[gordec]

Why would your gear limit your assessment? The WA8 is the best headphone amp I've auditioned under $50,000. Trust your ears. I give the Utopia a very narrow edge in overall sound, but I'm not giving up my HE1000 V2. It comes down to preference at that price point. Nothing wrong with either headphone.

That is really high accolades. I am actually in the process of looking for a true desktop rig. Maybe I’ll just hang with the WA8 for a while.

 

[reeltime]

That is really high accolades. I am actually in the process of looking for a true desktop rig. Maybe I’ll just hang with the WA8 for a while.

OMG. My bad. I had the WA8 and WA33 mixed up. The WA8 is the small portable. It's a very nice amp, anyway. Sorry for the mixup.

My point is that you should trust your ears. Trust what they are telling you. Don't listen to anyone who tells you something you enjoy is junk. If you are enjoying your headphones and music, that's all that really matters. If you are on a constant quest for the next better thing, you'll never get there and you'll go broke doing it. There will always be a better model. The Susvara doesn't make my HE1000 any worse. The WA33 doesn't make my WA5 or your WA8 a bad amp.

 

[gordec]

OMG. My bad. I had the WA8 and WA33 mixed up. The WA8 is the small portable. It's a very nice amp, anyway. Sorry for the mixup.

My point is that you should trust your ears. Trust what they are telling you. Don't listen to anyone who tells you something you enjoy is junk. If you are enjoying your headphones and music, that's all that really matters. If you are on a constant quest for the next better thing, you'll never get there and you'll go broke doing it. There will always be a better model. The Susvara doesn't make my HE1000 any worse. The WA33 doesn't make my WA5 or your WA8 a bad amp.

THanks man. Wa33 and Wa8 are quite different I figure. I have to chasing better gear. With a high stress but gratifying job and 2 little kids whom I love to death, this hobby and photography are my release valve.

 

[reeltime]

THanks man. Wa33 and Wa8 are quite different I figure. I have to chasing better gear. With a high stress but gratifying job and 2 little kids whom I love to death, this hobby and photography are my release valve.

I get it. I have found joy in finding extreme deals on great gear. I'll never be able to spring for the Sennheiser HE1 or Shangri La, so I'll never own the very best anyway. But I did pick up a Hugo TT for $2700, a remarkable VPI Scout for $1300, $1700 for a WA5LE that Woo traded me to a V2 for a very good deal. I enjoy the quest of getting to the next level without paying a ton. But I love my current setup, and I think I've hit where I want to be for a long while. Enjoy the music!

 

[marhol]

Anyone feels like HeK is like Utopia but with significantly expanded soundstage so things don't so congested. It may be just slightly behind in dynamics, but for my ears it holds similar amount of clarity. My assessment may be limited by gear since my best source/amp is the Woo WA8.

I haven´t had a chance to compare both headphones side by side on the same rig but it seemed to me that HEK v2 had fairly similar level of refinement and clarity as Utopia. And if Utopia had some small edge in microdetails then HEK v2 more than made up for that in soundstage, grandness and bass impact. For me both are in the same class.

 

[gordec]

I get it. I have found joy in finding extreme deals on great gear. I'll never be able to spring for the Sennheiser HE1 or Shangri La, so I'll never own the very best anyway. But I did pick up a Hugo TT for $2700, a remarkable VPI Scout for $1300, $1700 for a WA5LE that Woo traded me to a V2 for a very good deal. I enjoy the quest of getting to the next level without paying a ton. But I love my current setup, and I think I've hit where I want to be for a long while. Enjoy the music!

I’m looking at the WA5LE MKII. What would you pair it with DAC wise? I’m thinking about $1000-$1500 used with balanced out. Too many choices.

 

[reeltime]

I’m looking at the WA5LE MKII. What would you pair it with DAC wise? I’m thinking about $1000-$1500 used with balanced out. Too many choices.

The WA5LE is single-ended. So pairing a DAC with balanced outputs won't do you much good. I only needed balanced outputs because my Genelec near field monitors are balanced, and I wanted to drive them from the DAC itself. The WA5LE does not (can't) feed my speakers. The WA5 is the amp with speaker posts, but again, it's a SET amp, so balanced is not possible.

Of the DACs I've listened to, Wyred4Sound DAC-2 (with DSD) would be my choice in that price range. Balanced outs. Solid. Great DAC. PS Audio is another manufacturer I'd check out, though I haven't personally auditioned their gear. (EDIT-- Make sure you are looking at a DSD capable Wyred4Sound DAC-2-- they do make a model without DSD).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wyred-4-So...615974?hash=item1c867ff0e6:g:d1kAAOSwNnRYi70M

If you read my posts, you will see that I'm not a Schitt fan. Great sounding gear, but I will not recommend any DAC that cannot decode DSD files. DSD files are superior to 192k files, to my ears. I want to be able to play the best quality source material and the Yggy (nor anything else Schitt makes) will not decode them.

In my opinion, Chord is making DACs that are much better than everyone else right now. I would hold out and try for a good deal on a used model. I'm very partial to Chord. The Hugo TT is a stellar DAC, so is the Hugo Mk2. I have both the Hugo TT and the Hugo Mk1. I take the Mk1 Hugo everywhere I go. It's a special piece of gear.

 

[gordec]

The WA5LE is single-ended. So pairing a DAC with balanced outputs won't do you much good. I only needed balanced outputs because my Genelec near field monitors are balanced, and I wanted to drive them from the DAC itself. The WA5LE does not (can't) feed my speakers. The WA5 is the amp with speaker posts, but again, it's a SET amp, so balanced is not possible.

Of the DACs I've listened to, Wyred4Sound DAC-2 (with DSD) would be my choice in that price range. Balanced outs. Solid. Great DAC. PS Audio is another manufacturer I'd check out, though I haven't personally auditioned their gear. (EDIT-- Make sure you are looking at a DSD capable Wyred4Sound DAC-2-- they do make a model without DSD).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wyred-4-So...615974?hash=item1c867ff0e6:g:d1kAAOSwNnRYi70M

If you read my posts, you will see that I'm not a Schitt fan. Great sounding gear, but I will not recommend any DAC that cannot decode DSD files. DSD files are superior to 192k files, to my ears. I want to be able to play the best quality source material and the Yggy (nor anything else Schitt makes) will not decode them.

In my opinion, Chord is making DACs that are much better than everyone else right now. I would hold out and try for a good deal on a used model. I'm very partial to Chord. The Hugo TT is a stellar DAC, so is the Hugo Mk2. I have both the Hugo TT and the Hugo Mk1. I take the Mk1 Hugo everywhere I go. It's a special piece of gear.

Thanks for the recs. I tried Hugo MK1. Didn't quite liked the signature or the ergonomics. I wouldn't mind trying Hugo 2 or the TT.

 

[kank]

Thanks for the recs. I tried Hugo MK1. Didn't quite liked the signature or the ergonomics. I wouldn't mind trying Hugo 2 or the TT.

I've always been a fan of the HE1000. Both V1 and V2 have its pros/cons. Currently used V2 and quite happy with it, I don't agree with the statement people claiming the Utopia is much better, just different sound.
I used to own the Chord TT for a little bit, I currently own the Hugo 2 and I think the sound is much improved compared to the TT. The TT was definitely a step up from the HUGO, although not enough to warrant the price difference.
I am surprised how much power the Hugo 2 has in a such a small package. Stunning performance on the HE1000v2 on its own, lots of details and soundstaging is quite reasonable for the price (considering it is a DAC + AMP) in one. Also the portability is a bonus.
One thing to mention is that the matching of AMP is critical with Chord DAC. I found the Violectric V281 doesn't particularly have great synergy with Chord DAC, whilst on other DAC it is a beautiful amp.
I am currently using the Cayin HA-6 with the Hugo 2 and it complements the sound quite well. As the Hugo 2 lacks the bottom end making it a bit bass shy especially listening to pop/rock genre. The HA-6 completely solves the problem but adding the much needed attack and punch to the music without sacrificing any of the other characteristics which makes the Hugo 2 a great product (tonal balance, soundstage, details details details).
Hope that help.

 

[gordec]

I've always been a fan of the HE1000. Both V1 and V2 have its pros/cons. Currently used V2 and quite happy with it, I don't agree with the statement people claiming the Utopia is much better, just different sound.
I used to own the Chord TT for a little bit, I currently own the Hugo 2 and I think the sound is much improved compared to the TT. The TT was definitely a step up from the HUGO, although not enough to warrant the price difference.
I am surprised how much power the Hugo 2 has in a such a small package. Stunning performance on the HE1000v2 on its own, lots of details and soundstaging is quite reasonable for the price (considering it is a DAC + AMP) in one. Also the portability is a bonus.
One thing to mention is that the matching of AMP is critical with Chord DAC. I found the Violectric V281 doesn't particularly have great synergy with Chord DAC, whilst on other DAC it is a beautiful amp.
I am currently using the Cayin HA-6 with the Hugo 2 and it complements the sound quite well. As the Hugo 2 lacks the bottom end making it a bit bass shy especially listening to pop/rock genre. The HA-6 completely solves the problem but adding the much needed attack and punch to the music without sacrificing any of the other characteristics which makes the Hugo 2 a great product (tonal balance, soundstage, details details details).
Hope that help.

Cayin certainly has high praises. I’m looking for something that can make HeK sound as natural/analogue as possible. I guess some would call it laid back. It seems like tubes is what I want. I’m also looking at The Taurus MKII, McIntosh MHA100/150, the Woo tubes and ALO Studio Six. Too many choices...

 

[Todd R]

If you're looking for laid back, I'd avoid the Taurus. It's pretty neutral and a touch cold.

 

[kank]

Violectric (v200, v281) seem to have a strong mid range with sufficient dynamic to give you a smooth warmish sound without the need to go into tube.
I agree with Todd R, the Taurus is quite neutral. Although it also depends on your DAC and cables.

 

[Todd R]

My Violectric V280 seems to get along with the V2 pretty well. I'd prefer a touch more weight, but I think that's the nature of the phones.

 

[gordec]

I just realized V2 is pretty hard to drive. Woo wa8 sounded thin and fragile with the V2. The only other amp I have now is Centrance M8. Surprisingly, the M8 actually brings out what the HeK should sound like. It was very good. This speaks for how good a little dac/amp the M8 is even though it’s so old. Anyways, I need to get a real amp.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I just realized V2 is pretty hard to drive. Woo wa8 sounded thin and fragile with the V2. The only other amp I have now is Centrance M8. Surprisingly, the M8 actually brings out what the HeK should sound like. It was very good. This speaks for how good a little dac/amp the M8 is even though it’s so old. Anyways, I need to get a real amp.

j
Hey, I have the HiFiM8. Do you use the balanced or single ended output?