Sell Corda Arietta for Headroom Micro Amp?

[progo]

That much I've gathered that HR amps seem to perform fine with Sennheisers -- would a change from Arietta to HR Micro Amp be a great enhancement?

Yea, the phones are HD 650. What do you think? I think/feel Arietta is putting the full effort to drive these -- HR is said to run HD650s without trying.

Besides the fancy amount of features seems very tempting. Even though I've fancied some of the balanced HR amps (balanced desktop w/ dac mostly because of the $$$) I have had to put that kind of investment far away in the future.

Otoh I may be trying some Grados in some point and I've figured Arietta is more like a Grado amp than a Senn amp.

If you do have to recommend another brand amp, make it in price range of 200- 300 euros (300-450 usd).

Thank you.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I thought the HeadFive did a nice job with the HD-650. Maybe the HeadRoom is better (haven't heard it) but I'd think you would be better off adding a pair of Grados instead. They are a good counterpoint to Sennheisers.

 

[progo]

Thank you for replies.

This is performing pretty fine, but somehow I feel something's missing. Heck, I let this go this one time. My wallet's thanking me already. I shall save HR amps for balanced future.

 

[progo]

Perhaps the problem is in ignorance: I don't have much experimentation from head amps. Ariatte is my only amp and I haven't heard any other. It might be the normal paranoia that my HD650 could perform better. Yeah, it sure can, but my financial resources are very limited and when I am upgrading an amp for Senns, it's going to be balanced one.

Yess, I'm not saying Arietta's bad. But I'd need some comparison.

 

[Zorander]

If the Arietta is anything close to the Headfive (on which it is based anyway), you can indeed do a lot better with a different amp for the HD-650. I personally did not find good synergy between the HD-650 and Headfive: grip/control on bass is rather loose and the warmish sound of the amp did not match well with the phone well. Consider going up an upgrade step (or two) as well while you are at it. The phones respond really well to improved ancillary equipments.

Cheers!

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shopper /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the newest Micro Amp must be great.

I've not heard the Arietta and haven't heard the newest version of the micro amp, so am hoping you can give a little more information as to why you think it "must be great," implying by doing so, in the context of the op's question, that he should go this route. You could be right, but since many of us, including the op haven't yet heard one, it would be nice if you could explain. Have you heard it? Have you compared the Arietta and the micro amp (any version)? Compared specs? Know others who have compared these amps with the 650s specifically? Since the op already has an amp and is looking for an improvement with the 650s, why not help out by expanding your point of view so we know where your comment comes from, knowledge or conjecture.

I personally like the HeadRoom desktop amps, balanced and single-ended, with the 650s, but can't answer for the newest version of the microamp with your headphones. Other amps that you might want to investigate in your price range, or near-abouts, are the Eddie Current Lunchbox (I haven't heard the lastest model, but I believe it now has a high and low gain so that if you get Grados in the future, it would work with them as well, but check it out since I don't really know), Darkvoice 336 (change those tubes), the Heed Canamp, and the Eddie Current EC/SS (again, I haven't heard the latest version, but the first sounded excellent with the 650s...nice clean detail and separation, especially in the bass where lesser amps get muddy with the 650s, and intimate headstage). The Darkvoice and the Heed tend to be a bit darker, and the Heed emphasizes the 650's bass a bit too much for my tastes, but check out what others have to say, since there's plenty of info on all these amps with the 650s around here. I'm sure there are others worthy of consideration, but these are the ones I know.

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shopper /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had my good reasons. Firstly the circuit topology of the Micro Amp is very close to that of some other amp I use with great success with my HD650. Also I can tell that the Micro's diamond buffer is far better, with respect to driving the HD650, than the single BUF634 buffers of the Arietta. Now in its latest revision the Micro Amp has its op-amps biased into class-A too, which makes an opamp that I like even better (while I personally disliked the LM6171 which I found unmusical). With the premise that the OP doesn't seem entirely satisfied with his current amp, I think it rather natural for me to put a good word for the Micro Amp which is an amp that really inspires me (unlike the Arietta - not that I dislike it).

This post is certainly more helpful than simply simply saying it must be great.

 

[The_Duke_Of_Eli]

If I'm not mistaken the Arietta also has a built-in USB DAC, meaning that it could be a deterrent to sound quality. It's also in a slightly different price class due to it, because the new micro amp with built in dac runs 600$. There's no doubt that it won't be a very good amp, but at that pricepoint, you have many other options, including a Cantante, Gilmore Lite, HR-2, etc. You really need to define what improvements you'd like to make, do a search, then go from there.

 

[Pete7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shopper /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had my good reasons. Firstly the circuit topology of the Micro Amp is very close to that of some other amp I use with great success with my HD650. Also I can tell that the Micro's diamond buffer is far better, with respect to driving the HD650, than the single BUF634 buffers of the Arietta. Now in its latest revision the Micro Amp has its op-amps biased into class-A too, which makes an opamp that I like even better (while I personally disliked the LM6171 which I found unmusical). With the premise that the OP doesn't seem entirely satisfied with his current amp, I think it rather natural for me to put a good word for the Micro Amp which is an amp that really inspires me (unlike the Arietta - not that I dislike it).

What other amp was that? The Xenos 1HA-EPC?

 

[donunus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Duke_Of_Eli /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I'm not mistaken the Arietta also has a built-in USB DAC, meaning that it could be a deterrent to sound quality. It's also in a slightly different price class due to it, because the new micro amp with built in dac runs 600$. There's no doubt that it won't be a very good amp, but at that pricepoint, you have many other options, including a Cantante, Gilmore Lite, HR-2, etc. You really need to define what improvements you'd like to make, do a search, then go from there.

I don't think that the arietta has a built in DAC. It's supposedly an upgraded Headfive

 

[progo]

Yes.. thank you.
After I listen to some grados and make my mind whether I am a gradohead or not. If that happens that I keep preferring my HD650s I shall look forward that amp. This is a pretty hard hobby for a student with little income.