[logwed]

That's pretty amazing that you were able to A/B test all these different amps, man! That's not an experience that many of us have outside of meets and CanJam. 
 
I'm a huge proponent of buying used equipment, OP. The entirety of my rig has been purchased used, primarily off of head-fi. 

 

[Ypoknons]

The Concerto. I haven't had the funds to buy it right now though, I really need to get in touch with the Hong Kong used scene.

 

[Alrod]

I like new, but I too would much rather save the money.  I mean literally, depending on what your rigs looks like, you can save hundreds of $$$.  I used to have the mind set that more money meant better. I am so glad I grew out of that.

 

[ChrisHopcroft]

I can recommend the Darkvoice 337. I use that to drive my 650s. Nice combo.

 

[melie]

How does the Little Dot MKIII pair up with the HD650? Does it have enough power or should I take a look at the MKIV instead? I personally like a little bit warmer tube sound more than ss sound.

 

[Tom W]

 
Quote:

How does the Little Dot MKIII pair up with the HD650? Does it have enough power or should I take a look at the MKIV instead? I personally like a little bit warmer tube sound more than ss sound.

I own this combo (with stock tubes) and would have to say yes the Mk III has more than enough power for the 650's. With the stock tubes the sound stage is huge (maybe a tad exaggerated) and the mids are very lush...the bass is not quite tight enough for me but it is a modestly priced amp.
 
I've read the EF92's really have that really warm tube sound if the stock EF95's don't have enough for you.
 
What type of music do you listen to?
 

 

[melie]

All kinds.. Mostly to
- post rock; Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ròs, ...
- dubstep; Burial, ...
- indie; Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade, The National, Yeasayer, ...
- low-fi singer songwriter; Sufjan Stevens, Antony & the Johnsons, Great Lake Swimmers, ...
- random good music; Pink Floyd, Donovan, Faithless (old stuff), Radiohead, Leonard Cohen, Metallica, ...
 
Not really one genre but I like to listen to dreamy kind of stuff while doing other things (I'm a graphic/web designer so I spend a lot of time behind my pc) like Pink Floyd, Burial, Sigur Ròs, ... I'm not always searching for the best exact reproduced sound as I don't have all my stuff in FLAC (I have over 250gig of MP3's..). I'm also a fan of a little more subwoofer like bass-sound. 
 
I don't have much experience with Hi-Fi but I think tubes are the way to go for me.
 Of course, please tell me if I'm wrong

 

[Tom W]

I think the LD Mk III will give you a glimpse into the 650's potential but I'm already looking for a better source/amp after just a few months.
 
That said this combo is good enough to make the music difficult to ignore...especially when trying to work.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[melie]

     Quote:

I think the LD Mk III will give you a glimpse into the 650's potential but I'm already looking for a better source/amp after just a few months.
  

Ok, so maybe immediatly go for the MKIV? Or is the difference not that big?
I have a MAX amount of around 750€ set for my complete system and don't plan to go over it.
What I'm thinking about now is the Musiland 02 => ATH-AD700
When I have the money next year or so I'll upgrade to;
Musiland 02 => MKIII (or IV if a lot of people would recomend this for the HD650) => Senn HD650.
 
Does this sound good? (no pun intended..)

 

[Tom W]

 
Quote:

     Quote:

Ok, so maybe immediatly go for the MKIV? Or is the difference not that big?
I have a MAX amount of around 750€ set for my complete system and don't plan to go over it.
What I'm thinking about now is the Musiland 02 => ATH-AD700
When I have the money next year or so I'll upgrade to;
Musiland 02 => MKIII (or IV if a lot of people would recomend this for the HD650) => Senn HD650.
 
Does this sound good? (no pun intended..)

 
I can't honestly comment on your suggestion because I'm not familiar with any of the equipment you listed other than the Mk III and the 650's.
 
It's been said on the forum before and I have to agree go to a meet if at all possible. Phones DO sound different with different sources and different amps.
 
The 650's and Mk III were an eye opener for me. Better than I could have imagined sometimes and less than thrilling at other times.
 
Right now I'm exploring my options with regards to DACs and Amps. Then maybe I'll be looking at different phones.
 
When I first started looking on this site I thought it was a little odd that some (most) members had more than one DAC/Amp/HP combo but after attending a meet I can understand a little more the need to match your setup with your music and your mood.