[stec74]

  ^^ There is no information about this amp on their website.
 
Looks great though.

 
Yes, I Know, It is a totally new object specifically designed for a small group of people.
From now on it will be the top headphone amplifier of their own line but yes, they need to update the website.
You can send them emails anyway...
 
Here some tech specs (but just ask for others) :
 
- N.4 RCA IN GERMANY YARBO Rhodium or Silver custom
- N.2 RCA OUT GERMANY YARBO Rhodium or Silver custom
- N.1 IN switch FEME
- N.2 Headphone OUT with silver contacts
- N.1 ALPS RK40 Black Beauty logaritmic volume control
- N.2 Mundorf Supreme Silver/Oil 1uF Caps on signal
- PRE-AMPLIFIER circuit

- N.1 Rectifier Tube 5U4 (General Electric, Sylvania or Svetlana)
- N.2 Pre Tubes 6H23 (or ECC88)
- N.2 Tubes 5998
 
- Power unit handmade in Iron/Silicon 4%
- Resistors from kiwame/allen bradley
- Catodic Resistors from military DALE (25W / 1%)
- Internal wired in Copper/Silver 60/40 single core with teflon

- Wood and Amagnetic Inox AISI 316 20/10 enclosure for the head (32x30x5.5 cm)
- Alluminum 4mm (the same EA Nordlys enclosure) box enclosure for the power unit (22x30x13 cm)
- Powercon 20A or stardard IEC power line cord

 

[alvin sawdust]

Ok thanks for the information. How much is it likely to cost?

 

[stec74]

  Ok thanks for the information. How much is it likely to cost?

It is not defined yet.
I paid 1500E with the buying group who push for the develop, a buying group is the best way to drop down the cost.
I can suppose a price over 2000E for a single buyer/unit.

 

[alvin sawdust]

  It is not defined yet.
I paid 1500E with the buying group who push for the develop, a buying group is the best way to drop down the cost.
I can suppose a price over 2000E for a single buyer/unit.

Ok thanks. Can you compare it to any other amps?

 

[stec74]

  Ok thanks. Can you compare it to any other amps?

 
The Icon Audio HP8 was the first one I tried with my HD800 and I really do not like it.
Compared to my EA I remember it sound really dark and stuffy.
 
Compared with a the portable custom FiiO E12 the EA (EstroArmonico) have, of course, more of all. A lot.
But I must admit that I do not dislike the FiiO as a portable environement and I prefer it over the HP8 absolutely.
 
I cannot compare it with any other amps yet, sorry. In Bologna is very hard to have headphone amps in shops to try, but the previous model is a son of the same philosofy and was compared, but not from me, with violectric (V200 if I correctly remember) and a custom Woo Audio WA22. At that time it was better prefered over the violectric and lacks in the low frequencies impact in comparison with the Woo, as I read from listening report.
Its main goal was better definied for classical to jazz than rock, for example, and the taste between the two was contested.
But if you have an HD800 is suppose to not listening to rock or metal as your first genre!
 
I cannot directly compare this new model with the woo yet (maybe this autumn, I hope), but I had the previous EA model so I can compare this two and the impact is astonishing in every category over the old one!
 
Starting from this evening and throw the next weeks I will try it with many other sources and with some friends.
Some simply have a better and longest experience than me, some are vocalists in a classical orchestra and one of them song in a local band and have produced some CDs we will listening to, so I will have more and better opinions...

 

[alvin sawdust]

Thanks for taking the time to give us your thoughts Stefano. To be honest I have not heard anyone say they dislike the HP8 but then again we all like different things.
I find the HD800 to be great with any genre I throw at it and contrary to what some people say I find the bass to be outstanding in depth and texture and i have been a long time Audeze user.

 

[soundseeker21]

The Objective 2 from JDS labs sounds very good with the Sennheiser HD800. There is little to no sibilance and you will hear the bass where it is meant to be heard. Volume also gets loud, to where I play using half volume. It is around $250-300.

 

[mrtim6]

Have to say the Leben cs300xs & HD800 are a really nice combination - very musical and not fatiguing at all.

I'm using Rathyon 5751 pre tubes & Amperex bugle boy EL84 power tubes.
Very addictive sound particularly with hi-resolution.

Using Sony Walkman with PH3 as a source & DAC.

 

[pigmode]

If you're not looking for warmth, which it seems many here are, my end setup for the HD800 was the Millet Arete/Volcano. The Arete has a very neutral sound and one of its strengths is clarity.
 
I've come to prefer a neutral amp, and use its source to refine its voice. In this case it was a Neko D100 MKII DAC, and Wavelength Wavelink HS SPDIF-USB.  

 

[knowhatimean]

  If you're not looking for warmth, which it seems many here are, my end setup for the HD800 was the Millet Arete/Volcano. The Arete has a very neutral sound and one of its strengths is clarity.
 
I've come to prefer a neutral amp, and use its source to refine its voice. In this case it was a Neko D100 MKII DAC, and Wavelength Wavelink HS SPDIF-USB.  

Nicely put !
 
I would concur that in order to get the most consistent voice of what you listen to, your source should be the place that is defining
the sound (in my case my Metrum Hex DAC) . I would agree that using a neutral amp is the best way to approach things !

 

[icebear]

+1 , sounds like a promising approach.
 
At least I like what I hear out of this chain:
Marantz SA11S3 > anticable XLR > GSX-Mk2 > Norne Vanquish dual 3-pin XLR > HD 800

 

[preproman]

I would say your transducer should be where your preferred sound be tailored.  Your amp and DAC should be as neutral as possible.  IMO.
 
If you like a warm sound - go for something like the LCDs, HE1Ks.  If you like the neutral sound go for the HD800 types.  
 
With a neutral setup you can achieve this pretty easy.  I'm not sure you want your chain imposing its sound and making every transducer you have sound the the same.

 

[charliex]

Just tried my SAC KH 1000 amplifier (made exclusively for the power hungry AKG K-1000 and am really impressed.
Plenty of power and amazing resolution.  I cant push it past 9 or 10 am (1/4) way.without blowing my eardrums.
Great amp for the HD800!

 

[Frosty3258]

How should the centrance M8 pair with them?

 

[HiFiGuy528]

the KING for HD800 is the new WA5-LE!  
 
Set that baby to HI power (8w), HI impedance, and LO level and you'll be amazed....