[ALRAINBOW]

As I am selling some stuff , I was thinking of giving the amp a try. It's a small foot print and not that expensive. It is supposed to be a kick ass speaker amp.
Too. I would like to do a sample of one if I knew someone who had one and borough it for a week or two.

Al

 

[Gary in MD]

  Hey Gary,
 
I'd forgotten that you have two TBI resistor boxes. The HD650 can be really surprising on the right system.
 
My MG3's (concrete) resistor network continues to dissappoint me.  When I use the HD650 to compare the headphone out of the Bushmaster MkII with the MG3 > resistor box (concrete), I can readily detect a loss of dynamics and to a lesser degree, a loss of resolution.  Perhaps the Mills resistors would improve matters, but I've pretty much retired my MG3 to permanent duty as a speaker amp, where I'm thrilled with its performance.  
 
Meanwhile, the Bushmaster MkII > iBasso PB2 Pelican, equipped with Muses02 op-amps and dummy buffers, is working great for both the LCD-2 and HD800 - though still not ideal for the HD800 - the fault of the headphone, not the amps I've thrown at it.  
 
It's amazing that, after several headphone amps and speaker amps, I'm settling in on a $250 DAC/amp and a $325 portable amp (with $167 worth of op-amps) as my favorite desktop system (albeit with a $650 Concerto as USB-to-SPDIF convertor, but there are much less expensive options that would likely nearly as well - like the HiFiMeDIY USB DAC and SPDIF Converter).
 
Enjoy your Mills resistors - and thanks for the tip - I'll remember to go with Mills wirewound in the future.
 
Mike

Mike:
 
I don't know that the Mills resistors will address the loss of resolution/dynamics you are hearing, since they are the same values as the concrete resistors.  I don't hear these particular problems with my Senns using the Millenia, but I'm driving the TBI amp using the AC brick, and I haven't really tried the cans with many other amps for comparison.  I'll try them with the Yulong DA-8 HP amp later to see if I hear any differences. 
 
I might also have to risk $250 on a Bushmaster.  At worst it is certainly better than a laptop DAC, so I could use it at work...

 

[brunk]

 
Mike:
 
I don't know that the Mills resistors will address the loss of resolution/dynamics you are hearing, since they are the same values as the concrete resistors.  I don't hear these particular problems with my Senns using the Millenia, but I'm driving the TBI amp using the AC brick, and I haven't really tried the cans with many other amps for comparison.  I'll try them with the Yulong DA-8 HP amp later to see if I hear any differences. 
 
I might also have to risk $250 on a Bushmaster.  At worst it is certainly better than a laptop DAC, so I could use it at work...

 

[preproman]

  From what I've heard the HD800 tend to just not respond well to speaker amps. It works well with orthos though. 
 
Someone with more experience than I will contribute, but I'd be very careful.

 
I pulled this quote from the first page.  
 
In my setup - I don't find this to be the case at all.  The HD800s are responding very well to the F1J.  
 
How many others are using the HD800 with some kind of speaker amp - what's your impressions?  
 
I'm now spending a lot of time with this combo and finding them to pair really well.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I have used four speaker amps.
The woo WA 5
The aragon 8008 BB
THE krell kav 400 xi
And the david halfler dh220
As they all sound really good I prefer the wa5 the least of the speaker amps.
Al

 

[preproman]

I have used four speaker amps.
The woo WA 5
The aragon 8008 BB
THE krell kav 400 xi
And the david halfler dh220
As they all sound really good I prefer the wa5 the least of the speaker amps.
Al

 
Your talking about with the HD800s?

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Yes am I in the wrong thread sorry I am doing many things at once and not good at that for sure unless I am well cafenated LOL
al

 

[preproman]

NO your in the write one.  I'm asking for those who are using the HD800s with speaker amps.  If you are - what are your impressions?

 

[Armaegis]

It's amazing that, after several headphone amps and speaker amps, I'm settling in on a $250 DAC/amp and a $325 portable amp (with $167 worth of op-amps) as my favorite desktop system (albeit with a $650 Concerto as USB-to-SPDIF convertor, but there are much less expensive options that would likely nearly as well - like the HiFiMeDIY USB DAC and SPDIF Converter).
 

 
I went from a $1.3k Wadia121 down to a $300 Echo2 pro audio dac for my HE-6. Amp-wise, I had settled on my Nuforce Icon2 for a while due to it's combination of sound and form factor (it's hard to beat a compact class D amp for that). Currently enjoying some class-A monoblocks which best it in sound quality, but they take up more space.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Truth be told I think the hd800 is better with SS amps overall. It faster and has more details with staging. I think this is why I like the hdvd800. With them. Now I do not use the dac in the senn unit . I just bought it that way hoping for the best. The dac is fine but not in the class of the amp. The amp,is 9 out of ten the dac is 5 at best. It is a bright and detailed dac but to over digitiseng the sound .
The other amps just sound really good with the hd800 and makes then closer to the HE 6 and the STAX 009. But still the HE 6 just has the coloring to mAke the music more engaging.
Ps I did not use any resisters with the comparison. As the dac I have has aVC I it .
Al

 

[brunk]

Yes am I in the wrong thread sorry I am doing many things at once and not good at that for sure unless I am well cafenated LOL
al

You sound like me Al 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I think that makes us extremist,s and I like the club. I have the hdpr10 dac it's really good but I use an amp with it the pb2 just to get the last bit of goodness from my CIEM,s

Well,I like the club you can be el presidente.

Al

 

[brunk]

My Audio-GD Master-1 preamp is in Cincinnati already. I can't wait to receive it! 

 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Used or new ? And why not an M9 instead if new

Al

 

[brunk]

Used or new ? And why not an M9 instead if new

Al

Brand new. I didn't go for the Master-9 because i don't need yet another headphone amp, plus the Master-1 is still the better design for a preamp. They are similar, but I wanted a dedicated preamp.
 
EDIT: and the extra $350 I'll be saving is going towards populating Aleph J and F4 boards