[spraggih]

Hi.

I have a Stello DA220 DAC with both W11jpn and CD3000s headphones. While I have started over discussions on similar topics and others have commenced with great dialogue on related concerns -- this time is rather different... at least for me. I want to soon buy an amp enjoy my music and be semi-retired from Head-fi. Most have tried and few have retired on CD3000s and W11s but anything is possible and some things are even probable.

So can you submit a post- tell me what you think has good synergy with a DA220 and my headphones. I think weight and I also like transparency and I may prefer the ability to try a product out and be able to return it or quickly sell at Head-fi.

From my travels I have read the A-T amps have the best synergies but do work at all with CD3000s?

Is the Yamamoto HA-02 the killer amp for my setup? As you submit keep in mind I am not adverse to tubes but it must have some form of cage as I have little ones (no, not roaches/insects but children) in the house.

What about the Gilmore GS-1 - is this better?

Should I reconsider the Opera? Analog version I mean. I owned an Opera for a very brief moment and returned it because the DAC section felt congested to me- at the time I only considered a DAC/amp combo but now (a whole few weeks later) everything has changed.

Please submit a post with other suggestions in the above price range.

My quest for semi-retirement thanks you in advance.

Best, Cheers, Thanks!

 

[spraggih]

wow - no replies - I am persona non grata?

 

[MaloS]

I'll tell you the secret if you sell me you cd3000 =]




Ok, didn't think you would.
You looked at the thread I ran, there was a grand suggestion that W11JPN is better with tubes, I believe? And CD3000 sounds great with anything thats full, bit rounded, and not excessively warm. HA-02 could sound great, but I bet a RSA amp would not be too shabby either.

And judging by the look of your thread you are having same issues as myself asking about NX-33 :-/

 

[khbaur330162]

I imagine that the CD3K has detail retrieval almost rivaling that of some stat's (never heard a stat, but this is what I've heard), but the bass is a bit loose or flabby w/o proper amplification. As I've climbed the headamp ladder the bass and lower midrange have been the most effected.

That said, a ß22 sounds like it could be a good match; that, or a Dynahi. I've owned a Dynahi previously and it tightened everything up, and made the music a lot more focused and musical. The bass hit harder than I ever heard a headphone hit, but detail retrieval was kept at a maximum (w/o being sibilant). The midrange also had a slight bloom to it that added volume to vocals, female vocals especially. And then the bass just seems to go deeper and deeper with every upgrade I make. The Dynahi also sounded good with pretty much every headphone I plugged into it, so it should do much the same for your W11JPN's.

I'm no expert in sources though, so I don't know what your Stello DA220 does for a CD3000, but I'd recommend either a neutral or warm sounding source. I think your source can have an even bigger impact on the sound than your amplifier, so you need to be careful in this department, especially with source/can/amp synergy. I wouldn't get something overly analytical, seeing as the CD3K's can do that all by themselves.

 

[spraggih]

Stas and khbaur... - Thanks.

One question: How does one get a B22 or Dynahi? Also I saw from your link that your CD3000s are balanced. Are B22s only balanced?

So far the CD3000s sound as good as possible *I think* out of the DA220 (warmer, more texture) without an amp. The W11s are still fun out of the DA220 but they need some power to bust through - either in terms of resolution, instrument separation, etc.

 

[khbaur330162]

The Dynahi/Dynamite are reference quality DIY amps from a few years back. They are very powerful SS headamps that for a long time were considered the top of the heap as far as SS amps went. The Dynahi was the SE version, and the Dynamite was balanced. You'll be lucky to find boards for a Dynahi (or some one still willing to build one for you) so you'd be better off finding one used in the FS forums here (how I acquired mine). For a while they were built professionaly by a company called Veda Audio and they made some very respectable looking units.

The ß22 so far is said to have taken what the Dynahi did for SS and ran away with it. Direct comparisons have shown the ß22 some love with supposed greater dynamics, punchier and more musical bass, and if possible, a more detailed sound. Both the Dynahi and ß22 are considered to have a fairly warm/lush sound sig for SS rivaling that of tubes. I imagine this aspect of both amps to go especially well with the CD3K's.

The ß22 is too new to really find one in the FS boards (other than n_maher who was thinking about upgrading to a balanced config. and selling his SE model) so you'd have to find a builder willing to make one for you, or build one yourself. The ß22 can be built in many different ways because you buy channels by the board. You can buy 3 channels and have yourself an active ground config. (single ended) or you can buy four channels to go all out balanced. The power supply (Sigma22) is of very high quality and capable of supplying huge amounts of current. You can buy one S22 board for pretty much any configuration, however, two for balanced would be optimal.

 

[wower]

^^^^^^
That's very insightful khbaur.

 

[spraggih]

insightful - yes indeed - Thanks!