[DefQon]

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Yeah - I thought you had them.  I was just saying they should scale pretty good.  Going from SE to Balanced.

Yeh indeed they do, I chose to terminate my 600 cable to SE is because I use them for gaming and I want the least amount of cable length from my ears to my desktop. Also I've run out of wires to make a cable as well, so that's a factor too.
 
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I can't claim that there is gear that won't get you to these places... but none of the gear I've had made the LCD-2 Rev1/Rev2 muffled, congested, shelved or too dark.  On the 'wrong' amp or dac they can be laid back though.  One of my main complaints of the LCD-3 is that it's too passive.
 
I have found other cans too bright though.  If you find the HD800 neutral, the LCD-2 are dark.  If the LCD-2 is neutral, then the HD800 is bright

 
I stated it a while ago in this thread but with certain fast paced electronic music even some fast paced classical waltz, my modded rev.1 and a late batch rev.2 I had on hand both sounded congested and lost, the separation of instruments was not present and sometimes the notes sounded  too slightly smeared. Chris_Himself agreed with me also, especially when his HD800 came. Gear being used was my V100 and a loaned V181, a Burson 160 amp/dac, RWA LCD2 edition, 3 types of B22 and my LD MK VI (a WA22 destroyer), cables used was my balanced Crystal Piccolino and a wide range of various genre music.
 
I don't find the LCD2's rev.1 too dark, more so laid-back (both context are the same) and although the HD800 has a peaky treble it can sound bright with the wrong gear but yet again the HD800 is extremely finicky with amplification. With my current gear I don't find my HD800 bright at all.

 

[Solude]

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ECBA / PWD2 + HD800 + Q Copper Cable = Problem begins..

 
Fixed  I'm out of the tube game and Q will only do earrings now  But an SS amp with monster bass is hard to come by.  Before too many people blink, with tubes you can swap in a tube with rolled top where the SS amp with great bass is also likely flat well past the audible range.

 

[preproman]

 
I decided not to go the tube route as well.  I guess it's the B22, GS-X, Dynahi and the Statement when ever it comes..
 
O - wait a minute.  Did I just forget about this furness I got in.. You want bass.  F1J all the way.

 

[DefQon]

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You want bass.  F1J all the way.

 
Speaker taps for the LCD2?

 Or via a dummy load adapter?

 

[preproman]

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Speaker taps for the LCD2?

 Or via a dummy load adapter?

 
 
Oh damn.  My bad.  I don't use the LCDs on the speaker amp.  Strictly for the HE-6

 

[preproman]

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LD MK VI (a WA22 destroyer)

 

 
What you talken about Willis?

 

[Solude]

If I stay First Watt I'll stick with the F3 for it's higher output voltage into the HD800 /facepalm  Not even sure the F1J would work with a Senn since the output impedance is high because it's supposed to be 'infinitely higher than the driver'.  Pass apparently considers 60/8 infinite but probably wouldn't consider 60/600.  Though I don't know quite enough about the topology to shoot it down outright.

 

[DefQon]

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Oh damn.  My bad.  I don't use the LCDs on the speaker amp.  Strictly for the HE-6

lol was about to say. 
 
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What you talken about Willis?

The LD MK VI+ maybe limited for what it does (working flawlessly with few headphones), it run's laps around the WA22 which to my ears is nothing special except exceptional build quality and brand recognition.
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If I stay First Watt I'll stick with the F3 for it's higher output voltage into the HD800 /facepalm  Not even sure the F1J would work with a Senn since the output impedance is high because it's supposed to be 'infinitely higher than the driver'.  Pass apparently considers 60/8 infinite but probably wouldn't consider 60/600.  Though I don't know quite enough about the topology to shoot it down outright.

 
Dynamic drivers don't require near the amount of current speakers and orthos drivers require, I've read reports that if you run dynamic transducers on speaker taps your going to blow the tranny of the amp and possibility of killing the drivers itself. You wire up resistors to match the ohms that you want to ouput from the taps or can you build yourself a dummy load adapter.

 

[preproman]

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If I stay First Watt I'll stick with the F3 for it's higher output voltage into the HD800 /facepalm  Not even sure the F1J would work with a Senn since the output impedance is high because it's supposed to be 'infinitely higher than the driver'.  Pass apparently considers 60/8 infinite but probably wouldn't consider 60/600.  Though I don't know quite enough about the topology to shoot it down outright.

 
 
Yeah - The F1J is a active current source.  It's really a 2 channel transconductance amp (Perfect for Orthos).  This one was upgraded with SJDPR110 JFETS.

 

[Solude]

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I've read reports that if you run dynamic transducers on speaker taps your going to blow the tranny of the amp and possibility of killing the drivers itself. You wire up resistors to match the ohms that you want to ouput from the taps or can you build yourself a dummy load adapter.

 
I think this is old school tube talk.  A solid state output likely doesn't care until you are pulling either too much voltage or current.  Chances of pulling too much current are near zero, voltage though... do able.  On technicals the F3 puts out less power into the LCD-2 than the B22 but is biased at 2.5A and not 320mA

 

[DefQon]

So should I connect my HD800 via speaker taps to my 2x80watt integrated tube amplifier?
 
I'm not sure if it applies to only to old school tube amp's but I've followed a few threads from diyaudio where a certain user wanted to connect up his headphones, it was mentioned that if the transducers aren't able to take the load current from the speaker taps of the integrated amp, the remaining current which has no where to go, could end up smoking the tranny's first. Like trying to twist a cap on a shaken bottle of coke. Unless resistors in series with matching ohms are soldered to the tap area or a dummy load made, then you can use or make headphone outs for headphone use.

 

[Solude]

Old school as in output transformers.  The tap used on the transformer is matched to the load.  That's why some have 4/8/16 taps.  Not sure how it works on OTL as far as what load it will play nice with.
 
Solid state shouldn't care but let's be honest here... using a speaker amp to run a headphone is for the truly lost.  But I got a good price so, meh

 

[DefQon]

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Solid state shouldn't care but let's be honest here... using a speaker amp to run a headphone is for the truly lost.  

 Would you say this applies to the HE-500/6 user's running their can's off speaker taps?

 

[Solude]

It was said in jest.  In part because the LCD-2 that I use is stupid loud at 1mW let alone the many W you can get out of a headphone amp now a days.  And unless you get a good one, it might not even be class A to that point.  So it's more about knowing what the speaker amp brings than its power rating.  My F3 for instance is only 3W into the LCD-2/3.  But its biased to 2.5A, it will never ever drop out of class A on a headphone.  But any class AB amp likely will.
 
All that to say, it's fun to experiment but except for a few exceptions a dedicated headamp is likely to play nicer than speaker amps.  First Watt just happens to be one of those high quality low cost options.  But if you want to try the Pass Labs version... bend over  The other thing to keep in mind is build cost on a speaker amp is much higher and the extra cost is in chassis not the amp so value isn't great.

 

[DefQon]

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The other thing to keep in mind is build cost on a speaker amp is much higher and the extra cost is in chassis not the amp so value isn't great.

Absolutely true, I learnt this the hard way whilst building a few integrated speaker amp's.