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AFFORDABLE (under $1K) Best SS and Tube Amps for HD600

Best SS Under $1K for HD600 (or similar load) __________________________________________________________

WHAMMY Class-A headphone amplifier w/ OPA2107 upgrade OR 2 OPA627 pro build ONLY $500-$600 PASS Design (similar to/ better than a dynalo- warm + clinical - choice of chip switches sound - these are two I like best- choices chips R infinite)
TCA HPA-1 ( Tom Christiansen Audio ) $899 (warm and clinical but not like WHAMMY

Gilmore Lite Mk1 or Mk2 (Like a Dynalo) $300-499 (nice- a bit warm/clear for SS)
Rupert Neve Designs RNHP $499 (clinical gain power)
neurochrome HP-1 Kit $500 (similar to DYNALO and TCA HPA-1)
Monolith by Monoprice THX AAA Balanced Headphone Amplifier featuring THX AAA 887 $399 (cheap and very good black velvet background- just nice warm sounding like WHAMMY or TCA or Gilmore)
Emotiva BasX A-100 Flex with jumpers activated for full headphone power $229 (gobs of raw power no real special sound except its fun to open the HD600 with this much raw power for cheap)


Best Tube Under $1K for HD600 (or similar load)
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Quicksilver headphone amp $899 (probably best looking of all these and sounding)
Bottlehead Crack w/speedball and upgraded power cord by them Professionally build ($800) (HD600+this is like peanut butter and jelly - everyone agrees this is nirvana for HD600)

TOR AUDIO Roger $560 (amazing like Crack without speedball/power cable) DIY Bottlehead Crack w/speedball $400+ 90 for cable + 8 hours time and no where same build as above
Bottlead Crackatwoa 800-$944 KIT ONLY qualifies here under $1K BUT you could get pro built for ($1700+)
Schitt Valhalla $349Schitt
Schitt Mjolnir $849
Woo WA3 Headphone Amplifier $599 (no longer made - find on used market or wait for ver2)Woo WA6 Version 2 $699
Woo Fireflies with DAC 2nd gen $999 Starving Student II Headphone Amplifier $229+ 8hrs buildTOR NICK Headphone Tube Amp $480 (wood w/tubes)
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Im probably missing a bunch but this is my short list! Please join in...
Honorable mention OVER $2500 probably no one EVER heard of: Toolshed Amps The Darling HEAD AMP made in USA $2595
128x128whatugot
shkong78's avatar
shkong78
1,463 posts
 
Nobsound NS-08E
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/tube-amps-pocket-change-nobsound-ns-08e
fitted with Nos RTC 5654 RT tube sound fantastic with HD 800s.

It cost me around 100 bucks including Nos tube and adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078X85LFS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This combination of Nob and 800s sounds more natural and pleasing than Raal Sr1a driven by Jot R while the latter sounds more open and exciting but close to hot.

This one also may work well HD600.
whatugot's avatar
whatugot OP
13 posts
 
Im in heaven with the WHAMMY- As I sit here late at night- Im now using my Etymotic Research EM4pro S(ER4S) - to check for any noise or any imperfections in my set up- I love it- very very detailed. Bass is scary when the song has it. I just ordered the 250ohm Beyerdynamic DT-150 tanks just to see how far I can take my set up. I must be into some s&m or maybe I just want to hear every detail possible. I do love using the HD600 but the wife keeps telling me they are too loud!
In rotation as I write this....Shirley Horn You’re My Thrill, Shirley Horn Since I fell for you, Losing Hand by Harry Belafonte - you hear it all! And I wouldn’t want it any other way! enjoy the music as they say. OH my! God Bless the Child Gregory Porter from Be Good album- so gooooood.... now Linda Ronstadt Am I Blue w/ Nelson Riddle conducting

whatugot's avatar
whatugot OP
13 posts
 
fuzztone- whats the better way?
shkong78's avatar
shkong78
1,463 posts
 

Although I had enjoyed Raal Sr1a driven by Jot R for the last three months for open and exciting sound, sometimes it got close to hot.


I got Freya+ to tame the sound of Sr1a.


I skipped stock JJ tubes and inserted Nos Amperex 6sn7 gtb in gain stage and Sylvania gtb on buffer stage into Freya.



Sr1a driven by Freya and Jot R sounds much more musical to me than driven by Jot R.



Out of curiosity, I am driving HD 800s out of Rca output of Freya using "Hosa TPR-257" adapter bought from Amazon.


Wow, Freya+ is also a killer amp for HD 800s.


I had driven HD 800s by headphone output of Dave and HMS.


It sounds transparent but with one note bass.



But with Freya in the chain after Dave, HD 800s sounds almost perfect with nice soundstage, clean details and full and textured bass.


It may also work well Hd600.
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,446 posts
 
The Quicksilver is awesome !!!!    I've had it for a couple of months now and it is addictive.  I listen to phones like never before.  Well worth the price, as it is built just like their full size amps just 2/3 the size.  I have their Mid Monos and I bought the headphone amp sight unseen for that reason alone.  ... kick ass for the money.
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