[Shane D]

Please keep me informed of your opinions vs the Grado! So far we are on the same page.

I will. I only use my headphones on the weekend, so it will take a while.

Shane D

PS: I am very happy with the amp listed in my signature. Wish it had an off switch though.

 

[PeteMtl]

Bottlehead Crack with speedball is tough to beat. Any good tube amp will fair pretty well. All the way from the Vali 2 to mega buck amps from Eddie Current and the like. Mjolnir 2 with a nice set of NOS tubes is quite nice. I think my personal favorite amp though for the 6xx would be the Questyle cma800r dual mono stack.

Remember the question that was asked: best bang for the buck for the 6xx... the question wasn’t the best bang for the 6xx... and given the principle of the diminishing returns when you pay more... I let you conclude by yourself...

 

[gardibolt]

What is the best bang-for-your-buck amp (tube or otherwise) in your, or any and everyone else's, opinion for the HD6XX?

Using the O2, and it's got plenty of power for the 6XX and sounds terrific without coloring the sound. Totally neutral and quiet and impossible to beat at that price point.

 

[Mateo Sanboval]

Using the O2, and it's got plenty of power for the 6XX and sounds terrific without coloring the sound. Totally neutral and quiet and impossible to beat at that price point.

I was just checking out the O2 earlier and saw there was a short tun of a matching DAC a while back. Anyone here get one of those?

 

[tracyrick]

K, I took the plunge and added myself to the Massdrop for March delivery. $199 is a no-brainer for finally adding this classic phone to my building collection. Now I need to decide on the amp...

Fiiio K5 vs. Magni 3
At first glance the Fiio K5 seems like the easy choice based on my X3ii source. Nice aesthetics and made for each other. However, going through K5 reviews, some people have problems using the docking connection. And the power of the K5 appears on the low side. I do not want to waste my money on a weak amp!

The Magni 3 looks to be superior to the K5. Lots more power so more future proof. Newer, kicked-up design so maybe better tech/layout/performance overall? And I can just use a 3.5mm>RCA cord to connect to my X3ii.

Anyone else comparing (or compared already) these two amps directly for driving the HD6XX?

If the K5 really is powerful enough, and the docking process works smoothly, it seems like the smart choice for an X3ii owner. But that Magni 3 is so tempting with those much higher power specs...

 

[Allanmarcus]

I've been enjoying the 6xx with my Bimby/MJ2 (Gumby as of today). Resolving enough to be very enjoyable. Resolving enough to make some songs mastered poorly (like Radioactive) sound like crap.

 

[swspiers]

Ha! Shipping notice for my 6XX. Just a few more days...

 

[MixMasterMan]

K, I took the plunge and added myself to the Massdrop for March delivery. $199 is a no-brainer for finally adding this classic phone to my building collection. Now I need to decide on the amp...

Fiiio K5 vs. Magni 3
At first glance the Fiio K5 seems like the easy choice based on my X3ii source. Nice aesthetics and made for each other. However, going through K5 reviews, some people have problems using the docking connection. And the power of the K5 appears on the low side. I do not want to waste my money on a weak amp!

The Magni 3 looks to be superior to the K5. Lots more power so more future proof. Newer, kicked-up design so maybe better tech/layout/performance overall? And I can just use a 3.5mm>RCA cord to connect to my X3ii.

Anyone else comparing (or compared already) these two amps directly for driving the HD6XX?

If the K5 really is powerful enough, and the docking process works smoothly, it seems like the smart choice for an X3ii owner. But that Magni 3 is so tempting with those much higher power specs...

Depending on how loud you like to listen and how much EQ you use, you may not need an amp. I can rock the HD6xx with my X3vii (and Note5), just fine. As an example, I can listen to Daft Punk's "RAM" album (a very well produced and mastered modern recording), at a very comfortable volume, at 115-120 on low gain with a very light smiley face EQ. On High Gain, you can get a more extreme Smiley or Bass/Treble boost with comfortably high volume, at 115-120. --- If you don't use EQ, then you can play even the quietest mastered commercial recordings, loud enough, on High Gain.

You'll need an external amp if you want to blast the 6xx's past say 80-85db with strong EQ'ing. For computer/sit down, I have/use a pro-audio interface (RME FF800) to feed a Samson QH4. The QH4 is the best headphone amp out of the 3 I have for my home studio (Big Knob, FF800 phone out, QH4). I tried a Magni 2, and didn't like it (too compressed/upper mid push/bass cut). I don't know how the Magni 3 compares, but for pure neutrality and uncompressed clean amplification, the QH4 is perfect, and has more than enough juice for 300 ohm cans with a ton of headroom to spare.

 

[Shane D]

Depending on how loud you like to listen and how much EQ you use, you may not need an amp. I can rock the HD6xx with my X3vii (and Note5), just fine. As an example, I can listen to Daft Punk's "RAM" album (a very well produced and mastered modern recording), at a very comfortable volume, at 115-120 on low gain with a very light smiley face EQ. On High Gain, you can get a more extreme Smiley or Bass/Treble boost with comfortably high volume, at 115-120. --- If you don't use EQ, then you can play even the quietest mastered commercial recordings, loud enough, on High Gain.

You'll need an external amp if you want to blast the 6xx's past say 80-85db with strong EQ'ing. For computer/sit down, I have/use a pro-audio interface (RME FF800) to feed a Samson QH4. The QH4 is the best headphone amp out of the 3 I have for my home studio (Big Knob, FF800 phone out, QH4). I tried a Magni 2, and didn't like it (too compressed/upper mid push/bass cut). I don't know how the Magni 3 compares, but for pure neutrality and uncompressed clean amplification, the QH4 is perfect, and has more than enough juice for 300 ohm cans with a ton of headroom to spare.

I would have to, respectfully, disagree. With the HD650/HD6XX, I could not hear anything from an iPod Classic. I also tried my Sony NWZ A17 and my Note 4. I could hear some sound, but it was VERY underwhelming. Lest you think I am a kid trying to go deaf, my iPod Classic is is always around 60% volume and my Sony is usually on 12, out of 30 and I am 57 years old.

I never saw the use for amps, but I must admt that I was wrong. I bought an iFi Micro iCAN SE and am very happy. I wanted something that could give a little bass, although I am far from a bass head. It has two options: X Bass and 3D sound and it has two levels of each. In my opinion, and I know everybody is different...:
1) Does not improve the Meze 99 Classic
2) Improves the Grado SR325E with minimal bass and minimal 3D (although I find the Grado a little harsh/bright. Fun though.)
3) Improves the Oppo PM3 with minimal bass and 3D. Seems to fill the sound out more. Still sounds more "closed" than open phones (Duh!!)
4) For my VERY new HD6xx phones, it seems to improve them with minimal bass and maximum 3D.

Keep in mind that I am an old guy and in no way an audiophile, although music is one of the loves of my life. Lots of rock, with some pop and some horn based jazz.

I really wish Head-Fi had a place where you could post your music collection. It would really give us a better idea of what people hear/like. If you knew a reviewer, or poster, matched your music choices to the point of 80%, 85%, 90% you would give their recommendations more weight, until proven wrong. Not to crap on audiophiles, but I am more interested in how Dave Matthews, Seether, Steely Dan, Florence amd the Machine, Trombone Shorty, Kamasi Washington, classic horn jazz and classic rock sound than any classical, piano/guitar/vocal jazz group, metal or hip hop sound. Just an opinion.

Shane D

 

[MixMasterMan]

I would have to, respectfully, disagree. With the HD650/HD6XX, I could not hear anything from an iPod Classic. I also tried my Sony NWZ A17 and my Note 4. I could hear some sound, but it was VERY underwhelming. Lest you think I am a kid trying to go deaf, my iPod Classic is is always around 60% volume and my Sony is usually on 12, out of 30 and I am 57 years old.

I never saw the use for amps, but I must admt that I was wrong. I bought an iFi Micro iCAN SE and am very happy. I wanted something that could give a little bass, although I am far from a bass head. It has two options: X Bass and 3D sound and it has two levels of each. In my opinion, and I know everybody is different...:
1) Does not improve the Meze 99 Classic
2) Improves the Grado SR325E with minimal bass and minimal 3D (although I find the Grado a little harsh/bright. Fun though.)
3) Improves the Oppo PM3 with minimal bass and 3D. Seems to fill the sound out more. Still sounds more "closed" than open phones (Duh!!)
4) For my VERY new HD6xx phones, it seems to improve them with minimal bass and maximum 3D.

Keep in mind that I am an old guy and in no way an audiophile, although music is one of the loves of my life. Lots of rock, with some pop and some horn based jazz.

I really wish Head-Fi had a place where you could post your music collection. It would really give us a better idea of what people hear/like. If you knew a reviewer, or poster, matched your music choices to the point of 80%, 85%, 90% you would give their recommendations more weight, until proven wrong. Not to crap on audiophiles, but I am more interested in how Dave Matthews, Seether, Steely Dan, Trombone Shorty, Kamasi Washington, classic horn jazz and classic rock sound than any classical, piano/guitar/vocal jazz group, metal or hip hop sound. Just an opinion.

Shane D

Shane, I was talking about a specific device. The Fiio X3vii. That device is louder than an ipod, and WAY louder than any candybar Sony Walkman (I have 4 models from E & A series). The Note5 may be louder than a Note4, but I dont know. For an ipod or sony walkman, you WILL need an amp. I agree with you.

 

[Shane D]

Fair enough MixMaster. With the tools available, they didn't work for me. They are now competing (with the amp) for a long term place in my home.

Shane D

 

[MixMasterMan]

Fair enough MixMaster. With the tools available, they didn't work for me. They are now competing (with the amp) for a long term place in my home.

Shane D

Btw, I just broke out my old ipod 5th gen "video" (the one right before the "classic"), to test on the 6xx. I used that unit as my reference in my prior post. I forgot to mention, that I have all of the files on the unit, gain staged down about 8-10db, if I remember correctly. I used a program called "mp3 gain". Where I use average "album gain" to adjust the files per album/folder. Those ipods (up to the "classic" at least) do not level compensate for EQ presets, and will distort almost all post 1997 (hotly mastered) audio music files with any EQ preset that boosts (Rock, Latin, etc). Even with all my files gain staged down, I can get a comfortably loud volume on the 6xx at around 85-100%. An amp will def help, of course, but if you don't volume hack your files to be maximized for optimum playability on an ipod, then an amp, again, may not be necessary. I use EQ, so I would need an amp with those ipod's to get the most out of them. Again, it depends on how loud you want to listen, and how much sonic quality you are ok with accepting or trying to wring out. - All of the devices we've mentioned will sonically benefit from additional/separate amplification, but you (or at least "I") can def get away with listening portable with just my X3 & Note5.

 

[Tuneslover]

Btw, I just broke out my old ipod 5th gen "video" (the one right before the "classic"), to test on the 6xx. I used that unit as my reference in my prior post. I forgot to mention, that I have all of the files on the unit, gain staged down about 8-10db, if I remember correctly. I used a program called "mp3 gain". Where I use average "album gain" to adjust the files per album/folder. Those ipods (up to the "classic" at least) do not level compensate for EQ presets, and will distort almost all post 1997 (hotly mastered) audio music files with any EQ preset that boosts (Rock, Latin, etc). Even with all my files gain staged down, I can get a comfortably loud volume on the 6xx at around 85-100%. An amp will def help, of course, but if you don't volume hack your files to be maximized for optimum playability on an ipod, then an amp, again, may not be necessary. I use EQ, so I would need an amp with those ipod's to get the most out of them. Again, it depends on how loud you want to listen, and how much sonic quality you are ok with accepting or trying to wring out. - All of the devices we've mentioned will sonically benefit from additional/separate amplification, but you (or at least "I") can def get away with listening portable with just my X3 & Note5.

Amplification isn't just about loudness. It's about sound quality too, especially when it comes to a demanding headphone like the HD650/6XX to be driven to it's potential. These headphones will "scale up" the quality of your sound with better amplification.

 

[ricksome]

Just received my 6XX today. Only had 10 minutes to listen. Driving 6XX with Schiit Fulla. Plenty of power for me. I am no headbanger !!! Definitely has the Sennheiser Veil !!! Definitely worth the asking price of $200.00

I am listening to mp3's off of the computer. Most at 192bps.

Considering my source, this is end game for me (open headphones) and Sony MDR-V6 in the closed department. Big shout out to Jude for his published reviews on both headphones. I used that as a guide.

 

[SomeTechNoob]

Watch out, the HD 6XX only grows on you with time! Was bothered by the veil at first, but then the midrange kicks in and it's forgiveable.