[hassy500]

Quick update:

I think i've narrowed down amp choices based on opinions here to:

Corda HA-1 MkII

Emmeline XP7

Perreaux SXH-1 (the one without the hum

)

The demo Perreaux on AA sounds like a great deal, if the aforementioned problem isn't lethal. Will keep you posted. And sincerely, THANK YOU ALL for your imput for the new guy.

 

[xtreme4099]

ppa w/ad8610s and 600 are an amazing combo ...

 

[Douglas256]

After listening at the meets, I still think the HeadRoom amps sound the best with the HD 600. The higher up the HeadRoom amp, the happier you will be. I prefered the HeadRoom Max to the Single Power Plus (which is twice the cost of the Max).

 

[Karlosak]

Quote:

ppa w/ad8610s and 600 are an amazing combo ...

ppa w/OPA637/627 and 600 are IMHO even better...

 

[xtreme4099]

heh im talking about my version .... guess it also depends which caps and buffers your using ... the ad8065's are amazing as well no matter the config ... the 637/627 was too laid back for me ...

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by xtreme4099 heh im talking about my version .... guess it also depends which caps and buffers your using ... the ad8065's are amazing as well no matter the config ... the 637/627 was too laid back for me ...

Yeah I agree (heard the 637 with a maxed Meta42)... too laid back. I haven't heard the AD8065, but the 8610/8620 is a good match in my opinion.

Have you heard the OPA602BP? Great way to utterly zombify a pair of HD600s... truly a dead and lifeless combo. Probably works better with aggressive cans like Sony CD3k's, but even there I suspect it sounds pretty laid back and none too detailed.

 

[george]

Just another opinion, but there is a nice synergy between the Melos SHA-1 and the 600's. And despite being out of production the Melos continues to be a popular and excellent sounding choice. Plus there are upgrade paths available if you so choose.

 

[GlowWorm]

.....and there's always the MG-Head OTL.

 

[utep10]

I do not recall of any Perreaux / HD600 combo having a hum problem. I think most if not all the problems were with low impedence headphones. I do have selective memory.

My Perreaux has no hum with the HD600s (300 ohms) and the Sony V6 (~60 ohms). There is a slight hum with the Sony CD3000 (~30 ohms) and my Ety er4p (~27 ohms).

If you like your sound on the laidback side without being sluggish, I would highly recommend this combo. You also get a 30day trail with Audio Advisor.

 

[Stoney]

I agree that the Perreaux SXH-1 is a great choice.

Amps differ quite a bit in their handling of the treble (delicate vs hard), and in the balance of treble with the rest of the spectrum (bright vs neutral). I think a lot of the amps recommended here by headphone junkies might not suit the more casual (not addicted to detail) headphone listener, interested in neutrality/accuracy. Instead, they may tend to spotlight treble and transients.

The Perreaux SXH-1 is emminently neutral, does everything well, and is cheap at $350. It is a design with discrete transistors, not opamps. It often has a hum when used with low-impedance, efficient phones, that is present even at zero volume (its a new design that for some reason hums in the USA). But you won't hear the hum on Sennheisers, because they demand so much more voltage (so the small-voltage hum is below threshold of hearing). The hum does not get louder with the volume knob, so you'll be OK.

Above the Perreaux's price point, I'd consider tubes. The Singlepower MPX3 is a winner from what I can tell.

I don't agree with fewtch's warning about impedance. He got it backwards, actually. The Sennheiser HD600/650 have high impedance (Z=V/I). You only need to get an amp that provides lots of voltage swing (most any amp will do well in the bass with a high Z phone). A problem with bass control may occur when the headphone impedance is low, ie, not much larger than the amp's output impedance. You shouldn't encounter this with the Sennheisers.

Solid state designs, and tubes with output transformers, have low output imedances, and assuming they swing enough voltage, will work with HD600s. The MAD Ear+ is very reasonably priced for a tube amp, especially if you build it from a kit yourself. But, again, it may not provide enough gain (max out volume control before it is loud enough).

You can even use output-transformer-less ("OTL") designs like the Singlepower amps and some (all?) of the Antique Sound Labs MG Head versions.

There is an upcoming tube amplifier (OTL if I recall correctly) called Chazz. No reviews yet, not shipping yet.

I'm afraid that if I were to listen to many of the opamp-based recommendations here, I would find them bright and lacking in the grace and bloom of the ones I've listed above.

I would not recommend the Grado RA-1 amplifier. After seeing what is inside of it, and listening more closely, it is mediocre at best. A basic opamp design with no extra quality thrown in. It has a nice midrangy balance, and doesn't overemphasize treble or transients (as do many of the popular opamp units proposed here, I suspect... but I've heard very few of them myself, so take with grain of salt).

6moons.com - Chazz headphone amp
DIY HiFi Forum - Chazz! - bcherry, September 18, 2003 at 21:56:30
Nick Dangerous - tube rolling fun, MG Head OTL headphone amplifier
Head-Fi - tube headphone amps? See Hirsch comparisons
Head-Fi - my comments about impedance
Welcome to Mapletree Audio Design
Review: EAR + isn't as good in midrange with HD600
Head-Fi - Ear doesn't drive high-impedance as well as the MPX3
Ear + design white paper
Ear+ Stereo Headphone Amplifier - info
Ear ++ line and headphone amp
Head-Fi - MAD EAR+ and MPX3
Head-Fi - Mapletree Ear+ or MG Head Otl MkII (tubey, good with Senn HD600)
Mapletree Audio Design Ear+ Amplifier (Tube) Review by Steve A at Audio Asylum
Head-Fi - Picture of inside MAD Ear+ Purist HD
Head-Fi - Giving up on Perreaux SXH1 - hum in both units
Head-Fi - Perreaux SXH-1 Headphone Amp at AA
Head-Fi - Perreaux SXH-1 Headphone Amp, vs Grado RA-1
Perreaux SXH1 review
Head-Fi - Perreaux SXH-1 pictures, Grado RA-1 comparison
Head-Fi - breaking in the MPX3
Pictures of older MPX3 and Supra
Head-Fi - pictures of newer MPX3
Head-Fi - Yet another MPX3 owner
Head-Fi - Singlepower tube rolling thread
Head-Fi - Singlepower Supra and MPX3 headphone amps
Head-Fi - What's bad about MPX3??

 

[hassy500]

Once again, thank you

. You folks are the best! This equipment is a present from my Fiancee for my graduation from school.

After much deliberation: I will go for the Perreaux Demo for $275. If I finances allow, I'll step up to the XP-7. IC's and source stuff is another search altogether.

I have personal expertise in high-end photography (digital and film). It's so nice to get help quickly and expertly from a totally different realm with no snags or flames. Everyone has been so informative (ex: Stoney). Thanks again for helping the Newb and I'm glad I joined the community!

Hassy500

 

[hassy500]

Once again, thank you

. You folks are the best! This equipment is a present from my Fiancee for my graduation from school.

After much deliberation: I will go for the Perreaux Demo for $275. If I finances allow, I'll step up to the XP-7. IC's and source stuff is another search altogether.

I have personal expertise in high-end photography (digital and film). It's so nice to get help quickly and expertly from a totally different realm with no snags or flames. Everyone has been so informative (ex: Stoney). Thanks again for helping the Newb and I'm glad I joined the community!

Hassy500

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by hassy500 After much deliberation: I will go for the Perreaux Demo for $275. If I finances allow, I'll step up to the XP-7. IC's and source stuff is another search altogether.

$275 has got to be a great price for the Perreaux, demo or not (hell, I just paid $213 shipped for my tweaked Headsave Ultra). I'm sure the Perreaux is a better amp than a Meta42 in most ways, although that possible hum is troubling. Even if inaudible, it would personally bug me to know it was always there doing something to the noise floor of the amp.
Quote:

Originally posted by Stoney I don't agree with fewtch's warning about impedance. He got it backwards, actually. The Sennheiser HD600/650 have high impedance (Z=V/I). You only need to get an amp that provides lots of voltage swing (most any amp will do well in the bass with a high Z phone). A problem with bass control may occur when the headphone impedance is low, ie, not much larger than the amp's output impedance. You shouldn't encounter this with the Sennheisers.

I heard a large improvement when using the IMPEDER with a piece of equipment that had high output impedance at the headphone jack, and removing/jumpering output resistors made an even bigger improvement. You really want as close to zero as possible at a headphone jack no matter what the headphones, although most high end amps should provide that as a default (speaker amp jacks may not).