PA2V2, Go-Vibe or Portaphile X3 w/ HD580?

[TenaciousO]

I have the HD580 coming, and I'm looking for an amp around the $100 price mark (or cheaper) to drive the Senns. I realize that no portable headphone amp at this price point will do the 580s complete justice, especially considering that my sources will only be a laptop and my ipod nano, but I'd like an amp that will improve upon the headphone out enough to justify the cost of the amp. I've owned both the PA2V2 and the Go-Vibe, but I never tried them with something like the HD580 so I do not know what to expect. The Portaphile X^3 also looks intriguing, but I'm not sure if the premium over the other two amps is worth it. Any experiences with any of these amps or other comparable amp and the HD580 would be greatly appreciated. The Portaphile X3 at a little over $110 is already at the extreme end of what I'm willing to spend so please do not recommend saving up for something like a sr71 or the like...even though I'm sure many of you would like to.

Thanks!

 

[mrarroyo]

I have used the PAV2 to drive a Grado SR125 and a Senn HD650. I loved what it did for the Grado and was quite happy with the Senn specially for the price and size.

 

[mahlerfan]

Well I don't think that the pa2v2 drives my 580s cleanly. It ends up sounding even warmer and fuzzier than it usually is. It actually sounds cleaner out of my reciever!

It's not hiss or distortion, just a coloring effect and bass boost.

 

[TenaciousO]

Well, I just bought a pocket amp off a head-fier for a decent price so I guess I can always resell it at minimal loss if it necessary. I received my HD580 today, and I'm surprised by just how well the nano is driving them. I can tell that it's lacking power, but it's still pleasing to the ear.

 

[Andrea]

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=137704

 

[TenaciousO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=137704

Yeah, I saw that one too, but just skimming the thread, I got the impression that it was more geared toward low impedance headphones. But I see that you have the hd650 so perhaps high impedance phones work well too. Hmmm...interesting....

 

[gratefulshrink]

I have used the PAV2 to drive my HD 580s with my ipod. It has sounded fine, but I have never tried them with a more expensive amp.

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenaciousO Yeah, I saw that one too, but just skimming the thread, I got the impression that it was more geared toward low impedance headphones. But I see that you have the hd650 so perhaps high impedance phones work well too. Hmmm...interesting....

I haven't tried it yet with my 650 because it is temporarily tucked away in its box and I'm too lazy these days to even take it out. No, actually more busy than lazy.

But I'm very very happy with the Zero's performance with my 50 ohm 595. And I expect it to behave even better with the HD650. In fact, there's no reason to expect otherwise: with the standard opamps (2 OPA2227) you can comfortably power it with 24V DC and get much more voltage swing than you'd ever need. And with my recent op amp variation, though you're limited to a 12V DC supply, the voltage swing still abundantly exceeds the needs of the 300 ohm Senns. Doing the maths, it will still deliver an output power of about 110mW on 300 ohms, so no problem with that.

 

[fewtch]

The Go-Vibe is neutral, and drives HD580s well. I'm sure it's not the last word in authority or refinement (particularly bass... slightly weak in this area, control could be better) but it's very listenable and definitely 'hi-fi'. The AD8620 opamp brings things to the next level with this amp + HD580s IMO.

From descriptions of the PA2, sounds like the headphone jack has a nonzero impedance. If so, it's the wrong amp to be using with HD580s (unless you like the added warmth... but it's inaccurate and will sound that way with acoustic music)

 

[RnB180]

Actually Grados require an amp more so then the Senns to sound good.

Trying to drive Grados out of a portable source with a weak built in amplifier will make then sound pretty poor while Senns will sound decent ampless.

When I tried running the Senns out of the ipod headphone jack, it was decent sound, it was a bit anemic and the quickness and dynamics were not readily apparent.

Ive finally found a headphone amplifier that suits my Senns just fine, I really wish Ive gotten the Micro amp before everything else, I used a super mini moy, Go vibe, Class A Pimeta and the AE-1. All of them were decent, but didnt take my senns to a level I wanted to, I just recently picked up the Micro Amp desktop module, and that amp hit the spot. Made me appreciate how an amplifier can truly improve my Senns and take it to a hole new level of musical goodness.

It may be out of your budget, but its definately worth the price of admission.

 

[Romanee]

The Portaphile X3 is definitely capable of driving the Senns with impact and clarity. The three AD8610 opamps present a big soundstage, good imaging and placement of instruments, good depth and air. It's got first rate component parts, including such as Nichicon Muse FG 2X1000uF, Four Layer PCB, etc.

Also, Cesar at Portaphile can tailor the gain for your phones. (He uses the HD600s when designing/building his amps & his amps have excellent synergy with the Senns.)

There's a 2-week trial period, so if the sound doesn't work for you there's an exit strategy included.

I've got an X3 basic (no buffers) in my hands at the moment and it's got a surprisingly quiet background. Obviously it's not as extended, fast or open as the AE-1 or SR-71, but it's a fraction of their price tags.

I don't have a pair 580s, PAV2 or GoVibe available just now for comparison (though I do have an AE-1 & SR-71 on loan). I will be able to compare X3 with the GoVibe soon, but as of now I can't say … sorry.

 

[chat7]

I bought pa2v2 for my er6i after that I wanted new cans which was hd580s. Then I wrote an e-mail to ask gary about how good of his amp to drive this high impedance cans. He replied me that the pa2v2 can handle loads upto 320 ohm without problem. He owned a pair of hd580s and sometimes used it for test the new amp he built.

 

[TenaciousO]

Well, just ordered a go-vibe as well, and I will see how it compares to the pa2v2. Look for one of these amps to be up for sale in the forums in about a week or so.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenaciousO Well, just ordered a go-vibe as well, and I will see how it compares to the pa2v2. Look for one of these amps to be up for sale in the forums in about a week or so.

If you can, locate an AD8620 opamp on Browndog adapter and swap it in. IMO it's the best opamp with HD580s, and will give you a truer picture of what the Go-Vibe is capable of.

 

[TenaciousO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch If you can, locate an AD8620 opamp on Browndog adapter and swap it in. IMO it's the best opamp with HD580s, and will give you a truer picture of what the Go-Vibe is capable of.

I was actually thinking about that, but when I do a search for "AD8620," a bunch of variations pop up. Not really sure which one is the right one. I also have no clue what a Browndog adapter is. Can you fill me in?