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

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zonto

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #640 on: September 27, 2015, 08:40:58 PM »

I seen a few people place them among the higher tiered amps, but isn't each Glenn OTL customized specifically for each owner? Won't that make each of those amps vary drastically from each other?
Or is the customization just cosmetics?

punit, placed his on par with Woo WA22, Bottlehead Mainline &Cavalli Liquid Glass in his list awhile ago.



I get the impression that the use of "custom" when describing Glenn's OTL means that it is a custom-built unit by Glenn. Seems to be a standard circuit set up for certain types of tubes, to which the user can then request modifications to add other types of tubes or other features related to the enclosure (balanced jack for convenience, etc.). The base unit is the one mentioned at $650.

I PMd Glenn to ask for more details, but he seems pretty tight-lipped about the circuit design/details, presumably so people don't up and copy it. He did say it came as a result of listening to and upgrading other amp designs and thinking he could do better. Also that it pushes around 2 watts at 300 ohms.

In the comments of Dubstep Girl's review of the Apex Teton for headphone.guru, Punit asked how it compared to the Teton. She replied:

Quote (selected)
The Teton sounds a lot different from the Glenn OTL, the Glenn has more dynamics, more bass, and a warmer sound than the Teton, it is not as fast or as transparent as the Teton, the Teton has more refined treble as well. The Glenn amp is more forgiving and I believe its a slightly more powerful amp as well.

« Last Edit: September 27, 2015, 10:38:51 PM by zonto »
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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #641 on: September 27, 2015, 09:58:46 PM »

Yeah, well, that reviewer also found the GSX-MK2 to be as liquid as the Teton. GSX-MK2 I heard was rough as hell and artificial sounding.
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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #642 on: September 27, 2015, 10:00:02 PM »

Valhalla 2 - had to say it, it's the only amp I have. But the HD800's sound damn good with it to me.
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Thenewdude007

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #643 on: September 28, 2015, 12:22:40 AM »

Valhalla 2 - had to say it, it's the only amp I have. But the HD800's sound damn good with it to me.

I haven't tried the Valhalla 2 yet, but I can't imagine it being as good as people say.
Just for reference, I tried:

Violetric V200
Matrix M Stage
Bottlehead Crack
Schiit Asgard 2
Headroom Desktop Amplifer
iFi Micro iDSD

Maybe a few more that I forgot.

While all of them drive the HD800 to normal listening levels, I never got a 'wow' moment with any of them.
The soundstage does not come close to living up the hype from the reviews & impressions. No any real authority/slam/kick on the low end & (more importantly) no real improvements to the midbass/midrange body.
At best they give middling improvements. 3%, 5%, maybe even up to 10% improvements from one to the other. Nothing drastic.

Valhalla 2 might give an edge over the V200 or Bottlehead Crack, but again it can't be anything drastic.


I almost gave up on the thought that the HD800 can be significantly improved with amps & dacs.

But then again, I go back to the posts I saved that shared similar views as mine on the stock HD800. Sounding thin & diffused & not being impressed with the soundstage either. Then they completely changing their tune when they go the right high end equipment.

I just don't really know where to go next.


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Marvey

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #644 on: September 28, 2015, 02:42:30 AM »

Try mods on the HD800 if its too thin and diffused sounding. Some people are using HD600s and HD650s instead of HD800.
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AustinValentine

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #645 on: September 28, 2015, 03:30:46 AM »

Try mods on the HD800 if its too thin and diffused sounding. Some people are using HD600s and HD650s instead of HD800.

This. And don't give up after the first modification you try. It took me a while [man understatement of the fucking year] to get to a setup with the HD800 that I was happy with.

Just to parrot TheGame, The Valhalla 2 is a fantastic amp for the HD800.
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Marvey

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #646 on: September 28, 2015, 03:36:31 AM »

V2 isn't a warm tube amp. Either you like the HD800 as it is or you mod the HD800 with the V2.

There's quite a jump once you move up to the big boy tube amps.
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George Mhmmm

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #647 on: September 28, 2015, 05:14:49 AM »

Sorry, but I owned the Oppo HA-1, and I could not stand my HD800 with it for even 30 seconds on pretty much any track except for the mainstream pop songs.

It is one screachy sounding DAC/Amp, but I'm pretty sure the DAC was at fault.

I'm not sure what scratchy sounds like. It could very much be a poor mastering of your music. I find the amp/dac to be incredibly good value with a shitload of features that very few competitors include. I love the remote, the app, and bluetooth/pre-amp output is perfect for streaming music to my stereo.

The HD 800 sounds very clean and powerful through the amp/dac which was sourced from my USB port. Oppo HA-1 can deliver a lot of bass to the HD 800s when called on, and can deliver very crisp and clear highs. I have both vinyl rips and SACDs of the same albums. You can tell apart the vinyl with its dynamics and detail retrieval despite some surface noise. The SACD versions sound cleaned up for sure, but absolutely at the expense of detail. You can't have your cake an eat it too. As for CDs, they are typically a little louder sounding but still very good. Voices are quite realistically rendered.

Objectively the Oppo HA-1 has some killer specs. SNR is through the roof, THD and IMD is lower than the Schiit offerings. Also stereo crosstalk is 120dB in balanced output. Good luck finding specs that good on a unit that costs < $2k, comes with a very competitive DAC, and all the features. I doubt you can get any improvements without forking over three times as much money for standalone units. Even then, how hard do you have to listen to spot the differences? Your headphone mucks with the tone far more than any amp will.
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Thenewdude007

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #648 on: September 29, 2015, 03:47:23 AM »

Just a follow up, after spending the entire day testing out the Violetric V200 & the Matrix M Stage, the advice given was spot on.

The V200 does hide details that the HD800 is capable of. The M-Stage is much more airier & adds some noticeable slam to the bottom end of the HD800. Definitely adds to the strengths of the HD800.

That said, the V200 is still a much better amp (should be too, as it cost 3 times as much).
Music sounds much cleaner, smoother & much less harsh with it than the other amps I had. There is some perceived body being added to bass/mids.
It still exhibits sibilance though.

If it was only more airier & kept the clarity, I would probably stop looking for a amp.
 

« Last Edit: September 29, 2015, 07:05:02 AM by Thenewdude007 »
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Golmang

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #649 on: September 29, 2015, 06:04:15 PM »

Marvey  :)p7

Is the Mjolnir 2 a good step up from the Valhalla 2 or not enough? I'm getting a Gumby next month (finally) and using the Valhalla 2 for now but next year I'll probably be upgrading there.
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