[FlyingFungus]

   
I don't have experience with a Schiit so nothing to say on that. My HE-400 started off with a fiio e10k, volume wasn't an issue but I know they can sound better with better amp. Got myself a Project Ember II a while back and the 400 has really opened up. That tight & fast bass.

I stand with those suggesting an amp from garage1217, they sound good, look good and and are well-built. Whether you want a solid state or tube amp, they're there. If you able to solder a kit yourself, you can save some money that way too. Otherwise, their pre-built kits are done really well.
 
Agree with @DavidA regarding flexibility. Selectable output resistance, auto-bias on the Ember, suitable for a bunch of cans and so on. Also, now that I'm beginning to try out different tubes, I really appreciate that the Ember only uses 1 tube as it is less costly and removes the need to look for a matching pair. Love the variety of tubes it supports too.
 
Granted, you can't exactly stack garage1217 stuff like you can with a Schiit stack if that is something you desire. Regardless, get a decent amp and you won't look back regarding the 400.

I've probably only ever soldered once in my life. Not something I'm comfortable doing (although my Dad would know how)...it would be a nice project that's for sure. I'm looking more for already built. I don't need to stack, so that's not a big deal. I'm seriously considering a Garage1217 amp now to go with my Audioquest Dragonfly DAC. 

 

[thewind32]

  The embler is a tube amp am I right? Is it worth getting something like the Embler over the Polaris?

Well to be specific, the ember is a hybrid tube amp. There's no real answer to whether a tube or a solid state amp is more "worthy" over the other. They both have their pros & cons and ultimately it depends on your tastes. The only thing to look out for is whether said amp pairs well with what you're trying to drive (such as output resistance and power etc).
 
Perhaps @vapman can help you out with his experiences of owning a few garage1217 amps.

 

  I've probably only ever soldered once in my life. Not something I'm comfortable doing (although my Dad would know how)...it would be a nice project that's for sure. I'm looking more for already built. I don't need to stack, so that's not a big deal. I'm seriously considering a Garage1217 amp now to go with my Audioquest Dragonfly DAC. 

Never touched a soldering iron before myself, and got an assembled Ember.
Nothing beats judging with your own ears. I know the past few posts have been leaning towards Garage1217 amps but don't let us sway you. I suggest demo-ing some tube & ss amps at a store near you and see if you prefer one over the other (although keep in mind using a different tube in the same amp can alter the sound somewhat). Pity there's no way to demo a Garage1217 amp (not that I know of anyway).

 

[DavidA]

  I've probably only ever soldered once in my life. Not something I'm comfortable doing (although my Dad would know how)...it would be a nice project that's for sure. I'm looking more for already built. I don't need to stack, so that's not a big deal. I'm seriously considering a Garage1217 amp now to go with my Audioquest Dragonfly DAC. 

Actually its better if you get them already built, then you have the warranty, it you build it your self there is no warranty.
 

   
Never touched a soldering iron before myself, and got an assembled Ember.
Nothing beats judging with your own ears. I know the past few posts have been leaning towards Garage1217 amps but don't let us sway you. I suggest demo-ing some tube & ss amps at a store near you and see if you prefer one over the other (although keep in mind using a different tube in the same amp can alter the sound somewhat). Pity there's no way to demo a Garage1217 amp (not that I know of anyway).

+1, really should audition but if like me in Hawaii there is no where to go, even getting a small meet together is hard

 

[FlyingFungus]

  Actually its better if you get them already built, then you have the warranty, it you build it your self there is no warranty.
 
+1, really should audition but if like me in Hawaii there is no where to go, even getting a small meet together is hard

 
That is true, warranty is definitely an important factor.

   
Never touched a soldering iron before myself, and got an assembled Ember.
Nothing beats judging with your own ears. I know the past few posts have been leaning towards Garage1217 amps but don't let us sway you. I suggest demo-ing some tube & ss amps at a store near you and see if you prefer one over the other (although keep in mind using a different tube in the same amp can alter the sound somewhat). Pity there's no way to demo a Garage1217 amp (not that I know of anyway).

I've already heard the Schiit Asgard and I know it' a great sounding amp. I would be happy with it if I owned one. I'm just look at alternatives as well, not just Schiit. There's a couple stores in downtown Toronto, I'm just rarely there and usually don't have much time to go to stores. But I should try and demo a Garage1217 if a store has one.

 

[thewind32]

   
But I should try and demo a Garage1217 if a store has one.

I highly doubt so. By the way, Jeremy (the person @ garage1217) is very friendly and helpful. You can email him if you have any questions regarding his products.

 

[FlyingFungus]

  I highly doubt so. By the way, Jeremy (the person @ garage1217) is very friendly and helpful. You can email him if you have any questions regarding his products.

Yeah I didn't think any store near me would have one. Good to know, thanks!

 

[vapman]

Never touched a soldering iron before myself, and got an assembled Ember.
Nothing beats judging with your own ears. I know the past few posts have been leaning towards Garage1217 amps but don't let us sway you. I suggest demo-ing some tube & ss amps at a store near you and see if you prefer one over the other (although keep in mind using a different tube in the same amp can alter the sound somewhat). Pity there's no way to demo a Garage1217 amp (not that I know of anyway).

It's worth mentioning they come with a 5 year warranty if you buy them prebuilt, and it's only like $20 more than the kit version

 

[DavidA]

  Yeah I didn't think any store near me would have one. Good to know, thanks!

I don't think the Garage 1217 amps are sold anywhere but thru their web site, they are a small operation but have great service with excellent products.  They sell of units that have been used for demos at shows from time to time but I don't remember if they ever had demo units for customers to try.

 

[Saoshyant]

I'm sad to see my HE400 go, but they've arrived at their new home, and the recipient seems quite excited about the purchase.  I guess it's time for me to consider my next bassy can, most likely something closed this time.  Or I can just stick with my SennGrado and IEMs.  Plus there's always the silly bass on something like the XB500 which I haven't used in ages.

 

[LHS]

Does anyone have a problem with the left driver rattling/buzzing with some bass notes? It didn't use to do this and now it's doing it all the time. I thought it might be a hair or something but blowing on it and cleaning the earpads don't seem to fix anything. Could someone help?

 

[DavidA]

  Does anyone have a problem with the left driver rattling/buzzing with some bass notes? It didn't use to do this and now it's doing it all the time. I thought it might be a hair or something but blowing on it and cleaning the earpads don't seem to fix anything. Could someone help?

Did you remove the ear pad to check under the foam?  All connections are secure?  Try switching the cables around to see if its a possible cable problem.

 

[fishymamba]

Finally got a new cable. Couldn't afford to get the OEM one so I got one for $30 from amazon. It looks super thin, but the connectors are solid and its not 10 feet long haha

 

[LHS]

  Did you remove the ear pad to check under the foam?  All connections are secure?  Try switching the cables around to see if its a possible cable problem.

Yeah I checked under the earpad, tried to clean that as much as possible. Also just tried changing the cables around and it still is there. Blowing in it seems to sometimes work for a day and then it comes back. Is it safe to use those keyboard air dusters on these things?

 

[DavidA]

  Yeah I checked under the earpad, tried to clean that as much as possible. Also just tried changing the cables around and it still is there. Blowing in it seems to sometimes work for a day and then it comes back. Is it safe to use those keyboard air dusters on these things?

don't use the can air duster, the force is too strong, might damage the drivers.  Did you try removing the grill?  hair and dust can get in on the grill side also.
 
You might want to remove the ear pads and check to see if any of the mounting screws have come loose, when I changed the ear pad mounting rings from the original plastic to the metal ones a few of the screws were loose but this is shouldn't be an issue since blowing on the driver "fixes" it for a few days.

 

[LHS]

  don't use the can air duster, the force is too strong, might damage the drivers.  Did you try removing the grill?  hair and dust can get in on the grill side also.
 
You might want to remove the ear pads and check to see if any of the mounting screws have come loose, when I changed the ear pad mounting rings from the original plastic to the metal ones a few of the screws were loose but this is shouldn't be an issue since blowing on the driver "fixes" it for a few days.

Do you mean the front or back grill? I'm assuming the front.