[jibzilla]

  I've got a magni/modi schiit 2 stack, and use spotify as a source.  that setup sounds fine through my HE500, but would that be enough to utilize an hd800?  Or is the hd800 SO much more revealing and power hungry this wouldnt be a decent enough setup for it?

 
I don't think you should go after the hd800 until you have as much as the hd800's retail for ($1500) for an amp and source. What makes it worse is synergy (ohm output mainly) is paramount besides the $3k total. I second the bottlehead mainline suggestion. I liked a wheatfield ha-2 just a bit more but they rarely come up for sale.
 
The source you can get away with a little more but it is close with the amp a pretty darn important as well. I would def. go used for a dac and vintage for TT. At least $500 of the $1500 should go toward a source.  

 

[Zombie_X]

You could definitely get away with using the Schiit stack with the HD800, but the benefit a lot from better gear. I use them with my FiiO X1 player and they sound great, but out of my Phonitor Mini... there's a stark difference on some material. But with metal and such, the difference is not nearly as large.
 
Something like the Asguard or Valhalla 2 would be great choices depending on what you want out of the sound.

 

[pickleweed]

You could definitely get away with using the Schiit stack with the HD800, but the benefit a lot from better gear. I use them with my FiiO X1 player and they sound great, but out of my Phonitor Mini... there's a stark difference on some material. But with metal and such, the difference is not nearly as large.

Something like the Asguard or Valhalla 2 would be great choices depending on what you want out of the sound.

Thanks. At some point id consider upgrading the amp, just not soon. If it can scrape by for now thats fine. And i wouldve thought streaming music would be the bigger bottleneck

 

[Taowolf51]

   
I don't think you should go after the hd800 until you have as much as the hd800's retail for ($1500) for an amp and source.

 
I personally don't agree with this. You don't need distinctly expensive gear to make the HD800 sound good. An HD800 with cheaper source/amp is going to be better than, say, a $600 headphone with an expensive source/amp. The transducer is by far the most important part of the signal chain, and one of the best headphone transducers in the world (the HD800) will sound excellent even without extremely expensive gear to go along with it. Will it sound better with nicer gear? Sure, but the expensive gear is in no way a prerequisite.
 

Thanks. At some point id consider upgrading the amp, just not soon. If it can scrape by for now thats fine. And i wouldve thought streaming music would be the bigger bottleneck

 

Spotify Premium is actually pretty decent. It's 320 OGG Vorbis, which is pretty close to the top when it comes to lossy formats. I listen to a lot of spotify on my HD800's.

 

[DavidA]

  I've got a magni/modi schiit 2 stack, and use spotify as a source.  that setup sounds fine through my HE500, but would that be enough to utilize an hd800?  Or is the hd800 SO much more revealing and power hungry this wouldnt be a decent enough setup for it?

The Schiit stack will work and you will get pretty good sound but you will not be getting the full potential of the HD-800.  As poster @Taowolf51above stated the headphone/transducer is the most important part of the chain so you can get the HD-800 now and work on your chain later.
 
As for amps and DACs under $1000: Bifrost 4490 and BH Crack, WA3 or WA6.  Be aware that the HE-500 and HD-800 work best on different types of amps, what is ideal for HE-500 is not optimum for the HD-800 and vice versa.  There are amps out there that will drive both headphones well: Lyr2, Mjolnir2, Liquid Carbon, Chord Hugo, etc.

 

[Shetzu]

   
Be sure to include the Bottlehead Mainline ($1200)  in your short list. I've been using mine for nearly a year now and it never fails to impress and make me grin each and every time I listen. Pairing it with the hd800 it makes for a killer combo.

I will I am still gathering all useful info I can get for best amps for my Hd and then decide later.

 

[Shetzu]

 
Mjolnir 2 also is very good  with the HD800.

These days I only see Schiit products been spoken about Haha. Sure I will put this one too in my list.

 

[versace]

 

Originally Posted by ****zu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  These days I only see Schiit products been spoken about Haha. Sure I will put this one too in my list.

+1 to a Schiit Lyr 2 as well, i used it for a good while with my hd800's! moved to a WA22 and loving it too. All around this journey with the HD800's and amps has been fun

 

[leng jai]

You definitely don't need to go crazy DAC wise. I went from an ancient DACMagic to a Bifrost 4490 and the difference was fairly minimal.

 

[Shetzu]

  +1 to a Schiit Lyr 2 as well, i used it for a good while with my hd800's! moved to a WA22 and loving it too. All around this journey with the HD800's and amps has been fun

My only issue is after investing you do not get good price for the device you want to replace. So I decided to save and straight away go for the best like Wa2 or Wa6 of Woo Audio or Ray Samuel. Lets see how it goes  as I am still getting my research of amps to gather before I make my decision. Thanks for your inputs though.

 

[versace]

Originally Posted by ****zu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
My only issue is after investing you do not get good price for the device you want to replace. So I decided to save and straight away go for the best like Wa2 or Wa6 of Woo Audio or Ray Samuel. Lets see how it goes  as I am still getting my research of amps to gather before I make my decision. Thanks for your inputs though.

Indeed, and it is good thinking as well! 

 

[DavidA]

Originally Posted by ****zu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
My only issue is after investing you do not get good price for the device you want to replace. So I decided to save and straight away go for the best like Wa2 or Wa6 of Woo Audio or Ray Samuel. Lets see how it goes  as I am still getting my research of amps to gather before I make my decision. Thanks for your inputs though.

Best I've heard HD-800 with are EC Balancing Act and Cavalli Liquid Glass, DACs used were AudioGD Master9 and Chord Hugo TT

 

[Shetzu]

  Best I've heard HD-800 with are EC Balancing Act and Cavalli Liquid Glass, DACs used were AudioGD Master9 and Chord Hugo TT

Haha. The equipment you have listed is beyond my budget. Thanks anyway.

 

[DavidA]

Originally Posted by ****zu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Haha. The equipment you have listed is beyond my budget. Thanks anyway.

They are also way way way beyond my budget but since you were asking for the "best" just thought I'd put it out there for you.
 
FWIW, I feel that the BH Crack gives me 95% or more performance of the EC Balancing Act when I got to listen to them while I was in Japan last Nov.  I was visiting my friend for his daughters wedding and was staying at his house where he has a very large dedicated sound room set up.  He has all of the equipment I mentioned plus a lot more, its a dream room that I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams.

 

[Shetzu]

  They are also way way way beyond my budget but since you were asking for the "best" just thought I'd put it out there for you.
 
FWIW, I feel that the BH Crack gives me 95% or more performance of the EC Balancing Act when I got to listen to them while I was in Japan last Nov.  I was visiting my friend for his daughters wedding and was staying at his house where he has a very large dedicated sound room set up.  He has all of the equipment I mentioned plus a lot more, its a dream room that I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams.

Sorry Is should have been more specific about my budget. it is upto $1100-1200 My friend is buying the Liquid Gold and the Abyss. I am sure I will get to audition them. He currently is parting away with his Auralic Stack (Taurus+Vega) and his WA22. I had the privilege to hear them all . Wow.