Lehmann BCL or FiiO E9?

[MetalElvis]

Which one would be better value for the money?
 
Will Lehmann BCL have a huge improvement over the sound?
 
My headphones are HD 600/650.

 

[audiofil]

Quote:

Which one would be better value for the money?
 

Depends on how you define value for money.
Fiio E9 is a well regarded amplifier that sells for quite a low price. In absolute terms it's very good value for money.
 
Lehmann BCL, on the other hand, is quite an expensive amplifier and cannot be compared in terms of value with E9 (which sells for a fraction of the price).
However, given your choice of headphone, and BCL's well known synergy with them, it's very likely you'll stick with Lehmann for many years.
 
With Fiio E9 ... not so likely (especially if you're using HD650). Let's face it - you'll give in the temptation of upgrade rather quickly . So, on the long run "value for money" may be more than meets the eye.
 
 
Quote:

Will Lehmann BCL have a huge improvement over the sound?
 

Not huge, but clearly audible.
 
 
PS: A 3rd option is a BCL clone - Matrix M-Stage, which is very very close to the original's performance.

 

[quintron]

I haven't heard Fiio E9 but I own a Lehmann BCL and  I'm very happy with this amp. It does a great job driving all my cans including DT770/600 which have a very low sensitivity and need a large voltage swing. Double output (featuring also a preamp output) is a plus.

 

[MetalElvis]

Quote:

I haven't heard Fiio E9 but I own a Lehmann BCL and  I'm very happy with this amp. It does a great job driving all my cans including DT770/600 which have a very low sensitivity and need a large voltage swing. Double output (featuring also a preamp output) is a plus.

Does the BCL have a stepped attenuator volume knob (like the Burson HA-160)? I can´t seem to find this info anywhere.

 

[quintron]

No, BCl doesn't feature a stepped attenuator but... there are some micro switches (dips?) accesible from the bottom which allow to select gain from 0 to 20 dB