[Donten]

Hello!
 
Since I've got a bit of money saved up, I've been thinking of getting a mid/high-end setup. The v800+v200 combo seems to do well with most headphones out there, and it's not very hard to find used ones in good/perfect condition that aren't too expensive either.
 

I'm listening mostly to Japanese music in all it's forms and a lot of indie and classic rock. I obviously listen to a lot of other genres too, but I'd like to think of these as the main focus. What I'm wondering is, what headphones would be good for this type of music in a setup like this? I've been considering getting both HD800s and​

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LCD-2s, but LCD-3s might be a viable option as well. It's not like this DAC+AMP setup is a must either, and I'm open to other suggestions as well. The same goes for the headphones.​

 

[BournePerfect]

HD800s. Or HD800s/Conductor instead. The Audezes should mate well with both rigs.
 
-Daniel

 

[GloryUprising]

Figure out the cans first so you can match synergy better.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

B E Y E R D Y N A M I C    T  1

 

[Donten]

What gives them the edge over the other headphones in your possession for these particular genres?

 

[Tony1110]

V800 + V200 is a great system and a versatile one too. T1 & V200 go nicely together. The amp imparts a nice warmth to the somewhat bright and spiky T1s which makes them easier to listen to for longer periods without the fatigue you might experience with other solid state amps. Most people advise tubes with T1 but V200 is probably as close as you'll get to tubes with a SS.

V200 is decent enough with LCD-2 but I found that everything sounded a little too congested for my tastes. It's a good combination and plenty of people recommend it, but it lacks the clean, airy sound you'd get with something like the Burson Soloist. If you listen to high octane rock music I'd look elsewhere.

The HD800 is renowned for having fantastic synergy with the Violectric stack. I've not heard it but some of the more experienced Head-Fiers will tell you that it's a match made in heaven.

But yeah, choose your headphones first and look at ancillary equipment once you've decided.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

V800 + V200 is a great system and a versatile one too. T1 & V200 go nicely together. The amp imparts a nice warmth to the somewhat bright and spiky T1s which makes them easier to listen to for longer periods without the fatigue you might experience with other solid state amps. Most people advise tubes with T1 but V200 is probably as close as you'll get to tubes with a SS.

V200 is decent enough with LCD-2 but I found that everything sounded a little too congested for my tastes. It's a good combination and plenty of people recommend it, but it lacks the clean, airy sound you'd get with something like the Burson Soloist. If you listen to high octane rock music I'd look elsewhere.

The HD800 is renowned for having fantastic synergy with the Violectric stack. I've not heard it but some of the more experienced Head-Fiers will tell you that it's a match made in heaven.

But yeah, choose your headphones first and look at ancillary equipment once you've decided.

 
+1

 

[cyberbully]

The V800 has slightly passed the time while the V200 is still a good amp. My suggestion is to have a try on the Northstar essensio, a very impressive one in these days. Especially when you also have a pc hifi need, you get more from it. (+ The physical con is it does not support XLRs)

 

[Tony1110]

The V800 has slightly passed the time while the V200 is still a good amp. My suggestion is to have a try on the Northstar essensio, a very impressive one in these days. Especially when you also have a pc hifi need, you get more from it. (+ The physical con is it does not support XLRs)

The V800 is getting a bit long in the tooth and it doesn't have an asynchronous USB implementation but in terms of SQ it's the best I've heard. It's superior to the DAC in the Burson Conductor and it wipes the floor with lower cost units like the Rega and Schiit Bifrost. The upsampling options are fantastic and you can also run it to a balanced amplifier - something that will appeal to a lot of people. Granted, it doesn't support DSD but that's not essential at the moment as the format is still in its infancy. I'm not sure I buy all this stuff about DACs not having a long shelf life. The V800 probably sounds as good if not better than anything in its price range, even if it is a few years older.

 

[cyberbully]

The V800 is getting a bit long in the tooth and it doesn't have an asynchronous USB implementation but in terms of SQ it's the best I've heard. It's superior to the DAC in the Burson Conductor and it wipes the floor with lower cost units like the Rega and Schiit Bifrost. The upsampling options are fantastic and you can also run it to a balanced amplifier - something that will appeal to a lot of people. Granted, it doesn't support DSD but that's not essential at the moment as the format is still in its infancy. I'm not sure I buy all this stuff about DACs not having a long shelf life. The V800 probably sounds as good if not better than anything in its price range, even if it is a few years older.

Most of the points agreed.

 

[Xenophon]

I'm very late in the game and suppose the OP has purchased his setup by now.  But anyway, I own some of the components he's talking about so here's my 2 cents:
 
Firstly, I think you need to make a decision about how you like your sound signature and what the quality of the music you typically listen to is.  In function of that I'd draw up a shortlist of headphones and audition them; once you decide on the headphones, find a DAC/AMP combo that handles them well.  The above assumes that you won't turn into an addict like most of us here who have various sets of headphones/amps and dacs sitting around.
 
I own -see signature- the HD-800 and the V800/V200 combo.  The HD-800 are truly great headphones and offer unparalleled soundstage and imaging, BUT:
 
- Ruthlessly accurate, to the point of distraction if you listen to less than pristine recordings.  I don't know about your genres but I listen mainly to classical and can testify to the fact that absolute precision in reproducing everything that can be heard is sometimes less than desirable, especially when listening to old recordings.
- Very analytical, I'd say they're almost more for detailed study of music than for relaxed enjoyment
- Picky as for the amp that drives them, some combo's work great, others are really unenjoyable.  That being said, the V800/V200 combo pairs VERY nicely with them -I don't think many will dissent about this- and although they don't really colour the sound they do add a touch of warmth to the HD-800, not a bad thing imho.  I auditioned them with the conductor and found this emphasised their analytical nature (it's a very 'fast' combo) and made the sound quite cold with the HD-800.  The conductor's a good amp imho but it accentuates some already extreme properties of the HD-800 and takes things too far.
- There's the Sennheiser tax to contend with
 
My favourite cans are the HiFiMan HE-500, they pair well with the Violectric combo, are not monsters to drive such as the HE-6  and great with vocals.  Downside of all the HifiMan cans are weight and comfort but as far as bang/buck goes you'll be hard pressed to find better value than the HE-500 imho.
 
FWIW:  I've never auditioned the LCD's but people whom I trust tell me that they pair nicely with the Violectric combo.  
 
But above all:  if  at all possible, decide for yourself and audition the cans.  Only you can decide, this site can give an indication and be very helpful in making a shortlist but beware of anyone who comes to you bearing 'the' end-all solution.  There's no such thing as a headphone that's  best in everything, it's always a compromise.  Even within classical music I often find myself switching between the HE-500 (smaller ensembles, vocals) and the HD-800 for large concertos.

 

[johthor]

  I'm very late in the game and suppose the OP has purchased his setup by now.  But anyway, I own some of the components he's talking about so here's my 2 cents:
 
Firstly, I think you need to make a decision about how you like your sound signature and what the quality of the music you typically listen to is.  In function of that I'd draw up a shortlist of headphones and audition them; once you decide on the headphones, find a DAC/AMP combo that handles them well.  The above assumes that you won't turn into an addict like most of us here who have various sets of headphones/amps and dacs sitting around.
 
I own -see signature- the HD-800 and the V800/V200 combo.  The HD-800 are truly great headphones and offer unparalleled soundstage and imaging, BUT:
 
- Ruthlessly accurate, to the point of distraction if you listen to less than pristine recordings.  I don't know about your genres but I listen mainly to classical and can testify to the fact that absolute precision in reproducing everything that can be heard is sometimes less than desirable, especially when listening to old recordings.
- Very analytical, I'd say they're almost more for detailed study of music than for relaxed enjoyment
- Picky as for the amp that drives them, some combo's work great, others are really unenjoyable.  That being said, the V800/V200 combo pairs VERY nicely with them -I don't think many will dissent about this- and although they don't really colour the sound they do add a touch of warmth to the HD-800, not a bad thing imho.  I auditioned them with the conductor and found this emphasised their analytical nature (it's a very 'fast' combo) and made the sound quite cold with the HD-800.  The conductor's a good amp imho but it accentuates some already extreme properties of the HD-800 and takes things too far.
- There's the Sennheiser tax to contend with
 
My favourite cans are the HiFiMan HE-500, they pair well with the Violectric combo, are not monsters to drive such as the HE-6  and great with vocals.  Downside of all the HifiMan cans are weight and comfort but as far as bang/buck goes you'll be hard pressed to find better value than the HE-500 imho.
 
FWIW:  I've never auditioned the LCD's but people whom I trust tell me that they pair nicely with the Violectric combo.
 
But above all:  if  at all possible, decide for yourself and audition the cans.  Only you can decide, this site can give an indication and be very helpful in making a shortlist but beware of anyone who comes to you bearing 'the' end-all solution.  There's no such thing as a headphone that's  best in everything, it's always a compromise.  Even within classical music I often find myself switching between the HE-500 (smaller ensembles, vocals) and the HD-800 for large concertos.

I know that this is an old post, but I bumped into it as I am a new owner of a V200.  There is a lot of really good information in this post especially for a lot of us who are relatively new to this wonderful hobby.  This kind of thoughtful, knowledgeable, and informative post really reflects the best of Head Fi.  Thank you for posting this and happy listening to all.