[nephilim32]

Actually...a very good electrostatic amp like the KGSShv will you set you back a little over 2 grand (the amp alone)...if you can find it...I own one. Yes, the cost of the amp+the Stax can you set you back 4-5 g's.

Oh my. 1200 Volts for a maximum power outage. Can support 560Vc. Yeah. My Burson doesn't have those specs. Lol.
The stax really do need a special amp.

 

[Taowolf51]

 
Yes, I use a FiiO X5 with an iBasso PB2 as a portable rig, but also as the transport for my desktop rig (at my recliner).  My biggest problem with using laptops or PCs is that I find myself easily distracted by surfing or reading and posting to Head-Fi - instead of really listening to the music. Even the iPad Mini can be a distraction. I get the most pleasure from my music when I'm not fiddling with something else.  
 

Spoiler: A photo I've posted previously...

 
 
My laptop-equipped, constantly evolving, dining table "audio lab" is well-suited to analyzing gear, but not at all conducive to enjoying music.   
 

Spoiler: Another previously posted shot...

 
 
 
I've heard a lot of good things about the mainline and have fantasized about jumping on this beauty built by Misterrogers, ever since he first posted it for sale:
 

 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/733108/custom-bottlehead-mainline-build
 
But I'm too frugally disciplined (cheap!) to spend that much money on an amp, despite believing it's worth every penny he's asking.  And I don't have the skill to build one, myself.  And then there's the whole problem (my problem) with tubes - I'd go nuts rolling them for months, I'm sure, because I did exactly that rolling op-amps in my iBasso PB2 portable amp.  But I nonetheless believe tube amps of this caliber are the best way to go with the HD800.  
 
I'm currently hoping to find a sufficiently warm (for the HD800 and my tastes) and very transparent, less than $1000 solid state amp, preferably of a low-feedback design (something like a used Audio-gd Master 9, for example.)
 
Meanwhile, my Metrum Octave MkII and my recently applied ring-of-felt HD800 mod have taken the HD800 a lot closer to where I want it. My HD800 playlist is getting larger...
 
Thanks,
 
Mike

 

As good a reason as any, good luck!

By the way, what do you think about that Oppo with the HD800's? Such a beautiful amp.

I felt the same after hearing the abyss on the wa234 lol

 

Agreed, it was actually one of the most underwhelming setups I heard at that meet (despite being the most expensive). I think the HD800 is actually a far better pairing with that Woo amp. I didn't get a lot of time with the HD800 WA234 combo, but what I did hear was pretty damn impressive.

 

[Zoom25]

If soundstage is absolutely the most important thing to you, then might as well as look at speakers that best fit your situation.

 

[62ohm]

  If soundstage is absolutely the most important thing to you, then might as well as look at speakers that best fit your situation.

 
I am actually thinking of getting a speaker system at the moment, but I'm afraid that it would become a new addiction with a whole new target to be achieved and would cost me too much money to pursue..
 
The HD800's soundstage would have to make do for now, but I guess it is almost a certainty that I would eventually get a speaker system.

 

[Dopaminer]

Hey, could some of you gurus give me advice on running my HD800s from the speaker taps of my amp?  It`s 23 year old Denon PMA-S1, an absolute dream with my speaker systems.  I recently read a blog by some guy who`s running his HD800s from a vintage Pioneer and I thought I would like to give it a try.  If someone could look at these specs and give me a go / no-go I would really appreciate it ! 
 
 

Power :​	2x 50W (8 Ohm ; 20Hz...20Khz)​
2x 100W (4 Ohm ; 1Khz)​
Dynamic power :​	2x 120W (4 Ohm)​
2x 200W (2 Ohm)​
THD :​	0,07% (1Khz ; 25W ; 8 Ohm)​
Power bandwidth :​	5Hz...50Khz (8 Ohm ; 0,1% THD)​
Frequency response :​	1Hz...150Khz (1W ; +0 / -3dB)​
Output impedance :​	0,1 Ohm (1Khz)​
Inputs :​	Phono MM (2,5mV / 47kOhm)​
Tuner (150mV / 47kOhm)​
Aux (150mV / 47kOhm)​
Tape 1 & 2 (150mV / 47kOhm)​
Balanced (150mV / 100kOhm)​
RIAA accuracy :​	± 0,3dB (20Hz...20Khz)​
Max. input :​	150mV (1Khz ; Phono MM)​
Max. output :​	10V for 150mV input​
THD :​	0,002% (1Khz ; 5V output)​
S/N ratio :​	91dB (phono MM ; 5mV input)​
108dB (lines)​

​

 

[spurxiii]

  Hey, could some of you gurus give me advice on running my HD800s from the speaker taps of my amp?  It`s 23 year old Denon PMA-S1, an absolute dream with my speaker systems.  I recently read a blog by some guy who`s running his HD800s from a vintage Pioneer and I thought I would like to give it a try.  If someone could look at these specs and give me a go / no-go I would really appreciate it ! 
 
 

Power :​	2x 50W (8 Ohm ; 20Hz...20Khz)​
2x 100W (4 Ohm ; 1Khz)​
Dynamic power :​	2x 120W (4 Ohm)​
2x 200W (2 Ohm)​
THD :​	0,07% (1Khz ; 25W ; 8 Ohm)​
Power bandwidth :​	5Hz...50Khz (8 Ohm ; 0,1% THD)​
Frequency response :​	1Hz...150Khz (1W ; +0 / -3dB)​
Output impedance :​	0,1 Ohm (1Khz)​
Inputs :​	Phono MM (2,5mV / 47kOhm)​
Tuner (150mV / 47kOhm)​
Aux (150mV / 47kOhm)​
Tape 1 & 2 (150mV / 47kOhm)​
Balanced (150mV / 100kOhm)​
RIAA accuracy :​	± 0,3dB (20Hz...20Khz)​
Max. input :​	150mV (1Khz ; Phono MM)​
Max. output :​	10V for 150mV input​
THD :​	0,002% (1Khz ; 5V output)​
S/N ratio :​	91dB (phono MM ; 5mV input)​
108dB (lines)​

​

I'm driving my HD800s via the Topping TP60 and Emotiva Mini-x with speaker taps into a TRS 1/4 inch female. They both have similar power specs to your amp. If its an older amp why don't you just use the TRS connection out the fromt of the amp. Older amps usually just have a resistor network for the HP out, it would sound the same via the speaker taps.
 
There's a bit of noise floor with both of my amps but not noticeable when the music is playing (I might try some resistors to help this later). Both amps have a shared ground so I don't need to run balanced. If you're going to use speaker taps, check your amp's circuit  and see if the ground is shared or not, if its shared you can do the same thing as me, of not you'll have to use a different cable and go balanced. Check out the thread on speaker amps
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/629352/he-500-lcd2-d5000-dt770-sr80-on-a-speaker-amp-emotiva-mini-x-a-100-project
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/649107/speaker-amps-for-headphones

 

[Dopaminer]

  I'm driving my HD800s via the Topping TP60 and Emotiva Mini-x with speaker taps into a TRS 1/4 inch female. They both have similar power specs to your amp. If its an older amp why don't you just use the TRS connection out the fromt of the amp. Older amps usually just have a resistor network for the HP out, it would sound the same via the speaker taps.
 
... If you're going to use speaker taps, check your amp's circuit  and see if the ground is shared or not, if its shared you can do the same thing as me, of not you'll have to use a different cable and go balanced. Check out the thread on speaker amps
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/629352/he-500-lcd2-d5000-dt770-sr80-on-a-speaker-amp-emotiva-mini-x-a-100-project
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/649107/speaker-amps-for-headphones

 
Thanks for those links spurxiii; the second one has a ton of useful info. 
My amp is really minimal for an integrated - no headphone out. (and no tone controls or speaker switching)  It`s also a balanced amp with XLR imputs.  I`m eager to give this a go. . . .   
 

 

[zilch0md]

 
[snip]
 
By the way, what do you think about that Oppo with the HD800's? Such a beautiful amp.

 

 
I've read several comments from HD800 owners who like the way the HD800 sounds with the OPPO HA-1, using both its ESS9018 DAC and the amp section (which I think is absolutely terrific for planar magnetic headphones), but even when using the Metrum Octave MkII to drive the HA-1's amp, the HD800 still reveals some fatiguing brittleness.  
 
I attribute this brittleness to the OPPO HA-1's use of negative feedback - admittedly because Cees Ruijtenberg (the designer at Metrum) made a compelling argument for using low feedback or zero-feedback amplifier designs, when I told him how pleased I was with the Octave MkII but that I could still hear an edginess in the HD800 treble.
 
Most tube amps are low-feedback designs - which could explain why even neutral sounding tube amps lack the brittleness that the HD800 can so readily reveal - like the OTL Schiit Valhalla 2 (which is not not dark in the treble, nor in the least bit euphonic in a syrupy way).  These inherently low feedback tube amps lack the brittleness that the HD800 can hear in solid state amps with multiple gain stages where lots of feedback is typically applied to control distortion.  
 
As Nelson Pass explains in his white paper on the use of negative feedback, it can indeed reduce measurable distortion, but in doing so, negative feedback can create artifacts of its own that increase the complexity of the remaining distortion.  My LCD-2 rev.1 is insufficiently resolving to reveal this complex, though low-intensity distortion caused by the use of negative feedback in the OPPO HA-1 and in my DACmini CX, for example, but the highly resolving HD800 can reveal it, readily.  My Metrum Octave MkII has eliminated the sterility and SABRE sheen (artificial brightness) I was hearing with the OPPO HA-1's ESS9018 DAC and the HD800, but I much prefer using my LCD-2 rev.1 with the OPPO HA-1, to using the HD800, because my LCD-2, with its shelved highs and less resolving planar magnetic drivers, isn't revealing the brittleness that I can still hear with the HD800.
 
So, I'm still researching low-feedback and zero-feedback solid state amps (as I'm trying to avoid tube rolling).  The Audio-gd Master 9 and their new C-2 Class A are both zero-feedback designs.  The Master 9 (not suprirsingly?) has a terrific reputation with the HD800, but I'm trying to see if I can find something less expensive -and- the jury is still out on the C-2 Class A.  I'm also considering the Metrum Aurix - the Cees Ruijtenberg zero-feedback amp that uses nothing but two transformers for gain (similar to a couple of Nelson Pass's First Watt designs.)  
 
And I'm currently evaluating the very affordable ($350) NuForce HA-200 single-ended Class A amp, which has only been in my possession for 3.5 days, but I can already say it's far nicer with the HD800 than either the OPPO HA-1's amp or the DACmini CX amp.  The HA-200 uses negative feedback, but I bought it anyway, because of its price and Mike Mercer's review.  
 
So, despite my having embraced the quest to find an affordable low-feedback or zero-feedback solid state amp, I'm now in possession of an amp (the HA-200) that uses negative feedback but does not sound brittle with the HD800 - premature though that statement is with it still burning in...  But the HA-200 is shaping up to be a great solution for the HD800 and I've not even driven it with the Metrum Octave MkII yet - expressly because I wanted to hear the HA-200's ability to satisfy the HD800's judgement without any help from my NOS DAC. The smoothness and transparency I'm hearing with this $350 HA-200 is not interfering in the least with detail retrieval.  Listen to anything by Vangelis, for example, and the HD800 will hear detail that I cannot hear with the HA-1 or DACmini CX amps - it's readily apparent, too. In my opinion, having done a lot of reading on the impact of using negative feedback in amplifier design, I think the folks at NuForce have managed to tune in just the right amount of feedback with the HA-200 to avoid the brittleness I hear with the OPPO HA-1 and DACmini CX, using the HD800.  More later...
 
Take all of this with a grain of salt, as I love the frequency response of my LCD-2 rev. 1 and I don't want to hear any brittleness or edginess in the treble. Surely, those people who are content with the OPPO HA-1 for their HD800s have different tastes -or- they've just not been exposed to anything they personally would find better than what they are hearing now.  In other words, you might like the OPPO HA-1 with the HD800 even though I don't.  YMMV.  

 
Mike

 

[lobwah]

Just bit the bullet today and purchased some hd800.
It was the third time is auditioned them.
The first 2 times was through the Lehmann cube head amp. I wasn't impressed with this combo and couldn't bring myself to purchase. It sounded to my ears non-musical and nothing special to me those first 2 sessions.

Today I took along a Chord Hugo and my MacBook and had about an hour listen to some of my fav tracks.
It was a big improvement to my ears. The Hugo/hd800 combo was a very balanced, musical, non fatiguing listen. I enjoyed the presentation and I felt it gave me a peak of how good the hd800 can be.




my other 2 cans are th900 and t70p.

The th900 is a superb headphone IMO but the bass does seem to encroach on vocals at times. Which I counter with a increase in volume which can lead to fatigue in my experience.

Anyways these are my initial thoughts and I look forward too seeing how they perform with my home amps when I get them home

Cheers!

 

[Dopaminer]

Just bit the bullet today and purchased some hd800.
It was the third time is auditioned them.
The first 2 times was through the Lehmann cube head amp. I wasn't impressed with this combo and couldn't bring myself to purchase. It sounded to my ears non-musical and nothing special to me those first 2 sessions.

Today I took along a Chord Hugo and my MacBook and had about an hour listen to some of my fav tracks.
It was a big improvement to my ears. The Hugo/hd800 combo was a very balanced, musical, non fatiguing listen. I enjoyed the presentation and I felt it gave me a peak of how good the hd800 can be.




my other 2 cans are th900 and t70p.

The th900 is a superb headphone IMO but the bass does seem to encroach on vocals at times. Which I counter with a increase in volume which can lead to fatigue in my experience.

Anyways these are my initial thoughts and I look forward too seeing how they perform with my home amps when I get them home

Cheers!

 
I would love to hear your HD800  impressions vs TH900, because I`m a huge FOSTEX fan and the 900 is regularly available used here in Tokyo for around 800$US, so I regularly get the urge to bring it home.  
 
BTW, whether real or not, I definitely perceived a positive sound change in my HD800s around the 100-125 hour mark.  I stopped calculating at 250 hours because I couldn`t notice any more change.    
 
Enjoy ! 
 
d

 

[lobwah]

I would love to hear your HD800  impressions vs TH900, because I`m a huge FOSTEX fan and the 900 is regularly available used here in Tokyo for around 800$US, so I regularly get the urge to bring it home.  

BTW, whether real or not, I definitely perceived a positive sound change in my HD800s around the 100-125 hour mark.  I stopped calculating at 250 hours because I couldn`t notice any more change.    

Enjoy ! 

d

I meant to ask about burning in the hd800 so thankyou for that info.
Really enjoying hd800 so far.

My hd800 have 2 hours on them so I wouldn't be comfortable comparing to th900 yet
I would add though that I have no intention of selling the th900 as they do so much right. Excellent detail, musical, fantastic soundstage, have great bass but rarely overwhelmingly so (just a few of my favourite vocal tracks)and the isolation is something I require for 50% of my listening.
I have read people saying they leak sound like an open can but I disagree on that point.
Highly recommended

I think the hd800/th900 combo should cover all bases

 

[Zoom25]

   
I am actually thinking of getting a speaker system at the moment, but I'm afraid that it would become a new addiction with a whole new target to be achieved and would cost me too much money to pursue..
 
The HD800's soundstage would have to make do for now, but I guess it is almost a certainty that I would eventually get a speaker system.

Not to get too off thread, all I'd say is go for a powered active monitor system. Buy active monitors and add a DAC with a pre-amp, like Emotiva DC-1 which has an analog output pre-amp. No need to go for 3 different separates (DAC, Pre-amps, power amps). You'll get better crossover designs and better power handling in active monitor designs and way more value. I initially started out with active designs a long time ago and went to the passive/hifi route for several years. Only in the past year or two I decided to get rid of a lot of my passive gear and go for a active system and it made my life a whole lot easier and cheaper. No worrying about system synergy with amps. Better crossovers, more efficient power use. Best of all - much better value. Most of the major hifi companies are really overpriced for what they are offering in comparison to what you can get in an active monitor (not to mention it even includes an amp!).
 
If your situation allows for it, go for at least a 8" bass unit, something that will go deep into the 30's. With that you won't miss the bass of HD800. Anything over 1.5k-2k and you'll have gotten into a decent price point where the speakers and amps start offering better value than passive designs...IMO of course.

 

[Hal X]

What do you think about HA-200 vs GP109S to drive HD800s??

 

[zilch0md]

^  I, for one, have never heard any of the Violectric amps...

 

[koiloco]

Just listened to the entire "The Red Violin" album of Ikuko Kawai.  I highly recommend this album for people who like violin/guitar.
HD800 is indeed incredible...

  
 
Have a great weekend everyone!