[zlobby]

I am looking for an amp to drive my Sennheiser HD600/650 as well as my grado sr-80s.  My budget is $250 MAX, and im not sure if i should go with a tube amp or solid state.  Right now im kicking around the idea of getting the schiit asgard, but building a Bottlehead crack is also something ive considered (even though it isnt designed for low impedance cans, im sure the grados will sound better with this amp than no amp at all right?)  Any other ideas?  The for sale section has been dead lately.  

 

[Nubster]

I know my Grados sound really good on tubes. I have not had the pleasure of trying Sennheiser yet so I cannot comment on them. 

 

[clifwst]

A tube amp which works well with Grados, and was designed for higher impedance amps like the Senns HD650 is the Mapletree Ear+ HD250.
 
The amp utilizes the 6BQ5/EL84 output tubes with 12AX7/5751 drivers configured in SRPP topology.
 
Both the EL-84 and 12AX7 tubes are readily available and not very expensive.
 
I use a Mapletree Ear+ Purist 150 (an eariler version with 12AX7/5751 driver tubes and JJ ECC99 and a Russian 6N6P power tubes) to power a set of Grado HF-2 and SR225 headphones.
 
New they cost more then you want to pay but used (where I got mine) the price drops.  The Mapletree replaced a Burson HD160.   I have a Little Dot III and it doesn't drive the Grados either SR225 or the HF-2's nearly as well as either the Burson or Mapletree.  Bass seems much lighter more constrained, and the HF are more veiled with the little dot on the Grados.  However it is priced in the range you post and is said to do well with the Senns, however I haven't heard that combination yet .....  I am looking for a set of 650's.
 
Just a thought.

 

[Vandal]

^Rather tough ask that, especially for 250$. One of the mid-range tube amps I know that does both low and high impedance well is the WA6. I've tried the Little dot micro tube and MK 3 - very little bass with grados, sounds flat.

 

[Aizura]

I use a Schiit Asgard for my HD600 and RS1i. Sounds great with both of them.
The Asgard has a little bit of treble roll-off and makes the Grados sound very smooth, I think it's a very good match.

 

[zlobby]

Bump. More opinions?