[Derek N]

With the help of this forum, I have narrowed my search for amps to the ASL MG Head OTL mkII. Now before I pull the trigger I had one last question.

How the above two compare? I am intrigued by the DIY kit. If all things were equal I would prefer the Kit as it gives me a project as well as a finished product. BUT i am not willing to sacrifice sound quality to have a project.

So how do they sound in comparision to each other? I will be using either with the HD-600.

Thanks

Derek N

 

[Sean H]

Given you will be using a pair of HD600's it sounds like the MG Head OTL MKII is your pick. I just did a bunch of searches and for the life of me I can't find a review from Nick Dangerous whom a while back built the Maple Tree kit and said while excellent sounding it paired better with low impedence cans, like Grado's, and that the MG Head paired better with the HD600. Maybe he'll chime in here. I know I 've seen many characterize the Maple Tree amp as sounding a little less tubey, more neutral and straight forward with a more modern day sounding tube design. Not that the MG Head sounds completely antique by comparison but it sounds more classic comparitively speaking. From what I gather the Maple is excellent but just doesn't pair as ideally wih the HD600. I've got the OTL MKII, have not a single problem with it and find t sounds excellent with the HD600/Equinox.

 

[SteveA]

Hi!

I have not heard these products side by side but I can certainly vouch for the pairing of the HD600 and the Ear+. As I write this, i am enjoying Larry Coryell playing his arrangement of Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess". Pure magic!

I built mine in June 2002 and have not had a lick of trouble since I turned it on and it worked first time.

Best regards,
Steve

 

[Nick Dangerous]

I haven't done a comparison between the two amps because there are more variables to consider besides sound quality. The EAR+ is an amp/preamp in kit form, whereas the MG Head is a pre-built commercial amp. Some people want the fun, flexibility, linear performance and look of the EAR+, whereas others prefer the quirky but wonderful tubey-sounding MG Head.

That being said, *I* personally prefer to pair HD-600's with the MG Head because I'm a midrange freak and that's where the MG Head/HD-600 truly shine. But I don't own any HD-600's anymore... and were I to purchase more hi-fi headphones I'd probably go down the Grado/EAR+ route just to mix things up again.

Confused yet?