[You Failed]

Hi,
 
I'm going to be buying a pair of HD650s.
 
At the moment my setup is:
 
Sound Blaster ZX -> PioneerA109 -> Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 + Sennheiser HD555
 
The pioneer is a pretty cheap amp, which isn't really up to much, so since I'm going to buying the HD650s, I'd probably want to upgrade the amp too, which would also benefit the hifi speakers.
 
Is it actually possible to get a good pairing between a stereo amp and the HD650s? Or do they only pair well with specific headphone amps? I've read some people mentioning the headphone output needs a low impedance, as the HD650s suffer when its high; although I'm not sure I understood correctly. What is everyone's opinion on running the HD650s from a stereo amp and if so, are there any suggestions?
 
Thanks guys!

 

[You Failed]

Anyone?

 

[Uncle AL]

Hi,

I'm going to be buying a pair of HD650s.

At the moment my setup is:

Sound Blaster ZX -> PioneerA109 -> Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 + Sennheiser HD555

The pioneer is a pretty cheap amp, which isn't really up to much, so since I'm going to buying the HD650s, I'd probably want to upgrade the amp too, which would also benefit the hifi speakers.

Is it actually possible to get a good pairing between a stereo amp and the HD650s? Or do they only pair well with specific headphone amps? I've read some people mentioning the headphone output needs a low impedance, as the HD650s suffer when its high; although I'm not sure I understood correctly. What is everyone's opinion on running the HD650s from a stereo amp and if so, are there any suggestions?

Thanks guys!

One of the best pairings possible for the HD650 is the Little Dot MK IV SE, which was largely designed for the HD650. David Zhe Zhe of Little Dot is extremely knowledgable and answers emails quickly. I was looking for a perfect pairing and ordered the MK IV SE. As an alternative, the MKIII is a possibility, too, but tge electronic components of the IV SE and stock tubes are far superior to the MKIII and worth the extra cost.

 

[Uncle AL]

P.S. ==> You can use a stereo amp, but not all are created equal. An older 70s tube stereo amp would be the best choice, like MARANTZ . One head-fier in a previous thread made the jump from a stereo amp to Little Dot amp (IV SE) and was blown away at the difference, using his HD650s. Someone else recommended the Bottlehead Crack amplifier but this DIY may not equal the LD amps IMHO.

 

[Grave]

Solid state amps sound much better than tubes so a stereo amp is fine. Newer solid state amps will sound much better than truly ancient ones.

 

[Uncle AL]

They're cleaner sounding.. Less coloration of audio output. Some classic stereo amps are absolutely awesome--