[Quinto]

made for the HD650

  love it..

 

[iancraig10]

Painted Klown, Tube amps tend to be better with higher impedance headphones on the whole. With low impedance, noise generated by tubes can be a slight problem. Senn is fine, but go down to 32 ohms and you'll find that the headphone is demanding more current, rather than voltage.

They are also more sensitive to amp hiss.

That's why in a way that I prefer the Polaris. It's more configurable and the gain can be taken right down, and yet at full throttle, it drives the Senn with ease.

The Ember foes a fantastic job with the Senns, but not so gepreat with say, my th900. Hiss becomes apparent.

This also depends on the tube used though.

 

[Sal1950]

  Ok, cool, so I will stick with the DC-1 exclusively for my "opinion piece" (it won't be a typical review, as I am not a writer). Stupid question time though, do I risk damaging my 650 by playing it on my tablet or phone? I do understand that it's distortion (not power) that kills speakers, so I am a bit worried now.
 
My next "big" audio purchase will probably be a higher end amp to drive the 650 (as well as the rest of my collection). It might be a long while before that will happen though. I spent WAY too much on Christmas gifts already, and I still have some more to go...
 
I have heard (read) a lot of great things about Schiit gear, but have not yet heard any of their equipment. Both the Rag and the Yggy get my "gear lust" running high!  LOL!

What you say about high distortion levels causing damage it true enough, but considering the iphone and tablets inability to delver any real power I would not be concerned about their ability to injure your 650s.
 
"get my "gear lust" running high!"  
Welcome to the world of Audiophilia Nervosa.  I'd like to give you some advice like "run like hell", but I know you'll never listen. Maybe just read a few things written by a 90+ year old audiophile and one of the most intelligent and honest people to have ever graced this industry. Good Luck
 
http://www.biline.ca/audio_critic/audio_critic_web1.htm#acl
http://www.biline.ca/audio_critic/mags/The_Audio_Critic_26_r.pdf

 

[whirlwind]

Painted Klown, Tube amps tend to be better with higher impedance headphones on the whole. With low impedance, noise generated by tubes can be a slight problem. Senn is fine, but go down to 32 ohms and you'll find that the headphone is demanding more current, rather than voltage.

They are also more sensitive to amp hiss.

That's why in a way that I prefer the Polaris. It's more configurable and the gain can be taken right down, and yet at full throttle, it drives the Senn with ease.

The Ember foes a fantastic job with the Senns, but not so gepreat with say, my th900. Hiss becomes apparent.

This also depends on the tube used though.

My Mad Ear had a wonderful dark back round when paired with my Grado RS1i.
 
So it depends on the amp...An amp with a dc heater power supply works wonders 

 

[knorris908]

  please post brief impressions of your new hd800 and t1(or is it t1 v2?) when you feel you have played enough with them.
 
i would like to hear about these brighter cans from someone who appreciates hd650's sound signature.
 
meanwhile happy waiting...

Sure thing!  I had already promised to do so in the iFi iDSD Micro thread.  And yes, these are the new T1 v2 set.  I'm really looking forward to it.  I have an interview for a position upgrade tomorrow, and the T1s should be waiting for me when I get back to my desk, so I'll either be celebrating a great interview, or listening to them as consolation for blowing it.    Either way, GOOD MUSIC and new cans to listen to it with!

 

[Arniesb]

Just receive my 650. Really interesting! I just found 600 sound wonderful with my tube amplifier and 650 sound wonderful with my SS amplifier. And 600 sounds bad with my SS amp. and 650 sounds bad with my tube amp.! When with each amplifier, I think 650 is a little bit better than 600. Both amplifiers are from Taobao, though both are reputed products. This two Senn. is really legend! I'll put Valhalla as my next aim to see how much potential I can dig from these two giants!
Any can recommand a great SS amplifier for 650? Thanks.

I never heard HD600, but i think it would be much better mach with tubes than HD650 also. While my A20 is too warm sometimes for my HD650, but HD600 would be perfect for it i guess. Many Tube amlifiers are warmer than A20, so i cant imagine how those can work with 650... I dont know... Maybe bright DAC can help? I

 

[yangian]

I never heard HD600, but i think it would be much better mach with tubes than HD650 also. While my A20 is too warm sometimes for my HD650, but HD600 would be perfect for it i guess. Many Tube amlifiers are warmer than A20, so i cant imagine how those can work with 650... I dont know... Maybe bright DAC can help? I

I think you are right. I also saw others said 600 better paired with tube amplifier. When I use my SS amp. with HD600, it sound harsh and dry. But with 650, oh man, it's sound so amazing. I just wonder where is so-called veiled from? So clean and clear and well-regulated! It's obviously better than 600 from my tube amplifier. But it's very possible my tube amplifier is not that good, though 600 still sounds great from it. Only realized it's not as good as 650 from my SS amp.

 

[knorris908]

  Just receive my 650. Really interesting! I just found 600 sound wonderful with my tube amplifier and 650 sound wonderful with my SS amplifier. And 600 sounds bad with my SS amp. and 650 sounds bad with my tube amp.! When with each amplifier, I think 650 is a little bit better than 600. Both amplifiers are from Taobao, though both are reputed products. This two Senn. is really legend! I'll put Valhalla as my next aim to see how much potential I can dig from these two giants!
Any can recommand a great SS amplifier for 650? Thanks.

Both "Mr Rick" and I agree that the Schiit ASGARD 2 sounds great with the HD-650s.  And while I don't own the Valhalla 2, "Mr Rick" goes on to report back that he doesn't hear the difference between the two and both sound equally-great.  (Which is an awesome thing for me to hear as an ASGARD 2 owner!)  

 
A portable amp solution (Battery-powered) that outputs PLENTY of power for my HD-650s and just falls short of the ASGARD 2, (Which is again saying something as the ASGARD is a mains-powered CLASS A amp!) in terms of enjoyment is my iFi iDSD Micro (NOT the iDSD Nano!  The Nano I hear is good too, but listeners all seem to agree that the Micro is clearly superior).  
 
Not "truly" portable, as it runs off mains power, is the iFi iCAN Micro.  It is another CLASS A amp that I find has great synergy with my HD-650s, and provides 99% of the enjoyment that I get from the ASGARD 2 when I listen to it "flat".  But then the iCAN also has a good bass boost and 3D set of features that are adjustable that offer an added degree of flexibility depending on my sources, genres, and especially what headphones I choose.  (The bass boost is a God-send with my AKG K550s, and makes them sound better than they ever do with my ASGARD 2!)  But, this is an HD-650 thread, so that might not be of value to you...

 

[cuiter23]

I want chime in and say that the Geek Out 720/1000 does an amazing job with the 650s as well. True class A power paired with a flagship sabre dac... that can be had nowadays for under $100USD

 

[yangian]

  Both "Mr Rick" and I agree that the Schiit ASGARD 2 sounds great with the HD-650s.  And while I don't own the Valhalla 2, "Mr Rick" goes on to report back that he doesn't hear the difference between the two and both sound equally-great.  (Which is an awesome thing for me to hear as an ASGARD 2 owner!)  

 
A portable amp solution (Battery-powered) that outputs PLENTY of power for my HD-650s and just falls short of the ASGARD 2, (Which is again saying something as the ASGARD is a mains-powered CLASS A amp!) in terms of enjoyment is my iFi iDSD Micro (NOT the iDSD Nano!  The Nano I hear is good too, but listeners all seem to agree that the Micro is clearly superior).  
 
Not "truly" portable, as it runs off mains power, is the iFi iCAN Micro.  It is another CLASS A amp that I find has great synergy with my HD-650s, and provides 99% of the enjoyment that I get from the ASGARD 2 when I listen to it "flat".  But then the iCAN also has a good bass boost and 3D set of features that are adjustable that offer an added degree of flexibility depending on my sources, genres, and especially what headphones I choose.  (The bass boost is a God-send with my AKG K550s, and makes them sound better than they ever do with my ASGARD 2!)  But, this is an HD-650 thread, so that might not be of value to you...

I took a look at spectrums of Asgards 2. Its power is much less than Valhalla2 and my amplifiers. But that's enough for 650 though. Thanks for the information!

 

[Arniesb]

I think you are right. I also saw others said 600 better paired with tube amplifier. When I use my SS amp. with HD600, it sound harsh and dry. But with 650, oh man, it's sound so amazing. I just wonder where is so-called veiled from? So clean and clear and well-regulated! It's obviously better than 600 from my tube amplifier. But it's very possible my tube amplifier is not that good, though 600 still sounds great from it. Only realized it's not as good as 650 from my SS amp.

I have Fiio e12 amp and Beyerdynamic A20 amp. A20 have sound like tube amp. Big bass extension and body, magical and natural mids. Almost perfection... Only that Highs can become Very lacking... Also high mids can often lack sparkle and this can ruin balance pretty much. Its like somedy would stole your tweeter. Now i completely understand that this amp is made For Beyer Tesla series... To add bass body, make mids less thin and make highs less energetic. While such amps are ideal for treble centric Cans. I don't get the the idea to make HD650 even less extended and warmer than it is should work??? Maybe realy bright dac should do magic??? My Fiio e12 while technically less capable, but it does not have many flaws with HD650. Except small stage, but upper mids and highs never lack as on A20... I guess even Very high end amps cant compete with cheap amps IF IT DOES NOT HAVE SAME SYNERGY...

 

[yangian]

I have Fiio e12 amp and Beyerdynamic A20 amp. A20 have sound like tube amp. Big bass extension and body, magical and natural mids. Almost perfection... Only that Highs can become Very lacking... Also high mids can often lack sparkle and this can ruin balance pretty much. Its like somedy would stole your tweeter. Now i completely understand that this amp is made For Beyer Tesla series... To add bass body, make mids less thin and make highs less energetic. While such amps are ideal for treble centric Cans. I don't get the the idea to make HD650 even less extended and warmer than it is should work??? Maybe realy bright dac should do magic??? My Fiio e12 while technically less capable, but it does not have many flaws with HD650. Except small stage, but upper mids and highs never lack as on A20... I guess even Very high end amps cant compete with cheap amps IF IT DOES NOT HAVE SAME SYNERGY...

Yeah. I have E12 too. I havn't try with 650. For 600, the main problem is soundstage.Otherwise, it's not bad at all.

 

[Arniesb]

Yeah. I have E12 too. I havn't try with 650. For 600, the main problem is soundstage.Otherwise, it's not bad at all.

What other ss you have? More neutral than Fiio e12?

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  i"m enjoying Sonny Rollins 'John S.' right now, the HD650 does Jazz very well, lovely midrange ..missed that a bit on my X2

My 650 makes even Glenn Gould sound good.
 
And his piano, too......
 

 

[abhishekSPS]

  I have owned both T1 and T1.2 and heard HD800 stock and with anaxmod many times. What do you wanna know?

i see that you have C-2 amp.
were you running your T1.2 and HD800 off C-2 ?
i am planning on getting Master 11 for HD800(/'S) or T1.2 (or HD650.... you see i am not really sure at this point and i have no way of auditioning them here in Inda)
few people on master 11 thread have reported very good pairing of hd800 with m11, heck even few have said its almost comparable to, if not better than zana deux.
since you have C-2 amp i understand HD800 or T1.2 should have had simillar sound signature to what will get from m11.
i am not really a fan of bright signature so i am not sure if i should rather go with HD650 but i am also a soundstage and imaging whore.
so i would like to know were the highs really very troublesome on HD800 with C-2.
how is the soundstage and imaging on HD650 compared to HD800 or even T1 ?