[DavidA]

A used AV receiver! I'm serious.

Great suggestion but it will depend on the AVR that one has. My old Sony ES receiver is pretty good with the HD650, better than my Fiio X3 & X3ii and a few other sources that I've tried but its still not like the BH Crack.

 

[Jazzthat]

I can't really comment on that because i am in UK where market seems a bit bias towards British products such as audiolab and Chord . I ve only had Audiolab Q-dac which falls in under $400 . But for me was a weak performer with HD650 hence i bought Marantz dac1 and i am extremely happy.
I have also Marantz PM8003 stereo amp which supossed to have really good headphone amp section , but again i felt it was just not good at all.

 

[Quadfather]

Great suggestion but it will depend on the AVR that one has. My old Sony ES receiver is pretty good with the HD650, better than my Fiio X3 & X3ii and a few other sources that I've tried but its still not like the BH Crack.

if I can only find a bottlehead crack with the 1.1 Speedball for under $450 built well....then I'm in the game. As of now, I'm saving up to get the $625 one off Etsy.

 

[DavidA]

what dac and amp would you recommend under $400?

At $400 I'd just use the line out of what ever you currently have and get OTL amp like a DV 336 + tubes or a Ember/Solstice/Polaris from Garage 1217. After saving a little more the Mimby (Modi MB) at $250 is one of the better DACs under $300.

An alternative would be Modi2uber ($150) and Sunrise III ($250)

@Quadfather, If you want a BH Crack I'd suggest building it yourself since it will be easier for you to trouble shoot it in the future if something goes wrong or if you want to upgrade/modify it. I know that most are afraid of trying to build it but the instructions are so good that even my old GF could build one once she learned how to solder (took her 2-3 days of practice to get really good at soldering). Also, for the price of a completed one you will have a decent/good soldering station and some basic tools (multi-meter, wire cutters/strippers, etc) that will come in handy in the future. And don't forget that you will need to factor in the price of tubes since the stock ones are average and many of the recommend tubes are getting a bit pricy these days (TS5998, WE421a, Telefunkens, Amperex, Mullards, etc). I do see the appeal in buying an completed kit and they do look nice but for the price there are better options out there IMO.

 

[joseph69]

Subscribed.
Waiting for my MD 6XX to be delivered sometime at the end of March.

 

[jbarrentine]

what dac and amp would you recommend under $400?

Spend just a bit more and get a project polaris amp (garage1217) and modi multibit.

 

[Swiftfalcon]

After owning HD 650 for 6 months, I feel it keeps getting better and better. I don’t know what magic is in them but they keep growing on me more each passing day.

 

[limaaa]

Hi guys,

I'm planning to buy HD650.I have Maratnz PM6004 stereo amp + HRT Music Streamer II DAC.
Is that enough to get the best out of HD650?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Jazzthat]

Hi guys,

I'm planning to buy HD650.I have Maratnz PM6004 stereo amp + HRT Music Streamer II DAC.
Is that enough to get the best out of HD650?

Many thanks in advance!

A dedicated headphone amp would work better but PM6004 might be a good start. I have PM8003 and i didnt like it with HD650 .

 

[limaaa]

A dedicated headphone amp would work better but PM6004 might be a good start. I have PM8003 and i didnt like it with HD650 .

Hmmmm so I would need more money

How much should I spend on headphone amp to get the best out of HD650?

 

[cswann1]

Currently, the only FS headphones I use with any regularity are my 300ohm Sennheiser HD580's, and I drive them with the hp out on the volume control of my Logitech XZ2300 PC speakers. And when I briefly owned the HD650 I used them in the same way and drove them to very satisfying levels.
Point being, the 300ohm Senns aren't nearly as "hard to drive" as many would have you believe. But having said that, I maintain that a Bottlehead Crack has amazing synergy with the HD650 and you'll be hard-pressed to find better amplification. But short of that amp, and especially on a budget, just use what you have and enjoy the cans.
Sometimes I plug my HD580's into the hp jack of my Denon AV receiver for movies when I don't want to bother my roommate, and again it sounds great.

Always thinking there is better audio fidelity to be had if I just spend more $$ is a sure way to stay unhappy.

 

[arteom]

Hmmmm so I would need more money

How much should I spend on headphone amp to get the best out of HD650?

Oh, about $1000 should do you good. Go balanced. Look for good prices on amps in the FS section of the forums. I would look for a good deal on Auralic Taurus MKII or Cayin IHA-6, if I was starting from scratch. Personally just picked up a Rudistor RPX-33MK2 not too long ago, it's not balanced, but would imagine it's just about as good as it gets for single ended setup for the 650's. The 650's have been around for a long time, and you will find great deals ($300 range) on amps from back in the day that paired very well with them. Would look at something like the Musical Fidelity X-Can v3, or the Meier amps (like the Opera). Hell you might even look at the current Meier amp line.

 

[Jazzthat]

Hmmmm so I would need more money

How much should I spend on headphone amp to get the best out of HD650?

Give it some time with HD650 and PM6004 . It might be just ok for you . And if dont then start saving £500+

 

[limaaa]

Ufff I really don't know what to do. Right now I only have money for cans, not for both cans and amp.

Currently I'm listening to NAD VISO HP50, but I really miss the open soundstage of HD598 I owned before them.

Maybe I should just buy HD650 and eventually buy headphone amp.

Oh yeah, regarding Bottlehead Crack, I'm not sure if I'm skilled enough to build the amp.

 

[limaaa]

Give it some time with HD650 and PM6004 . It might be just ok for you . And if dont then start saving £500+

I think It's gonna be that way