2. amps-preamps
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What headphone amp to buy-Sennheiser HD 600?

Well, thanks to the kindness and patience of my fellow A'gon-izers, the hook-up "problem" for the headphone amp I have is solved. The amp is a Ramsey SHA 1. The phones are Sennheiser HD 600. I had remembered that amp sounding great. Now I'm spoiled by the new speakers I have, and even though the signal path to the amp is thru the Dodson DAC, I still think it sounds........not so great. Decent I suppose, but harsh on the upper end, yet without the mitigating detail, and you know, just.....unsatisfactory.

OK, OK, so here's the question(s): What's a great, fairly cheap (like, at LEAST less than a grand) headphone amp? Sonically, I want EVERYTHING!!!! (Except soundstage, that has never happened for me with any headphones, ever, I'm pretty sure not even with the expensive Stax I heard a few years ago).
It MUST have: Tight, deep, fast, smooth, tonally correct, musical bass, shimmering, non-fatiguing, emminently smooth yet ultra detailed highs, great midbass punch with no boom or softness whatsoever, midrange that is totally natural, smooth, detailed, and lacking any hint whatsoever of grain or electronic amplification artifact in the upper registers. It should sound great on ALL program material, from classical to rock to bluegrass to new age to jazz, anything and everything.

Other than those relatively modest criteria, there are no other performance demands. :)))

So, fire away!
mdhoover

Showing 1 response by rgs92

rgs92
974 posts
 
Before you spend a lot on an expensive amp, swap the HD600s for 650s. It is a night & day difference, a much more open sound with far better separation of musical components. The 650s are about $350 (street price from a Google search), an incredible bargain. Then,
get a good headphone cable like the Zu Mobius.
I use an old Headroom Max with fine results. It competes favorably with my tubed Stax Omegas -- not quite the same midrange purity, but a fine combination of relaxed, refined sound with just the right amount of detail, very comfortable and great for long-term listening with no fatigue or bordeom.

Interconnects make a big difference, with Kubala-Sosna Emotions the best I found for the Max but Cardas Golden Refs performing well for the price.

There is a new Max out for $3K I have not heard (with good reviews on Head-fi), but I think Headroom has some of the old ones left.
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