[mlebler]

I'm relatively new to the headphone game. My current setup is a pair of 2005 DT880's powered by a Meier CORDA HEADFIVE amp. I want to expand my horizons a little more and was thinking about buying a pair of Denon D5000's and a new amp. I have my heart pretty set on the Denon's but I'm a bit clueless when it comes to amps.
 
My question for you guys is, given that I own DT880's and hopefully the D5000's soon, what full-sized amp would you recommend to me? I'm a poor student and want to keep the cost below $400 (preferably between 200-300). One amp that has sparked my interest is the The K.I.C.A.S. Caliente, due to its quality for the price and warmer sound......thoughts? Should I even bother upgrading from a headfive if I only have $400 to spend?

 

[FrankTheRabbit]

I'm in the same boat as you. I narrowed myself down to a few amps:
Meier Corda Concerto, Gilmore Lite, Graham Slee Solo SRG II, Audio-gd Compass, Burson 160, and Rockhopper M^3.
 
I decided to take a leap of faith with the Rockhopper M^3. I'm pairing it with HD650s mainly and I've heard good things with these two playing well with one another.
 
It also came down to the decision of the amp being local instead of having it shipped.
 
Good luck.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yes, the M^3 is a very good amp. So is the Dynalo/Gilmore Lite.

There's a new Dynalo being produced for $300. That's the one I'd go for if I were in the market. It's a terrific design with loads of clean, neutral power.

 

[FrankTheRabbit]

Update: I picked up the Rockhopper M3 from d.n.d. this evening and I'm quite happy with them. He got the bass boost knob mod to this amp and man, it's fun to hear so much GOOD bass come through the HD650s. The thumping from the album, You're A Woman, I'm A Machine is just maddening! I already appreciate that album from top to bottom, but with the bass boost, it's just a lot more engaging. It's not the bloated distorted bass, it's the good variety. And with the knob, I can adjust how much boost I want.
 
I'm definitely more than happy with the upgrade path from the trusty HeadFive to this amp. The ONLY thing that I would've wanted, is the crossfeed feature. That's just a personal thing and it may not appeal to everyone.