[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by wacomme Wow! Now that matching amps to headphones seems to be extremely important, what's a good match with the Corda HA-1? I was thinking about the Sennheiser 600's, but Jan Meier suggests the DT931. How well does the Corda power the 600? Or to look at it from a different perspective, what's the minimum amp that will show the true worth of the 600's? Michael

wacomme
I make people mad each time I answer this question.

First, let me preface by saying that the HD600 is an excellent headphone and that in my experience, the headphone is good enough to really benefit from amp upgrades.

WIth the Corda HA-1, I agree with Jan, the DT931 is preferable to the HD600 when the 931 is being driven by the 120ohm jack. Whereas I'm not completely satisfied with the upper midrange and bass taughtness with the Corda HA-1/HD600 combination, I really felt the DT931 was performing closer to at its best--this was with stock cables, with the Cardas the HD600 might be a whole different thing, I'd have to compare again.

The only amplifier I've heard so far that really made me happy with the HD600's bass performance is the RKV. Maybe it's the power, maybe it's the OTL design, maybe the amp was just voiced for the HD600--whatever it was, the HD600's bass is taughter and deeper on the RKV than I've heard it anywhere else. It has that elusive cohesive midbass that makes you not feel like the music's been seperated and it has authority like no other. The soundstage that seems common the OTL amplifiers, I think, also makes the upper midrange more pleasant than the HD600 is with other amps--although it still seems somewhat recessed to me with the stock cable. Unfortunately the RKV doesn't have the attack and high frequency extension that it would require to be my ideal HD600 amp so my search continues. I'm planning to try the Sugden next.

This is an expensive hobby and I resent being called a snob whenever I offer that something expensive might be better than something inexpensive. None the less, I believe the Corda HA-1 to be an excellent product and the DT931 mates with it for a combination that is extremely competitive at its price. If you decide to go with the HD600 instead, the HD600/Corda HA-1 combination is still very good.

More answer than you wanted, I'm sure.

 

[wacomme]

Kelly,

I appreciate your reply. I've been reading your "snob" thrashings, and I'm sorry. I think I understand where you're coming from. However, I also see other people's point of view, namely, the 600's may have more "lasting" power than the DT931. While I see the Corda HA-1 as a home upgrade from my TAH (although, is this true with a Sony SCD-CE775 cdp as my source?), my present history shows that I'm continuing to upgrade (AH + ER6 to TAH + ER4P & adapter + cdp from a pcdp in less than a month) and will likely continue to do so in the future. I'm a teacher, so money is limited, and I cannot continue this rapid growth forever, but I might see an upgrade from the Corda in years to come. Therefore, would the Sennheiser 600 be a better choice than the DT931, or is it better to get the best amp/headphone match now -- and is that the Corda HA-1 + DT931?

You also throw into the loop the option of the Cardias cable. I was thinking of purchasing the 600 with an upgrade cable (clou, cardias, other?). Does anyone know how the 600 + cable upgrade compare to the DT931 using my source (CE775) and Corda amp?

Michael

 

[kelly]

wacomme

When Jan posted his review comparrisons of the HD600 and DT931 his 931 had been equipped with a hacked Red Clou cable. Jan definitely prefers the 931 with his amp.

I don't know if anyone else has done those kind of comparrisons yet.

I think from what I've heard, the DT931's brightness would ultimately be grating and fatiguing to me without a 120 ohm adapter. Of course, you could always get a 120 ohm adapter and use it with amps other than the Corda HA-1, but I haven't heard that yet so I don't really know how it would compare.

The real problem is that the 931 and HD600 are so close in performance that it's a tough decision. On the bright side, you can't really go wrong with either decision--especially with the prices you can get them for now.

You should probably note that if you're planning to upgrade the cable on the 931 that it'll be more work than the HD600 since all of these cables were designed for the HD600. If you're up to hacking cables and such it's not an issue but if you're not willing to do that, that alone could sway you toward the HD600.

 

[wacomme]

Does an upgraded cable make a "big" difference?

Which sounds better with the corda: Sennheiser 600 with clou or cardias cable vs. DT931 with no cable upgrade?

Michael

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by wacomme Does an upgraded cable make a "big" difference? Which sounds better with the corda: Sennheiser 600 with clou or cardias cable vs. DT931 with no cable upgrade? Michael

What I'm saying is, I don't think anyone other than Jan has done this specific comparison so all we can do is speculate. The cable makes a much bigger difference than I would have thought. I far preferred the Cardas cable to the stock HD600 cable.

 

[wacomme]

Kelly,

I thought you own both the Sennheiser 600 with cardas cables and the DT931, or at least you've heard both of them. Which do you prefer?

Michael

 

[kelly]

wacomme
I own the HD600 and the Corda HA-1. I have the Cardas cable on order but it's been backordered and hasn't arrived yet. The rest of what I actually own is in my profile if you're curious.

As for what I've HEARD, when I heard the HD600 with stock cable vs the DT931 with stock cable on the stock Corda HA-1, I preferred the DT931. That's the only comparison of value I can offer you. I don't own the 931 or have regular access to one, unfortunately. The two headphones are too similar for me to justify owning both with so many audio wants left unfulfilled.

 

[wacomme]

Thanks Kelly!

I emailed Jan for his AB comparisons. I don't see them posted on Head-Fi.

Michael

 

[fredpb]

Quote:

Originally posted by HappymaN Are they really that hard to make? Or is it just because they are made on a low-production numbers basis? I'd really like to purchase a nice pair of headphones, to upgrade from my HP890's, but I just can't afford the amplifier. Would i tbe that bad for me to listen to say, the HD-580's through the headphone jack of my Denon micro-hifi system?

They are low production items.

There are better choices for your headphone jack than the HD580's or HD600's. Many many choices.