[Davinator]

I currently have the Mad Dogs, and I'm on the waiting list for an Alpha Dog upgrade.  I'm powering these with an O2, but I'm considering upgrading to a tube amp to use with the Mad Dogs and ultimately the Alpha Dogs in a month or two (Hopefully my name comes up for an upgrade soon!).
 
Does anyone have any experience with the Alpha Dogs powered by a tube amp ~$300?  I'm considering the Project Ember since I've seen at least one or two others here with that, but I'm still not certain if I'm going to get that one.  Any guidance would be appreciated 

 

 

[kugino]

I currently have the Mad Dogs, and I'm on the waiting list for an Alpha Dog upgrade.  I'm powering these with an O2, but I'm considering upgrading to a tube amp to use with the Mad Dogs and ultimately the Alpha Dogs in a month or two (Hopefully my name comes up for an upgrade soon!).

Does anyone have any experience with the Alpha Dogs powered by a tube amp ~$300?  I'm considering the Project Ember since I've seen at least one or two others here with that, but I'm still not certain if I'm going to get that one.  Any guidance would be appreciated   

I'll be using a millet hybrid maxed to power the ADs when I get them...will post thoughts then.

 

[gamefreak054]

  I currently have the Mad Dogs, and I'm on the waiting list for an Alpha Dog upgrade.  I'm powering these with an O2, but I'm considering upgrading to a tube amp to use with the Mad Dogs and ultimately the Alpha Dogs in a month or two (Hopefully my name comes up for an upgrade soon!).
 
Does anyone have any experience with the Alpha Dogs powered by a tube amp ~$300?  I'm considering the Project Ember since I've seen at least one or two others here with that, but I'm still not certain if I'm going to get that one.  Any guidance would be appreciated 

 

I love my ember, but you already got my opinion before. 
 
In that price range the best amps are probably going to be the Schiit Lyr, Emotiva Mini X (solid state amp), and the Project Ember. I think the Bottlehead Crack might be another good choice, but I am unsure the power output nor if they come prebuilt or not. These were the amps I looked at before purchasing the Ember. 

 

[pdrm360]

  I love my ember, but you already got my opinion before. 
 
In that price range the best amps are probably going to be the Schiit Lyr, Emotiva Mini X (solid state amp), and the Project Ember. I think the Bottlehead Crack might be another good choice, but I am unsure the power output nor if they come prebuilt or not. These were the amps I looked at before purchasing the Ember. 

 
+1 for Schiit Lyr
--1 for Bottlehead Crack

 

[pdrm360]

The Bottlehead Cracks are great amps but they are OTL and don't pair well with the Alpha Dogs.

 

[gamefreak054]

  The Bottlehead Cracks are great amps but they are OTL and don't pair well with the Alpha Dogs.

I was not sure. I do not have any experience with them. The project ember is a better choice over the Lyr imo, unless you need more power (in which you really dont with the ADs). The Ember has a lot of advantages.

 

[pdrm360]

  I was not sure. I do not have any experience with them. The project ember is a better choice over the Lyr imo, unless you need more power (in which you really dont with the ADs). The Ember has a lot of advantages.

 
I've never had the Project Ember, so I cannot refute your post but the Lyr with orange globe tubes isn't a bad choice for the AD at all. 

 

[MattTCG]

+1 lyr and OG's=very very nice!! 

 

[Mullet]

Solid state or hybrid tube amps are best with orthodynamic headphones. The reason for this is that a SS amp would typically have more current gain than voltage gain. A hybrid tube amp is the best of both worlds because it provides both types of gain. If I remember correctly OTL type tube amps aren't as good because they don't have the current gain needed to really power orthos.

 

[Frank I]

That depends on the tube amps your using for orthodynamic can. i am using the Woo WA5 with a transformer and gobs of power and it easily drives any headphone I been using with it . I have the LCD X.LCD, and the alpha dog and it sound fantastic with all of those cans. Usually OTL work best with high impedance cans and dont sound best with orthos.

 

[Frank I]

Dan using a Cavall all tube amp for his aloha dog with success too

 

[Mullet]

I guess it depends on the type of tube amp ie hybrid or if it has a transformer at the output.

 

[Frank I]

Transformer coupled amps will work easily. Even the Woo WA7 drives them with its small footprint and does it well. Good stuff do Scot and will be sing the GSX and Meir amps shortly with them and will post on the differences.  I may bring a solid state amp though to the nY meet in April this year either the Meir or GSX and the lCD X and Alpha Dog

 

[Davinator]

I ended up ordering a project ember tube. I'll be using it with the mad dogs until I'm able to upgrade them to alpha dogs.

I'll report back with my impressions one I have time to build it and listen to it for a while.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[miceblue]

This is a bit off-topic, but does anyone have resources as to how output transformerless amps work and why they're not good a pairing with planar magnetic headphones? I did a quick Google search and I haven't seen any reason not use OTL. >.>