[zeed]

Hy everybody!
 
I'm looking on buying a decent amp for my HD600 to drive it at it's full potential and after reading a lot -maybe too much, I admit!- I'm still undecited yet and looking into those options:
-Bottlehead Crack+Speedball
-LittleDot MK IV SE
-Garage Project Ember
 
I' like to fully enjoy my HD600 as now but I'd also like to use the pre amp on my studio active monitor speakers and to be able to drive very well some higher-end can for the future like HD800, T1, AKG 812, Audeze LC2, Hifiman 500 and stuff like so maybe littledot and ember will fit "more" the bill.
What do you think about that?
 
I will only add the fact that I live in Italy so for all amps I will have to pay the custom duties (maybe not for the littledot, dunno more honestly..).
 
 
Which are your recommendations?
 
Thank you for the help, I wish to all a good day -of course of listening!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

There's also the Meier Classic for €600, EU taxes and shipping already included. Easier to deal with them for warranties too.

 

[zeed]

Hello, thank you for the tip
 
Well, 600euro is a bit above what I'd like to spend, I'm more in the 300-400euro range..
 
 
Just wanted to ask another thing.
I'm not at all a over-hyped product lover but more a bang for buck guy, so recommendations about the amp should be -please- about some real good equipment.
This is not referred to ProtegeManiac which I thanks, but in general

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Well, 600euro is a bit above what I'd like to spend, I'm more in the 300-400euro range..

 
Audio-GD NFB-15 external DAC/amp, around 240 Euros + shipping (35 Euros?).
Audio-GD will claim around a 80 Euro value, to the shipper, so import tax will be based on a 80 Euro value.
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB1532/NFB15.32EN.htm

 

[mikek200]

"I'm not at all a over-hyped product lover but more a bang for buck guy,"
 
Schiit
 
For the best bang, for your buck..Schiit
Never been disappointed after years of using their products
 
GL,
Mike

 

[Mr Rick]

  "I'm not at all a over-hyped product lover but more a bang for buck guy,"
 
Schiit
 
For the best bank for your buck..Schiit
Never been disappointed after years of using their products
 
GL,
Mike

I agree with Mike, and Schiit does have a European distributor.

 

[zeed]

Thank you for the audio-gd recommendation, I will check this.
 
As for Sciit products (thanks guys), I was looking to Valhalla 2 and Asgard 2 but I noticed also different thoughs and comparison about them and I don't know if they are what I'm looking for.
 
 
Nobody compared Project Ember to Littledot MK IV on some sennheiser cans?? I'm also really interested in that

 

[blackcatSVK]

I'm using HD600 with MapleTree Ear+ HD including Schiit Modi, waiting for the new DAC. I tried to use some CDPs to test this amp and headphone as well.
Generally, I'm totally satisfied with the Ear+, give the headphone a very good sound performance. Sweet and a little bit forward vocal, more solid and controlled bass with high upgrade in treble.
It makes HD600 become more natural (HD600 is originally balance indeed), little brighter than origin. Nothing can be better if you are the fan of acoustic and country music.
 
But BottleHead Crack is good choice, I had a chance to enjoy Crack + HD650 and this stack is absolutely amazing, so I think Crack will fit HD600 well.

 

[canetsbe]

I'm using the Asgard 2 with a Modi 2 and HD600 and it is fantastic, but I haven't heard the other gear you're looking at. I agree about the differing opinions present on the web about the Asgard 2 but I decided to take the plunge and have not looked back. Seems to fit the bill in terms of the system you are looking to build too and it matches your budget. I would give this amp serious consideration if I were you.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
Well, 600euro is a bit above what I'd like to spend, I'm more in the 300-400euro range..
---
I'm not at all a over-hyped product lover but more a bang for buck guy, so recommendations about the amp should be -please- about some real good equipment.

 

There's the Meier Jazz for €399. Not getting a lot of hype though since they aren't using more "over built old-school but revamped" designs like Schiit's discrete Class A designs, nor fancy "Diamond Buffer" AudioGDs; still high-tech though. It's a Class A-biased op-amp design, but it's very clean and doesn't run very hot like the full-Class A Asgard, and the potentiometer is actually a digital design but with an analog knob for control instead of slower to respond buttons. No issues with uneven output, although with harder to drive headphones that's not really a problem anyway.

 

Personally, for me, it's either Schiit, Meier, or AudioGD nowadays. It's really more a question of whether you want a single box unit (AudioGD; Meier stopped making these save for the portable PCStep), discrete components (Schiit), or if you're not discriminating against op-amps (Meier). 

 

[Liu Junyuan]

All solid recommendations based on my experience and reading.
 
Your initial list was pretty good though. Why not just go for the Crack? It's practically made for Sennheiser 300 ohm cans.