The "WOW" Comboooooo

[baiyy1986]

I purchased my O2 recently for my first "baseline" amp, I should say it is a really amazing amp.
But I was still searching for the "perfect" match for my headphone.
After several searches online, I locate some of the headphone amps which lots of viewers would think "better" match for the HP. I should describe as they are good, they are different, but I really did not have those feeling like "WOW", which is maybe ten times more than O2

Therefore, I want to ask about the feeling about when you find the right amp for your HP.
Like some kind of feeling: That's it, this is what I looking for, or something beyond my expectation.
So,
Which combo you have or had given you those "WOW" factor

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

mine is ECP DSHA-0. A solid state amp that has a slight tube sound to it. With Holo Spring level 3 and HD800, the system just disappear and only left me with music. Honestly, I am not impressed with some 8-10k amp when I listened to them at Canjam. To be fair, I never had the chance to listen to them for a long listening session at Canjam. That too.

 

[baiyy1986]

mine is ECP DSHA-0. A solid state amp that has a slight tube sound to it. With Holo Spring level 3 and HD800, the system just disappear and only left me with music. Honestly, I am not impressed with some 8-10k amp when I listened to them at Canjam. To be fair, I never had the chance to listen to them for a long listening session at Canjam. That too.

Thanks for sharing.
The reason I ask is simply because I just got my 1000 amp, and compare to 100 amp, sure it is good, but I would say 5% or 10% better?
Which I really can't tell the huge difference.
Maybe $1000 headphone need 2000 bucks amp that can "wow"?
So I am wondering what other people's experience is.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

I don 't have nearly as much experience as most of the people who may respond to your question, but here is my observation. It seems like the can/amp combination makes the difference more than the $ spent.

I had a very cheap amp/dac solid state driving HD 650s. Sounded ok but not as good as I was expecting from the Senns. Then I discovered this site and read up on amps.

Today I experimented with 3 different headphones and 3 different amps.

Cans: HD800S, HD 250 Linear II and HE 400i.
Amps: Neve RNHP solid state, Little Dot Mk II tube, Little Dot 1+ hybrid. The LDs had the same driver tubes.

The 250S did great on the RNHP and poorly on the LDs.
The 800S were excellent on the MkII, good on the 1+ and ok on the RNHP.
The 400is loved the 1+ and were ok on the Mk II and the RNHP

No real science involved in the comparisons. Just my ears and the same two songs played for each combination.

So in my case the WOW is the HD 800S/Mk II combination followed very closely by the HE400i/1+ combination.

That is part of the fun and the damnation of this hobby. Once smitten, you will be on an eternal search for your right combination. Cut your credit cards up NOW!

 

[sheldaze]

Thanks for sharing.
The reason I ask is simply because I just got my 1000 amp, and compare to 100 amp, sure it is good, but I would say 5% or 10% better?
Which I really can't tell the huge difference.
Maybe $1000 headphone need 2000 bucks amp that can "wow"?
So I am wondering what other people's experience is.

It is easier to respond with your price perspective in mind:

• $100 amplifiers: Schiit Magni 3, Schiit Vali 2 (Reflector 6H23p-EB / 6922)
• $1000 amplifiers: DNA Sonett 2 (stock tubes), Eddie Current BW
• Entry headphones: HD650, HE4XX
• Non-entry headphones: HD800S, Utopia

Would I use the higher cost headphones on the $100 gear - sure, but it is not going to wow. In fact, it may be a little painful, to my ears. This is the only simple combination - higher priced headphones, for me, do not do well on my lower priced gear. Everything else is complicated, and needs to be heard, tried, tested. My personal preferences are listed below:

• Stock HD650 - does it sound good on the entry gear? Yep. Does it scale up to the higher end gear? You betcha! However I prefer a more expensive amplifier than either option I have listed here.
• My HE4XX is slightly modified, and actually sounds better (much better) on the BW than it does on the entry gear.
• Utopia sounds okay on the amplifiers listed, but I prefer its sound on another amplifier not listed here.
• HD800S sounds great on both amplifiers listed, and on the two amplifiers not listed that are my preferred for the HD650 and Utopia.

Not sure if any of this helps - or just adds noise. My concern, the reason I posted, is your supposition that $1000 cans require $2000 amplifiers. If that were true, I'd need to go out and find myself a $8000 amplifier for the Utopia, which is just nonsense. The amplifier I did not list, my favorite for the Utopia, is a ZDS. However I also, and almost equally, enjoy my Utopia on a RNHP.

There was an era when $1000 amplifiers were most often really, really good! To the two I listed, I would add ECP Torpedo 3, Eddie Current Super 7, HeadAmp GS-1 - none are in production. I hope similar amplifiers return to the market at similar prices. For today, you need to watch out for price creep. Staying out of mid-fi purgatory is difficult. There are some good used bargains. There are some fantastic options for new at the entry level. These, however, I do not think will do very well with most of the higher tier headphones. So do your research - bargain hunt to amplify your cans. Audio bliss is a personal thing, and not a simple function of amplifier cost relative to headphone cost.

 

[Whazzzup]

Seriously, if i had a choice between 3500$ server or amp id take the server, but be happy with both.

 

[Marco59]

1) Auralic Taurus MK2 + Focal Utopia
2) Violectric V281 + Hifiman HE1000 V2

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

Synergy is the major part on getting the best out of the headphone you're using. It's really not just about the dollar amount.

 

[baiyy1986]

I think I haven't described right.
Synergy is the thing that I really looking for.
I should rephrase as the "WOW" combination.
I purchase my Objective 2 2month ago, I should say it is a really amazing amp.
But I was still searching for the "perfect" match for my headphone.
After several searches online, I locate some of the headphone amps which lots of viewers would think "better" match for the HP.
Then it comes what I say "1000 bucks" amp vs "100" amp thing. I should describe as they are good, they are different, but I really did not have those feeling like "WOW".
I would say it is not about the money, it is about the feeling.
I want to ask about the feeling about when you find the right amp for your HP.
Like some kind of feeling: That's it, this is what I looking for, or something beyond my expectation.

 

[baiyy1986]

Synergy is the major part on getting the best out of the headphone you're using. It's really not just about the dollar amount.

Sorry about my English, which is some kind of misleading to this topic.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

Check out the site audiobot9000.com. You can put in headphones or amps and it will give you the 5 most frequently used amp or hp for the item you entered.

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

I think I haven't described right.
Synergy is the thing that I really looking for.
I should rephrase as the "WOW" combination.
I purchase my Objective 2 2month ago, I should say it is a really amazing amp.
But I was still searching for the "perfect" match for my headphone.
After several searches online, I locate some of the headphone amps which lots of viewers would think "better" match for the HP.
Then it comes what I say "1000 bucks" amp vs "100" amp thing. I should describe as they are good, they are different, but I really did not have those feeling like "WOW".
I would say it is not about the money, it is about the feeling.
I want to ask about the feeling about when you find the right amp for your HP.
Like some kind of feeling: That's it, this is what I looking for, or something beyond my expectation.

I can definitely described the feeling. My first WOW experience is when I had cavalli liquid carbon pair with HD6XX balanced out. I was overwhelm by the power and dynamics and thought that I've reached my end game. Then, I decided to get HD800 and mod them with SDR mod. I thought I am gonna achieve the same WOW experience if not better. The case is different with HD800. It is good but not "WOW". The search continues until I get the ECP DSHA-0 and Holo Spring. The feeling is amazing. Even better than before. Like I said before, the system just 'disappear'. I am getting the same feeling every time I listened to them. Only you know what is the best synergy to your headphone. But I can say that ECP amp lineup is a stellar combo with HD800 as if they were meant for each other