[jawks]

Hello, I'm new to Head-Fi and was hoping to ask for some suggestions for amplification for the HD800s. I just ordered mine yesterday and hope to receive it in a couple of days. Right now, I own a Decware CSP2 tube amp and a Chord Mojo portable DAC/amp. I'm debating whether or not I should upgrade my amp. At the shop where I auditioned the HD800s, I listened to the headphones via a Simaudio Moon NEO 430 HAD, which was pretty amazing. I'm curious as to what others have really liked to power their HD800s.

Thanks!

 

[csor]

I'm using a monoprice liquid platinum and find it to be a very good match with the HD800S and my other electronics. I haven't heard a lot of hp rigs... I do also have the massdrop cavalli tube hybrid, which is tonally well matched with the HD800S, very listenable and sounds better than it ought to at its price. But by comparison, the LP (running via Gungnir MB balanced outs) brings much more potential from the HD800S: more spacious, separated, nuanced in the midrange and able to expose lots of realistic musical detail, decay, and ambience from a very clean background. Hope it helps, let us know if you try anything new and how it compares w/ the Mojo and CSP2.

 

[Mightygrey]

Bottlehead have a 15%-off sale on right now - their Crack OTL amp is a great match for the HD800/s.

 

[jawks]

I'm using a monoprice liquid platinum and find it to be a very good match with the HD800S and my other electronics. I haven't heard a lot of hp rigs... I do also have the massdrop cavalli tube hybrid, which is tonally well matched with the HD800S, very listenable and sounds better than it ought to at its price. But by comparison, the LP (running via Gungnir MB balanced outs) brings much more potential from the HD800S: more spacious, separated, nuanced in the midrange and able to expose lots of realistic musical detail, decay, and ambience from a very clean background. Hope it helps, let us know if you try anything new and how it compares w/ the Mojo and CSP2.

Thanks for your reply! I will certainly report back on any decisions I make.

 

[jawks]

Bottlehead have a 15%-off sale on right now - their Crack OTL amp is a great match for the HD800/s.

Someone else had suggested the Bottlehead models as well, including the Crack and Mainline. I understand that these are DIY kits? I'm not the handiest person with these things and don't have a soldering iron, if that is needed. Are they very easy to put together, or do they also come preassembled?

 

[G0rt]

Tubes warm up the HD800S nicely.

Here:

Gumby=>Mjolnir2=>Draug2=>HD800S

Just now, Larry Carlton/Firewire, and there's nothing missing.

 

[jawks]

Tubes warm up the HD800S nicely.

Here:

Gumby=>Mjolnir2=>Draug2=>HD800S

Just now, Larry Carlton/Firewire, and there's nothing missing.

Thanks, G0rt! Someone else had suggested the Gumby/Mjolnir 2 combo. I was also considering Yggdrasil 2/Ragnarok 2, but that's quite a bit more, and I read that Jason Stoddard himself prefers the Gumby/Mjolnir combo over the Yggdrasil 2/Ragnarok.

 

[G0rt]

Thanks, G0rt! Someone else had suggested the Gumby/Mjolnir 2 combo. I was also considering Yggdrasil 2/Ragnarok 2, but that's quite a bit more, and I read that Jason Stoddard himself prefers the Gumby/Mjolnir combo over the Yggdrasil 2/Ragnarok.

There's always something else to want, but if you hear the music, maybe you're already home.

Fully balanced, too, end-to-end, brings something to the table as well, and there's some finer tuning with bottles and cables.

I live in an RF-noisy environment, and even a cheap shielded power cord for Gumby made an audible improvement.

This gear is so near endgame, that I've almost stopped thinking about Yggdrasil.

 

[jawks]

"This gear is so near endgame, that I've almost stopped thinking about Yggdrasil."

Emphasis on the word "almost".

 

[jawks]

Yes, maybe I'd be just as pleased with the Gumby/Mjolnir 2. Too bad there's no place to audition these side by side!

 

[G0rt]

"This gear is so near endgame, that I've almost stopped thinking about Yggdrasil."

Emphasis on the word "almost".

Curiousity killed the cat's wallet!

 

[csor]

... I read that Jason Stoddard himself prefers the Gumby/Mjolnir combo over the Yggdrasil 2/Ragnarok.

Interesting. I would love to hear the MJ2. Here's a post comparing it with the LP https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mon...-by-alex-cavalli.876406/page-36#post-14589627

 

[jawks]

Thanks for everyone's input. I decided to get a Violectric V281 and picked up a nice deal here from a fellow Head-Fier - should be arriving soon!