[doctorjazz]

(it doesn't come up for sale that often, but I got the RSA-HR2 used for about $300, which is about what I've seen it for other times. Great buy imo... Good sounding and worthwhile even new, but since it doesn't have the FOTM cache of the newer/"hotter" amps, you can get a better deal if you find one).

 

[DavidA]

@Orejo , I also have a Ember which is the big brother to the Polaris and while its good the Lyr2 with good tubes still drives the HE560 better to me but at this price the Liquid Carbon is a better deal IMO and you are getting very close to the HA-501 which is even better still to me.

 

[doctorjazz]

LC is indeed a very nice amp; need to invest in balanced cables to get the most out of it, though, the single ended is just there for convenience, but it is designed to be at its best running balanced.

 

[mandrake50]

Project Polaris indeed has a very reasonable price tag and I think I'll just go with that one, if I don't happen to find a used LC. Tube rolling, on the other hand, is also something I'm interested in, that's why the Lyr 2 is still on my list. Would the Lyr 2 also a be a good choice to pair it with many other headphones?[/QUOTE]

If you want to play with tube rolling... which can get quite addictive and costly, I would consider the Project Ember. It allows lots of options for configuration and makes rolling tubes (wide range supported and auto bias) very easy. The Lyr2 is much more limited. I found the Ember with select tubes to be very nice with the 560. It is also less costly than the Lyr2. Additionally it has a 5 year warranty when built by Jeremy, and they offer unsurpassed support.

I did have the original Lyr here for almost a month. It had only the stock tubes, but I returned it and kept my Ember. Sure there were differences, but none that warranted the price difference, to my ears and tastes anyway

I also like the Polaris with the 560. It also is quite flexible in being able to tailor the sound to your liking.

 

[StanD]

It seems that a lot of this discussion is about hybrid amps, not pure tube Amps. A good part of the Classic Tube Sound is from amps with output transformers. OTL tube amps aren't really intended for low impedance cans like the HE-560 that demand more and a couple of hundred mW.

 

[mandrake50]

It seems that a lot of this discussion is about hybrid amps, not pure tube Amps. A good part of the Classic Tube Sound is from amps with output transformers. OTL tube amps aren't really intended for low impedance cans like the HE-560 that demand more and a couple of hundred mW.

True, but the hybrids do benefit from the tube on the input side when it comes to the 560. The pleasing distortions and mellowing of the sound with the signal going through the tube before the SS output is definitely beneficial. A good design can give some of the advantages of both .

 

[StanD]

True, but the hybrids do benefit from the tube on the input side when it comes to the 560. The pleasing distortions and mellowing of the sound with the signal going through the tube before the SS output is definitely beneficial. A good design can give some of the advantages of both .

Check the distortion specs, they're far lower than what headphones create and what humans can perceive. Amps have improved well past what we can detect, long ago. That's a good thing.

 

[shuto77]

LC is indeed a very nice amp; need to invest in balanced cables to get the most out of it, though, the single ended is just there for convenience, but it is designed to be at its best running balanced.

Hi there. I always appreciate your impressions and reviews on HeadphoneGuru. What do you consider to be an "upgrade" to the Liquid Carbon, that can still be had under $1000?
Thanks!

 

[doctorjazz]

Thanks for the kind words, @shuto77!
Not sure I know of an "upgrade" at less than $1000, the RSA-HR2 I mentioned is different, but more of a side-grade, and I haven't heard many other amps in this price range (when I get a chance at shows/meets, usually check out the high priced spread; at home I mostly use my MicroZOTL2, but that's out of the price range). It's a funny spot in the amp world; there are lots much less expensive out there, and a good number of $1k+ amps as well, not so many here. I have the CEntrance HiFi M8m which is actually an amp/dac, but I haven't used it too much, I have difficulties connecting it to my sources (it did do OK for me at a meet once, as a dac into my ZOTL), so I haven't directly compared them. The HR2, if you can find one used, generally sells for considerably less than the LC, which is in demand now (got mine for $300-a lucky buyer at a meet got it for even less...)

 

[Orejo]

Which balanced cables would you get to pair my Hifiman HE-560 with a LC? I won't hear a difference between a $1000 cable and a standard one, so bear with me if I say I don't want something incredibly fancy. I'm just looking for a few options I could go with.

Edit: I think I should mention that I have the newer version of the HE-560.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Decent price, and well built. Venus audio also makes a nice cable as well, but costs a little more
http://www.ebay.com/itm/112275703006

Which balanced cables would you get to pair my Hifiman HE-560 with a LC? I won't hear a difference between a $1000 cable and a standard one, so bear with me if I say I don't want something incredibly fancy. I'm just looking for a few options I could go with.

Edit: I think I should mention that I have the newer version of the HE-560.

 

[doctorjazz]

Not dirt cheap, but not stratosphericaly expensive either, Norne Zoetic works for my HE-1000, and is said to work well with the 560. Long wait, though...

 

[StanD]

Which balanced cables would you get to pair my Hifiman HE-560 with a LC? I won't hear a difference between a $1000 cable and a standard one, so bear with me if I say I don't want something incredibly fancy. I'm just looking for a few options I could go with.

Edit: I think I should mention that I have the newer version of the HE-560.

How do you expect to benefit from balanced?

 

[doctorjazz]

If your using Liquid Carbon as your amp, it is very much designed to sound best balanced.

 

[StanD]

If your using Liquid Carbon as your amp, it is very much designed to sound best balanced.

That mean they didn't do such a good job in single ended?