An amp that sounds very different that what I've got?

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Kon Peki, Mar 29, 2016.

  1. Kon Peki

    Kon Peki Friend

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    I have an Asgard 2, Violectric V200, and Lyr 2 (w/ stock and OGs). I can hear slight differences between them, but they are all very similar IMO. Nothing like changing from one headphone to a different headphone. I think I'd have a hard time telling them apart on a blinded test.

    Is there any amp I can buy for $1500 or less that will sound very good and very different from the ones I've got? I was thinking of picking up a Valhalla 2 or one of the cheap OTL tube amps I keep seeing on Massdrop to use with my HD600s, but I don't want another amp that's gonna sound a lot like what I've got.
     
  2. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    What sort of "very different" are you looking for? I know the Lyr 2 is a bit warm sounding with the HD600. I've heard the V200 is warm. Not sure about A2.
     
  3. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    See if you can find a pre-built Bottlehead Mainline in that price rance (or build it yourself if you have the skills). You can roll tubes and play with the output impedance to change the sound.
     
  4. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    Amps of decent quality aren't supposed to sound "very different", if they do there's generally something wrong with them.

    Better amps should have better soundstage, lower noise floor, better control down low and then they will be voiced a little different. Some will be a little brighter, some a little darker, some a little more midrange focused. Especially tube amps can be midrange focused with a softer treble. But all these changes are slight compared to changing headphones.
     
  5. Kon Peki

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    I guess I'm expecting too much of a difference between amps. I think what I need is a very high quality hardware equalizer. I wish Schiit would make one for me to put in the stack, between my Bifrost Multibit and Lyr 2.
     
  6. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    For that price range, you might want to check out Ampsandsound. The Kenzie is a great hand made all-tube amp using vintage 1626 and 12sl7 tubes. Seriously great amp. Quiet, detailed, and powerful. And it has jacks for low and high impedance headphones
     
  7. Kon Peki

    Kon Peki Friend

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    Thanks, that is the first I've heard of that one. I'll do some research on it!
     
  8. aufmerksam

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    I have to repeat what @Hands asked above: what are you hoping will be different? If you are hoping for more warmth, go tubes. If what you are really seeking is "the next level" of audio bliss (whatever that is for you), I have to warn you that you probably won't find it in the way you think...

    SPOILER: WET TOWEL AHEAD.

    I encourage you to keep hunting, especially since your amps listed are ss or hybrid. Full tubes may be the way to go. However, I feel obligated to plant the following seed: these may not be the tweaks you are looking for. It is more likely than not that you will not find something that sounds "much different" and isn't also "much worse". It might be the case that you should chase improvements in your source (better recordings, better transport, etc). It might be that this is the cusp of another rabbit hole, and you should take a breath first. This is not meant to be some stupid scare tactic, just a good thing to keep in mind as you pursue, especially in light of your comment above about "expecting too much from amps".
     
  9. n3rdling

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    Look into current output or OTL amps. DIY will save you a lot of money.
     
  10. Kon Peki

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    I'm not looking for audio bliss. Just different flavors. Each of the headphones I use often - HE-560, HD600, TH-X00 - sound very different from one another. Depending on the music I choose, I can get a totally different experience based on which of those headphones I choose. I was hoping that by having two very different sounding amps, it would be like having six different sounding headphones instead of two. Or at least that one of my headphones would be would sound way different with a different amp.

    I guess what I want is an amp that substantially changes the frequency response, but I'm learning that no "good" amps do that.
     
  11. Mikoss

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    Well, some amps allow different tubes to be swapped to change the sound presentation... Almost like EQ, but fairly subtle.

    The thing is, in my opinion, the best tubes amps don't seem to be as affected by tube rolling. They just sound precise, while retaining some of the tube harmonics, which may come across as a euphonic or slightly warm sound.

    Have you tried other tubes in the Lyr 2? Throwing in a set of Telefunkens should make it sound a bit quicker, with less bass and more treble (I enjoy them with jazz, or quicker paced tempo...)

    Depending on what music you're listening to genre wise, you could also try some GE Smoked Glass 6DJ8's. They have a different sound than both Telefunken and OG's. I found they worked well with electronic music.

    Some OTL tube amps can sound fairly different with different tubes, the trouble is that you don't want to constantly be rolling different tubes just because of an obsession to hear small differences. This seems to happen to some people...
     
  12. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I'd recommend going to a meet then or a shop to demo gear because I can't recommend something without knowing what sort of "different" you want...I have no frame of reference for how you hear your current amps relative to other amps.
     
  13. Kon Peki

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    I just wanted to update this thread and say that the Darkvoice 336SE I purchased recently gives me what I was looking for. The differences between the other amps were too subtle for my untrained ears, and I was just looking for an amp difference that I could appreciate.

    When comparing my HD600 with the Darkvoice vs Violectric V200, I hear enough of a difference to prefer the Darkvoice for some genres (eg, acoustic music) and the Violectric or Lyr 2 for some others (eg, electronic music). I can also hear how the Darkvoice falls apart at very loud volumes with my orthos. It's nice to be able to relate to some of the stuff people say about amps :).
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2016
  14. Mithrandir41

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    Enjoy! Yep, outside of the Valhalla 2, OTL's and ortho's don't really like each other
     
  15. aufmerksam

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    In my experience even the valhalla2 has a cold relationship with orthos.

    Also, @Kon Peki congrats on finding what you were searching for! Based on what I've read and heard with other amps I know dark voice are certainly very different, just not for me.
     
  16. Mithrandir41

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    I thoroughly agree. The V2 is not optimized for planars, but it can work marginally better than a Crack or 336se due to lower output impedance and slightly higher output.
     

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