rpaul

Consensus here and the other usual sites seems to be that the HA-1 is a good deal, generally performs above its pricing tier. Quite an attractive package considering its connectivity options. I don't have experience with SABRE-based DACs, and I think I know enough to realize the DAC chip alone doesn't totally define how a DAC may sound, but I have read that the 9018 and the HA-1 DAC in particular may be a bit rough/strident in the upper frequencies (of course that depends on what it's being compared to). If I invest in the HA-1 and like it enough as-is is to use it for a while, but then want to eventually try to improve things using a dedicated DAC (multibit Schiit or similar), would the HA-1 be considered a good foundation as an amp into which a better (balanced or unbalanced) DAC could be fed? Is there some sonic characteristic of it as an amp that would prevent it from being worthy of a better DAC? With an LCD-X & SRH1540 and occasionally HD600, I've been using a Cypher Labs Theorem 720 which provides a "sweet" and musical presentation, but when using them with more powerful amps I have experienced that they do (obviosuly) scale appreciably with more wattage/voltage on tap. Tried a couple of intergrated AV amps and iFi micro iDSD, widened the soundstage for sure but totally lacked the "musicality" and/or finesse of the Theorem. What I'm after is resolving with details but more musical than analytical. Considered a Burson, but I got the impression that they're not worth the cost and probably not a match for me sonically. Then I learned that TTVJ does have the Conductor/Conductor SL 9018 at a good discount, which brings them at or under the cost of HA-1.

Tagline for a Corvette commercial, perhaps even: When you are 20, dating a girl 10 years younger is not okay, but when you are 50 and starting over, dating a 20 year-old is most certainly okay.

Yes, I see that I'll need to meditate on this some more. If one likes the flavor of sherry oak Macallan and doublewood Balvenie, and doesn't like the peaty, is there any point in wandering outside the Speyside? Also, if the Apex Arete isn't available (new) anymore, what would be a comparable amp in its price range?

In the past few years I've gone through a few headphones but favor the HD600. I recently sold my Headroom Desktop amp and picked up the HRT microStreamer, which is fine for portable use with my Macbook/Android. Drives the HD600 adequately and is good with my Phillips X1. I am interested in trying out the the LCD-2/3/X sometime soon after the new models launch. I've read the microStreamer can drive the LCDs fine, remains to be seen. If I wanted to reinvest in an amp + USB DAC (all-in-one or separates) that happens to gel particularly well with the HD600 and LCDs, are there any decent recommendations going not much higher than $1.5K that I should look into? Seems the new breed of portable amp+DACs (Cypher Labs, ALO, CEntrance) get a lot of the press these days, and the only relatively new non-portables I've read anything about are offerings from Peachtree, Burson and Shiiiiiiiit.

"Taming the highs" - wrong choice of words on my part. More along the lines of perhaps the bass will produce a tad bit more noticeable extension and impact as the driver loosens up a bit, taking some of the audible emphasis off the high frequency. Or nothing will change and this is the way it will sound. I have a little while to try these headphones out so they'll get plenty of use over the next few weeks anyway. Still figured it wouldn't hurt to send musical current through them while I'm not listening to them for a couple more days. Many people claim that the Beyers perform well with the Meier amps. It's probably true, but if in the end I don't like how they sound driven by the HR Desktop, I'll just send them back. Am still hoping that over the next 3-4 weeks my ears will deem the 2005 DT990 good enough to replace the Pro because it is more comfortable to wear due to it feeling a little lighter and having less clamping force. And a turkey club sounds pretty good. Who the hell knows what's in a given slice of baloney...

Just got hold of the 2005 DT990 (600ohm version because according to the Beyer fans on HF it sounds better than the lower ohmage variants), and was surprised by the difference compared to the DT990 Pro. This newer headphone has tighter bass, resulting in a more present midrange but unfortunately treble that sounds too boosted. Source is still HR Desktop amp. I can't remember if the Pro, when new, sounded similar in the high frequency and then settled down after 100's of hours of use. Maybe several more days of burn-in will help tame those highs...

Thanks for the validation. Was the response I was hoping for. Money will be better spent on adding to the CD collection. btw, can't help but smile whenever I see that Coca Cola polar bear

Should mention I'm using the old DT990 Pro and not one of the more recent variations.

Have you heard it driven by both sources I mentioned? It's not too much different and the "rolled off" aspect of the MBP line-out gives the DT990 a better overall balance compared to the HR Desktop. We're talking about the slightest bit less bass quantity but practically the same level of impact. Enjoyable enough for me. I think this headphone needs a tube amp to really shine - the Desktop just isn't a good match, that's not an indictment against the amp. Anyway, I said I'm looking for an alternative to it that is better suited to (can scale up with) the Desktop amp. As for the HD650 vs HD600, I like the Hd650's bass performance especially with acoustic music. With that genre it's not bloated low end but sounds very natural. The Equinox adds some richness to the top end. I would still like it with the stock cable (did a lot of swapping back and forth last night). Doesn't the HD600 have less bass? Might be worth an audition later on, but I'm sticking with the HD650 + Equinox for now. Besides, I got the cable new for the same price I saw it listed used on HF by several people. And looks like it generally sells pretty quickly at that price (around $200), so shouldn't be a problem selling it without much if any loss if need be.

I don't dislike the DT990. In fact I really like it directly out of my MacBook. Didn't mean to give the impression that I find them too bassy in general - rather I just don't think they're a good match with my HR Desktop rig, which I now realize aren't ideal for a headphone that has a boomy low frequency response. I'm guessing the DT880 would be a better headphone for this amp, especially if its low and high frequencies aren't as exaggerated as they are with the DT990. Although I haven't tried the DT880 yet, I hope the upcoming T1 sounds more like it (ie neutral) than the DT770/DT990. There's some speculation that it doesn't, based on a couple early impressions, but I'm still anxiously waiting for it to be released. Especially after the upgrade to the Equinox cable I'm very happy with my HD650 (gonna keep the cable) but I'm still on the prowl for a more balanced alternative to the DT990 for the music that the HD650 doesn't do so well with, which IMHO is rock/metal that has lots of distortion-driven guitar action. I've shied away from Grados thus far, mainly due to reported comfort issues thoughout the range. But might have to try the RS1i/RS2i. Once the Roland RH-300 is back in stock at Guitar Center I'll give those a shot as well. There's also the new Shure lineup, so lots to try in the next month or 2. If nothing else, I can always go back to the D7000.

Using a Headroom Desktop amp with Max module and Home DAC powered by DPS. Sounds great with the HD650. I recall reading somewhere that the HD600/650 was used to voice the Headroom amps and their CS4398-based DACs, thus providing good synergy when used all together. I'm curious what the cheapest CD/DVD players or standalone DACs would be that could be considered upgrades to the Home DAC. I'm not interested in the Max DAC (Home DAC w/ AD1896 upsampler). Other than the UDAC, would the frequently mentioned PS Audio DLIII, Apogee Mini-DAC, or even Pico DAC be considered upgrades? Can't put exactly into words what I'm looking for, but something along the lines of "more refined throughout the frequency range" and "greater resolving power" come to mind. I read Monkey's synopsis of the UDAC and am thinking that combined with the Desktop amp it might be too smooth & laid back. Still might give that a try once I have at least 1 or 2 other alternatives to compare to. I'm not necessarily looking for the best match for the HD650, I am still considering other headphones. The constant is that I want to stay SS with my Desktop amp. If it turns out that I'd have to spend another $1K - $1.5K for the cheapest meaningful source upgrade, then I'll just sit tight for a little while and appreciate my current rig that much more.

Just a little update on what's happened since my last post in this thread: I auditioned the Denon D5000 and D7000 and ended up returning/selling all the Denons. The DT990 is a rocking headphone and just goes well with Metal. Great directly out of my MacBook and I prefer it over the Denons for that genre of music. I had my Headroom Desktop amp upgraded to the Max electronics module. Great match with the HD650, and figured I'd try to get the most out of it with an SAA Equinox cable. Let it burn in for about 100 hours and I can hear a difference compared to the stock cable -- little more detail/extension in treble. Interestingly the DT990 doesn't sound as good with the upgraded Desktop amp as I remember it did with the previous Home module that was in it. Too much bass mucking up the balance...at least I think I remember there being a better balance when using the Home electronics. Must be the OPA627 in the Max. I noticed the same thing when using the Denon D7000 with my upgraded Desktop amp - midbass was boosted more than I liked, sounded better out of my surround sound amp. Now I'm thinking about returning the Equinox cable because honestly the HD650 using the stock cable is good enough with Classical music for me, and I'd rather contribute that $200 towards another pair of headphones that fall somewhere in the middle, sound signature-wise, between the HD650 and DT990. I am tempted to get the D7000 again...hopefully can wait to make any purchase before reviews start coming in for the beyerdynamic T1.

Is the Pico indicative of what the GS-1 will sound like?

Got it. Might be difficult to audition both the GS-1 and Woo, so wanna try to get some feedback before putting up the money to have one built. I've never had an opportunity to listen to a tube amp so I don't know how the sound compares to a solid state amp. The HD650 driven by my HR Desktop amp is satisfying with symphonic music, but I want to know how it will change/improve with each of the GS-1 and Woo 6/SE. Would be used with some DAC in the $750 range.

I can live with the Denon sound for now, actually more enjoyable the more I listen to them (for random non-critical listening). Saw a great deal on a new D5000 and decided to try it out and compare to the D2000. Biggest gripe with the D2000 is the damn cord that tangles all the time. Should have the D5000 sometime next week, and then I'll choose and send one of them back. I am still interested in building a better rig built around a more competent/scalable headphone like my HD650 (or anything better I get a chance to try out later on). Limiting myself to integrated amp/DAC was a mistake. Will start a new thread to get feedback on differences between GS-1 and Woo 6/SE with something like HD650. No IEM.

Comfort is a major consideration, as is availability...so what is comparable to the HF-2 by any manufacturer? The notion of going with tubes does sound appealing. Nice to know sound can be tailored by tube rolling. How does the Woo 6/SE compare to the GS-1 (8 week wait kinda sucks)?

Alright, several avenues to consider, thanks for getting me started. 1) What integrated amp/DAC pairs well with the Grado phones mentioned in this thread? 2) If considering the HeadAmp GS-1, what DAC is recommended for use with Grados and/or HD650 (or HD600 that some prefer)? The Duet has been mentioned, but I don't want to restrict myself to the MacBook as source. 3) What DAC is recommended with the Woo? Will also have to read up on tube experiences and recommendations.

How does the Duet -> GS-1 compare to just the Apogee Mini-DAC?

Don't want to go the IEM route. Major discomfort issues in left ear.

All in, I'd say total budget of around $1,500 give or take a couple hundred. I might still want to hold on to the HD650, but that wouldn't change my budget.

Can that aspect of the HD650 be overcome by any amp/DAC combo in the $1,000 - $1,500 range?

Personally don't like the way they sound with that type of music - too veiled. Would prefer something more forward and livelier for rock/metal while still having good weighty bass. Is there a solid state amp/DAC that transforms the HD650 into a more lively set of phones? Would be a nice bonus, but primarily looking to get a different set of phones for rock/metal.

Sorry, forgot this part in the last post: So then what would be a good recommendation for amp/DAC to build a foundation with, that pairs well with phones considered great for Rock/Metal and also performs well with the HD650 for classical?

If the consensus is that the D2000 doesn't scale appreciably, then guess it's time to get rid of it. I like the sound, really wish it was better, but if it won't improve much, I'll always be hoping for improvement and won't enjoy it. Luckily have just enough time left in the return window. Don't think I want to venture up the Denon D5000/7000 path either - would prefer to get rich bass performance from open headphones if possible. The DT990 I can live with straight out of the MacBook, but am still interested in finding a GREAT rock setup. So then what would be a good recommendation for amp/DAC to build a foundation with, that pairs well with phones considered great for Rock/Metal?

Assume I upgrade in the near future with phones that have a signature similar to the Denons and/or DT990 - in the sense capacity for rich low frequency, slightly recessed mids, high frequency is very present but needs to be controlled. Hell, if said amp/DAC also gels well with HD650 (lifts the veil), added bonus. In that case, what is recommended?