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Thread: Headphone amps, are they bollocks?

  1. #11
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 1,064
    I'm Mike.

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    I have 650s. Used to listen on Naim Headline powered from 552; it was fine. Sold that, moved to venerable Cyrus One as a stopgap and got a totally different presentation; very good nonetheless. With my newish Myryad Z40 I'm listening to different cans; a world away from what I have been hearing these last 6 years. Sources are Lector valved CDP, Naim 01 tuner and N.A. Dais/12" PU7 with Transfig. Proteus. Oh yes, a lot of tv too.

    Conclusion? Headphone amp's make a hell of a difference. I've tried them on my Pioneer amp. in the office and Sony in the kitchen. Functional but that's it. A dedicated h/phone amp to suit your cans is a no-brainer.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default Headphone amps, are they bollocks?

    Stans head amp was supposed to be good with sennys
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  3. #13
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: Near Oxford

    Posts: 1,220
    I'm Bill.

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    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    Stans head amp was supposed to be good with sennys
    It is
    Last edited by Bourneendboy; 30-03-2018 at 21:38.
    Chord Mojo / Sennheiser HD600

  4. #14
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: North East

    Posts: 3,670
    I'm Steve.

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    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    Stans head amp was supposed to be good with sennys
    Had one. Didn't like it.

  5. #15
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: North East

    Posts: 3,670
    I'm Steve.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Reed View Post
    I have 650s. Used to listen on Naim Headline powered from 552; it was fine. Sold that, moved to venerable Cyrus One as a stopgap and got a totally different presentation; very good nonetheless. With my newish Myryad Z40 I'm listening to different cans; a world away from what I have been hearing these last 6 years. Sources are Lector valved CDP, Naim 01 tuner and N.A. Dais/12" PU7 with Transfig. Proteus. Oh yes, a lot of tv too.

    Conclusion? Headphone amp's make a hell of a difference. I've tried them on my Pioneer amp. in the office and Sony in the kitchen. Functional but that's it. A dedicated h/phone amp to suit your cans is a no-brainer.
    Still unconvinced.

  6. #16
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: North East

    Posts: 3,670
    I'm Steve.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stratmangler View Post
    I've not heard the HD-600s.
    Are they anything like the HD-650s?
    If so, that could well be why you can't hear any real differences between amplifiers.

    I have heard HD-560s, and they're far more accurate than the HD-650s.
    The 600's sit between the 650 and 590. The 650 are a lot smoother and to me sounded a little dull where as the 600's are a bit livelier. I sold my 590's on as they were a little raucous for me.

  7. #17
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

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    try some oppos.. nice cans
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  8. #18
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 1,064
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Floyddroid View Post
    Still unconvinced.
    Your privilege, but the conclusions drawn from your experience is at odds with, I would suggest, most people's experience. Just as different integrated or pre-power amp's react with speakers differently, so do headphone amp's (which are effectively the same thing) with different headphones. Your Senn's are 300 ohms, like mine, and don't represent a difficult load to your average can amp. though it helps to have a wee bit of welly in the circuit, of course.

  9. #19
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Valley of the Hazels

    Posts: 9,139
    I'm AMusicFanNotAnAudiophile.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Floyddroid View Post
    The 600's sit between the 650 and 590. The 650 are a lot smoother and to me sounded a little dull where as the 600's are a bit livelier. I sold my 590's on as they were a little raucous for me.
    The raucous bit is interesting.
    My friend with the NAD3020 has the HD-560s, and he hated them driven by the NAD. Said that they ripped his head off.
    We stuck a decent headphone amp in front of them (ie my Graham Slee Solo SRG II) and he was quite literally blown away - the grip and dynamics were something he'd never heard before, and the cans no longer made a sound to rip his head off.

    Just to pour a bit more petrol on the flames, I use AKG K702s, because they have a pretty flat response and sound right to me.
    The HD-650s on the other hand sounded as thought someone had dropped a blanket on them. To get any detail out of them in the high frequencies I had to turn them up, and then they were too loud and made my ears ring after listening to an album. Could be where the Sennheisers developed a reputation for needing a grippy stage.

    I had the opportunity to hear some HD-700s up at wee tee cee's place a few months back - I wish I'd given them a drive ....
    Chris



    Common sense isn't anymore!

  10. #20
    Join Date: Oct 2011

    Location: Bacup

    Posts: 502
    I'm Andrew.

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    Chris. I’ve got HD 700’s your are more than welcome to try for week or so if you wish.

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