[Dinan]

I have been shopping around for HD800 amplification and the Lehmann Linear at $1150 is very tempting as the HD800 was developed with that amp.

I also like the suggestion of the poster that recommended the Electrocompaniet DAC...it is VERY good and tough to touch for anywhere near its $2K list price.

Another big bad wolf looks to be the SPL Phonitor. It has got my attention and seems to be well worth the $2,100 that it commends. The only downside to it looks to be the lack of a balanced output but I hear it is deadly good as is.

 

[davidhunternyc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgainstTheGrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great advice. I was curious since if I can find a good enough price for them like I did for my IE8s then I'll jump on them but I don't wanna be stuck with a HP that I can't do anything with after I purchase cuz my wallet is smaller than the appetite for power and quality the HD800 may have. If I do get them it would be my end all headphone. I would probably sell everything else besides my IE8.

The only thing worse than not getting what you want, is getting what you want.

 

[haloxt]

I think the original quote is: “There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” Oscar Wilde

I bet the HD800 scales a lot with better gear, but only you can decide just how high-end you would like to have your source/amp be. But if you get a HD800 chances are you are serious about fidelity hehe, and you'd likely have a source+amp worth at least $1000 altogether. I don't know about prior comments about HD800 sounding good out of a compass, I believe if you're going to spend $1400 on headphones you'd need quite a bit better setup to more fully utilize the headphones. Plus compass has a lot of coloration, which makes it great for "fun" headphones but I doubt it'd synergize well with the transparent HD800 which would likely reveal the coloration too much.

 

[AgainstTheGrain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidhunternyc /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only thing worse than not getting what you want, is getting what you want.

I don't get it lol

 

[BrianS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgainstTheGrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I'm still renting so I can't put in fine speakers just yet besides I'm still much too young for that. When I am older and have my own house I'ma have my own sound room.

my situation.

 

[Covenant]

Just an update, I've recently had the oppertunity to hear the HD800 single ended out of my Pico/WA6SE rig, and cannot really recommend this setup for the HD800 anymore.

The comparison wasn't entirely fair, but it the HD800's owner's rig was:
Buffalo 32S > Balanced B22 > Balanced HD800

Compared to his rig, using the same HD800's with a single-ended converter on my system made the mids sound slightly recessed, a bit of glare appeared, and some of the body in the music was missing.

I'm not entirely sure what let them down on my system, but I strongly suspect the HD800 was revealing the Pico's shortcomings as a source. WA6SE > HD800 would likely still be a very good pairing, if used with a source like the Buffalo.

Just my 2c.

 

[wink]

maybe you should have used a Dacmagic.
Solid State Rules.

 

[peanuthead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Covenant /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just an update, I've recently had the oppertunity to hear the HD800 single ended out of my Pico/WA6SE rig, and cannot really recommend this setup for the HD800 anymore. The comparison wasn't entirely fair, but it the HD800's owner's rig was: Buffalo 32S > Balanced B22 > Balanced HD800 Compared to his rig, using the same HD800's with a single-ended converter on my system made the mids sound slightly recessed, a bit of glare appeared, and some of the body in the music was missing. I'm not entirely sure what let them down on my system, but I strongly suspect the HD800 was revealing the Pico's shortcomings as a source. WA6SE > HD800 would likely still be a very good pairing, if used with a source like the Buffalo. Just my 2c.

To my ears, WA6SE and HD800 combo is in the league of "as good as it gets," whether signle-ended or balanced; I actually prefer the Woo/HD800 combo to some of the balanced rigs I've heard.
Did you get to hook up the Buffalo Dac to the Woo set-up to see how they compared?

 

[Covenant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanuthead /img/forum/go_quote.gif To my ears, WA6SE and HD800 combo is in the league of "as good as it gets," whether signle-ended or balanced; I actually prefer the Woo/HD800 combo to some of the balanced rigs I've heard. Did you get to hook up the Buffalo Dac to the Woo set-up to see how they compared?

No, I wish I'd had a chance to do so, but the Buffalo was uncased and living in a rather precarious cardboard box to make it to the meet, so I didn't want to try moving it around too much

I agree that it was very likely the source that was the limiting factor there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wink maybe you should have used a Dacmagic. Solid State Rules.

The Pico is a solid state source, as is the Dacmagic. Not sure what you're smoking there

 

[Supersonic99]

My cheap but fantastic rig:

Harman HD 990 -> Funk LPA-2a -> HD 800

HD 990:
http://www.referenceaudio.com/ImageU...0(English).pdf

Funk LPA-2a + PWS-04a:
Symetrie/Kopfhoererverstärker

click on the foto for PDF.
And my HD 800 S/N 28xx,..... I LOVE HIM!!

HD 990: B item with a scratch: 249 €
LPA 2 with all parts etc.: 215 €
HD 800:

€

This rig sound so damn good!
My old Harman HD 970 sounds good too for the little money but the 990 sounds a little but importent bit better.
How this CD Player sounds with my MP3 CDs (most EAC+LAME VBR V2) is unbelievable.

And the LPA-2a + PWS-04a is maybe one of the best SE Amps in the world. This is not a joke.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Covenant /img/forum/go_quote.gif At one stage I asked HeadphoneAddict on his oppinions of the Pico DAC > WA6 > HD800 combo that he owns, and he considers it a synergistic rig that still makes the HD800's sing. I haven't heard this combo, but I've learned to trust his ears WA6 with PDPS and Sophia: $795 USD Pico DAC-Only: $349 USD Total: $1,144 USD, plus the cost of interconnects and shipping. I dont think you can get much better price/performance ratio than that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgainstTheGrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif That sounds like a much better combo for my pockets. I can't shell out 2 or 3 grand on components.

I would go for a DAC upgrade in that rig. I am using the Apogee mini-DAC > WA6 maxed with all the extras and it's a better match for filling out the sound of the HD800. Even better is my PS Audio Digital Link III (96 khz mode) > EC ZDT > HD800 where the amp has like 3-4x the power with improved punch and soundstage.

Both DAC's (PSA & Apogee) give the HD800 a fuller warmer sound, regardless of the amp, but a more powerful amp like the ZDT also makes a difference with the HD800 although not as much. Where I liked the Pico DAC a lot was with WA6 > HD600, Denon and Ultrasone, RS-1 with flats and APS V3 cable, and especially with my Stax O2 Mk1 driven off my GES to overcome the dark sound signature.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Covenant /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just an update, I've recently had the oppertunity to hear the HD800 single ended out of my Pico/WA6SE rig, and cannot really recommend this setup for the HD800 anymore. The comparison wasn't entirely fair, but it the HD800's owner's rig was: Buffalo 32S > Balanced B22 > Balanced HD800 Compared to his rig, using the same HD800's with a single-ended converter on my system made the mids sound slightly recessed, a bit of glare appeared, and some of the body in the music was missing. I'm not entirely sure what let them down on my system, but I strongly suspect the HD800 was revealing the Pico's shortcomings as a source. WA6SE > HD800 would likely still be a very good pairing, if used with a source like the Buffalo. Just my 2c.

See above. I agree if you stick the WA6SE into the other rig with the Buffalo 32S you'd find the SE can pair with the HD800 just fine. The Pico is a great DAC, and beats everything in its price range, but the Buffalo is way above the Pico as a source. I still think my PS Audio and Apogee DAC are a little above the Pico as well (as I've always said).

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanuthead /img/forum/go_quote.gif To my ears, WA6SE and HD800 combo is in the league of "as good as it gets," whether signle-ended or balanced; I actually prefer the Woo/HD800 combo to some of the balanced rigs I've heard. Did you get to hook up the Buffalo Dac to the Woo set-up to see how they compared?

I'd like to hear what he says after he tries that too, because even my lower powered WA6 (non-SE) works well with the HD800 with the right source.

 

[fallow81]

Source: PC Computer with good MB and Power Supply

IC: DIY Conducfil 8896 with Neutrik's ProFI connectors. around 50 USD

DAC: DIY CS4398 (PCM1978), CS8421 Upsampler, CS8416(DIR9001) and PCM2902 for USB Input + Op-Amps for analog output. No problem to use tubes output instead of op-amps. Up to 200 USD

Amp: WBA Sensauris Experimental (New amp on 6C33C-B and E88CC). Im using it on Siemens E288CC driver or Brimar E88CC CV2492. My case in only for experimenting. It will be available on the market soon with more audiophile and much better chassis. around 1.300 USD

Cans: HD800 price is well-known

I prefer this DIY DACs to for example my previous North Star M192 or Thete Digital DS Pro Gen V. Amp is next level to RudiStor NX33 and Yamamoto HA-02 or Woo Audio WA2.

http://img16.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=ampq.jpg