[Sovkiller]

I was looking for an amp to drive my MDR CD3000 and if posible also my HD600 without the need of two amps, and I get some opinions of the most experienced headfiers, thanks to all of them, I have now group of a few amps to choose, but which is the problem all seem to be very nice, I would like to submit a poll if the forum let me, asking for more opinions on which to get, the options are basically five:
1-Gilmore amp
2-Corda HA-2
3-Earmax Pro
4-XCan-V2
5-Berning MicroZOTL

 

[joelongwood]

Although the Earmax Pro is the only one of the amps listed that I've heard, I can tell you, that to my ears, it pairs extremely well with both the CD3000 and the HD600, although I much prefer the sound of the CD3000.

 

[Sovkiller]

Please don't forget to include some comments that will help me (us) to decide which one according to your experience....

 

[andrzejpw]

I haven't heard the HA-2 or gilmore, so I'll say EMP. The ha-2/gilmore are too new to get too many opinions, I'm afraid.

 

[taoster]

get the HA-2, get the HA-2!!

 

[markl]

I was going to click on "melos" but that's not a choice.

Mark

 

[AndreYew]

I don't have a CD3000, but do have a CD1700. If the 3000 is anything like the 1700, then it has much higher sensitivity than the HD600, ie. it plays louder with less power. If this is the case, make sure you get an amp whose gain is adjustable, or one with a stepped attenuator. The reason for this is that continuous pot attenuators don't sound good at their lower range, which is where a high-sensitivity headphone will put it.

--Andre

 

[ServinginEcuador]

I didn't vote but would reco listening to the RKV with the Impedancer. This will give you the best of both worlds and allow the amp to be used with virtually any set of cans you can throw at it. Including the K1000s!!!

 

[Sovkiller]

Thanks Servinginecuador, but this nice combo is completelly out of my range of price 1000+, with 1000+ I think I can get even better amps that the RKV for both, I was looking for something good but affordable, 500+ range and not more....my CD3000 and HD600 both sounds pretty good out of the jack of the Audiosource AmpTwo I got here, I even preffer the sound of it to the MGHead with premium tubes, for the HD600, just that I would like to squeeze the best out of them.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sovkiller Thanks Servinginecuador, but this nice combo is completelly out of my range of price 1000+

Sorry Sovkiller, I thought it might be closer to your budget since you listed the ZOTL in your short list, which runs about $750. I figured that the RKV, used, plus Imperdancer would run about $100-150 above that, while giving incredible sound for just about anything you can hook-up to it.

Knowing your budget now I would highly reco the EMP!! With a good set of tubes in it there is probably nothing that really competes for running both sets of cans you have!!!

 

[Sovkiller]

hi serving....
The micoZOTL was actually 680 from the website, so I shoud get a better price for a used one here, and about the EMP I had received some PMs stating the is not good enough with the HD600, a little bored, at least not like others....are you sure of that? Actually if I can find something around 500 or 550 the most, it should be great, the gilmore and the corda HA-2 (fabulously hand made BTW), both runs for about that, but nobody seems to have try any to testify, on the other side tubes are becoming too expensive, and hard to find, I love them, but is a real incovenience, the Corda has the crossfeed, which I would like to try, but as nobody had any reference about this one....Jan Maier said that is good (but he had never tried it with the CD3000) so his opinion did not help me a lot, (as the MGHead OTL was supposed to drive the CD3000 on the transformer jack, even some people like the Grado's with it, and I do not like it, not even a little bit, its sound coupled with the CD3000, and with premium tubes) so I'm stocked here again....the X-Can is obviously inferior to those, so I already took it out from my list...the Melos is a pre, and I do not need a pre, I have one, and I like it, and tubes again, but I'm waiting for some other opinions, of people like you that have tried both with the amp in question, not one that says that with the Grados is good (I'm not talking about Grados here, so it is not an answer to my question)...Thanks for your suggestion I really appreciate that, and I hope all the headfiers do the same and talked of what they have heard in fact, without expeculations......

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Sovkiller,

Since you got some PMs with more reco's that warn against that combo I would go with them instead!!! When comparing the output of an amp against two very different impedances one can get a better idea of what that amp is capable of when compared to listening to it with only one set of cans. I listened to some Senn 600s thru the EarMax, and while it was quite good, it could have been a bit better. I wanted to compare it against the Sony CD3k to see how it would sound, but as Joelongwood has stated, the Sony and EMP is a killer combo he uses and chooses more often than the Senn600.


Try PM'ing Hirsch to see if he likes the ZOTL when teamed up with the Senns and Sony CD3Ks. He owns the amp and both headphones, so his opinion would be invaluable in helping you in your quest!!!! He loves the ZOTL, and has done extensive research in finding just the right set of tubes to run in it to make it sound its best. I listened to his amp with the W2002s and was quite impressed, and that was using an inferior set of tubes to his now incredible tubes he found!!


OBTW, this is the magical 1500th post!!! WOOHOO, I made it!!!

 

[Sovkiller]

Hircsh says that the microZOTL loves the CD3000, "they seems to love each other" were his words when I asked him, but first is a tube amp, and with the MGHead I had enough with tubes, is a pain in the neck, or too expensive (one of the two) to get decent tubes...So I was trying to get in the first instance a SS amp, and on the second I will go for the MicroZOTL (even with this ridiculous colors), blindly, but I would like also some crossfeed and so...but not at the expense of sacrifying quality, so I will wait, if at the end I can't get any reco on the ss ones, I will go for the MicroZOTL, there are even one on sale right now, but out of my wallet for me, right now....I'm willing to pay 500, 550 the most, I just spent too much on the CD3000 and other stuff for my home....

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Sovkiller,

Sorry, forgot all about the whole SS preference in your previous post!!! I would be hesitant to team up the Sonys with anything SS since I have yet to hear someone like that combo!! Many listened to them at the WOH tour hooked-up to something like a HeadRoom Cosmic or such and no one reported liking that combo.

Admittedly, getting the right tubes to make great synergy with your cans takes precedence over the tube/SS issue!! Finding the right combo at this price range is imperative, so patience on your part will prove to be quite valuable in the long run!! There are some more amps on the horizon at all times, so a few months of waiting may prove invaluable in the long run!!!

 

[Sovkiller]

There will be also the MGHead OTL32, which nobody knows how the hell is going to match with the CD3K, (cause the grados are not a reference in any way for me, as they tend to sound very different in the same setup) for now I have nothing to do but wait...or if I could find any place with a nice return policy to try the gilmore and the HA-2 but it seems to be far of out sight for now, who sells one does not sell the other.....