[FlySweep]

I'll third the recco for Lake People/Violectric amps (I've owned the G109 & V200.. used it with IEMs, dynamics, and planars.. the sound was terrific.. especially with planars).  I've heard nothing but good things about the Asgard 2 (and I tend to love Schiit's stuff).. it probably offers the best value out of the solid state option in play here.  I can't comment on how it sounds since I haven't heard it, but many people's opinions who I trust have said the A2 works great with the HD600 (and most planars, as well).
 
That being said, I settled on the Bottlehead Crack (w/ speedball) for my HD600... and it's a match made in heaven.  From what I understand, the 'regular' Crack (w/o speedball) has a more stereotypical "tube" sound ("warm, syrupy, romantic, etc.").. the speedball tightens up the sound, improves resolution, lowers the noise floot, and takes the Crack in a decidedly 'solid state' direction, sonically.  I've had the Crack+SB for quite some time (and own/have owned a number of solid state amps in that time) and tend to agree with that assessment.  The thing is, The SB'ed Crack doesn't sound 'sterile, cold, or clinical' in that way some solid state amps tend to sound (to my ears).  You still get the 'tube goodness' (see: pleasing distortion), but the sound isn't slow or overly warm.  What I liked most about the Crack is how it presents the HD600's bass (tight, punchy, fast, and better extended than I expected) and how it improves soundstage depth (over many of the solid state amps I heard the HD600 with).  There's obviously a lot of great options out there for the HD600.. but after hearing/using the Crack with the HD600 for a number of months, I've got no desire to chase another amp for it.  IMO, it's worthy of being an 'end game' headphone rig.
 
I think the just released Schiit Vali is another terrific option if you want to go the tube route but don't want to mess with 'rolling' or DIY.

 

[kamalz]

  I'll third the recco for Lake People/Violectric amps (I've owned the G109 & V200.. used it with IEMs, dynamics, and planars.. the sound was terrific.. especially with planars).  I've heard nothing but good things about the Asgard 2 (and I tend to love Schiit's stuff).. it probably offers the best value out of the solid state option in play here.  I can't comment on how it sounds since I haven't heard it, but many people's opinions who I trust have said the A2 works great with the HD600 (and most planars, as well).
 
 There's obviously a lot of great options out there for the HD600.. but after hearing/using the Crack with the HD600 for a number of months, I've got no desire to chase another amp for it.  IMO, it's worthy of being an 'end game' headphone rig.

 
 
The best part of HD600 is that i feel the end game amplifier should not be like as expensive as high end amp like the DNA . I do have the cash to purchase high end amp  but i feel there is no need, like seriously no need with HD600. I guess it got to do with  the ability of this cans  to color  the music with  emotion.  It always made me forget to concentrate on the details & listen to music  with my heart & soul.  .Don't get me wrong. I do like  details  such as the " thit" " sound when a  piano key spring back   after pianist release his fingers on it . Or the sound of  last breathing of the singer on the microphone which captured  her  emotion.   Although i heard more  details in my hd800 but i feel that with Hd600 , the details is  sufficient enough for me to  "feel"  the music. Because i like to listen to live concert in high definition files ,  the  music emotion has to be right for me . In other words , the music emotions i received from Hd600  AND  the expression  from  world class artists (show casing their skills & gestures  thru his/her  movements)   have to  be synchronized ,  right  & believable for me.

 

[kamalz]

  Has anybody tried the HD600 with a Lake People amp?
 
I had been fixated on getting the Bottlehead Crack since i got the HD600, but after getting to try a tube amp at a friend's house(Little Dot MKIII), i have kind of changed my mind about tube amps. The 600 did sound lovely and smooth, and vocals and bass were a step up from the E9K i have at home... but while on some songs it was awesome, in some of my favorite music(Nightwish, Anime OST's, etc) the extra warmth was definitely not a good thing.
 
So i have decided to get a neutral sounding SS amp in the $250 - $350 range. I know about the M-Stage, but i have been interested in the Lake People G103 because it's been described as a transparent amp that "gets out of the way of the music" by Innerfidelity. And does not have edginess. Edginess = potential sibilance = Urggh.
 
So.. any other amps that in that price range you guys would recommend?

 
  i think the preamp part should be tubes & the power amp part should not be tubes.
  I just dont know what brand  to suggest.
   But if you feel SS amp is the best fro your favorite songs, then go for this direction.
   What matters most  is the  sound you prefer to hear in your HD600.
 
  If i am not mistaken, SS amp give you the sound signature between tube sound & solid state sound.

 

[kamalz]

   If i am not mistaken, SS amp give you the sound signature between tube sound & solid state sound.

   Sorry guys ,,it is not SS amp ..it is a hybrid ones ..the ones  with  a tube preamp stage, employing vacuum tubes in the tone shaping circuitry, but use solid-state circuitry for the power section.
 
  Silly me

 

[StanD]

I find the HD600 rather easy to drive. I don't believe in adding any distortion. I'll leave adding even harmonic distortion for my electric guitar. For me a good SS amp that has low noise, low distortion (HD, IM and TIM), enough headroom and proper damping will do the job just as good as any other like amp. My only weakness is pushing up the bass below 100 Hz. I don't need silver wires either.

 

[Lorspeaker]

     Sorry guys ,,it is not SS amp ..it is a hybrid ones ..the ones  with  a tube preamp stage, employing vacuum tubes in the tone shaping circuitry, but use solid-state circuitry for the power section.
 
  Silly me

 
yea...a hybrid like your liar amp...
opps...LYR. 

 

[kamalz]

   
yea...a hybrid like your liar amp...
opps...LYR. 

 
   Oh noo 

 
    HD600...not lyr..i try many tricks but i failed to get the sound that i crave
 
    Lyr + mullard micham gold pin tubes + He500 is really good combo
  
   When i wanted to relax...I will go for my HE500
 
   When i wanted to be completely lost in music world ..HD600 is a go to cans
   i can listen to this cans 8 hrs straight without wanting to stop . Been there & done that
 
   When i want to be serious , i use HD800
 
   in terms of touching my soul..
  i would rate  ...HD600 A+ player,
  While HD800  got an  A & while HE500 got a A- 
 
   Yes..all  these cans have made me had  tears when  listening to my favorite song  chloe song "change" , honestly

  
 
 

 

[devhen]

  Has anybody tried the HD600 with a Lake People amp?
 
I had been fixated on getting the Bottlehead Crack since i got the HD600, but after getting to try a tube amp at a friend's house(Little Dot MKIII), i have kind of changed my mind about tube amps. The 600 did sound lovely and smooth, and vocals and bass were a step up from the E9K i have at home... but while on some songs it was awesome, in some of my favorite music(Nightwish, Anime OST's, etc) the extra warmth was definitely not a good thing.
 
So i have decided to get a neutral sounding SS amp in the $250 - $350 range. I know about the M-Stage, but i have been interested in the Lake People G103 because it's been described as a transparent amp that "gets out of the way of the music" by Innerfidelity. And does not have edginess. Edginess = potential sibilance = Urggh.
 
So.. any other amps that in that price range you guys would recommend?

 
I think the G103 is an awesome choice in that price range. I have the G109 and it drives the HD600 beautifully. It does indeed "get out of the way". Its neutral and transparent with tons of power and extremely low output impedance which means it can drive any headphones out there. That goes for the G103 as well because they are extremely similar. You can't go wrong with it.

 

[devhen]

 
I power my HD600 with a Violectric HPAv90 and I'm pretty sure Violectric is a part of Lake People (correct me if I'm wrong). Lovely amp. Might be a bit above you $350 price range though. I got it for about $400 here in Australia but I'm pretty sure that was a stellar deal.

 
Yes, they are the same company. Violectric is their 'audiophile' brand and Lake People is their pro brand. Typically they produce sound/video studio products under the Lake People name but the G109 and G103 are kind of a hybrid meant for both professionals and audiophiles, as I understand it. I'm extremely happy with mine. Checkout the thread, you can order them directly from Lake People and believe it or not the shipping from Germany is really fast.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/620082/lake-people-g109-g103-thread

 

[daleb]

Hello! So, a few months ago, I went to a head-fi meetup, and I got to try out a lot of headphones. Turns out, I definitely enjoy the Sennheiser sound the most. Strangely, even though I got to try both the HD800s and the HE90s, the HD 600s were easily my favorite headphone there! I loved that sound so much. I hope to get one someday.
 
Quote:


I just wanted to point out, our names are really similar.

 

[gabsonuro]

600 or 650 for rock/alternative/metal?

 

[LugBug1]

^^^ I hope you get them some day! They are a truly great headphone. 

 

[Sonic Atrocity]

Hey everyone, I plan on reading most of this thread, but just thought I'd pop a quick post in. 
 
I recently received a used pair of DT880s from someone on head-fi. Unfortunately, I have to sell them (gonna sell 'em for the same price I bought ';em for). They are excellent headphones. But my right ear rubs against the foam inside and becomes irritated. Also, I'm finding them too harsh on my ears. Also, they are too treble heavy, and I am really seeking neutrality. 
 
I'm a total fidelity freak, and am really looking for a setup that promotes fidelity. Accurate frequency response, accurate attack and decay, accurate imaging and soundstage, etc. Anyhow, do you guys think the HD600 would be the right choice? I'm thinking I will drive them with an O2 and ODAC. 
 
I do listen to some very fast music (technical death metal and prog metal). I hear the HD600 aren't very fast. Would they be the wrong choice for this kind of music? Also, is there the Sennheiser veil?
 
Edit: Do the drivers, or the insides of the cups touch your ears? Do the ear pads press against your ears? I REALLY like having my ears float in there untouched.

 

[LugBug1]

600 or 650 for rock/alternative/metal?

600 all the way. They are great for reproducing electric guitar, I think you may find the 650's a little too warm for those genres. 

 

[gabsonuro]

600 all the way. They are great for reproducing electric guitar, I think you may find the 650's a little too warm for those genres. 

I actually owned a pair of 650's for a week and found them to sound pretty nice. they were slightly too bassy for me though.

I finally found a place that demoed 600's and they sounded great, but the bass was a little too light. i have a feeling it was because the rig I was hooked into wasn't fully driving them, I cranked the volume on the thing and it wasn't very loud, maybe medium volume. I could tell they weren't burned in aswell, the earcups were still hard. I also liked the aesthetics and the headband design better than the 650.

will the bass open up a bit with proper amplification and some burn in?