[immtbiker]

It was an insane purchase, that will take at least 2 years to recover from (including the credit card interest rate), but I am truly happy with them. I was told that Sony re-opened the line and made six more this year. I got them from Theme-Gifts.com, which allegedly is one of the two authorized US dealers. They got two pairs from Sony and I bought one of them.
I am running them through a Grado RA-1, and a MF X-Cans V2, and although many people can advise a better amp, with my existing set-up, they are shear nirvana. I have a SACD/DVD Audio Pioneer Elite set-up, and I am able to play 2 channel DSD multi-channel discs through the headphone jack, directly out of the Pioneer as a third option.
I also have an older Nakamichi CD player hooked up to the Grado, and I hooked up my Senn 600's through the Grado amp, and the Sony MDR-R10's through the headphone jack on the Nakamichi, and even without the amp, the Sony's made the Senn's, sound hollow and lacking, even though the Senn's have given me hundreds of hours of listening pleasure.
No, they are not worth the price of 20 HD 600's, but, they are much, much better, and I am looking for the best sound that I can get.

P.S - Theme-Gifts.com is giving me 30 days to return them, which I think is generous considering the money that they would lose having to sell them, slightly used.
Anyone who have these have recommendations for a better amp combo? My Musical Fidelity amp is directly hooked up to a Musical Fidelity A3 CD player with some decent interconnects.

 

[SteeleBlayde]

Ray Samuel's Emmeline HR-2. Great amp that goes amazingly well with the R10. Go pester markl.

Little less strapped for cash: Esoteric Audio Research - Yoshino HP-4. Also a very good tube amp, but pricey. Go pester Hirsch.

You're totally loaded: Angstrom Research Monster Tube Amp. Go pester Nik.

 

[HappymaN]

Congratulations.

Boy, have you opened up a can of worms for yourself.

 

[tom hankins]

You can also add the Singlepower-Audio "Supra" and "SDS" on your list to talk to Hirsch about. Or read the review in the full review section of the amp forum. Congrats on your great purchase!

 

[immtbiker]

Thanks for the comments, so far. I have been reading Head-fi for 2 years, and I haven't even heard of those amps. I fear I've entered a world, that not many men (or women), have boldly gone before. I am not a man of means, but with good credit, and being in my 40's, I am a man of desires.
I spend at least an hour a day dedicated to music, so nothing I buy will ever gain dust on a shelf.
Perhaps I should sell my 2 forementioned amps and pick up one that won't be the weakest link.

 

[tom hankins]

Do a search on the amps Singlepower Supra or MPX3. The full featured review of the Supra has quite a bit of info about the R-10/supra combo. I've got a SDS and it is truly an amazing headphone amp. It will be X-mas before I can get the R-10's to go with it. Hirsch has used a Singlepower amp longer than anyone on the site.(Except maybe Mikhail the builder of the amps) There are now quite a few owners of the amps and I have yet to hear anyone complain about the sonics of these amps. Hirsch has used the R-10's with several good amps.

 

[Hirsch]

Both the EAR HP$ (this particular typo occurs when I don't get my finger off of the cap key in time to hit "4", but it's so appropriate I left it there) and Singlepower Supra can sound amazing with the R10. I've heard very few amps that are competitive, and none that are better.

A stock Cary CAD-300SEI has a midrange with the R10 that is magic, but is fatally flawed in speed and percussive impact (tube rolling might help this). I've heard a modded Cary that IMO is among the best with the R10, but I only heard it one afternoon.

In terms of what you get for the money, it is no contest at all. The Singlepower amps are among the very best (IMO), and currently sell for much less than anything that comes near them sonically.

 

[immtbiker]

I have e-mailed Mikhail to see what he can suggest for me, I hope he responds. Thanks to all, so far.

 

[Magic77]

I guess I would have to recommend the HeadRoom Max. The Max will definitely bring out the best or worst with any Headphone. It has done that for me. I never heard the R10's, but I'm sure the Max would bring out the best for them.

If of course you can "afford" a better amp now!!

 

[bozebuttons]

The singlepower amp should be high on your list, for the price it is a steal.
I used the Mpx3 with vt231 tubes for a couple of weeks with the R10s, Pure Music.

 

[markl]

An R10 strapped to an X-Cans? *shudders*

That's abuse!

That's the problem with R10s, not only do they cost a fortune in and of themselves, but they make you spend lavishly on upstream gear as well.

BTW, themegifts gets their R10s from audio advancements.

 

[fewtch]

Sheesh, what a nuts hobby this is (but probably not as bad as smoking crack)...

My guess is the Grado SR60's are already supplying ~80% of SQ that can be gotten from headphones... Senn 600's, ~90%. Congrats on gaining another 8% or so at $4,250.

 

[kwkarth]

Hey immtbiker,
Total congratulations man! And, yeah, sorry about your wallet!

 

[psxguy85]

Congratulations and good luck, immtbiker. Make sure you still have enough to live on.

 

[immtbiker]

They didn't cost $4250 (list), and my wallet is merely a thing that I carry pictures of my wife and children in, and some small pieces of rectangular plastic in, that causes me long term anxiety, in an otherwise insane world which causes me short term anxiety.
I figure if I sell all my toys used, by the time my kids go to college,
they will get a great community college 2 year education (just kidding).