[SilverEars]

   
 
 
they put a $2 IC in a $1600 amp

That's the case with pretty much all SS devices, component prices are not too expensive.   What the amp is worth is whatever to whoever bought it. Somebody can buy a $5K PS Audio DS DAC that doesn't measure well, and think it sounds good, it's a good source to them. The output impedance of the amp will not play nice with CIEM, but if the skewed unintended response sounds good, it sounds good.  

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Exactly

 

[ruthieandjohn]

they put a $2 IC in a $1600 amp

OUCWUTADIDTHAR!!!!

 

[Priidik]

Originally Posted by OICWUTUDIDTHAR /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
they put a $2 IC in a $1600 amp

And its not 2$, for that you can get cheap chinese silicone.
 
True, sum of its parts is not going to be 1600$

 

[62ohm]

If the sum of component cost is equal to the selling price then how are they going to make a profit? Just like any tech stuff (smartphones, TVs and stuff) we're not paying for the component cost, but we're paying for their R&D.

 

[Uncle AL]

Looking forward to a complete review.  Sennheiser has set everyone's expectations pretty high, so will be good for hands-on impression of the pairing with HD800s, HD650s and other headphones.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Hey cool name uncle al. That's my name at least some who know me personnel . Lamo. Anyway the amp is really good with most headphones I tried. Very neutral and very clean. It shows me what's really going on .
Al

 

[Uncle AL]

Hey cool name uncle al. That's my name at least some who know me personnel . Lamo. Anyway the amp is really good with most headphones I tried. Very neutral and very clean. It shows me what's really going on .
Al

To the other Al.. Appreciate the thumbnail impression of the HDVD800 chractersistics and performance.  Have you tested it with HD800 and HD650 cans?

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Do you know the bear in the woods saying.
And in SE and bal as well. I highly recommend the amp.

 

[thomascrown]

they put a $2 IC in a $1600 amp

Same happens with every electronic device on the market, iPhone in primis.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  To the other Al.. Appreciate the thumbnail impression of the HDVD800 chractersistics and performance.  Have you tested it with HD800 and HD650 cans?

I have both the HD 800 and the HDVD 800, though I am still awaiting the construction of a balanced cable to replace the stock Sennheiser single-ended cable that comes with the HD 800.
 
I have VERY little to compare to, so it is hard / impossible for me to compare this combination to other amps for the HD 800.
 
That said, the sound of the pair is excellent.  One hears concerns that the HD 800 can have sibilant or shouty trebles, particularly on less-than-great recordings.  I have not observed that at all.
 
Others worry that the HD 800 is rather weak in the bass, at least compared to something like the Audeze LCD2, 2.2, 3, X, ...  I have found the HD-HDVD 800 pairing to be ACCURATE in bass representation, presenting a natural source such as an orchestra with the same amount of bass you would expect in a live concert.  It is of course hard to comment on amplified sources, as their bass level seems to depend upon the tastes of the engineer with that particular knob in his hand.
 
I have tried the HDVD 800 on the HD 650 as well.  More importantly, the owner of the HD 650 has tried it  (better, because he can compare it to whatever he is accustomed to driving his HD 650 with).  Again, the results are superb.  He reports great satisfaction with it.
 
I have also tried the HDVD 800 on various Grado headphones.  Since their input impedance is so much lower (32 ohms) than the nominal input impedance of the HD 800 for which the HDVD 800 was designed (300 ohms), this could be an issue.
 
It is not.  Sounds good to me.  But more importantly, the HDVD 800, despite its 43 ohm (or thereabouts) output impedance, as heard by a person more experienced in listening than me (for example, he found flaws in my beloved Grados!!), sounded very good and better than the Sony PHA-1, which is a portable DAC/amp that directly decodes the iPod connector digital stream (no small feat... it is not the same as USB!).
 
Sound will only get better when my balanced cable becomes part of the signal chain, but I can state so far not only complete satisfaction but pure delight in the combination.  The ONLY time I have heard it fall the tiniest bit short of something else is when I played the rock version of Carmina Burana by Ray Manzarek.  Grados, known for their excellence with rock guitar, actually give a better sound for this piece (in my opinion, of course) - more transparent, more "you are there."  This excellence of the Grados on this piece persists whether you run them through the HDVD 800, the Sony PHA-1, or direct from the iPod headphone output.

 

[Uncle AL]

 
I have both the HD 800 and the HDVD 800, though I am still awaiting the construction of a balanced cable to replace the stock Sennheiser single-ended cable that comes with the HD 800.
 
I have VERY little to compare to, so it is hard / impossible for me to compare this combination to other amps for the HD 800.
 
That said, the sound of the pair is excellent.  One hears concerns that the HD 800 can have sibilant or shouty trebles, particularly on less-than-great recordings.  I have not observed that at all.
 
Others worry that the HD 800 is rather weak in the bass, at least compared to something like the Audeze LCD2, 2.2, 3, X, ...  I have found the HD-HDVD 800 pairing to be ACCURATE in bass representation, presenting a natural source such as an orchestra with the same amount of bass you would expect in a live concert.  It is of course hard to comment on amplified sources, as their bass level seems to depend upon the tastes of the engineer with that particular knob in his hand.
 
I have tried the HDVD 800 on the HD 650 as well.  More importantly, the owner of the HD 650 has tried it  (better, because he can compare it to whatever he is accustomed to driving his HD 650 with).  Again, the results are superb.  He reports great satisfaction with it.
 
I have also tried the HDVD 800 on various Grado headphones.  Since their input impedance is so much lower (32 ohms) than the nominal input impedance of the HD 800 for which the HDVD 800 was designed (300 ohms), this could be an issue.
 
It is not.  Sounds good to me.  But more importantly, the HDVD 800, despite its 43 ohm (or thereabouts) output impedance, as heard by a person more experienced in listening than me (for example, he found flaws in my beloved Grados!!), sounded very good and better than the Sony PHA-1, which is a portable DAC/amp that directly decodes the iPod connector digital stream (no small feat... it is not the same as USB!).
 
Sound will only get better when my balanced cable becomes part of the signal chain, but I can state so far not only complete satisfaction but pure delight in the combination.  The ONLY time I have heard it fall the tiniest bit short of something else is when I played the rock version of Carmina Burana by Ray Manzarek.  Grados, known for their excellence with rock guitar, actually give a better sound for this piece (in my opinion, of course) - more transparent, more "you are there."  This excellence of the Grados on this piece persists whether you run them through the HDVD 800, the Sony PHA-1, or direct from the iPod headphone output.

Appreciate the first-hand impression, especially when it comes to comparison with both HD800 and HD650 cans.  I have been used to tube amps, of late, so consideration of the HDVD800 would be a departure with its neutral response, compared to the warmer tendancies of the paired combination of the HD650 and LD MK IV SE that I am used to.  I can see how the clarity and larger soundstage of the HD800s should work well with the chracteristics of the HDVD800, as you described them.
 
There is so much discussion floating around about the HD800 and HDVD800, especially by those who do not have first-hand knowledge.  Your comments help dispell some of these assumptions, and it provides hope as I consider options.
Thanks, kayandjohn 

 

[jagwap]

It's less than $2 in quantity, but there are two of them, so thats better.

It's a really good headphone amp at high impedances, not just an opamp. However I would have expected a discrete transistor design at this price.

 

[OICWUTUDIDTHAR]

It's less than $2 in quantity, but there are two of them, so thats better.

It's a really good headphone amp at high impedances, not just an opamp. However I would have expected a discrete transistor design at this price.

 
 
this is my point, im not debating the merits of opamps performance, they are obviously fantastic, but when your charging 1600 for an amp, the budget is their for a discrete design. if I wanted a op amps I could a similar product for much less.

 

[Priidik]

However I would have expected a discrete transistor design at this price.

I  was hoping that as well, my last hope was destroyed when you opened the pandora-sink