PatekBruguetMogul
100+ Head-Fier
My MHA-150 arrived just a few minutes ago and time to open it up now.. What would be a great set of headphones for this jewel..?
This is my setup except I'm using the Mytek Brooklyn as the DAC then balanced out to MHA150.Congrats to you! The Hifiman HE1000 sounds great connected directly to the speaker taps on the MHA100.
imho, MHA150 makes the most sense when using as many features as possible. If you intend to build a desktop rig around it, you can skip using active speakers (which is what I would typically use) and grab something like a Gallo Strata 2 or other smallish passive speaker option. MHA150 will drive them beautifully.
The headphone section is also extremely good. It is up there with Pass Labs HPA-1, Violectric V281, Eddie Current ZDT, etc. I prefer it over iCan Pro (which I quite enjoy), though obviously it doesn't have the same massive feature set. But as good as it is, I feel weird recommending the MHA150 for someone who will only use it for headphone amp duties. Just seems like a waste given the price and all the extra features if you aren't making use of them. But if you found a second hand example for a great price it might change the equation.
The DAC portion is quite good for an integrated implementation, but still maybe a weak link if you are comparing to various $2K or higher discrete high-end DACs. I put it somewhere between Brooklyn+ and Hugo 2. So, really great overall, but can be improved if you spend enough money on something else.
Compared to your Hugo2, I'd call the MHA150 a big improvement in amplification, but not DAC quality. Combining them would sound great but would also be wasting the Hugu2 amp section, plus the McIntosh speaker amp, DAC, and preamp sections. Just something to think about.
Sorry can't realistically answer that for you, as the "wow" experience is subjective from person to person. It sounds to me like you are fairly pleased with your Hugu2 headphone output, so perhaps just stick with it - the money could perhaps be better spent on different headphones (unless you are already at your personal end-game on those).
I am interested in getting the 150. For those who have experience with Hugo2 or TT2, where do you see the 150 lacks in terms of sound quality?
My MHA-150 arrived just a few minutes ago and time to open it up now.. What would be a great set of headphones for this jewel..?
I had TT2 & MHA 150 for a while at same time & still own the 150. I agree with the above person, it's a no contest.I am interested in getting the 150. For those who have experience with Hugo2 or TT2, where do you see the 150 lacks in terms of sound quality?
I ended up buying a used Mytek Brooklyn DAC from head-fi and was instantly happier with my setup.I am using now Sennheiser HD800S and I really enjoy the clarity and warmness of the sound paired with the MHA150.
Curious, if the MHA150 also will get a DAC upgrade like the other McIntosh amps at the moment. I think they can do now DSD512 with a new Quad Balanced, 8-channel, 32-bit Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC)
-- WW
i found the mytek only really sounded good when using the external power supply and even then i could not justify the cost of having it. what really made the difference for me wasI ended up buying a used Mytek Brooklyn DAC from head-fi and was instantly happier with my setup.