Hey, I was planning on getting the Alpha Dogs sometime this summer. What amp would you recommend for them? Or maybe even another headphone in their pricerange as I am not completely set on them.

Regards Moosecraft

Perhaps wait a bit for the he-400i? I've read some people say that they're pretty similar sounding to the he-500 than the he-560i. You could also get the he-500 used for around that price as well.

FWIW, I quite like the sound of the Alpha Dog with the new tweaks/taming kit. I always found myself wanting to EQ the top end of the Mad Dog (2.0 through 3.2, haven't tried Pro) and the Paradox (early model, and not Slants). If you've read much about the AD, my pair has two of the "dots" on each channel, and usually one felt disc in each does the trick for me. I think there are some further front damping tweaks that could improve the sound, which I'm experimenting with, and I actually tend to use different materials than the felt discs provided (or sometimes use my material with the felt). But I think most people would be very happy without taking those steps.

Keeping in mind personal tastes, equipment (I generally run the AD from a NOS DAC and a warm, vintage receiver), and product variance, YMMV. The Schiit offerings for amps will provide some good options.

Keep the two Paradox headphones in mind as well. If you're considering open headphones, that will give you a lot more options in your price range.

... smiley shape ...

Mad Dog Pro or Enigma (although Enigma is more $ and longer wait). Latest Enigma's smiley curve is slight. Also, Enigma has slightly more headstage to Mad Dog Pro. Mad Dog Pro has some Alpha "technology" - namely the baffles, but still are not full wood cups like Enigma. You get what you pay for. Both are good options at different price points for closed headphones.

I'm not sure if anyone here has firsthand experience with HE-400i yet. Maybe HF has a stream of consciousness thread with 102323 posts on it where we may perhaps glean two sentences of real information in post #234 and #9823.

I'll be getting in an HE-560 soon for more formal measurements and subjective impressions so stay tuned. I did like the HE-560 very much at a meet a few months ago. I do not like the price though. But I would not say the HE-560 has smiley FR.

I heard both of the new HFMs at the Chicago meet but it was very loud there. Both have real drive. 400i sounds like a hybrid of 400's aggressiveness and 500's lushness, so it's a little mellower and noticeably warmer but there's some mushiness in the bass. Soundstage is much more open and wider than 400. (The HFM rep agreed that the number designation is misleading, as it doesn't sound close enough to the original; Fang settled on it earlier in the process when the sound was more similar.) It's not my preferred sound, but I enjoyed it for what it is.