Thanks for the suggestion! I am sure there are several that I overlooked. I'll take a look and add it as appropriate. Thanks. (Others? Glad to add what I missed)
EDIT (10 min later): Added the Leckerton to the table (last row).
I just received a Icon Audio HP8 mkii amp. Running it all day and now listening. Great match for the HD800. Need a few days before I start knowing what I really think but so far, so good.
I had a very brief test with my MB Air and HD-800. Too brief that I would not feel too comfortable to describe here but it accomplished what I wanted out of it that I have put in an order and now waiting for the next version that is about to be produced.
It is super compact and it packs a lot of options for its size. It is both a dac and an amp.
I will post my thoughts when I receive it but it will be a few weeks still.
I just received a Icon Audio HP8 mkii amp. Running it all day and now listening. Great match for the HD800. Need a few days before I start knowing what I really think but so far, so good.
I probably need more time than an evening to do it justice. But, with that caveat in mind...
I think the Leben is a better speaker amp than an amp to drive the HD800.
What is good about the Leben is a heavenly high-end. Violins in particular just so smooth and natural sounding. But the Leben bass is just a little short of tightly controlled.
The Icon is less tubey sounding than the Leben in a really good way. So far I think it has a lot of what I like about a solid state amps resolving power with the a slightly euphonic character that is definitely pleasing. This is what most of us are looking for when we pair a tube amp with an HD800. Also the noise floor is way better than the Leben. I bet if I saw the measurements, it has a greater S/N ratio than the Leben. Its got a pretty black background. So I think at first blush, With the Icon I have more of what I miss about solid state than I get with the Leben, with a still beautiful top end.
I probably need more time than an evening to do it justice. But, with that caveat in mind...
I think the Leben is a better speaker amp than an amp to drive the HD800.
What is good about the Leben is a heavenly high-end. Violins in particular just so smooth and natural sounding. But the Leben bass is just a little short of tightly controlled.
The Icon is less tubey sounding than the Leben in a really good way. So far I think it has a lot of what I like about a solid state amps resolving power with the a slightly euphonic character that is definitely pleasing. This is what most of us are looking for when we pair a tube amp with an HD800. Also the noise floor is way better than the Leben. I bet if I saw the measurements, it has a greater S/N ratio than the Leben. Its got a pretty black background. So I think at first blush, With the Icon I have more of what I miss about solid state than I get with the Leben, with a still beautiful top end.
Do you have any NOS to roll? Interesting amp, especially cos of SET design and mega options with tube rolling. Personally, I would use stock tubes for burn in period, say 100 hours, but then, buy buy and put some nice NOS in and enjoy
I heard an earlier version. I saw a dealer online who was selling his last one new for a used price. So I nabbed it thinking my downside was limited. I want to try some NOS, but I don't have the right tubes yet. Was also thinking of the Shanguang CV181...
Still in the honeymoon phase at the moment but I'm really digging the recent changes to my rig (Ragnarok and Draug v2) -
I was quite content with the balance I'd stuck with the Mjolnir and NAD M51 but the Ragnarok presents a more significant step up than what I'd anticipated.
Already loved the Mjolnir's low end but there is body and a tactile quality through the Ragnarok that is reminiscent of the way air moves within the cups when listening to an Audeze's thunderous bass. That's not to say the Ragnarok introduces this particular colouration. Bass isn't overbearing when it needs to be subdued. There's control and lower registers are rendered with great clarity. When required though, the bottom end can manifest into a force. It's quite a thing to hear. I'd never describe the HD800 as bass anaemic, but I can understand other preferences for bass that's more upfront and present at all times. The HD800 doesn't provide this colouration as many here know. What it renders instead is bass as is, and through the Ragnarok that bass is always taut and distinct and drops to subterrean depths when required.
There's a smoothness to the Ragnarok's presentation that I never expected to hear from a solid state component. This smoothness does not blunt leading edges though, nor does it smother detail. The Ragnarok is a wonderfully resolving amp. Micro-details swim around the headstage, sparking and fading with deft micro-dynamic shifts. There is a lot going on, but it's a chorus that draws you in, rather than a confused and disorientating cacophony.
All this detail is defined within a coherent soundstage. It's not cavernous nor overly intimate. It adjusts according to material. Elements occupy their own space and are placed where you'd expect to hear them. There's no attempt at emulating a holographic DSP, nor is there an odd shape to the soundstage that draws attention to itself (oblong, in the case of the Mjolnir with its more compressed centre stage). I don't notice the soundstage and that to me, is a plus. It's coherent, there's precise placement, and there are no irritating flaws to detract from the music.
An extra note on the Ragnarok's resolving ability though. Some have noted that this component is an excellent tool for "dac rolling". Merely changing between my M51's usb, optical and hdmi inputs shows how revealing the Ragnarok is. When coupled with the microscopic lens of the HD800 this can be a roadmap to disappointment for those who don't place much stock in the quality of their upstream components.
Some feel the need to mould the HD800 to their preferences. That's cool. My HD800 is un-modded. I'm not one to filter the material fed to this headphone via coloured components upstream. The Ragnarok allows me to hear the HD800 as is. A blessing and (sometimes) a curse, but I dig it.
I have been extremely careful with my HD800 , I never put them on a hard surface , I am afraid to even touch them!
Its just that psychologicaly plastic feels more fragile then metal for example.
How cautious are you people with your HD800's?
Can anyone compare the pairing with the HD 800 of the Black Dragon v2 cable and Draug V2 (both balanced) ? Also is the "premium HD 800" Black Dragon v2 worth the $200 or so difference in price from the base Black Dragon v2?.
Can anyone compare the pairing with the HD 800 of the Black Dragon v2 cable and Draug V2 (both balanced) ? Also is the "premium HD 800" Black Dragon v2 worth the $200 or so difference in price from the base Black Dragon v2?.
But from an aesthetic and ergonomic perspective, and the fact that the Draug has better conductors and actually has effort put into its construction (and is even cheaper than the Sennheiser cable), plus all the great customization options for colour, Y splitter (the wood ones with gold filling or red filling highly recommended), I'd give my money to Draug (and I have).
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