[loveheadphones]

Hi all,
I've done quite a bit of searching over the past few weeks but I can't seem to find many recommendations or testimonials on amplification for beyer DT770 Pro's.

I'd like to get an amp to tame them but one that can also sound good with other headphones. Do some amps only work well with either high or low impedence phones?

I'm a little wary of going tubes because it seems like more maintenance than I would like.

Most of the threads I have read are about sub $100 amps for the DT770's, but I get the feeling they need more than that.

I would like an amp that drives them noticeably better than a META 42..

My budget is pretty flexible.. prefer not above $800 though. I don't have any problem buying used.

Transportable would be a real plus for me, since I move around a lot.

Right now, in order of price, I'm looking at the Perreaux (cuz it sounds like such a great deal), Headroom Cosmic, MOHR, or maybe in the future a PPA (that would be hard to explain to GF..)

I'm especially interested in the Cosmic but I have not seen any reports on its pairing with the DT770's.

Any input is appreciated, I've been looking for a long time.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

From what I've heard the Headroom Max is best with the 770s, there was one in the For Sale forum recently for about $700. The other top Headroom amps are also highly regarded with the 770s. A Corda HA-2 might be a good choice as well, since I have an HA-1, and the 770 sound better to me from the 120 ohm output.

 

[hedonist]

A Corda Prehead (used) could be found at your pricepoint. You could also go for a Corda HA-2, which costs a bit less.

 

[Whitebread]

Um, have you checked in teh DIY forum? I started a thread on this about 4 days ago, there are about 20 replys now. Most people agree that the maxx is the best amp for the 770s, but I'm going to build a PPA.

 

[loveheadphones]

yeah, i just checked the DIY forum in the morning - was going to edit my original post but figured maybe more people would read it in the amps forum. anybody try the cosmic and dt770's?

edit: also, the max on sale was before 2001 edition - is the current max better with the dt770's? it seems like the pre-2001 max is not as highly regarded..

 

[Whitebread]

I have heard nothing about pre-2001 max's. But I can say that it is a quality product and will sound good, probably better than anything you have now, just not as good as maybe a newer MAX. But, in the audio world, you never know what you are missing really untill you hear it. If you buy that max, you most likely will be very satisifyed

 

[Nefarion]

I believe the beyers are high impedance cans, like hd-600's. In general, whats good for hd-600's will be good for your cans.

Do a search for amps and hd-600's.

Id think again about tubes. Disregard the maintanence factor (as its not neccesary, just possible). Focus on the sound you are trying to acheive.

Based soley on what ive read over and over: I do not reccomend headroom products. You can get much more for much less.

You might look into the rkv. Or the line of amps built by mikhail (singlepower amps). Or Antique Sounds Labs amps. The otl32 is an amp made for high and low impedance amps... would work well if you plan on trying a wider array of headphones in the future. The best bang for buck these days really seems to be the singlepower amps though. If you dont mind the look of the amps, id go with them no questions asked.

Good luck!

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Headroom Max, or Maxed Out Home.

 

[loveheadphones]

looking at your profile...

why don't you have either?

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Quote:

Originally posted by loveheadphones looking at your profile... why don't you have either?

Well, I used to own the Max, but when you start looking at equipment that you can't really afford you must sell.

A lot of people like Headroom amps with the HD-600s, but I thought the best synergy was with the Beyer DT-770 pros. Things really smoothed out in the treble, and the bass became much more controlled. Also, the upper Headroom amps are known for their liquid midrange, which compliments the 770s perfectly.

 

[Geek]

A good compliment to the DT770s would be any headroom amp; the one I have controls the DT770's bass amazingly well. I use the maxed out home amp with a reference module upgrade and a stepped attenuator, making it identical to the headroom max minus the higher end power transformers.

Cheers,
Geek

 

[pbirkett]

Seems crazy doesnt it that a $150 headphone needs a $1000 amp to shine

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally posted by pbirkett Seems crazy doesnt it that a $150 headphone needs a $1000 amp to shine

That's what I was thinking. Of course you need a $2000 source for that amp to be worth it, right?

 

[Geek]

Hey, that's the way it is with headphones. It's like taking a shortcut by increasing the performance/price level of your output by a factor of ten: speakers would cost much more for the same relative fidelity.

However, the other associated equipment doesn't become much cheaper; the amp generally costs much more than the cans (a LOT more in the case of good dynamic phones) and the source is just a source, regardless of if its powering speakers or phones.

Cheers,
Geek

 

[ronbo101]

i love my dt 770's and mohr. i had hd600 with cardas first but i hardly listen to them anymore. i also added a shunyata research diamondback power cord plus shunyata's guardian ht 4 power conditioner which really improved the bass and voices. i don't have an expensive source just a sony dvd and sony surround recvr' .i use them fo fm radio xm radio and movies.