[Jones Bob]

I use my Kiss modded HD6xx out of the stock DAC dongle fron my iPhone XR.

I can enjoyably listen to the combo for hours. Especially when streaming uncompressed files from Tidal and Qubuz.

The only thing is even at full volume, it is OK, but not quite there on volume. If it only had a few more clicks.....

I’ve tried other amps (tube and SS), but not happy with the results. The other day I had a brainstorm. I have had a pair of Dave Slage’s AVCs (Autotransformer Volume Control) setting in a box for years. I can get gain with them if I wire the taps properly. With a doubling of output voltage, will give a gain in volume of +6dB. Source to load impedance matching will be good. All done without an active circuit.

Waiting for some male and female 1/8 TRS connectors to arrive, then I can solder it all up to see how it sounds.

 

[Tuneslover]

I'm one of the people that says the HD 650/6XX don't need a ton of power or voltage to sound their best. I listen happily directly out of my '14 MacBook Air and the FiiO E12A gives me a little more leeway in the volume knob. I can't hear a difference between those and my Peachtree amp, which is capable of almost 200mW into 300Ω (which will get the HD 650 well into hearing-damage-within-seconds territory). My Samsung S9 and Dragonfly Red get loud enough, but don't sound quite as good.
... And I think that's where people start to think that they need more power/voltage: they listen on a low powered amp that doesn't sound very good (even if it sounds good with other, lower impedance headphones; e.g., the DFR sounded great with IEMs) and they assume that it's the lack of power that they don't like. They're not considering that there are other factors that contribute to the headphones' sounding good or bad.
All that more power does is make a headphone louder.
Louder is perceived as sounding "better," which is another reason people have this misconception, since more powerful amps get louder sooner with less adjusting the volume knob.

So, not all amps are created equal, but all power does is make things louder.

My advice is to try them out on your MacBook and iDevices and see how you like it. If you like it, awesome! Apple stuff has pretty good audio quality, so no need to rush to upgrade (of course, you can if you want; I have no desire to dissuade you). If it's not quite doing it for you, then you need to figure out if it's that you don't like the headphones or if you want a different amp.

If you ever go to a meet bring your 650’s along and try it on various amps varying in power & cost.

 

[megabigeye]

If you ever go to a meet bring your 650’s along and try it on various amps varying in power & cost.

I'm not denying that they may sound different, but that the difference is due to voltage/power. There are many other variables at play, like topology, components quality, etc. Insisting that the differences are caused by power is ignoring the fact that two completely different amps are being compared. It's like thinking the only difference between an F1 car and a Camry is the horsepower.

 

[Tuneslover]

I'm not denying that they may sound different, but that the difference is due to voltage/power. There are many other variables at play, like topology, components quality, etc. Insisting that the differences are caused by power is ignoring the fact that two completely different amps are being compared. It's like thinking the only difference between an F1 car and a Camry is the horsepower.

All true. However do yourself a favour and do check out other amps too.

 

[penmarker]

Just ordered the hd6xx ... (currently using sony wh-1000xm3) I am very confused: been reading all day about wether to get an amp or not!
Some people say not worth it, they're loud enough, others will say it's not just about volume.
Eyed the Fiio Q1 because I don't want something big in my way but apparently not powerful enough.
Saw other nice amps (hip-dac, nx4) but there's always someone saying it sucks.
I will be using these headphones mostly on my iPhone 8 (I have the ananol to lightning apple dongle), iPad pro 2017 or Macbook Air 2020.

Can someone recommend that's compact and powerful enough for a very Apple orientated user?

thanks

Hey man, just to quote something I saw a long time ago, "Don't worry about it yet."

Get the headphones, listen to them. Feel and understand every nuance and every beat. If it makes your toes tap and your butt wiggle, skip the amp. More money for CDs then.

 

[gazzington]

Quite liking my 650 with hugo 2. Nice clear but warm sound

 

[gooeyrich]

 

[Philimon]

6XX driver switched with HD580 for the larger headband.

 

[Brubacca]

Just ordered the HD6xx to go with my Schiit Asgard 2 and Gumby DAC. I'm told this is a combination that should start me into affordable high end sound. Should have in October. Can't wait to listen.

 

[rfernand]

Just ordered the HD6xx to go with my Schiit Asgard 2 and Gumby DAC. I'm told this is a combination that should start me into affordable high end sound. Should have in October. Can't wait to listen.

For a lot of folks, this is endgame (Not kidding). You’ll be very happy

 

[r08zy]

For a lot of folks, this is endgame (Not kidding). You’ll be very happy

Agreed, I love my 650s on my Vali2 and Mimby so I imagine you will be pleased

 

[Brubacca]

For a lot of folks, this is endgame (Not kidding). You’ll be very happy

The DAC is from my now dismantled speaker based system. If I were starting fresh with no gear I'd be much further down the DAC chain. Modius or Mimby would be more my financial speed these days.

I guess I could sell some of my Speaker based system although I'm trying to figure out how to get it integrated into our TV system without pissing everyone off.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

The DAC is from my now dismantled speaker based system. If I were starting fresh with no gear I'd be much further down the DAC chain. Modius or Mimby would be more my financial speed these days.

I guess I could sell some of my Speaker based system although I'm trying to figure out how to get it integrated into our TV system without pissing everyone off.

I've been using my new used Asgard 2 with my HD650's and love the pairing. Also using a Modius now but have owned a Modi multibit, Bifrost multibit, Modi 3, and Bifrost 4490. Really like the Modius.
I don't know if you believe in burning in equipment but my Asgard 2 was basically unused when I bought it. The previous owner said he hadn't even played it enough to break it in. At first I wasn't sure I was going like it because it sounded a little harsh, for lack of a better word. I've been playing it nonstop about 10 hours a day for five days and I can hear a difference. Harshness is gone and definitely has a big, fuller sound. I don't have any concerns about the heat that this gives off, it's a class A amp. I've owned a lot of different solid state and tube amps, preamps, and integrated amps over the last 50 years, no problem with this amp being overly hot.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I just got custom built Bottlehead Crack + Speedball + Upgraded Caps and Pots in the mail today. Hooked it up to my laptop running Spotify with a Schiit Modi Mutlibit DAC into Amp with my Sennheiser HD 650. I love this sound. The sound stage is great. It maintains its warm sound signature with much more natural sounding instruments and vocals. Much clearer and detailed sound. The old veil is mostly gone. I don't like a bright sound because it hurts my ears. So, this is about as good as I could have expected. Definitely a huge upgrade over my Chord Mojo. I don't care if you know anything about music. Anyone can tell this is an incredibly good sound. I never thought you could create this sound for $1500.

I tested it with every type of music from Michael Jackson Speed Demon to test the bass, to Superman and Star Wars to Classical Guitar and Jazz and the Eagles and more. Everything I like to listen to sounds great. I think this combination excels with Jazz and classical guitar. I couldn't be happier.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Just ordered the hd6xx ... (currently using sony wh-1000xm3) I am very confused: been reading all day about wether to get an amp or not!
Some people say not worth it, they're loud enough, others will say it's not just about volume.
Eyed the Fiio Q1 because I don't want something big in my way but apparently not powerful enough.
Saw other nice amps (hip-dac, nx4) but there's always someone saying it sucks.
I will be using these headphones mostly on my iPhone 8 (I have the ananol to lightning apple dongle), iPad pro 2017 or Macbook Air 2020.

Can someone recommend that's compact and powerful enough for a very Apple orientated user?

thanks

You are exactly where I was a couple months ago. I had Airpod Pros and Bose QC35IIs, but I wasn't satisfied with the sound. I did some research and determined that I wanted the Sennheiser HD 650 headphones. I learned that a DAC/AMP would improve the sound quality, so my first purchase was a DragonFly Red. I connected it directly to my laptop and iPhone with a camera dongle. I was blown away at the sound. Really great sound for a little over $500 total (This was before I learned about the Mass 6XX sale going on now).

I kept reading and learned about the Chord Mojo. I picked one up cheaply on eBay and I loved that sound even more than the DragonFly Red. I was planning on using the Chord Mojo as a desktop DAC and the DragonFly Red for mobile. Then, I wanted an even more mobile solution so I purchased Shure se846 cheap on ebay and a FIIO BTR5 Bluetooth DAC from Amazon. To feed my addiction, I got a Bottlehead Crack paired with a Schiit Modi Multibit DAC just yesterday. My wife thinks I am crazy, but I guess that just makes me a true audiophile.

So let me compare and contrast the DACs.

The best mobile solution for use with the HD650 headphones would be the DragonFly Red. That's because it has sufficient power and is very easy to connect to your laptop or iPhone. Since it is powered by the laptop or iPhone/iPad, fewest number of cables. But since your iphone or iPad only has one port, you need a separate cable to charge the iPhone or Ipad, but you can get a dongle that allows you to connect the DAC and power.

The FIIO BTR5 is good for my Shure IEMs, but I find it a bit underpowered to drive the HD 650s. I prefer the sound signature of the DragonFly Red over the FIIO BTR5 because I prefer a warmer sound. The FIIO BTR5 is more neutral and clear and lacks bass punch and warmth. But it is a perfect match with my Shure se846s with the black filters.

The best mobile sound is with the Chord Mojo. I will use it as a travelling desktop set up. Wherever I set up my laptop, that is where the Chord Mojo and my headphone stand goes. It requires a lot of cables, it's heavy and gets very hot. But it sounds great.

By far the best sound for me is my permanent home listening solution which is the Bottlehead Crack with Speedball, Cap and Pots upgrades. This combination produces truly glorious sound.

For me, this is not over kill because I like all of the different sound signatures and I have specific use cases for all of the combinations.