[koiloco]

The wa22 isn't supposed to be that good with he-500?

I don't know yet davidsh.  With this amp, I am hoping to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  If it can drive the HE500 as well as the Emotiva overall, I'll be more than happy cuz this amp would also be for the next HP on my list, either HD800 or something else (not ortho though). 

 

[Tony1110]

Will the HE-500 work well with the Burson HA-160DS?

It's supposed to be a bright amp and it's not that powerful. I'm sure it'll do the job though.

 

[Textfeud]

It's supposed to be a bright amp and it's not that powerful. I'm sure it'll do the job though.

But not ideal?

 

[davidsh]

^Not ideal from what I have heard, but decent

 

[Textfeud]

I read that the LCD-2 works well with the HA-160DS so now I'm even more torn. Thanks guys.

 

[hifimanrookie]

I read that the LCD-2 works well with the HA-160DS so now I'm even more torn. Thanks guys.

Dont want to butt into this debate but..as koiloco said also...a 337 drives the he500 to extreme highs...and does a better job then the 160ds and soloist..i heard both very intensly and i somehow missed that magical touch in the music on the he500 (to cold!).. And ofcourse the 160ds does good with the lcd2 as its easier to drive then the he500 AND its a much darker headphone..so a brighter amp will go well with that..
From the amps i heard the ones i will mention now did best job in driving the he500:

Decware taboo mkII (but i understand they are a bit faulty sometimes)
Woo audio wa2
Darkvoice 337 ..thats a very unknow gem peeps..its very affordable also..and u wont find second hand models easily..as people who has them wont sell them easily as its that good!
Lafigaro 339 (didnt hear it..but has same soundsignature as his sister the 337)
Violectric v200
Crack (always forget the brandname..lolz)

To my ears if u want a headphone amp...choose one of those.. U wont regret it!
If ur on a budget.. I once had a matrix mstage (with class-a opa627 mod) for 3 years without any faults and with gain switches on 10db it did a remarkable job driving the he300/400 and in the last year i had it..the he500.. For most it would be sufficient!

On the other hand do what koiloco did..get a emotiva or a vintage speaker amp (be careful..those can cost ya in repairs if ur in bad luck).. But i believe a good dedicated headphone amp does the job better.. Imho ofcourse.. But they can be twice the price of a regular speaker amp.

Ps..ofcourse there are other models who drive the he500 well..like the upper models of audio GD (master series) and the bigger (balanced)little dot models.. Ad others..but until now i didnt have the oportunity to hear them intensively..so i am not the right person to give advice on those... Maybe othes can chip in here to give u some advice on PERFECT pairings with the he500... Lots of amps can drive the he500.. But only few really shine in that...i am lucky i found some...and owned one of the best amps for the he500 for more then a year..no matter in what price category u shop in!

 

[hifimanrookie]

I read that the LCD-2 works well with the HA-160DS so now I'm even more torn. Thanks guys.

Hey..if ur in holland..pm me...maybe i can help u with ur doubts if ur still looking for an amp for ur he500..spreek je later

 

[Tony1110]

I read that the LCD-2 works well with the HA-160DS so now I'm even more torn. Thanks guys.

Head-Fi has a habit of making you feel like that. My limited research on the subject leads me to believe that the Soloist is an excellent match with HE-500 and the HA-160DS is a poor match. I remember reading up on the HA-160DS a few months ago and people were raving about its synergy with the Sennheiser HD-650 which is a dark headphone like the LCD-2 so maybe that accounts for them working well together. The LCD-2 is a bit more efficient than HE-500 too.

The Soloist/Conductor is an excellent piece of kit really. It's neutral signature shouldn't, in theory, clash with any headphone and it has the power to drive almost anything.

 

[hifimanrookie]

I don't know yet davidsh.  With this amp, I am hoping to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  If it can drive the HE500 as well as the Emotiva overall, I'll be more than happy cuz this amp would also be for the next HP on my list, either HD800 or something else (not ortho though). 

I dont think u have to worry..from what i heard..the wa22 does very well with the he500 (huge soundstage!)... But even better on the lcd series.. but its on the higher end of the price ladder... Ouch for ur wallet..

 

[AngelicFantasy]

While we're on the subject of Amplifiers..I just bought a La Figaro 339 and I'm looking at tubes. I wanted the Tung-Sol 5998 and RCA 5693 combo until I realized it was 120+ for just the Tung Sol tubes. Ouch. Anything almost as good that's cheaper? Would prefer to spend around 15..but if the 5998s are really that good let me know.

 

[hifimanrookie]

While we're on the subject of Amplifiers..I just bought a La Figaro 339 and I'm looking at tubes. I wanted the Tung-Sol 5998 and RCA 5693 combo until I realized it was 120+ for just the Tung Sol tubes. Ouch. Anything almost as good that's cheaper? Would prefer to spend around 15..but if the 5998s are really that good let me know.

Congrats with ur new 339.. I can assure u u wont regret ur buy..only problem now that will arise is u wont easily find any other amp even close to the worth of this amp to upgrade to so u will stick with it for a long time..as almost all 337/339 owners do!.lolz..
About tubes:
I had the 5998 and u wont believe it..i actually preferred the bendix 6080wb with graphite colums..best are the slotted ones..and best of it..they are much cheaper then the 5998.. U can even get a pair under 100 if u can get a pair..

and i am not only one who prefers these wonderful tubes over the 5998..

And if u pair the 6080wb graphite plates with rca 5693 redhots (very cheap!! And easy to get!!) u have an amp that has a soundstage so wide u have to hear it to believe it.. Wonderful sound...

With my 337 it was by far the best sound.. Even over the 5998/ 6sg7gt mesh plates pair..i had that pair also.. And almost for half the price..but as i said..those bendix are hard to get..and if they turn up they are sold almost immediately... So try to find one.. U wont regret it

 

[koiloco]

Hey u 2.  Take it to the 337/339 thread.  I can only handle one "hifimanrookie" at a time 

 
Kidding asides, as i said to you before, hifimanrookie is the one you need to talk to about tube rolling for 337/339.

 

[tuna47]

Lyr gets no love here plenty power sweet sound goes great with the 500s

 

[koiloco]

Lyr gets no love here plenty power sweet sound goes great with the 500s

Agreed.  I tried my HE500 on my friend's Lyr and thought the combo was pretty awesome.  It's a mixed sound signature between SS and tube.  Quite punchy bass too.  I liked it.

 

[normanwang1992]

still looking for an upgrade cable..