[tdockweiler]

Have you ever had a portable amp that made your HD-600 sound better than your $200+ monster amps? I've heard of this with some people using the PA2V2 and some CMOYs. HD-600 sounds great from my Total Airhead. Uses the AD8397 opamp. That one seems to be in everything. Even the PA2V2 I think. They all sound different though it seems.
 
I wish my E11 had the mids of my Airhead. I'll have to try the PA2V2 sometime. I also need to try my HD-600 more with the E9.

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

Have you ever had a portable amp that made your HD-600 sound better than your $200+ monster amps? I've heard of this with some people using the PA2V2 and some CMOYs. HD-600 sounds great from my Total Airhead. Uses the AD8397 opamp. That one seems to be in everything. Even the PA2V2 I think. They all sound different though it seems.
 
I wish my E11 had the mids of my Airhead. I'll have to try the PA2V2 sometime. I also need to try my HD-600 more with the E9.

 
Closest would be the Arrow - just a really clean amp that seems to go quite nicely with the HD600 if I ever want to use them away from my main rig.  But I still prefer the NFB-12 + LD MKIV combo though.  Two very different signatures (Arrow vs NFB+LD) - both very engaging though.

 

[N0sferatu]

Quote:

Have you ever had a portable amp that made your HD-600 sound better than your $200+ monster amps? I've heard of this with some people using the PA2V2 and some CMOYs. HD-600 sounds great from my Total Airhead. Uses the AD8397 opamp. That one seems to be in everything. Even the PA2V2 I think. They all sound different though it seems.
 
I wish my E11 had the mids of my Airhead. I'll have to try the PA2V2 sometime. I also need to try my HD-600 more with the E9.

 
Honestly...without being price biased or equipment biased I found my stock mobile phone with the rooted software tweaks to the audio driver system makes the HD600s sing...and loudly shockingly considering these are not easy to drive cans.  I was close to buying an RSA Predator or the like but then someone showed me this driver over at XDA.  Was so glad they did.
 
Samsung Galaxy S2 with Voodoo --> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.projectvoodoo.louder&hl=en

 

[devhen]

Quote:

 
Honestly...without being price biased or equipment biased I found my stock mobile phone with the rooted software tweaks to the audio driver system makes the HD600s sing...and loudly shockingly considering these are not easy to drive cans.  I was close to buying an RSA Predator or the like but then someone showed me this driver over at XDA.  Was so glad they did.
 
Samsung Galaxy S2 with Voodoo --> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.projectvoodoo.louder&hl=en

 
Very interesting! I'll have to try this on my Huawei Mercury but I doubt it supports it. I just received my Nexus 7 Tablet (which is pretty sweet btw) and I'm wondering what tweaks I can do to it as well. I was hoping the headphone jack on it would be more powerful than they typically are on the phones but its pretty much the same.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

So I've been sitting on a balanced cable for my hd600's for a while now and I finally broke down and bought xlr gender changers to listen to the hd600 direct out of my Apogee Mini-DAC.  I believe I hear a gain increase and possibly slightly better detail but overall flatter dynamics.  Interesting experiment for sure but I think I liked it better SE out of the mini-dac; good thing I didn't buy the cable for the mini-dac though!

 

[imackler]

Quote:

So I've been sitting on a balanced cable for my hd600's for a while now and I finally broke down and bought xlr gender changers to listen to the hd600 direct out of my Apogee Mini-DAC.  I believe I hear a gain increase and possibly slightly better detail but overall flatter dynamics.  Interesting experiment for sure but I think I liked it better SE out of the mini-dac; good thing I didn't buy the cable for the mini-dac though!

This is great to hear...well, I mean for someone who has been tempted to go balanced! I've heard people say though that there is no sense going balanced if the DAC isn't balanced as well. Not sure if that is true, but it seems to makes sense... 

 

[suburbanite]

I dig my HD 600's for what I guess to be their transparency as they don't seem to add bass to any cool tracks but when I play nearly anything electronic, they produce whatever the track calls for. What's even better is that I don't have to EQ down the bass as I had to with my HD 518's. I'm glad I got the HD 600's over the HD 650's as, even without having listened to the latter, I like the bass reproduction of the former just fine and I wouldn't want any more bass.
 
I'm noticing that the HD 600's can reproduce a poor recording, though. Listening to the Naked & Famous' Passive me, Aggressive You can be harsh, especially the opening notes of Young Blood. I really have to dial down the highs for that track unless I want a headache.
 
Overall I find the HD 600's sound livable, though. They work well for movie-watching, too.

 

[silversurfer616]

Had the HD600(run balanced)to know what the fuss is about and while I enjoyed them initially,because they are more forward than the HD650,in the end I sold them and returned into the luxurious lushness of the 650's.
Even balanced,they sound "thin' compared to the 650.
Having said that,I do prefer now the Audeze .

 

[devhen]

If there's any Fiona Apple fans out there I very, very highly recommend listening through her latest album with the HD600s. Sweet Jesus. Its perfection.

 

[silversurfer616]

Does it work with other headphones as well?

 

[devhen]

Quote:

Does it work with other headphones as well?

 
Funny. Just put on my 770s to findout. Not getting any sound here........
 
Just kidding. But the mid-bass hump and forward mids of the HD600s are absolutely perfect for this album IMO.

 

[N0sferatu]

Quote:

Overall I find the HD 600's sound livable, though. They work well for movie-watching, too.

Try a pair of Denon AH-D7000s and I assure you those are the cans to watch movies on.  LFE reproduction rocks on 'em.  
 
Just saying!

 

[suburbanite]

Quote:

Try a pair of Denon AH-D7000s and I assure you those are the cans to watch movies on.  LFE reproduction rocks on 'em.  
 
Just saying!

 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Then I'll want them.
 
I've gotta be good/rational for a while and just listen to what I have on hand.
 

 

[pansplash]

I did a lot readings on trying to find the right amp/dac for this can, and it seems that there is a wide variety of options available.

There are many options that comes to my mind right now, since budget is a pretty big deal for me (Around $300). Can anyone help decide which option is best?

Going to be listening through a computer, mostly rock and folk rock music. (-> = Then later)

1. Buy O2+ODAC -> Cardas cable.
2. Buy Schiit Asgard (Live with it first [Connected to computer]) -> Long while (8 months - 1 year or so) -> Schiit Bifrost -> Another long while -> Cardas cable
3. Opposite of option 1
4. Help me make a new one?

Currently I have it hooked up with a Sound blaster sound card, it seems to work just fine but I want the most out of my headphones.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[BobJS]

Quote:

I did a lot readings on trying to find the right amp/dac for this can, and it seems that there is a wide variety of options available.

There are many options that comes to my mind right now, since budget is a pretty big deal for me (Around $300). Can anyone help decide which option is best?

Going to be listening through a computer, mostly rock and folk rock music. (-> = Then later)

1. Buy O2+ODAC -> Cardas cable.
2. Buy Schiit Asgard (Live with it first [Connected to computer]) -> Long while (8 months - 1 year or so) -> Schiit Bifrost -> Another long while -> Cardas cable
3. Opposite of option 1
4. Help me make a new one?

Currently I have it hooked up with a Sound blaster sound card, it seems to work just fine but I want the most out of my headphones.

Many thanks in advance.

If you're on a budget ( or even if you aren't!) the first thing I'd do is forget about the cable upgrade.  It won't do anything for you (sound-wise).  If you're trying to upgrade looks or style, that's another story.  It's amazing the way this nonsense has been ingrained into the buying public.