Tube amps and headphones, compatibility quiestion.

[bikeboy999]

Hello all,

After reading a post about matching Grado's and Little Dot, it leaves me wondering. I have a pair of HD590s and UE Super Fi 5 pro and wonder if they would benefit from a tube amp. I have never had a chance to do much with tube amps. I have a Cambridge 640c V2 CD player that I currently run through 1980s Nikko amp and pre-amp. Would I gain much by running the CD player directly to a hd specific tube amp? Could I use Senns, UE SF5 pro and my son's Grado 225s without out any compromising. Will I get more from my music? Would I get/notice anything from running a Video IPOD from LOD directly to the tube amp instead of LOD to Headsix?

B

 

[Redcarmoose]

Funny, I use the Nikko beta 11 as my main preamp and have not found anything better yet. I do use a Woo Audio 3 for the Sony MDR-CD870 Headphones. The thing with tube amps are that the bass will get a little distorted when you turn them up. I have a Scott 222d lab amp from the early 60s that puts everything to shame but it does hum a little.

 

[atbglenn]

I use a Woo WA6 with 300 ohm HD650's, and 63 ohm Sony MDR V6. The bass never distorts no matter how loud I listen. The Woo 3 is optimized for high impedance headphones like the HD650's. Your Sony's are 32 ohms. That is probably why you hear distortion at high volumes.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Thank-you for the info.