[AudioSonicSound]

Thank you Manko. You're totally right about HDVD being an overkill, it costs more than my Sonus faber towers, not to mention Sennheiser 598. But Marantz has some other issues, I'm trying to find out more about it, some "clicking noise". HDVA 600 is somewhat cheaper, especially on eBay, maybe I'll get that one because I'm a Sennheiser fan and the look of HDVA/HDVD would fit perfectly with my new amp which I plan to buy soon. But HDVA 600 would mean that I need to keep my current DAC or get some other DAC, and I was hoping to cut down the number of components in my system by getting head-amp+DAC all-in-one combination.

 

[AudioSonicSound]

Can you recommend me any other head-amp (preferably with built-in DAC) which looks similar to HDVD 800, but costs less (preferably much less), with good choice of inputs (preferably all 4: optical, coaxial, balanced and RCA), without hum & relay-clicking issues that some devices (like Marantz HD-DAC1) have, and hopefully with very good sound quality and not made by unknown Chinese brand.
THANKS SO MUCH 

 

 

[WilCox]

  Can you recommend me any other head-amp (preferably with built-in DAC) which looks similar to HDVD 800, but costs less (preferably much less), with good choice of inputs (preferably all 4: optical, coaxial, balanced and RCA), without hum & relay-clicking issues that some devices (like Marantz HD-DAC1) have, and hopefully with very good sound quality and not made by unknown Chinese brand.
THANKS SO MUCH 

 

 
Smaller than the HDVD 800 but similar form factor is the Audeze Deckard.  Priced at $699, it's a fantastic amp with the HD 800 and, like HDVD 800 / HDVA 600, it tames the HD 800 treble peak that bothers some users.  I like it as much, if not more, than my HDVA 600.  It only has two inputs, USB and RCA line level, but if that works for you, it's an easy choice for an uncomplicated high-performance headphone system.

 

[AudioSonicSound]

Thank you WilCox. I discovered Deckard last night, here on head-fi. The only problem with it is that it doesn't have enough inputs for me. With two more inputs it would be a solution to my problem, but I have to keep searching. Thanks.

 

[bigwallys]

Just received a new pair of hd 800's but still waiting for my hdvd 800 to arrive. I'm still not sure if I will connect the hdvd 800  to my computer with an optical cable or usb. I was also thinking of adding a Sony Walkman NWZX2 and wonder if I could connect it with a 3.5 mm to xlr3 cable or 3.5 mm to dual xlr3 left and right cable. Has anyone tried this type of connection?

 

[Rayzilla]

  I see the HDVA600 is on-sale at Moon Audio for US$1275.  Just FYI.

How would you compare your HDVA600 to the BHA-1? I am interested in both for my HD800.

 

[RCBinTN]

  How would you compare your HDVA600 to the BHA-1? I am interested in both for my HD800.

 
Hi,
Honestly, I didn't give the BHA-1 much of a chance with the HD800.  Tried it once and remember not being overly impressed, but it wasn't an extended listening session.  Will give it a better evaluation in a couple weeks.  I've been really happy with the SQ of the HDVA600 - HD800.

 

[King of Pangaea]

I have the HDVD 800 so I assume the DAC end is not what you are interested in.  The DAC in the HDVD800 is OK but I find the DACs in both my disc players, OPPO BDP95 and Marantz SA8005 to be superior.  However I am looking to upgrade DACs, considering Benchmark DAC2 HGC or Chord Hugo.
 
Anyway, to answer your question, both Amps are identical, I believe, and the pairing of HD800 to HDVD 800 is superb.  I have no experience with BHA 1 so I cannot answer.  I do know the pairing of amp to cans is extremely important in some cases so proceed with caution if you are considering something other than the Sennheiser.  I tried a Burson amp for a while and found my little Creek drove my Senns better than the far more expensive Burson HA160D ? was that It, don't remember model # for sure.
 
IF you stick with the HDVA you won't go wrong.  Not saying there isn't better, but probably not at that price point.

 

[RCBinTN]

  I have the HDVD 800 so I assume the DAC end is not what you are interested in.  The DAC in the HDVD800 is OK but I find the DACs in both my disc players, OPPO BDP95 and Marantz SA8005 to be superior.  However I am looking to upgrade DACs, considering Benchmark DAC2 HGC or Chord Hugo.
 
Anyway, to answer your question, both Amps are identical, I believe, and the pairing of HD800 to HDVD 800 is superb.  I have no experience with BHA 1 so I cannot answer.  I do know the pairing of amp to cans is extremely important in some cases so proceed with caution if you are considering something other than the Sennheiser.  I tried a Burson amp for a while and found my little Creek drove my Senns better than the far more expensive Burson HA160D ? was that It, don't remember model # for sure.
 
IF you stick with the HDVA you won't go wrong.  Not saying there isn't better, but probably not at that price point.

 
Totally agree with your comment about the HD800 being difficult to amp well.  That's why I went with the HDVA600 to begin with (also got a package deal on the HDVA600 + HD800 that helped) because Sennheiser designed the amp specifically to drive the HD800.  I have heard recent comments about the Schiit Mjolnir2 w/ tubes performing very well with the HD800.  I have the Mjolnir1 w/o tubes and it does not pair well with the HD800 - too bright.  The tube effect of the Mojo2 is probably reducing some of the inherent HD800 bright treble range.
 
To the high-end, I heard the HD800 driven by the Yggy/Ragnarok and Yggy/WA5 stacks at the Nashville meet.  Both stacks drove the HD800 exceptionally well - there was no brightness at all to the SQ, just really great mid/treble performance, especially with the WA5 amp.
 
As for DAC's, I am using the Schiit Gungnir MultiBit and would recommend it as a great pairing with the HDVA600.  The level of detail and SQ are excellent with the MB technology from Schiit Audio.
 
Enjoy your music!
RCB

 

[King of Pangaea]

As for brightness, or harsh treble, I notice this sometimes even with the HDVD.  HDVD are overly sensitive to harsh HF to begin with which is why some amps just don't work well with them.  But once you are in the game with a given set of cans it then becomes a process of finding the right amp.  I suppose one could go buy an amp first and then go looking for the best cans to go with it, but it kind of seems like a cart before the horse thing: never heard of anyone doing things like that, but somewhere out there, there probably is such a case. 
 
I attribute harsh treble with the recording itself.  If it was engineered overly bright then that is the way it is, nothing to do about it except EQ, and I no longer get into that end of things.  I have come to the theory that what you hear is a product of the original recording plus your equipment arranged in a linear array and the sum total of which is what your ear and brain receives.  On the latter, different people have different ears and different brains.
 
The whole audiophile experience, speakers or cans, is a (sometimes) never ending search for the right progression of factors in the chain.  Personally I think I already have just about as good as it gets, but there is a part of me that occasionally wants to look for some bit of improvement down the road.  I tried some AKG 7XX and while they are not bad, I really didn't learn anything except any search for improvement over what I have now will not be realized cheaply, if at all.  Some people evidently are never satisfied and endlessly go on buying and trying stuff ad infinitum. 
 
Whatever, if you have the bucks, there are worse ways to spend them.  That is what the game is all about.

 

[Dionysus]

When I first purchased my HD800 I also had a very difficult time trying to decide on the right amp. I tried several and never did like th synergy some amps were overly bright and some just never matched well. When Sennheiser released the HDVA600 and HDVD800 I decided I would buy it and give it a try.

It's difficult to make these types of decisions because I don't have a place where I can audition amp/dac's and I don't have a bunch of money to float.
In the end I decided on the all in one HDVD800, in hindsight I would have probably gone with the dac-less model the HDVA600 but I'm very happy with the HDVD800 and the synergy is great, its just a perfect pairing. Good luck but with your choice. I can tell you only from my ears that the Senn amps really do have great synergy with HD800.

 

[elvergun]

Are you guys using your 600/800 with balanced or SE cables?

 

[Dionysus]

I went balanced, the amp sounds much better in balanced mode no question about it, though some ears might disagree here.to my ears the amp is more resolving, open and a little more micro detailed in balanced mode.

 

[WilCox]

  How would you compare your HDVA600 to the BHA-1? I am interested in both for my HD800.

 
Having owned both amps for some time, I would suggest that they both bring out the best of the HD 800.  Maybe a slight edge to the HDVA 600 for better control of the HD 800 treble.  Both are wonderful amps and I don't intend to part with either.  

 

[elvergun]

I went balanced, the amp sounds much better in balanced mode no question about it, though some ears might disagree here.to my ears the amp is more resolving, open and a little more micro detailed in balanced mode.

 
Yeah, me too.   I do think it sounds a little better (not much better).   Just enough better that I decided to keep the expensive cable.