What is best amp to get to drive my Sennheiser HD 650's

[shuttleboi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Ray Samuels Raptor amp is a good choice. Emmeline II "The Raptor" Headphone Amp - Ray Samuels Audio

Speaking of the Raptor, what is that white plastic o-ring around the upper part of the middle tube? Can you (are you supposed to) take that off?

 

[john53]

Try to find a place to audition musical fidelity x can v8.it makes a good match for my hd 600.It's a bit underated amp here on headfi.And it's not that expensive.Try to find a shop to try it with your cans.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttleboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Speaking of the Raptor, what is that white plastic o-ring around the upper part of the middle tube? Can you (are you supposed to) take that off?

Those are called dampers. They can or are suppose to take care of tubes that are slightly microphonic, so you would want them on.

 

[Covenant]

The most important consideration here is system synergy. With the DAC1 HDR as your source, I would be inclined to recommend you a good tube amp. The HD650 may be rich/dark of its own accord, its true, but I still wouldn't pair a DAC1 with solid state. But I'm personally very sensitive to "digititis", or overly-analytical sound, so YMMV.

Since the DAC1 also has balanced outputs, I would go a step further and recommend you a balanced tube amp. It would mean you would have to get your Equinox reterminated, but the HD650 truly likes balanced operation. I've always disliked them until I heard them balanced, which improved them significantly.

Along the lines of balanced tube amps, this is where I'd be inclined towards: Woo Audio 22 Fully Balanced Headphone Tube Amplifier.

I have not heard it myself, unfortunately, but if my WA6SE is anything to judge by, Woo amps seem to work excellently with Senn's.

 

[shuttleboi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Those are called dampers. They can or are suppose to take care of tubes that are slightly microphonic, so you would want them on.

So that particular tube in the middle is slightly microphonic but the other two are not? Why? What does microphonic even mean? They have a microphone inside of them?

 

[jfourc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttleboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif So that particular tube in the middle is slightly microphonic but the other two are not? Why? What does microphonic even mean? They have a microphone inside of them?

It means they act like a microphone and pick up external sounds which you will hear through your headphones.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttleboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif So that particular tube in the middle is slightly microphonic but the other two are not? Why? What does microphonic even mean? They have a microphone inside of them?

The damper in the picture's just for looks.

Here's the definition of microphonic in wiki:

"Microphonics describes the phenomenon where certain components in electronic devices transform mechanical vibrations (ringing) into an undesired electrical signal (noise)"

 

[shuttleboi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif yes, read the forum. don't ask such a vague question like this - read the forum first!

I don't think you are using the word "vague" correctly.

 

[ManAtWork]

Triad Audio's LISA III would be one of the best option completely synergy with the HD650. The speedy, a little forward, solid with high controlled bass and the transparency make LISA III able to balance most of the weakness of HD650. Never to say that the SQ of LISA III is also at the top rank.

 

[Runkby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Covenant /img/forum/go_quote.gif The most important consideration here is system synergy. With the DAC1 HDR as your source, I would be inclined to recommend you a good tube amp. The HD650 may be rich/dark of its own accord, its true, but I still wouldn't pair a DAC1 with solid state. But I'm personally very sensitive to "digititis", or overly-analytical sound, so YMMV. Since the DAC1 also has balanced outputs, I would go a step further and recommend you a balanced tube amp. It would mean you would have to get your Equinox reterminated, but the HD650 truly likes balanced operation. I've always disliked them until I heard them balanced, which improved them significantly. Along the lines of balanced tube amps, this is where I'd be inclined towards: Woo Audio 22 Fully Balanced Headphone Tube Amplifier. I have not heard it myself, unfortunately, but if my WA6SE is anything to judge by, Woo amps seem to work excellently with Senn's.

I have been looking into the woo amps, and the woo22 does catch my attention. I would love to hear it before I paid so much for such an amp, but that will not be possible I'm sure, at least in the foreseeable future. At the very least, however, I would like to read more reviews on it. I saw that it was well received by those at can jam and I also hear that the sound signature is more similar to the woo 6se than the woo2, but nonetheless I would like to read up on it a little more before placing a preorder on it. The woo amps are, in my opinion, among the best looking amp made thou. Because I may consider going balanced I want to wait to read up more on the woo22, but if I were to stay single ended I would def get the woo6se maxed, as that too is a beautiful amp and I've heard lots of good things about it. Have you ever tried, by chance, the denon ah-7000's btw?