[HeadphoneAddict]

Wow, that's surprising to hear. My HD 598 has substantially less bass than my HD 650 using either HDP, Udac2, or D10 and and its not very close. I do agree that its highs are tad sparkly along with being more forward, which I kind of enjoy as a change-up from my HD 650s every once in awhile. The combo of lighter bass and more sparkly highs are refreshing now and then.
 

 


Well, I probably should have added that my HD598 experience was at RMAF at the Sennheiser booth, for 20 minutes of listening over two days out of a Schitt Valhalla amplifier. From their setup I tried the 598, 600, 650, and 800.

 

[sling5s]

Has anyone compared the USB vs Optical Out with Macbook pro.  Which is better implemented in HDP?

 

[ayz]

i can't tell the difference. i use optical because USB is connected to my desktop

 

[heikkinen111]

I have been using HDP with HD650 for a couple days now. It sounds nice, but I'm worried about the volume I should use. With my Imac volume at max the HDP sounds really loud at any volume. When I have the HDP vertically I usually have the volume at 10:30. This sounds good but it is also REALLY loud. I wouldn't even consider going over 12 o'clock with the volume. Also the the volume is louder with my Imac than with my macbook, even though both of the are maxed from system preferences.

 

[sling5s]

Quote from Reviewer at Amazon:
"Be patient with this amplifier. Personally i wasnt impressed with it at all when i first recieved it. The sound was cold, closed and hard - the treble was hysteric. It was even hurting my ears. So i left it on for 24 hours as many reviewers advices. Still i wasnt really impressed - so if you get this amp and get the same experience as me - try to burn it in for a few hundred hours before you decide. I think mine has been running for at least 300 hours now. And only the last couple of days i really started to enjoy this amp. The sound has become just excellent. It has changed completely. I cant understand that many people apparantly are impressed with amp right out of the box."
 
I'm also hoping this is true because it's way to bright for me. I feel stupid knowing it was neutral to bright but I just didn't know how bright it would be with my Grado Rs1i and with a pair of akg k702 coming, I'm worried.  I'm hoping that the burn in will smooth out the highs.
 
Any agreement with reviewer? 

 

[heikkinen111]

I think k701 is a better pair with hdp than any grados. 

 

[kite7]

I've never had any problems with the K701 or RS1 with the HDP new out of the box but then my brightness tolerance could be higher than yours or it could be dependent on what you listen to. I don't remember any significant changes at all with the HDP so that review sounded like wishful thinking.  I remember the K701 being a very bright sounding headphone but my ears just adjusted to it, I wouldn't say the amp adjusted through burn-in more than my ears did.
 
Quote:

Quote from Reviewer at Amazon:
"Be patient with this amplifier. Personally i wasnt impressed with it at all when i first recieved it. The sound was cold, closed and hard - the treble was hysteric. It was even hurting my ears. So i left it on for 24 hours as many reviewers advices. Still i wasnt really impressed - so if you get this amp and get the same experience as me - try to burn it in for a few hundred hours before you decide. I think mine has been running for at least 300 hours now. And only the last couple of days i really started to enjoy this amp. The sound has become just excellent. It has changed completely. I cant understand that many people apparantly are impressed with amp right out of the box."
 
I'm also hoping this is true because it's way to bright for me. I feel stupid knowing it was neutral to bright but I just didn't know how bright it would be with my Grado Rs1i and with a pair of akg k702 coming, I'm worried.  I'm hoping that the burn in will smooth out the highs.
 
Any agreement with reviewer? 

 

 

[sling5s]

Just  curious kite7, why did you sell your hdp? 

 

[kite7]

When I heard some other amplifiers, it made me realize how narrow the HDP's amp soundstage was. When I went back listening to the HDP after wards , it left me wanting that soundstage width I heard. With the RS1, the HDP made it sound as if the sounds were coming straight ahead of me, even though the depth was very good. Like they say, ignorance is a bliss; I think i would have been happy if I never heard anything else. I sold it and various other things just so I could venture around in the same price range while achieving a sound I preferred with my RS1 and I think I may have found that for now. I also found out the differences various DACs have and amps after wards, enough that I could conclude for myself that I would choose to spend a larger proportion of my budget on an amplifier over a DAC. I found that for my RS1, a $400 amp and a $100 DAC sounds better than a $250 amp and a $250 dac combo. I guess I appreciate the differences I hear in amplifiers far more than the source.
 
Right now I'm thinking about buying a HD to do a direct comparison with my M^3 and gamma1 combo, still undecided since I don't have a whole lot of money to throw around at the moment.

 

[sling5s]

Thanks for sharing.
 
I think you have the RS1 which has a little more thicker midrange.  
I used to have the older button RS1 and I think it would have been ok with the HDP, but now I have the RS1i, which as a thinner midrange and more treble energy. 
 
Yes, it's all about synergy.
I have an old vintage receiver, and while not as clean, it has so much power, that the soundstage is really wide and bass incredible.  It gives a really nice thick midrange.  With the RS1i, you need an amp that thickens the midrange.
Honestly, I think the UDac-2 had better synergy with my Grado than the hdp.
 

 

[Dohara]

If anyone has tried the SRH840 with the HDP then please share your thoughts. im planning to buy one.
If noone yet, then please just tell me if the HDP is able to handle/drive the SRH840 properly based on the known parameters

 

[bcwang]

Quote:

If anyone has tried the SRH840 with the HDP then please share your thoughts. im planning to buy one.
If noone yet, then please just tell me if the HDP is able to handle/drive the SRH840 properly based on the known parameters

The SRH840 hisses for me on the HDP, which makes it a bit distracting.  It also means the minimum listening volume is pretty high for loudly mastered music by the time the two channels equalize.  But I'm sure most others would say there is no hiss and the volume is just fine, so ymmv....otherwise I'd say it works great on the HDP.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Quote:

If anyone has tried the SRH840 with the HDP then please share your thoughts. im planning to buy one.
If noone yet, then please just tell me if the HDP is able to handle/drive the SRH840 properly based on the known parameters

The SRH840 hisses for me on the HDP, which makes it a bit distracting.  It also means the minimum listening volume is pretty high for loudly mastered music by the time the two channels equalize.  But I'm sure most others would say there is no hiss and the volume is just fine, so ymmv....otherwise I'd say it works great on the HDP.

For people that haven't followed this whole thread, please share with them your history of exceptional bat-like hearing and ability to hear more easily than normal humans.  The infinitesimal power levels at which you can hear sound were recorded by Nuforce a while back, and it was impressive.

 

[Dohara]

Thanks guys.
 
I've been following this thread for a while and aware that some of you have got extremely good hearing.
I don't have bat-like hearing, which is a forutne in some cases.

I will try the SRH840 some time soon.

 

[sling5s]

Is the HDP the or one of the best dac for $450?  I like the dac, but honestly, my headphones are too on the bright side for the hdp amp.
Can I get a better dac for the price range?  Or is it worth keeping just for the dac?