Amp suggestions for Hd 600

dippydoop · 16-03-2009, 6:40 PM

Hi, ive recently bought myself Sennheiser hd 600 headphones, and am looking for a decent amp to drive them with.

At the moment, im running them straight out of my computer, which uses an x-fi xtreme gamer sound card. The sound is already very good, but im finding the treble to be a bit harsh, so im hoping to get an amp that will tame the treble a bit, and perhaps make the bass a bit more pronounced.

Ive been looking around, but choices for amps seem a bit limited here in the UK.
Ive heard good things about the Graham Slee Novo, and the Rega Ear amps, but i havent had many opinions of how they do with HD 600 'phones. Im also open to valve amps, but im a bit put off by the way different valves can produce different sounds, and that they wear out fairly quick.

If anyone has had any experience with these amps and 'phones (or other amps at around £200) id love to know your thoughts!

Thanks for your time

swayne · 17-03-2009, 10:48 AM

Does your card have a line-out enabling you to bypass its own amp?

If not I would recommend either a DAC/AMP combo or separate DAC and AMP.

You don't have to buy in the UK. I've bought from iBasso
and Meier-Audio before now without problems.

If your card has a line-out I would recommend a Meier Audio Arietta as a desktop amp.

If you require a DAC, and keeping around your budget I would recommend a Meier Audio 3Move.

If you want to blow your budget out of the water I would recommend a Meier Audio Arietta and a Musical Fidelity V-DAC. ( These are what I currently have ).

Steven.

dippydoop · 17-03-2009, 2:23 PM

Hey, thanks for the reply. Im not sure if my card has a line-out that lets my bypass its own amp, ive done some googling, but couldnt come up with an answer.

If i got a DAC, would that mean i lose the features of the x-fi for gaming? Would be nice to be able to switch between an external DAC for music and the x-fi for gaming, if thats possible?

Ill check out your suggestions and see what i can dig up on them.

Would it be ok to get an amp now, and run that through the sound card until a get a DAC later on?

swayne · 17-03-2009, 4:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

Hey, thanks for the reply. Im not sure if my card has a line-out that lets my bypass its own amp, ive done some googling, but couldnt come up with an answer.

If i got a DAC, would that mean i lose the features of the x-fi for gaming? Would be nice to be able to switch between an external DAC for music and the x-fi for gaming, if thats possible?

Ill check out your suggestions and see what i can dig up on them.

Would it be ok to get an amp now, and run that through the sound card until a get a DAC later on?

Of course you can get an amp now. It's your money and if you're going the separate dac/amp route then that would make sense.

Steven.

**Steven** · 17-03-2009, 5:09 PM

There are a few threads on an amp for the HD600, recent-ish here with a GS Novo

:
Which full sized headphone? £150~£250/£300

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

If i got a DAC, would that mean i lose the features of the x-fi for gaming? Would be nice to be able to switch between an external DAC for music and the x-fi for gaming, if thats possible?

Amp through PC sound Card

Incidentally I have not really read about the x-fi xtreme gamer in high regard when it comes to sound quality

dippydoop · 17-03-2009, 6:40 PM

Im thinking going for a seperate amp and DAC would give a better sound quality in the long run than going for a combo unit. Do you think an amp would give a better improvement than a DAC for me now? (id buy the other at a later date).

So the GS Novo is about as good as the Tomohawk, which is a portable amp? I would have thought a stationary unit would give better quality for the price, as they wouldnt have to cram the electronics together to save space. Perhaps i shuld give portable amps some consideration even though portability isnt an issue for me, but i wouldnt want to rely on batteries.

Im a bit confused by the "amp through a soundcard" thread, what is the purpose of the USB soundcard there? Would i benefit much from buying one, and if so, what kind of price am i looking at?

Sorry for all the questions, but im new to this sort of stuff.

**Steven** · 17-03-2009, 7:02 PM

I knows my posts aren't very clear. The Novo was *better* than my T115. Just not to the extent one would presume a desktop should have over a portable, but the T115 costs more than most people would spend on an MP3 player alone so its all relative

I've posted this loads of times. imo;
source > quality of recording* > headphones > amp > interconnects

I regard the first 3 as of equal importance. An amp will only develop a sound to the extent of what is going in in the first place. You can find a better source than what you are currently using. You should component match. Don't be spending triple on an amp than what you spent on the source. Likewise spending £180 on a headphone and plugging it into a sound card that cost you £70 might lead to you being underwhelmed...

I would also argue finding a good dac and headphone pairing that is detailed across the spectrum, has good SQ and good separation will be more than a match for a "gaming" sound card but will deliver superior stereo sound for music playback to boot
Want to be able to hear footsteps coming from an enemy sniper SW of you? Good dac and headphone pairing...

*link

dippydoop · 17-03-2009, 7:46 PM

So if i get a DAC now, it would give a better SQ improvement than if i got an amp?

Looking around, the Musical Fidelity V-DAC mentioned earlier looks to be a good DAC. How exactly would it connect to my pc and would i need any extra bits 'n pieces?

swayne · 17-03-2009, 8:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

So if i get a DAC now, it would give a better SQ improvement than if i got an amp?

Looking around, the Musical Fidelity V-DAC mentioned earlier looks to be a good DAC. How exactly would it connect to my pc and would i need any extra bits 'n pieces?

You can't plug headphones straight into a DAC. It goes:

Source -> DAC -> AMP -> Headphones ( or speakers ).

I have a computer with either flac or high bit rate MP3's using a USB cable to connect to a Musical Fidelity V-DAC using an RCA/RCA lead to connect to a Meier Arietta into which I plug AKG K701's

When I bought my V-DAC from MUSICAL FIDELITY VDAC DIGITAL TO ANALOGUE CONVERTOR - available from Superfi UK Visit http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/product_id/4799 for details it gave me a link to various cables. Just don't spend silly money on them.

On the Meier page there is a cables link just under the amplifier link. You'd need the RCA to RCA to go between the DAC and AMP.

Steven.

dippydoop · 17-03-2009, 8:44 PM

Ah, so i would HAVE to get an amp before i got a DAC anyway? Thanks for clearing that up for me

Ive defo got my eye on the V-DAC, and its under £100 at STONEAUDIO UK | hi-fi, home cinema, multi-room, design and installation

Ill go back to looking for amps, does anyone know good places to audition decent amps? I think superfi might let me, but their selection of headphone amps isnt great.

HiFi Headphones · 17-03-2009, 8:47 PM

A headphone amplifier & DAC we've just started stocking and that I've been playing with recently is the iBasso D2.

I have a pair of HD650's being driven by the iBasso D2 and my IBM T62 laptop (running Foobar2000 with FLAC files). The onboard soundcard is truly awful on the T62, so the improvement in sound quality was dramatic. Like the Sennheiser HD600's the HD650's are tough to drive, so the onboard soundcard just didn't do them any justice.

I've been very impressed by the neutral sound of the iBasso. Nice separation of instruments, excellent bass extension and plenty of clarity. It really opened up the HD650's.

I've found I have had to disconnect and reboot the PC to get it to revert to the onboard soundcard from the iBasso DAC (I'm running Vista).

The iBasso is small and portable, which makes it great for use out on the road as well as at home or in the office. It also doubles up as a very high quality portable amp, which may or may not be handy if you are looking for use on the move.

dippydoop · 17-03-2009, 9:55 PM

The ibasso d2 looks alright, and amp and DAC combo, which would make things simpler for me. Im just a bit concerned that its a portable design, so might not offer enough power to fully drive the hd600's, but if youve been impressed by it with the hd650's, thats encouraging.

I could spend a bit more money than the ibasso d2 costs, so are there any other amp/DAC combos you could suggest that are perhaps a step above the d2?

sea surfer · 17-03-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

Ah, so i would HAVE to get an amp before i got a DAC anyway? Thanks for clearing that up for me

Ive defo got my eye on the V-DAC, and its under £100 at STONEAUDIO UK | hi-fi, home cinema, multi-room, design and installation

Ill go back to looking for amps, does anyone know good places to audition decent amps? I think superfi might let me, but their selection of headphone amps isnt great.

STONEAUDIO UK | hi-fi, home cinema, multi-room, design and installation its £155

dippydoop · 17-03-2009, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sea surfer

STONEAUDIO UK | hi-fi, home cinema, multi-room, design and installation its £155

Oops! Thanks for pointing that out! I got it mixed up with the V-CAN headphone amplifier

swayne · 18-03-2009, 8:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

Ill go back to looking for amps, does anyone know good places to audition decent amps? I think superfi might let me, but their selection of headphone amps isnt great.

Where are you?

Steven.

swayne · 18-03-2009, 8:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

The ibasso d2 looks alright, and amp and DAC combo, which would make things simpler for me. Im just a bit concerned that its a portable design, so might not offer enough power to fully drive the hd600's, but if youve been impressed by it with the hd650's, thats encouraging.

I could spend a bit more money than the ibasso d2 costs, so are there any other amp/DAC combos you could suggest that are perhaps a step above the d2?

I've owned an iBasso D3 and now own a Meier Audio 3Move and the 3Move is better. It also has a DC input socket at the back so you can use a separate power supply.

The manual says "external regulated power supply with a current capacity at least 50mA and a DC voltage between 6 and 12 volts."

Steven.

dippydoop · 18-03-2009, 9:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swayne

Where are you?

I live in Manchester.

You mentioned a power supply for the 3Move, did you use a seperate power supply, and if so, what make/model? Also, would many other amps require a seperate power supply?
I thought you could just plug them in the mains and they would have their own built in.

swayne · 18-03-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

I live in Manchester.

You mentioned a power supply for the 3Move, did you use a seperate power supply, and if so, what make/model? Also, would many other amps require a seperate power supply?
I thought you could just plug them in the mains and they would have their own built in.

I don't have an external power supply for my 3Move ( portable ) because if I'm at home I use my Arietta ( desktop ).

The 3Move is a portable amp and takes a 9v battery. It doesn't require a separate power supply but if one is plugged in ( and supplies over 9v ) then the external supply takes over and saves on batteries.

In case you were going to ask, no it doesn't charge rechargeable batteries.

I currently have my 3Move on low power and low gain so I should get about 100 hours from a battery. On high power it's supposed to be 40 hours.

I say supposed because I don't keep track. I may be a nerd but I'm not that bad.

Steven.

swayne · 18-03-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

I live in Manchester.

Had you been nearer to Buckingham I would have suggested coming over for a listen. Have you tried google/yellow pages etc. for hifi shops in the area?

Steven.

dippydoop · 18-03-2009, 8:14 PM

Wish i lived near Buckingham now lol, that would have been really cool of you.

Just wondering, how does your arietta get power? Im thinking a desktop amp would be better for me, ive been doing a lot of reading on headfi.org, and the general consensus seems to be fullsize headphone amps are generally better than portables for high impedance 'phones.
Lots of different opinions there, which is confusing.

Ive been looking up different places for hi-fi gear, but superfi is the best one ive found so far.

swayne · 18-03-2009, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dippydoop

Wish i lived near Buckingham now lol, that would have been really cool of you.

Just wondering, how does your arietta get power? Im thinking a desktop amp would be better for me, ive been doing a lot of reading on headfi.org, and the general consensus seems to be fullsize headphone amps are generally better than portables for high impedance 'phones.
Lots of different opinions there, which is confusing.

Ive been looking up different places for hi-fi gear, but superfi is the best one ive found so far.

I plug it in the wall and turn it on. It's a mains powered amp.

I bought my V-DAC from Super-fi. The amps I bought from Meier Audio direct.

Steven.

dippydoop · 19-03-2009, 8:08 PM

Ok, i think ive come to the point where i just need to listen to some amps and see what i think. If i get the opportunity, ill also check out some amp/DAC combos.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply, its been really helpful, and ive learnt a lot! Ill either post back or make a new thread if i need any extra help/advice in the future. Ill also be sure to throw up a thread when ive bought an amp with some first impressions, might help other people.

Thanks again