[No_One411]

  Anyone here got any recommendations for a less than $1000 DAC that pairs well with the HD 800?
 
Using the Schii Vali and Valhalla 2 as the amps.

You could always go crazy with Schiit and use the Modi + Wyrd....
 
Save you quite a bit of money for something that sounds really good. 

 

[navigavi]

  Anyone here got any recommendations for a less than $1000 DAC that pairs well with the HD 800?
 
Using the Schii Vali and Valhalla 2 as the amps.

 
Violectric V800, but I think it's just a little bit more than $1000. I bought one in euro's.

 

[Zoom25]

  Anyone here got any recommendations for a less than $1000 DAC that pairs well with the HD 800?
 
Using the Schii Vali and Valhalla 2 as the amps.

http://dangerousmusic.com/products/source

 

[BleaK]

  Anyone here got any recommendations for a less than $1000 DAC that pairs well with the HD 800?
 
Using the Schii Vali and Valhalla 2 as the amps.

 
Check out the Matrix X-sabre. There's a lot of favorable reviews out there, and I personally love the pairing with HD800.

 

[zhenya]

I've owned both and the new GS-X Mk2 is totally worth the upgrade IMO. The GS-1 is still one heck of an amp and if was still being offered, it would be one of my top recommendations for the $1k ish price range.

I appreciate your input, but again, the general sound signature has to be the same - they literally use the same amplifier board - balanced merely uses 4 as opposed to 2 and drives the two channels independently. If you run the GS-X single-ended, the output is exactly the same as the GS-1. The GS-X does offer a unity gain setting, but that's really just because of the extra power available from running balanced. The HD-800 is nowhere near the limits of the GS-1, so I'm not sure how big a difference more power can make. I'm sure that separating the channels has some effect, but I'd expect its at the level of diminishing returns. I also wouldn't expect balanced vs. single ended to change the general flavor of the amp the way that switching to my Woo does which is where we started from.

Now that's not to say I don't lust after the GS-X.

 

[Canadian411]

I compared the SE stock HD800 cables and the balanced Draug 2 cables.  No other cables to compare with.  
The audio experience is subjective.  
Turning down the volume on the amp 2 notches on the Meier Classic is objective. 

 


So basically your test is orange vs apple,. Of course you will hear better and will be louder.
The Draug 2 cable is not the reason of the improvement.

I can make you cheap $20 balanced cable out of mogami and will sound as good as Draug 2 cables.

 

[bargyu]

Just a comment for those who are looking for the best dac/amp combination for the HD800. I first fell in love with a small, but powerful tube amplifier and Arcam's irDAC. The latter got good reviews, so was able to sell it quickly and then I bought another mid-range gear John Kenny's Ciunas DAC. Its a small one, but transparent and more space.
 
Finally I opted to try the HDVD-800, at least this is what is made to pair with the HD-800, right?
 
Well, first experience is negative, flat, dull sounds without creating any feelings about music except it sounded powerful enough to create bass and highs beside the usual strong point of a tube amp. Then I paired it with the JK Ciunas and that's a difference. Very precise sound, maybe too precise first, but after some hours or days I got used to it and the Ciunas dac's transparency and openness is really shining here. A well balanced, highly-detailed sound with a lot of space, where you can hear the position of the singer etc.
 
Next I am trying some superdacs, like Audio-GD Master 7 and maybe some others and will see what kind of difference it can make.
 
Best for all HD-800 lovers!
 
Bargyu

 

[preproman]

Ha ha pretty good first post.  I agree 100% about the Ciunas DAC, it's great for that price range.  Only 1 input though - but still very good.  Yes, the Master 7 would be a few steps up.

 

[bargyu]

Thanks, may I ask about your experience with this Alpha USB thing? (As player software for me best is Mqn on Win Server 2012R2, have you compared it?) Tks.

 

[preproman]

  Thanks, may I ask about your experience with this Alpha USB thing? (As player software for me best is Mqn on Win Server 2012R2, have you compared it?) Tks.

I'll PM you..

 

[koiloco]

I appreciate your input, but again, the general sound signature has to be the same - they literally use the same amplifier board - balanced merely uses 4 as opposed to 2 and drives the two channels independently. If you run the GS-X single-ended, the output is exactly the same as the GS-1. The GS-X does offer a unity gain setting, but that's really just because of the extra power available from running balanced. The HD-800 is nowhere near the limits of the GS-1, so I'm not sure how big a difference more power can make. I'm sure that separating the channels has some effect, but I'd expect its at the level of diminishing returns. I also wouldn't expect balanced vs. single ended to change the general flavor of the amp the way that switching to my Woo does which is where we started from.

Now that's not to say I don't lust after the GS-X.

+1

 

[Armaegis]

   
It's always fun to see someone really enjoying their gear!
 
Serious question, though:  What will be missing, if I purchase only one HA-200, instead of using two as monoblocks?  My admittedly non-existent experience with such configurations leaves me thinking that the only sonic benefits would be those that come with having twice the power and truly balanced operation, instead of a common ground going to each transducer.
 
Despite my limited experience (with only two amps that allow me to switch between balanced and single-ended), I can't really say I've ever been able to hear any improvements related to the lack of a common ground, but I can vigorously attest to hearing improvements related to an increase in power that's had by going balanced - with improved dynamics and bass control - enjoyed only when the power output of running single-ended is truly insufficient for a relatively inefficient headphone.  
 
In other words, when the headphone is sufficiently efficient, as with the OPPO PM-1 on a powerful amp, like the OPPO HA-1, which provides plenty of power at the 6.3mm jack - I cannot hear any improvements when moving the PM-1 to the 4-Pin XLR jack (which bumps the power from 500 mw rms into 32-Ohms to 2000 mw, per factory specs.  But with the sufficienly inefficient LCD-2 rev.1, I can indeed here improvements when going from the TRS jack tothe 4-Pin XLR jack (when going from 455 mW to 1817 mW into its 50-Ohm load).  
 
So... given that the HD800 is not particularly inefficient (certainly not like an HE-6 and I don't think even as inefficient as my LCD-2 rev.1), I'm wondering if your dual HA-200 monoblock configuration is improving dynamics and bass control (vs. running with one HA-200), or is it something else that's justifying the setup?  (I'm not able to make any sense of the HA-200's power specs.)
 
Thanks!
 
Mike

 
Mike, the best reason to get the dual monos is because you'll go crazy wondering "what if" when you only have one

 
To best illustrate how silly subjective this hobby is, despite being an HE-6 fan I felt that the HA-200's actually matched better with the HD800. On the other hand, in Project86's review he felt that the HE-6 benefitted more from the extra power.
 
I do think the HD800 sounds better from the monoblocks than from a single amp, but you can't discount the fact that it also doubles the output impedance which will give the HD800 a bit more meat to the midbass (not a bad thing in my opinion).
 
I think whoever wrote the power specs may have been on crack (no pun intended). All I know is that I can run sine waves at max without clipping. Considering that I usually have my dac between 50-75% with the HE-6, I'm not concerned about topping out. With the HD800, I was running much much lower.

 

[zilch0md]

   
Mike, the best reason to get the dual monos is because you'll go crazy wondering "what if" when you only have one

 
To best illustrate how silly subjective this hobby is, despite being an HE-6 fan I felt that the HA-200's actually matched better with the HD800. On the other hand, in Project86's review he felt that the HE-6 benefitted more from the extra power.
 
I do think the HD800 sounds better from the monoblocks than from a single amp, but you can't discount the fact that it also doubles the output impedance which will give the HD800 a bit more meat to the midbass (not a bad thing in my opinion).
 
I think whoever wrote the power specs may have been on crack (no pun intended). All I know is that I can run sine waves at max without clipping. Considering that I usually have my dac between 50-75% with the HE-6, I'm not concerned about topping out. With the HD800, I was running much much lower.

 
Oh no!  Now my brain is tainted with that thought!  

 
LOL
 
But I hear you - it will require a lot of self-control to stick with using a single HA-200. 
 
Meanwhile, let me run this by you...
 
I've had the Metrum Octave MkII for about a week now, and having written the designer, Cees Ruijtenberg, to report how thrilled I am, using it with the OPPO HA-1 and HD800, especially for how his NOS creation has taken some of the edge off of the HD800 treble, while warming up the mids and energizing the bass a little, he has written that I could enjoy an even less fatiguing HD800 experience if I were to use a zero- or low-feedback amp.
 
The NuForce HA-200 page makes some references to its low-feedback design, so I suppose it qualifies, but let me ask...
 

1. Can you say that the HA-200, in and of itself, independent of your choice of DACs, makes the HD800 less "brittle" and fatiguing?  
2. Does the HA-200 "darken" the treble at all (desirable, as the Octave MkII doesn't darken the HD800 treble enough for my tastes)?
3. Does the HA-200 bring up the bass energy at all?

 
In short, I'm trying to push the HD800 in the direction of having the FR and fullness of my LCD-2 - without diminishing any of its strengths like resolution and soundstage - all the while avoiding tube amps.
 
Right now, with the Octave MKII > HA-1 > HD800, it's still too bright and thin and also has insufficient energy in the bass, even though the Octave MklI has done wonders compared to the HA-1's ESS9018 DAC.
 
I basically want to tilt the entire FR up at the bass end and down at the treble end while thickening the mids a little - all without using EQ.
 
Impossible, right?  Well, I might be satisfied with getting there only partially.  The V200 has been on my horizon, but the way everyone is praising the NuForce HA-200, I'm liking its price all the more.
 
Thanks!
 
Mike

 

[verber]

I appreciate your input, but again, the general sound signature has to be the same - they literally use the same amplifier board - balanced merely uses 4 as opposed to 2 and drives the two channels independently. If you run the GS-X single-ended, the output is exactly the same as the GS-1. The GS-X does offer a unity gain setting, but that's really just because of the extra power available from running balanced. The HD-800 is nowhere near the limits of the GS-1, so I'm not sure how big a difference more power can make. I'm sure that separating the channels has some effect, but I'd expect its at the level of diminishing returns. I also wouldn't expect balanced vs. single ended to change the general flavor of the amp the way that switching to my Woo does which is where we started from.

Now that's not to say I don't lust after the GS-X.

 
MacedonianHero said that  the GS-X mk2 was worth the upgrade. The difference between the GS-1 and GS-X mk2  not just running balanced, but the boards were updated to provide more power / voltage swing, and there is obviously an upgraded power supply.  While the tonal balance between the GS-1 and the GS-X mk2 is similar, the GS-X mk2 is a real upgrade. I had both in my house for a couple of months trying to convince myself I could be happy with the GS-1.  I would say the GS-1 is like looking through a clear glass window (which is pretty darn good) and the GS-X mk2 is like there is nothing between me and the music.  Of the amplifiers I have heard, nothing other than a few of EC tube amps have made the HD800s sound this good.
 
My life has changed in the last year.  I am using speakers mostly, headphones rarely.  I think about selling my GS-X mk2 (I get money and the amp gets used with the regularity is deserves), but each time I say to myself "I am going to sell it" I take an hour or so to A/B the GS-X mk2 against what I would use once it's gone and I find myself thinking "Ummm... I just don't think I can let go of the GS-X, I enjoy it too much, even if it isn't everyday".
 
Regarding the earlier comment about the Hugo. The Hugo is the best portable system I have heard when it comes to driving the HD800, and it's equal to several desktop systems I have listened to, but as I wrote earlier, the amplifier in it doesn't compare to the GS-X mk2 (or other top amplifiers) drive from a high quality DAC.
 
--Mark

 

[zhenya]

MacedonianHero said that  the GS-X mk2 was worth the upgrade. The difference between the GS-1 and GS-X mk2  not just running balanced, but the boards were updated to provide more power / voltage swing, and there is obviously an upgraded power supply.  While the tonal balance between the GS-1 and the GS-X mk2 is similar, the GS-X mk2 is a real upgrade. I had both in my house for a couple of months trying to convince myself I could be happy with the GS-1.  I would say the GS-1 is like looking through a clear glass window (which is pretty darn good) and the GS-X mk2 is like there is nothing between me and the music.  Of the amplifiers I have heard, nothing other than a few of EC tube amps have made the HD800s sound this good.

My life has changed in the last year.  I am using speakers mostly, headphones rarely.  I think about selling my GS-X mk2 (I get money and the amp gets used with the regularity is deserves), but each time I say to myself "I am going to sell it" I take an hour or so to A/B the GS-X mk2 against what I would use once it's gone and I find myself thinking "Ummm... I just don't think I can let go of the GS-X, I enjoy it too much, even if it isn't everyday".

Regarding the earlier comment about the Hugo. The Hugo is the best portable system I have heard when it comes to driving the HD800, and it's equal to several desktop systems I have listened to, but as I wrote earlier, the amplifier in it doesn't compare to the GS-X mk2 (or other top amplifiers) drive from a high quality DAC.

--Mark

My GS-1 has been updated to the boards used in the GS-X mkII via the genius of Justin's design. I'm sure it's an improvement, but I'm going to have a really hard time believing it changes the underlying flavor of the amp which is all that I've said.

I should also say that your description matches my own feelings about the GS-1. That makes it fantastic for well recorded music, and especially classical, jazz, live recordings, etc. Paired with the HD800 nothing has gotten me closer to the music. Still - and this is where I started from, I have a LOT of music that is great, but honestly not recorded all that well, which in this combination is laid completely bare. This is where substituting the Woo sometimes finds a bit more enjoyment in the music. This isn't a criticism of the GS-1, it's the reality of having a combination that gets that close to the recording.