-1 do a better job???

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well the Sennheiser house amp is, reportedly, the Graham Slee Solo. They use it in development, so their phones are voiced on the thing. If I could afford it (about $800, I think), that's where I'd start. Tim

I agree... I think the Solo I had... probably did a little better job of clearing up the Senns than the DV332 - though it was close.

The Solo is a phenomenal amp, that drives all phones well.

 

[Zodduska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oscotto /img/forum/go_quote.gif so if I do less (say 1-2hrs) than 8hrs is that not good on the tubes? Thanks guys!

Personally, I just turn the amp on when I'm home then I turn it off before leaving or going to bed. No need to set a timer or anything but I always make sure to have the volume turned all the way down and headphones plugged in when powering up and down my darkvoice.

Don't let tubes intimidate you, they have magical qualities and are well worth the extra care.

A word of caution though: tube rolling can become an addiction.

 

[Audio-Omega]

I like the sound of my HD650 with RSA HR-2.

 

[musicman59]

I had the HD650 with Equinox cable ran by a GS-1 with stepped atenuator.
The combination was excellent. The GS-1 is a little bit dry and analytical so matched with the HD650 creates a great balance in the sound.

If you want a darker SS amp then try the Stello HP100. In comparison to the GS-1 is darker sounding.

 

[Michael10]

I replaced the stock cable on my HD-650's with a Cardas (version 2 I believe) and listened to it hooked up to my Cayin HA-1A. I have spent a couple of hundred dollars rolling tubes in the Cayin and finally figured out that either the Cayin or the CD player (a Music Hall CD-25 in my case) needed to have an ungrounded power cord because I had a ground loop.

Anyway, we NOS RCA tubes, and the CARDAS cable I listen to Joni Mitchell's Hissing of Summer Lawns this morning and could not believe the detail. I have listen to this since it first came out on LP and I could hear instruments and vocals I had never heard. I just received the Cardas yesterday so I have only had a chance to listen to a few things with the new cables (some of Copland's Appalachian Spring done by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Betty Lavette's Scene of the Crime) and it really sounds great. Before the replacement cable, I preferred my DT-880 with the Cayin and the HD-595 on my portable HeadAmp AE-2. I have listen to a number of things today using the HD-650's on the portable amp including Gerhard's first Symphony No. 1 and Patricia Barber's Modern Cool), and while the cables help with the sound on this little amp (feed by a DVD player in a Dell Computer) they don’t make as much difference as with the Cayin.

I think any decent tube amp would work well with the 650's. I would replace the stock cable. I have always thought people who spent a lot of money on re-cabling were weird but I just joined the club. I think the 650’s now sound better than my main system which consists of a Denon 3910, Audio Research Ref 1, NAD-272 (soon to be upgraded), and Dynaudio Contour S5.4 speakers. If I had paid msrp and bought all my system new it would cost over $20,000. I paid about a third of that for the system. The Ref 1 is old but in great shape and Dynaudio speakers were purchased barely used. The NAD is the Absolute Sound's pick for a budget power amp. Anyway, I think it is a decent system.

So I think it is remarkable the sound you can get from a $700 or so headphone amp and about $475 for the phones and the cable. I really did not want to go to work today, but just wanted to set in my recliner and listen to music. I probably be buying a Moon Audio cable next.

 

[mojolo]

Rudistor hybrid amps seem to do a pretty nice job with Senn's. prices are in euros though and with the value of the dollar, you may not want to shell out for a new one.

if you could find a nice used one, you'd be guaranteed a great deal since Rudistor has never been a FOTM on head-fi. they do make incredible amps though.

i'm using an RP5.1 right now, which is a couple year old amp (the new model is the RP5.3). the 650's sound terrific to my ears. great detail, musical, lots of layers. the combo is a terrible distraction to me when i'm working from home - the texture in the music grabs my attention,i stop, get completely lost in what i'm hearing and then completely forget about the work i'm doing.

if i find an RP7 (next level up) for sale, i might have to jump on it.

 

[afternoon025]

i use a lehmann black cube,and found it quite well controlled the hd650's bass