Headphone Amp for Sennheiser HD800

[tseipel]

Good afternoon,

 

I primarily use my HDVD800 to drive my 800s, using the Sennheiser CH800S balanced cable. I've been very happy with both products. I would echo comments re: synergy between the Sennheiser amp and headphones. I find the DAC in the HDVD800 to be complementary, providing a tad bit of warmth to the cans.

 

I also periodically use the headphone output (with the stock unbalanced cable) on my McIntosh D100, which I primarily use to drive a pair of B&W 801s via two McIntosh 601 amps. Also sounds fantastic. Massive headroom.

 

I'm happy to comment more specifically if need be.

 

Best regards,

Tim

[KDinsmore]

Cavalli amp. Pick any one. Liquid Gold is incredible.

[Holowlegs]

Hello all

 

This thread has been an interesting read and it looks like you have a great set up Musicophile there.

 

I went to a head fi meet a few weeks ago and brought along my set up for other members of Head fi to listen to. At the moment I am using the HD 650 with a White Bird Amplification - Virtus-01, and am really pleased with this set up so far. But then another member let me plug in a set of HD800, wow, it really was one of them wow moments, I just loved what was coming out of the HD800, they just seemed to open everything up and dam that member for doing it to me but I just can't stop thinking about it, and whether to start saving. Another thing, they were so comfortable.

 

Thought I would share this moment with you.

 

Cheers Frank

[Musicophile]

Hello all

 

This thread has been an interesting read and it looks like you have a great set up Musicophile there.

 

I went to a head fi meet a few weeks ago and brought along my set up for other members of Head fi to listen to. At the moment I am using the HD 650 with a White Bird Amplification - Virtus-01, and am really pleased with this set up so far. But then another member let me plug in a set of HD800, wow, it really was one of them wow moments, I just loved what was coming out of the HD800, they just seemed to open everything up and dam that member for doing it to me but I just can't stop thinking about it, and whether to start saving. Another thing, they were so comfortable.

 

Thought I would share this moment with you.

 

Cheers Frank

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

And if you think how many other wow moments of this quality you get at this price point, the $1400 all over sudden seems like a pretty decent deal. I mean this is what others on this forum here would easily spend on a USB cable.

 

A recommendation: don't listen to an LCD-3, it could get even worse :-)

[ElverGun]

Thanks.

 

Indeed, I'm concerned this new system may lead to eventually upgrading my DAC as well, especially given that the HDVA600 reviews all consistently say that it sounds even better with a balanced source. Well, I'll still put this off a bit given how much the DAC market is in flux right now with new exciting things coming every quarter, and my Exposure DAC in combination with the Belcanto m-link is both pretty resolving but most of all very musical, with a lot of PRAT.

 

 

 

I'm going balanced from my dac (Yulond D100) to the HDVA600...and then balanced cable (Sennheiser CH 800 S) to my HD800s. It does make a difference. Not a night and day improvement, but now that I've used the Sennheiser cable I would never go back to the stock cable. The CH800s is pricey, but you can often get good deals if you look around the Headfi sales forum. I bought my cable for $230 from a member who sold his HD800 before his cable was delivered -- the box was not even opened. You will hear a small increase in clarity and you will also get a slight gain in bass.

 

The only thing I need to (want to, actually) upgrade now is the DAC. I'm waiting for the new iFi Pro Desktop unit that should be released by the end of the year.

[ALRAINBOW]

Going balanced for me has little benefit

I have tried it from my ps audio ds both ways and from msb same results. In balance mode output it is louder.

As good as the amp is there is better the cavela is.

And so is my woo wa 5.

But better still is my lampi head DAC

[ElverGun]

Going balanced for me has little benefit

I have tried it from my ps audio ds both ways and from msb same results. In balance mode output it is louder.

As good as the amp is there is better the cavela is.

And so is my woo wa 5.

But better still is my lampi head DAC

 

 

Yeah, I read your posts about the balanced cable in the HDVD800 thread. To my ears balanced does increase the SQ by just a little bit, but at this stage of the game, even a little improvement is welcomed. The alternative is to go with a Woo (and a lot of $$$ for good tubes) or a Cavalli, but both of those choices involve spending thousands of dollars. For that kind of money I would rather just bite the bullet and buy the SR-009 instead of trying to improve the sound of the HD800.

[ALRAINBOW]

The woo wa and the hd800 with good tubes is about 85 percent of the stax 009. and the hd800 are more magically eganging . They have more of what manic sounds like less steril . All,out a stax setup worth uber tubes is about 12K . I won it ots not where you should go to. If you buy a a woo buy the he6 too it's slightly diffrent and even more musical than the hd800 are. If you get the woo get the wa5.

Best driver tubes are the vt99 witha a socket adaptor . Recti various are good .putput several are very good . Ps vane we300b are very good and not so much money and new .

Enjoy the journey few know just how much better in many ways headphones are .

Al

[zerung]

The woo wa and the hd800 with good tubes is about 85 percent of the stax 009. and the hd800 are more magically eganging .

Enjoy the journey few know just how much better in many ways headphones are .

Al

 

Apologies for the side bar.

 

Al!

Debating the 009 Vs LCD3. Your 85% for the 800 perhaps means 90% for the LCD3 or X?

Getting second thoughts now..Was debating 009 + Blue Hawaii Vs LCD3 + Cavalli amp or TabooIII

Thanks

[loessi]

I compared a lot of headphone Amps, especially on the HIGH END 2015 in Munich.

 

The "best" combination for my ears is : Sennheiser HD800 and AUDIOVALVE RKV Mark II Valveamp.

 

Best bass ever with the HD800, excellent Sound (...for my ears...)

[wildcatsare1]

Al,

 

Where have you been on Head Fi, haven't seen you there for awhile?

[christopher3393]

For those interested in the Sennheiser HDVA-600, this looks like a great deal: Sennheiser HDVA-600 Headphone Amplifier MINT condition. Maybe 2 weeks new XLR & 1/4" | Amplifiers | Walnut Creek, California 94596 | Audiogon - The High-end Audio Community

 

I don't know the seller.

[T1000]

Balanced Beta22.

[Brucemck2]

Decware Taboo Mk3 is a great match with the HD800's (and the Hifiman 1000's too).

[Bazinga]

My 800's are going into a Totaldac D1 Dual using a Cards clear cable with (2) 3 pin XLR adding a Woo Audio WA22 Saturday

[Blake]

My 800's are going into a Totaldac D1 Dual using a Cards clear cable with (2) 3 pin XLR adding a Woo Audio WA22 Saturday

[ATTACH]20842[/ATTACH]

 

 

[Musicophile]

For the record: I'm still very happy with my HDVA600.

 

Plus the looks (brushed silver with blue LED) really works with my Exposure gear. Yes I do care about this stuff.

[mkrzych]

Plus the looks (brushed silver with blue LED) really works with my Exposure gear. Yes I do care about this stuff.

 

Oh, yes, I do the same ;-)

[ElverGun]

For the record: I'm still very happy with my HDVA600.

 

Plus the looks (brushed silver with blue LED) really works with my Exposure gear. Yes I do care about this stuff.

 

Haha...I do too.

 

But the HDVA600 is more than good looks. There are better amps out there for the HD800 (the WA22 is one that I've heard), but the 600 is so good that my search is over. And as an added bonus, this amp is capable of running all my headphones with authority, so it is definitely not a one-trick pony.

 

 

Oh, another great thing about the HDVA600 is that it runs so cool- there is practically no heat emanating from this monster.

[oski]

Haha...I do too.

 

But the HDVA600 is more than good looks. There are better amps out there for the HD800 (the WA22 is one that I've heard), but the 600 is so good that my search is over. And as an added bonus, this amp is capable of running all my headphones with authority, so it is definitely not a one-trick pony.

 

 

Oh, another great thing about the HDVA600 is that it runs so cool- there is practically no heat emanating from this monster.

 

Also here my experience with the HDVA6000 - HD800 pair is stunning, but it´s good to point the relevance of the source. It´s always been a truth the what you get in is what you get out. I´m curious about the Audeeze but I ´m not sure if the experience would improve.

[Musicophile]

Also here my experience with the HDVA6000 - HD800 pair is stunning, but it´s good to point the relevance of the source. It´s always been a truth the what you get in is what you get out. I´m curious about the Audeeze but I ´m not sure if the experience would improve.

 

Only the LCD3. I've tried the LCD2 and didn't like it too much, too uncomfortable and different but not better than the HD800. The LCD3 is impressive however.

 

And sure, source matters!

[jabbr]

I just setup a First Watt M2 feeding a hifiman adapter to balanced cable to HD800 ... beats my Metrum Aurix ... impressive soundstage and bass.

[jabbr]

Wow ... this is really fantastic. Need to build an adapter with stepped attenuator because I have HQPlayer maxed out at -24 db.

 

Cecile McLorin Salvant is having a great performance today

[zilch0md]

I just setup a First Watt M2 feeding a hifiman adapter to balanced cable to HD800 ... beats my Metrum Aurix ... impressive soundstage and bass.

 

That's very interesting, given that the M2 uses inductive gain via transformers, as does the Aurix. I would love to hear this.

 

I almost have everything I would need to make that same comparison - including the Aurix, the HD800, balanced cables, and a resistor network for connection to a speaker amp with 15 dB attenuation. If only I had an M2.

 

:-P

 

Mike

[jabbr]

That's very interesting, given that the M2 uses inductive gain via transformers, as does the Aurix. I would love to hear this.

 

I almost have everything I would need to make that same comparison - including the Aurix, the HD800, balanced cables, and a resistor network for connection to a speaker amp with 15 dB attenuation. If only I had an M2.

 

:-P

 

Mike

 

The resistor network is key for attenuation. The M2 is hum sensitive and there is a trace detectable on 100 db/V sensitive speakers according to Nelson Pass ... I can verify this. The attenuation should get rid of this as well as allow the full range volume control. I'm changing resistors to provide -20db.

 

That said the sound coming out of the HD800s is now so palpable I've turned on several occasions to see if someone brought an instrument into the room ... and with piano that would be impressive

 

Used First Watt Products