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Author Topic: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800  (Read 100596 times)

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jacal01

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #580 on: September 10, 2015, 06:27:55 PM »

I'm interested in your opinion on the Questyle & both the HD800 & LCD2.

I personally think that the current output of the Questyle (and Bakoon) tames a lot of the system impedance mismatching between amp and headphones.  Miraculous or no, I hear no artificial aspects or loss of the clarity and resolution that current amps are known for, with either the HD800s and LCD-2s.  I routinely end up using the LCD-2 with the CMA800 and the HD800 with the HPA-21 for my sessions listening, and find them both still engaging after extended periods.

From the CMA800 product literature:

Questyle believes “power supply is the first priority to achieve a good sound”. CMA800 power-supply
system is made up of the high-performance transformer well designed by Plitron, a famous Canadian
manufacturer, 10A ONSEMI ultra fast recovery rectifiers, and 16 top audio capacitances ELNA
SIMLICⅡwith large capacity, which provide clean power for the amplification part of CMA800 in a most
original but effective way.

“I had the pleasure to audition the beta version of the CMA800 Current Mode Headphone amplifier and
was very impressed in all respects . Listening to tracks from Jennifer Warne’s ‘The Hunter’ through
Sennheiser HD800 headphones was a revelation. This is an old favorite record that I thought I knew well
but I heard details previously buried deep in the track. The sound was dynamic, ethereal, detailed and
precise with no unpleasant artifacts of any kind. Everything you want music to be was there. This is a
promising first product from a talented young company with great engineering.”
---Howard Gladstone
President of Plitron Manufacturing Inc.

And project86's extensive review of the CMA800R, in case you haven't yet seen it:

http://www.head-fi.org/products/questyle-cma800r-current-mode-headphone-amplifier-silver/reviews/10036?utm_campaign=subscription&utm_source=subscription_immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email
   
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Thenewdude007

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #581 on: September 10, 2015, 08:41:20 PM »

Looking for miracles with HD800s from basic stock Bottlehead Cracks and Questyles are serious pie in the sky hopes and dreams.

They haven't been mentioned as prime pairings for the HD800 before for a reason. All you're doing with these is trying to change tone and balance and getting nothing special from the HD800. At that point, you should just get another headphone instead.



I routinely end up using the LCD-2 with the CMA800 and the HD800 with the HPA-21 for my sessions listening, and find them both still engaging after extended periods.


Thought so.

My experience is that the LCD2 pairs much better with solid state amps & the HD800 much better with tubes.
With the iFi Micro iDSD, the LCD2 soundstage really increases. It no longer feels congested or muddy. Actually closes the gap between it & the HD800 when the HD800 is driven by the iDSD, as far as vocals & spacing goes.

With the Micro iDSD, I would prefer the LCD2 over the HD800 8 out of 10 times for the songs I tested.

With the Crack, it's the opposite. The HD800 strengths are better emphasized & the bass/mids aren't as recessed (still recessed compared to the LCD2). While the LCD2 can sound too boomy on the Crack & have some distortion at higher levels of volume.

With all that said, I still want to find a amp/tube combo (NOT over $2,000) that can transform the HD800 to SOMEWHAT have the forward midrange & bass of the LCD2.
I'm not talking equaling it, just to make it not such a obvious gap.

IS there anything like that?
Would Bottlehead Speedball with better tubes be the answer?
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SoupRKnowva

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #582 on: September 10, 2015, 09:43:56 PM »

Unless there has been a drastic change to the questyle in the last year and a half or so since I stopped paying attention to it, it isn't a current mode amp in the same way the bakoon is. The bakoon uses current mode output, the questyle just uses current gain, it uses a standard voltage output.
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jwahl

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #583 on: September 11, 2015, 04:54:09 PM »

Unless there has been a drastic change to the questyle in the last year and a half or so since I stopped paying attention to it, it isn't a current mode amp in the same way the bakoon is. The bakoon uses current mode output, the questyle just uses current gain, it uses a standard voltage output.

I find some of these nomenclatures a bit confusing myself to be honest.  Someone with better technical understanding feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I understand a "current mode" transmission.  I think current mode just means that the signal through the amp is keep at a low voltage and/or low internal impedance level to minimize distortion through the amp.  But at some point in the output there would have to be voltage gain to occur in order to produce a reasonable volume at the output. 

It seems to me the current mode idea would be best applied in a dac/amp combo in which a current output DAC can be kept in current mode all the way through to a final I/V output stage. The inherent disadvantage of keeping the low level signal would be more chances to pick up noise, up to the final gain stage.
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Priidik

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #584 on: September 11, 2015, 09:10:39 PM »

I still want to find a amp/tube combo (NOT over $2,000) that can transform the HD800 to SOMEWHAT have the forward midrange & bass of the LCD2.

While I haven't heard a LCD-2, I had the same wishes for HD800 a while back when I had a Sabre based crappy dac. You could get a Gungnir MB and a Cavalli amp for 2k$. Many other great amps to chose from as well. 
No idea about the Cavalli L-Carbon vs Ehha, but others have said Cavalli has strong house sound and the descriptions of it match with how I hear my Ehha.
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Marvey

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #585 on: September 11, 2015, 10:29:51 PM »

Quote from: Thenewdude007 on September 10, 2015, 01:41:20 PM
I still want to find a amp/tube combo (NOT over $2,000) that can transform the HD800 to SOMEWHAT have the forward midrange & bass of the LCD2.

Consider used. I picked up my EC ZD (first edition) for $1100 shipped during the dark times where everyone thought they were shitty and couldn't stop dumping them on the market. Some of the S7s with various mods listed here also sold for quite cheap. Heck, wasn't there a great deal on a Cavalli Liquid Carbon recently? Good deals always come along in audio. Just need to be patient and/or lucky in terms of timing. Trying to convince yourself that something is awesome because HF said it was awesome and you were getting a really really really good deal on it usually isn't a good idea.
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Anaxilus

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #586 on: September 11, 2015, 10:39:44 PM »

Liquid Carbon is good call.
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Thenewdude007

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #587 on: September 12, 2015, 11:08:30 PM »

Consider used. I picked up my EC ZD (first edition) for $1100 shipped during the dark times where everyone thought they were shitty and couldn't stop dumping them on the market. Some of the S7s with various mods listed here also sold for quite cheap. Heck, wasn't there a great deal on a Cavalli Liquid Carbon recently? Good deals always come along in audio. Just need to be patient and/or lucky in terms of timing. Trying to convince yourself that something is awesome because HF said it was awesome and you were getting a really really really good deal on it usually isn't a good idea.

You wouldn't be able to part ways with your EC ZD for around that same price would you?
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Marvey

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #588 on: September 13, 2015, 01:36:07 AM »

You wouldn't be able to part ways with your EC ZD for around that same price would you?


I've put money into it (it is the basis for the ZDS), and Gunner in NY has already claimed it should I ever sell it.
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Thenewdude007

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #589 on: September 15, 2015, 07:12:57 AM »

Just remembered the debate on the T1 thread about voltage being the main factor to properly drive the T1.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/508836/the-official-beyerdynamic-t1-impressions-and-discussion-thread/9540#post_11840676

Quote (selected)
On voltage, the T1 will swing impedance to >1k ohms at ~100 Hz (see: http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeyerdynamicT1.pdf for measurement), so the amplifier has to be able to handle that load or I'd expect bass to be lacking

It was obobskivich vs technobear. Not sure who won or if there was even a definite conclusion.

Do any of you guys agree with that debate?

My criticism of the HD800 bass being veiled could be the cause of amps not having enough voltage to power the bass specifically?
That would make sense that the Valhalla 2 pairs so well with it, as it is one of the only Schiit amps that has high output impedance?


« Last Edit: September 15, 2015, 08:44:26 AM by Thenewdude007 »
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