[tomb]

I'm sure Kramer knows that, he's just having some difficulty explaining the modeling characteristics of transistor theory when amplifying a load.  It's still number crunching, per se, just not 0 and 1 bits.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  So I guess my next question is:
Can I get the same sound from a tube-powered OTC tube amp (Like the WA6, WA6SE)?
What about an OTL tube amp (WA2, Valhalla 2, Bottlehead Crack)?

 
I'm guessing the Kenwoods headphone jack has a high output impedance (100-Ohms or 150-Ohm or 200-Ohms or more), which might cause a bloated (louder, less detailed) bass in headphones, does that make any sense to what your hearing?
Getting a louder bass at the expense of the detail in the audio?
The ICON HDP has a much lower output impedance (10-Ohms), so the detail is there and your not getting a bloated bass.
 
How are the Kenwood and the ICON HDP hooked to your audio source(s)?
 
Getting a tube (or hybrid tube/solid state) amplifier might do a better job of bring out the best in your headphones.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Ooooh!! Sorry Kramer - I think I get it now - and I found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_sound#Harmonic_content_and_distortion

I'm not qualified to know whether that section is good or a pile of steaming bull dung.

 

[tomb]

Ooooh!! Sorry Kramer - I think I get it now - and I found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_sound#Harmonic_content_and_distortion

I'm not qualified to know whether that section is good or a pile of steaming bull dung.

Sounds good to me.  The author certainly seems to reference almost every single statement, so it would be difficult to view it as pure BS.  He also mentions the fact that tube sound is a misnomer, which is certainly a fact.  There are other parts of the circuitry that cause the differences, if there truly are any.
 
I found this statement particularly satisfying:
"A huge issue is that measurements of objective nature (for example, those indicating magnitude of scientifically quantifiable variables such as current, voltage, power, THD, dB, and so on) fail to address subjective preferences."
 
I have had personal experience in measuring an entire magnitude superior distortion between two very similar tube amplifiers, yet the one with lower distortion did not sound as good as the one with higher distortion.
 
But I digress ... thanks for the link!

 

[Audiophilic10]

   
 
That could very well be the difference I've been hearing - it makes me wonder - does that mean that there's nothing inherently better on the Kenwood as compared to a dedicated headphone amplifier, other than the fact that I'm listening to it with a loudness boost?

 
Hi, I'm resurrecting this thread to share my experience.
 
About the loudness boost on the Kenwood, I'd say you're listening to it with "a loundness boost" ONLY when you engage the loudness switch! otherwise the loudness circuit is off.
 
In my case I just tested a KA-7300 and was amazed at how it sounded with a pair of HD-600, even though the test was a brief one with a Sansa Clip as source playing FLAC files. I also tested a KA-5700 and it also sounded good but I did notice that the response of the 7300's tone controls was noticiably cleaner, purer if I may. This test was not side by side but I'll perform it that way soon, the 5700 was tested against a Marantz PM-34, both amps sounded quite good, but the Marantz came out cleaner when making use of the tone controls (similar to the KA7300).
 
I have tested also direct from my Acer laptop and the said Sansa Clip and to my surprise the HD-600 cans sounded good and very similar as conecting them to the Marantz and KA5700 (Sansa/laptop as sources). I also tested a Yamaha CA-810 on its own, this time using an actual turntable with a moving coil cartridge and SUT, and it sounded better, quite amazing actually, loudest of all (don't mean to imply louder=better). I would like to do the test with the other amps in similar conditions (using the turntable as a source) to see if the improvement was due to the amp or the source... I feel it must be the source

 

[atarione]

old amps / receivers (in good working order) can make great headphone amps.. 
 
I actually frequently use this 80's 100WPC kenwood as a amp for my headphones.. check it out .. NO knobs.. all buttons.. and that VFD display... oh man..
 

 

 
I also have this sony stack.. the pre has a massive transformer it weighs 30~lbs and makes a fine headphone amp.

 

[nutric08]

Big fan of the late 80s/early 90s Sony ES stuff. Really high end. A touch on the warm side of neutral. Perfect for the HD600. Congrats on the pre/amp combo

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Audiophilic10]

Awsome vumeters!

 

[Audiophilic10]

double post

 

[atarione]

  Awsome vumeters!

 
Yeah... I think they are.. they are actually pretty hypnotic to watch..    Unfortunately for reasons only known to Sony ... they designed the lamps for the meters with 3x grains of rice bulbs in series.. ???    if one lamp goes it basically immediately burns out the other 2x lamps for that meter..   I have had to change the bulbs twice ..once when I got the amp and then again 2.5~yrs later..
 
Sadly I have to leave the lamps /meters off most of the time now..because I don't want to change them that often if I can help it.
 
it is a massive amp 60~lbs really quite awesome sounding..  I'm quite pleased to have it, I had actually wanted one for a looong time.. but they sell for $$$$ usually .. then I found the whole stack in VG shape for $75 at goodwill somehow on one half off day...  I actually paid some kid $5 to go get me a cart so I could get the whole thing up to the registers..    Some dude showed up trying to buy it off me while I was still trying to get to the register.. I said Noooope... sorry.     I was quite stoked that day indeed.