The All Purpose Advice Thread

TH-900 with Valhalla 2 at low gain works very well. I use it next to my HD 800. I think as a "starter" amp for both of these headphones the Valhalla 2 is a superb package that combines both requirements.

Avoid soft DACs. TH-900 shows very well how "limpdick" (as the Mervinator would say) your source is. Got both since over 2 years and I'm still happy how good they can coexist.

Can't wait till the Gungnir Multibit is available again in EU.

 

@Golmang : My current DAC (HP-A8) is on the soft side though, haha. I guess it can relate to that metaphor, it has a quality of a nicely shaped, clean, disease-free, symmetrical, artsy dick but kind of limp all the time yes... definitely hard getting a libido with such a polite presentation. Thankfully the HD800 and RS1 are there to make musics lively. Not very sure about TH900 though...

For amp I'm currently using WA6 that I found dirt cheap from someone's garage sale and though it sounds okay for general use, it also pretty much cemented my hatred toward tubes (need warming up time, fragile glass, and it is hot!!), that's why I've been looking for SS alternative to replace the amp (and also as an upgrade or whatever the term is).

 

@Hands : Thanks for the opinion; Glad to hear another personal impression that states the Lyr 2 has this warm-ish quality.
At $509 with LISST I think it's a pretty strong candidate for a flexible, general use amp within its price bracket. On the other hand, Cavalli Liquid Carbon with its current reservation pricing is quite a temptation too..

 

What totl level headphone is the most similar to he-400? scratch he-500/560

 

Anybody have an update on the EC Black Widow build? I plan to get one for using with an HD600 or HD650, would the BW + 650 combo be too warm sounding?

 

I wouldn't give up on the HE400. Give it good power, and do the following mods: Grill mod, sorbothane patches mod, and give it some HM5 angled velours/Audeze vegans. I am loving mine more than I ever thought possible.

 

I'm of two minds with the TH-900 and tube amps. The TH-900 definitely does not need any more bass, but a tube amp could definitely improve the mid range and would probably be a worthy investment as you could tweak the signature (by tube rolling) until you get the signature you want.

 

What do you guys think about the Mjolnir as an end game level amp? Is there anything better at the 500-700 range? I'm ok with balanced only as all the headphones I'm interested come with balanced amps.

 

I definitely didnt give up, i am just searching for an upgrade. I already tried messing around with mods and even changing pads seems like pain.

 

Source help!

I have been searching for a CD transport for a while, biding my time until the unicorn that some bunny recommended comes up for sale.

Local ad has the following for about $225 each (which means I can probably negotiate that down a bit):
-Sony cdp-x55es
-marantz cd5005
-denon dcd-3000

The ad pictures show magick crystals on all of the guy's equipment. Mental health aside, I am guessing the gear is in good shape.

It will feed into gungnir mb, probably by coax. I am pretty sure the Sony does not have digital out, so it probably is out of the running. I have read some about the marantz and denon, but want to hear from anyone with experiences or informed thoughts on this.

Thanks!

 

Claritas?

 

I'm trying to work out an amp for my HD650 in the $300-500 range. DAC would be my GOV2 and possibly a Bimbo next year.

The Valhalla 2 seems like a safe bet, but I'm not super keen on tube rolling nor dealing with fragile glass things.

The Lyr 2 would be the more flexible amp in general, with more power and the option of LISST, but it's nearly $200 more with all the tubes and whatever and I'm honestly not sure I'll ever dip into orthos again.

The Asgard 2 is also an option, but I gather not as appropriate for the HD650 as the Valhalla 2.

Torpedo III is a possibility, but the final cost of that kit is a big question and I'd still have to factor in the price of a good soldering iron and other tools. I'm not really feeling the Bottlehead Crack.

Cavalli Liquid Carbon is pushing it in price, but I might be able to talk myself into it. I'll also have to factor in the cost of a balanced cable/adapter.

Anything else I'm forgetting? Are there any solid state amps in my price range that would be an improvement over the GOV2 in balanced mode?

ETA: I forgot about the Garage1217 amps. Maybe an Ember or Polaris?

 

Blind guess: Denon > Marantz > Sony.

 

Perfect timing Claritas! I am supposed to go check 'em out "after work" and have been lingering in the hopes your input would materialize. That is my general thought after all the reading I did months ago, just needed to make sure my reading in this realm isn't totally f-ed. (thanks to Hands and AV as well for chiming in.)

 

Ok, i need help on this.
Just got an offer for K-1000 (around 700$-ish) from my local collector but i've no idea what i should use to drive it . I assumed that it need speaker amp but is it that difficult to power it?
I already got headphone chain up and running but getting another amp just for one vintage unit kinda a bit too much to ask for now.

 

This is likely a stupid type question but if one can buy power amps for loudspeakers without integrated volume controls (i.e., the opposite of an integrated amp), how come one can't buy a power amp for headphones?
The only word that comes to mind is "gain" but that's where my knowledge train gets derailed unfortunately.
The reason I ask is because I would then not have to worry about 2 volume knobs and just rely on my smartphone to change the volume. Its already quite smart in that it automatically reduces volume when something is connected to the HP out, which is good IMHO.

 

Good point, and one that I was wondering the other day. I use a pre-amp for source selection, and I prefer to use its volume knob.