[Tristan944]

Just got my HD600 today. Powering them with a Xonar DG for the computer, cMoyBB portable. Would a higher quality amp and DAC make the HD600 sound significantly better?

 

[Ophiel]

Just got my HD600 today. Powering them with a Xonar DG for the computer, cMoyBB portable. Would a higher quality amp and DAC make the HD600 sound significantly better?

Yes it will. I had the Xonar DX before and didn't find them a step up from the onboard Realtek. If you don't need the portability, a full sized amp would be better.

 

[Tristan944]

Yes it will. I had the Xonar DX before and didn't find them a step up from the onboard Realtek. If you don't need the portability, a full sized amp would be better.

If I get an amp and DAC, Ill probably get the NFB 11.32. Thoughts on that with the HD600?

 

[Ophiel]

If I get an amp and DAC, Ill probably get the NFB 11.32. Thoughts on that with the HD600?

Um, I havent heard it, sorry. I've considered getting something from AudioGd though, they seem to have good feedback on their products.

 

[HaVoC-28]

  Yes it will. I had the Xonar DX before and didn't find them a step up from the onboard Realtek. If you don't need the portability, a full sized amp would be better.

DX don't have a headphone amp , just a line out , so it will not help without a dedicated headphone amp

 

[Ophiel]

 
DX don't have a headphone amp , just a line out , so it will not help without a dedicated headphone amp

I see, no wonder it doesn't sound good huh

 

[Rob80b]

Just got my HD600 today. Powering them with a Xonar DG for the computer, cMoyBB portable. Would a higher quality amp and DAC make the HD600 sound significantly better?

The HD600 series scale very well, meaning each time you improve the chain you should notice an appreciable difference.
I’ve had my Senns for sometime now and even though I’ve enjoyed them with a few amps over the years they have only recently really come to strut their own with my current set-up.

 

[punks15]

Would a higher quality amp and DAC make the HD600 sound significantly better?

Yes!

 

[HaVoC-28]

Or not , depending about what gear you are using , reaching a certain level , there is no real improvements it's much about hardware equalization than anything else , colorations that suite more or less your tastes.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Just got my HD600 today. Powering them with a Xonar DG for the computer, cMoyBB portable. Would a higher quality amp and DAC make the HD600 sound significantly better?

 
Just one caveat - as much as the HD600 reveals changes in upstream components easily, it's not always an improvement. I've tried several CDPs - Marantz CD5003, NAD C545, Cambridge 350C and 651C - and I didn't like them. Imaging was a little weird (check out reply #26 on this thread for further details). The Regas (the older, bigger Apollo and the Saturn) were too dark for my tastes. So far, among the CDPs I've tried my HD600 and Cantate with, the ones I like are the Shanling SCD-T200,* Cayin CDT-23/CD100i and CD50T,** and the Arcam CD72.*** Sure these are CDPs but the only difference between them and a DAC is the CD transport and a computer (or other device), but in any case I'm not rushing to replace using the Cantate.2's USB DAC. Might get the ODAC and a proper USB OTG with powerbank pigtail soon though.
 
 
*modded - a bit dark but I could have lived with it IF it was cheaper (Cayin dealer was selling it on consignment for around $1,500 with less than 20hrs on the new tubes) on account of OCD - it used a similar but wider chassis as my amp
**for the most part were neutral, but listen well and the midrange is a little bit sweeter-sounding - a bit soft and warm but not too much on the strings and vocals and lots of extension on female vocals on the CDT-23; in short, it'll make some recordings a little better without annoying me on other (if not most) recordings like the Regas did
***neutral, soundstage was wider and deeper than the Cayins but not weird like the Cambridge and Marantz

 

[unkle]

Anybody here listened to the HD600 with a Schiit Magni amp + Modi DAC?
Wondering how this combo may sound

 

[diaBoliQu3]

  Anybody here listened to the HD600 with a Schiit Magni amp + Modi DAC?
Wondering how this combo may sound

From what I read, the amp is bright for HD600.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

I thought it was a bit bright as well.  It works well for the dark ortho cans.

 

[Hijodelbrx]

Back in the day, 10+ years ago, the HD600 was praised to the heavens when mated with tubes. I don't read much about that today. Is it because most users today have an aversion to tube amps or what? To those who haven't heard their HD600's with tubes, I would highly recommend checking it out!

 

[unkle]

Back in the day, 10+ years ago, the HD600 was praised to the heavens when mated with tubes. I don't read much about that today. Is it because most users today have an aversion to tube amps or what? To those who haven't heard their HD600's with tubes, I would highly recommend checking it out!

 


any suggestion for a entry-level tube amp?