[dazzerfong]

  FWIW, I think the HD700 is a pretty clear headphone, with a pretty full bass. IMO, bass is a bit stronger than neutral.

Well, it's no HD650 bass........thank God for that.

 

[PaulTB]

 
If you like the HD700 as-is (ie. everything about it unamped is perfect except for level of volume), get the O2 + ODAC. Otherwise, I'd recommend something else, perhaps something that other members suggest.

I tried the headphones with my iPod classic at first and although I liked them, they definitely seemed to be underpowered. So I asked to demo them with some of their amps and then they started to sing, the difference was immense! So yes, I do want an amp. I've noticed a little bit of sibilance though which I'm pretty sure I'll get used to, but just in case I won't I'd rather leave myself some room for easy upgrade (that is going from Magni to Valhalla, which was recommended by someone earlier in the discussion).
Is the O2+ODAC favorable over Magni+Modi for HD700s? Schiit combo isn't much more expensive, I like the design more and it gives me some room just in case, but if it isn't as good for the HD700s as Objective combo then I'll get the latter

 

[dazzerfong]

  I tried the headphones with my iPod classic at first and although I liked them, they definitely seemed to be underpowered. So I asked to demo them with some of their amps and then they started to sing, the difference was immense! So yes, I do want an amp. I've noticed a little bit of sibilance though which I'm pretty sure I'll get used to, but just in case I won't I'd rather leave myself some room for easy upgrade (that is going from Magni to Valhalla, which was recommended by someone earlier in the discussion).
Is the O2+ODAC favorable over Magni+Modi for HD700s? Schiit combo isn't much more expensive, I like the design more and it gives me some room just in case, but if it isn't as good for the HD700s as Objective combo then I'll get the latter

I'm running O2 + ODAC right now, and while it's certainly not bad in any way, I prefer running it off that for most intents and purposes with the peace in mind that it's not adulterating the audio significantly.
 
However, your mind might swing the other way, and you want to 'solve' the deficincies of this headphone with an amp. If you don't mind me asking, what amps did you try out? If the ones you tried were decent, get those ones.

 

[PaulTB]

It was some very large and I guess expensive speaker amp with similarly sized DAC in their special demo room full of gear. I didn't even bother to look at the brand and model as it's completely not what I'm after, although the phones sounded pretty similar to unamped (just a lot louder obviously). Does Schiit combo colour the sound significantly? If so I'll also get the O2+ODAC for the pice of mind.

 

[Rob80b]

   
It may come off as trolling, but I think it's well intentioned. But I agree not worth the effort at this point. 
 
 
 
FWIW, I think the HD700 is a pretty clear headphone, with a pretty full bass. IMO, bass is a bit stronger than neutral.

 
Just remember the Alchemist is from Hinamizawa…things are different there…I assume.

 

[DavidA]

  I tried the headphones with my iPod classic at first and although I liked them, they definitely seemed to be underpowered. So I asked to demo them with some of their amps and then they started to sing, the difference was immense! So yes, I do want an amp. I've noticed a little bit of sibilance though which I'm pretty sure I'll get used to, but just in case I won't I'd rather leave myself some room for easy upgrade (that is going from Magni to Valhalla, which was recommended by someone earlier in the discussion).
Is the O2+ODAC favorable over Magni+Modi for HD700s? Schiit combo isn't much more expensive, I like the design more and it gives me some room just in case, but if it isn't as good for the HD700s as Objective combo then I'll get the latter

I didn't care for the modi/magni with the HD-700, It made the highs too bright, borderline harsh.  I changed the magni to a Project Ember ($350 shipped to hawaii) with a bugle boy tube ($24) and the HD-700s now have smooth highs, solid bass with good extension.

 

[pietcux]

It was some very large and I guess expensive speaker amp with similarly sized DAC in their special demo room full of gear. I didn't even bother to look at the brand and model as it's completely not what I'm after, although the phones sounded pretty similar to unamped (just a lot louder obviously). Does Schiit combo colour the sound significantly? If so I'll also get the O2+ODAC for the pice of mind.

The O2 is a good starter for you. It's fairly neutral and has all the power you will need. On top of that you can resell it for a very good price if you want to upgrade.

 

[dazzerfong]

The O2 is a good starter for you. It's fairly neutral and has all the power you will need. On top of that you can resell it for a very good price if you want to upgrade.

Or, you know, keep it as a reference. It works well to see how much amping actually changes everything.

 

[Click]

  Hello!
Welcome guys, I'm new here. I've only been reading the forum so far and found it to be invaluable source of information.
I auditioned the HD700's today and loved them so much that I bought them on impulse. Now I need a DAC and amp to drive them and I'm really tight on budget. I need something available in the UK and £400 is absolute maximum I can spend (I'd prefer less though). My source is a laptop and mostly FLAC files. I've done a little research and I'm considering the following:
 
* O2+ODAC from Epiphany Acoustics (just sent them an email asking if they can make it with 6.35 jack and 1x/2.5x gain)
* ifi Audio iDSD Micro
* something from Schiit (most likely Magni2/Modi2 for now)
 
I think that would be a temporary solution for me and I would like to be able to upgrade it at some point. Therefore Schiit seems the most interesting as I can upgrade the amp to a tube one (which is being favoured by the HD700 from what I read) like Valhalla2 without need to worry about DAC and keeping nice and neat, matched setup. Would I really benefit from getting a more expensive DAC like Bitfrost along the Valhalla? I'm not striving after sound perfection, merely looking for something to enjoy after a day at work without smashing headphones on a wall (which's the fate of my old ones). I don't really want to spend too much money as I have other priorities, I'm just after a decent sounding setup which I won't need to mess around with. Hope you can help me guys
 
Regards,
Paul

Welcome to head-fi and grats on your HD700 purchase. 
 
£400 / $600 is actually more than enough for a good DAC / amp setup. The bare minimum I suggest for HD700 is a Modi 2 / Vali stack for around $250-$300 after tax, shipping, and cables. This combo should be good enough to keep you satisfied until you feel like it's time to upgrade. 
 
If you feel like you can spend more money, then replacing Vali with a Project Ember like DavidA suggested many times would be a good idea. If you have soldering skills, Project Ember is actually relatively cheap for a high quality tube amp. If not, you can just have them build it for you. 
 
Another great option for HD700 is the Bottlehead Crack. You need to know how to solder and build it yourself, or buy it pre-owned / pre-built. The only downside is that box which contains the BH Crack takes up a lot of desk space. 
 
Finally, if you want to spend the big bucks in the future, people have said that Woo Audio's WA7 pairs extremely well with HD700. There's also Sennheiser's own HDVA 600, but I doubt you want to be spending that much on an amp if you say you have limited funds. Just something to keep in mind though.

 

[DavidA]

  Welcome to head-fi and grats on your HD700 purchase. 
 
£400 / $600 is actually more than enough for a good DAC / amp setup. The bare minimum I suggest for HD700 is a Modi 2 / Vali stack for around $250-$300 after tax, shipping, and cables. This combo should be good enough to keep you satisfied until you feel like it's time to upgrade. 
 
If you feel like you can spend more money, then replacing Vali with a Project Ember like DavidA suggested many times would be a good idea. If you have soldering skills, Project Ember is actually relatively cheap for a high quality tube amp. If not, you can just have them build it for you. 
 
Another great option for HD700 is the Bottlehead Crack. You need to know how to solder and build it yourself, or buy it pre-owned / pre-built. The only downside is that box which contains the BH Crack takes up a lot of desk space. 
 
Finally, if you want to spend the big bucks in the future, people have said that Woo Audio's WA7 pairs extremely well with HD700. There's also Sennheiser's own HDVA 600, but I doubt you want to be spending that much on an amp if you say you have limited funds. Just something to keep in mind though.

Ops, I saw $400 not £400, hard to see on my phone.

 

[Kimakaze]

Well I bought the HD-700s to pair with WA-6SE. It was too bright for my taste with this setup (USAF 596 and 6FD7s).
However, I thought it paired better with the WA6 with the same tubes. I think the HD-700s might be the all around headphones I was looking for from Sennheiser.
I need to break them in more and try them with the WA2 to compare them to the HD-800s.

 

[PaulTB]

Thank you very much for the replies, you made my realise how big a mistake I would make going for Magni/Modi. Reading through the topic made me convinced that I really need Woo Audio WA7 or Bottlehead Crack also mentioned by Click to get the full potential out of HD700s. I'm glad I don't need to spend this amount. Unfortunately I have no soldering skills whatsoever, so DIY kit isn't an option. On the other hand I really love the design of WA7 and if I only had the money I wouldn't think twice. Maybe some day...
So I'm leaning towards the O2/ODAC now, but Modi 2/Vali also seems an interesting option. We have a Schiit distributor here in UK so I can get away with the tax and shipping costs, making above mentioned stack similarly priced to the O2/ODAC. Any comments between the two are welcome, I still have a couple of days to make up my mind.

 

[Click]

I would personally go with Modi 2 / Vali for your HD700. People have already told you that O2/ODAC isn't a good pairing with HD700.
 
There are threads on head-fi dedicated to these DACs and amps. Take your time and do some more research. In my opinion, Modi 2 / Vali is probably your best option.

 

[dazzerfong]

  I would personally go with Modi 2 / Vali for your HD700. People have already told you that O2/ODAC isn't a good pairing with HD700.
 
There are threads on head-fi dedicated to these DACs and amps. Take your time and do some more research. In my opinion, Modi 2 / Vali is probably your best option.

Huh? No-one said the O2/ODAC was a sub-par pairing with the HD700. If anything, DavidA reckon it's too bright with the Schiit stack.

 

[Click]

 
Huh? No-one said the O2/ODAC was a sub-par pairing with the HD700. If anything, DavidA reckon it's too bright with the Schiit stack.

I did mix up the Modi/Magni with O2/ODAC. However, I knew I've read somewhere in this thread that O2/ODAC was too bright with HD700...
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/612502/sennheiser-hd-700-impressions-thread/2535#post_11188150
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/612502/sennheiser-hd-700-impressions-thread/2625#post_11223352
 
Don't have the O2/ODAC so I can't compare myself. I know it's a good DAC/amp but it's also solid state and it's known to be a bit on the brighter side. Thus, I don't think it pairs well with HD700. 
 
I know you disagree because that's your setup and you're happy with it. I'm just trying to help this guy make a good decision. Hopefully he does more research himself and come to his own conclusions.