[FaezFarhan]

I think I'm going for the HD600 instead of the HD650 for the clarity & sweet vocals. I was thinking quite long & hard about it but I think it will be good. I will be using it only with the Grace M9XX for now, and maybe the Little Dot Mk3, or Bottlehead Crack in the future.

It will be my vocals headphone now since the clarity is better than my K7XX. My TH-X00 Purpleheart that's arriving soon will be my bass headphone.

 

[madwolfa]

I think I'm going for the HD600 instead of the HD650 for the clarity & sweet vocals. I was thinking quite long & hard about it but I think it will be good. I will be using it only with the Grace M9XX for now, and maybe the Little Dot Mk3, or Bottlehead Crack in the future.

It will be my vocals headphone now since the clarity is better than my K7XX. My TH-X00 Purpleheart that's arriving soon will be my bass headphone.

 
Good choice. HD600 is unbeatable for vocals.

 

[Arniesb]

Good choice. HD600 is unbeatable for vocals.

Agree wholeheartedly. It was the one headphone that NEVER lacks anything in terms of vocals☺.

 

[Midgetguy]

  I did some more digging online last night, and I've found an online store (www.headphonescanada.ca) that is selling the HD600 for $440.00 and the HD650 for $550.00.  
These prices are certainly more reasonable than what I was finding on Amazon.ca (especially the HD600).
 
At $440.00, the HD600 is only $30.00 more than the 400S. 

With that sort of pricing, I'd definitely go for the HD600. I prefer it to the HE400S.

 

[notfitforpublic]

You have a PM @TheEldestBoy. There might be some hidden Canadian gems on the web you may not be aware of. Check your inbox.

 

[alitomr]

I guess that depends on what you pay for the headphone and the amp, and how much improvement you believe backend equipment can offer. My HD 600 and amp cost me about $350 combined, which is only $50 more than the HE-400S goes for on its own. Nice equipment is nice (redundancy department and all...), but the necessity for it is overblown, IMO. If you want a nice amp and DAC, go for it! Just don't feel like it should be the deciding factor in whether you go with the HD 600 or something else. I actually saw somebody entirely pass up buying the HD 600 recently because they were apparently convinced they needed to spend $1,000 total to make it worth it. Knowing how much musical joy my set has given me in the over a month I've had it, this just broke my heart.

Remember, you can always upgrade your backend equipment later on if you feel the urge, whereas it'll be harder to convince yourself buying another headphone is worth it if you eventually want to see what the HD 600 is all about.

Not that any of this helps you split the two headphones on performance. I strongly considered the HE-400S as well, based largely on Tyll's strong recommendation. I ultimately went with the HD 600 because it's a proven design with lots of positive impressions over its ~20 year lifespan. Not to mention, the HD-400S requires a set of FocusPads in order to improve the bass extension; with the stock pads, extension is apparently similar to the HD 600.

@argyris, what kind of improvement do you think back-end equipment can provide??

I ask you because I've been asking myself this question with speakers andnow with headphones, to thepoint that I decided to experiment and ordera bunch of equipment, amplifiers mostly, to try with my new HD600, just to really know.

What I have noticed going from the magni 2 uber to the Valhalla 2 is that equipment can really make a difference. I suppose that getting upgrades beyond the valhalla is probably very expensive, as takinga lot of money for slight improvements. But the difference between these two ampsis not small FOR MOST SONGS. I emphatize that becaus I have listened tocertain songswhere the difference hasbeen impossible for me to hear, but overall andfor most music and songs, thereis more clarity, instrument separation, better soundstage andsonrthing that is reallyhard to describe or putin numbers and it's the system's ability to reproduce sounds from instruments as youhear them live. A piano simply sounds like a piano is in your head, andnot even vlose with the magni 2 uber. The same with saxos and violins.

Thats why I ask you. Tobe honest, i really wanted to not hear a difference, but i have. What are your experiences??

 

[Sonic Defender]

  You have a PM @TheEldestBoy. There might be some hidden Canadian gems on the web you may not be aware of. Check your inbox.

PM me as well, I'm always interested in finding new sources. Cheers.

 

[BobG55]

  Looking forward to Tuesday which is when I'm receiving my Eddie Current Zana Deux Super.  I can't count the number of posts & testimonies  I've read stating that this is the one, the best amp for the HD6X0 siblings which I've always owned.  This will be my last shot at finding the best amp synergy (some head-fiers don't like this term) wise for the HD600.  
 
Many very good & some excellent headphone amplifiers (amp/dac combos, headphone amps & vintage receivers/ integrated amplifiers) have come & gone & I'm not willing to spend any more money on this hobby.  There have also been many very good, some excellent headphones that have come & gone but I could never even contemplate selling my HD600.  
 
The HD650 I did sell a few years ago after purchasing the Audeze LCD 2 Rev. 2.   Within a couple of weeks I put the LCD 2 Rev. 2 up for sale & ordered another pair of HD650.  
 
I remember as if it happened yesterday; when I received the HD650 I rushed to my audio set-up & started listening to them again.  A sense of relief & joy came over me & I've never looked back since.  
 
I'm not the best qualified when it comes to writing 'sound description'/ impressions but I will try to post something coherent & hopefully, helpful to members on this thread on my listening experience with the ZDS & HD600 .

This is the best I can do in describing the sound of the ZDS w/ my HD600 : 
 
"To these ears" this amp is the best I've heard; it's detailed, clear, musical, warm not harsh, without sibilance, I think some use the term organic (??????) or this : I feel I'm not missing any details yet the sound isn't clinical.  I can't remember which song I was listening to yesterday but it struck me that when the drummer was hitting the tom, the deep reverberation from the deepest bottom inside of the drum could be clearly heard and I know I've never heard that from any other amp before.  Just one of many little gems this amp is able to replicate.
 
I've been trying to get an amp that gave me complete satisfaction when listening to my favourite HPs which happen to be the HD6X0 siblings & the T1 Gen. 1.  I've owned a few very good amps over the years e.g. Headlamp GS-X MKII, Auralic Taurus MK2, The Bryston BHA, etc. & there always seemed to be something missing which I could never put my finger (or ear) on.  
 
I've read some of the posts & comments from different members on this thread following my post above announcing I was getting my ZDS on Tuesday.  I certainly didn't mean to cause such a stir & I agree w/ all of the opinions that followed because they are all based on individual tastes, choices, opinions, etc.   By no means am I well to do money wise BTW.  What I am is obsessed but admitting that I am has helped me decide that this was/ is my final attempt - big money wise - to find what I've been looking for & it appears that Divine Providence heard my pleas because not only is this the amp but I've felt, in the last few months, that after five years of buying, selling (at a loss), re-buying, re-selling, hoping, being disappointed, currency difference (live in Canada), etc. has taken it's toll on me, mentally & fiscally.
 
I'm retired and although I have a comfortable pension I'm not rich by any means.  Now it's time to pay what I owe & enjoy what I have & I feel I'm one of the fortunate ones.  I'll finish by saying that the HD600 qualities really burst to the forefront with this amp.  These are really, really very good headphones.  

 

[siwolfman]

  Well, I understand both perspectives. I have a lovely OTL tube amp here that an OTL and HD 600 devotee who owns both swears is more enjoyable for her than the Zana Deux Super, and she has both at the same time. I'm sure it is all so subjective, what does more enjoyable sound like right? I have the La Figaro 339, but when it shipped to me one of the input tubes was damaged so I haven't been able to even hear it yet! Replacement tubes are on the way.
 
I'm not sure how different if at all an OTL amp will sound. I did have a first generation Valhalla years ago, but I was pretty fresh then and had little headamp experience so no real frame of reference. I know I enjoyed it with my DT 880 (600ohm) and HD 650 that I owned back then. I have two nice solid state options so I did want to try the tube/OTL route to see if they really were different sounding. I wouldn't mind a somewhat lush sound from time to time so I'll wait and see how it shakes out. The La Figaro was much less money than something like the Eddie Current offering, which I couldn't afford anyway, nor do I think I would go that high. I would spend that on good speakers mind you.
 
While I think there can be sound signature differences for sure, I do tend to ascribe to the way StanD thinks in the sense that most amps and DACs these days are rather capable devices and past signature differences, the actual differences in sound quality for lack of a better term should be somewhat hard to spot. However, I do believe in sound signatures and personal preferences so that makes trying new gear and combinations worth it. As well, and I think this is a perfectly valid reason to try new gear, many of us won't admit it, but I also like the looks of gear and the combination of small sound signature changes and a new toy give me pleasure. Objectively I wonder if I could tell them apart easily, often I'm sure I couldn't, but the joy of the subjective is also valid and I do get why people go down the rabbit hole. Our brains are hard-wired to seek out novelty, and for some, audio gear scratches that itch. Nothing wrong there as long as people don't go around insisting that only really expensive boutique kit has the potential to sound great, we know from experience that isn't the case always. Some budget rigs sound stunning.

I agree with a lot you said @Sonic Defender. I believe part of the fun of this obsession is finding different combinations and different sound signatures. It's nice to pair different headphones with different amp/DAC combinations and enjoying the nuances. To me, a hobby is about deriving joy from it. If you've found the end game, that is perfectly ok for you. But experimenting with different setups is fun and interesting.
 
Rolling tubes is a fun and interesting way to change the sound signature of an OTL amp. This is also much less expensive than going out and buying several amps. Also, I find having a solid state amp and an OTL amp provides nice variety. It's not feasible for everyone to have these options and I'm lucky to have both. 

 

[Lavakugel]

Has anybody a good recommendation for the best tube amp for hd600. Let's say not over 2000 bucks....Thanks

 

[meomap]

Has anybody a good recommendation for the best tube amp for hd600. Let's say not over 2000 bucks....Thanks

I am using WA6 SE with Sophia 247b and upgraded driver tubes.
Sounds fantastic.
More bass added to hd600 with Cardas cable.

 

[Lavakugel]

I am using WA6 SE with Sophia 247b and upgraded driver tubes.
Sounds fantastic.
More bass added to hd600 with Cardas cable.

Already got a cardas cable and the improvement is definetly there! 
 
Is the sophia a standard tube?

 

[alitomr]

  Has anybody a good recommendation for the best tube amp for hd600. Let's say not over 2000 bucks....Thanks

Jesus Christ. 
 
What cheaper amps have you tried?
 
I am going to nyc next month. I would love to hear crazy expensive amps with my HD600. Does anyone know where I should go to do that?  Stores in the city?  Hell, they could even be in Boston. I love driving.

 

[FaezFarhan]

Should I sell off my Aune T1se and get the Little Dot MkIII & link it to my Grace M9XX? I will be receiving the HD600 on the 19th. I can't wait already!

 

[meomap]

Already got a cardas cable and the improvement is definetly there! 

Is the sophia a standard tube?

I think 200 extra or less.
I put away the stock.