[drandall]

so, i have what i'd consider a nice mid-fi system.....
 
imac (ALAC and AAC) --> music streamer II DAC -->little dot mk III (EH gold-pin power tubes, NOS sylvania drivers) -->HD600
 
and while it has wonderful mids and highs, the low end is a bit feeble. it's not that the bass isn't there...it is...but it's not particularly deep or authoritative. lately, i've been trying to figure out why this is.
 
i've heard that the HD600's while not being bass-happy are certainly able to create it. is the tube amp trading low-end push for sweetness in the mids? would i be better off with a solid-state amp? do i need a gutsier tube amp like a valhalla or LD mk IV SE? do i need to leave the senn world and go with something like a denon d2000?
 
i'm not a bass-head and i don't need to rattle the windows....but when bass is there, i want it to be THERE. strong, but proportional. i love so many things about the HD600. i just wish it had a bit more kick.
 
 
any thoughts?
 
thanks in advance!
 
 
david

 

[forsberg]

Sounds like HD650 is what you're looking for.

 

[Satellite_6]

FWIR the HD 600 has better impact than the HD 650's. You probably just have a bright sounding source.
 
EDIT: The MSII is a bit bright.

 

[drandall]

what would you recommend as a MSII replacement?

 

[TobaccoRoad]

I own both HD600 and D2000 for that specific reason. I tried to be set with just one headphone but I found that it's almost impossible if you have a wide musical taste.

 

 

[Kees]

Sylvania have very nice extended highs and good midrange but they don't deliver a very authorative bass.... Transparent and airy would be the best desctription I think.

 

[Satellite_6]

Quote:

I own both HD600 and D2000 for that specific reason. I tried to be set with just one headphone but I found that it's almost impossible if you have a wide musical taste.

 

I agree, I think it's impossible to find one headphone with all the properties I want.
 
I'm also looking for a replacement for the MSII so idk.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Tubes can be flabby in the low end, they've ha that general criticism for years. The damping factor on that amp might not be so hot, either.

I'd look into picking up a Dynalo or a M^3. Both have plenty of power and authority. I always found the bass excellent on the HD-600, as well.

 

[Currawong]

I found that HD-600s could be very lackluster with a low-end system such as that. It wasn't until I moved into more mid-range gear ($500-1000 for DAC and amp) that they became my favourite headphones at the time.

 

[drandall]

out of curiosity, did you go with a tube amp or SS?

 

[glac1er]

The MSII has clear mids and highs, but adds no impact to the bottom end (though not rolled off). From what other members said, your tube fits along that line too, so the setup combo might have something to do with that. 
 
Other than tweaking the setup, I also recommend getting a used HD650, won't cost you a lot of money and you get to hear a darker and less neutral but richer sounding HD600 with more authoritative bass. Some people like the HD650 better for that reason.

 

[drandall]

Quote:

Sylvania have very nice extended highs and good midrange but they don't deliver a very authorative bass.... Transparent and airy would be the best desctription I think.

would a russian groove tube be a better choice? 
 

 

[Kees]

Quote:

would a russian groove tube be a better choice? 
 

I don't know what a Russian groove tube is, but generally speaking RCA and Mullard are the tubes with the more substantial low end. I'm not familiar with this amp though, so I can't be very specific.
 

 

[rymd]

Although I don't have a tube amp, I have a solid state amp tuned to sound like a tube amp that I'm using with the HD600 right now and the bass is there but slightly lacking. But the weight and lushness the amp adds to the mids is very welcome. When I switch to my d100's solid-statey sounding amp (pretty much an m-stage, for reference), impact is greatly increased, and sound signature is the most balanced I've heard from any rig, but the bass is still no where close to my bassier headphones. Like TobaccoRoad, I don't exclusively use the HD600, though I don't know about your setup, and although the exact combination you have could be especially hindering in the bass, the bass probably won't get much more deep or impact-ful on a different setup. To me, it sounds like you would be a lot more satisfied with the HD650 or even a different headphone. From what I know of other HD650 owners, you don't have to be a basshead to like the hd650.