Amp/DAC recommendation for D2000 & DT990

[Hopstretch]

It looks down on it.

[swt61]

The heck were you doing buying headphile stuff?

They were given to me by a member I'd done a lot of stuff for.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Can that aspect of the HD650 be overcome by any amp/DAC combo in the $1,000 - $1,500 range?

You may find going to a balanced amp with the HD650 could do that for you, something like a Headroom Balanced Desktop amp, or a Beta 22. Sometimes a more powerful single ended amp could do the trick, like maybe a Woo WA6SE or Beta 22 that aren't balanced (the WA6 non-SE version is not my choice for HD650 and needs more power, but is great with HD600/800 which I prefer more than the 650).

Or, you could get rid of the D2000 for some D7000 and re-cable them to bring out the detail and extension, or add some Grado HF-2, or sell the D2000 and DT990 and put the money towards some Grado PS-1000.

[The Monkey]

I like the Woo amp idea.

[atothex]

So is stupid obnoxious bass and scooped mids out? If so, then I think a good Dynalo or M3 + Sigma22 + AD2000 + sweet vintage DAC + pro sound card would be my choice. Or HF2 with bowls for the bassy bass and less forward upper mids.

Woo amps are pretty slick, but damn those things keep their resale value like Civics. I don't go looking for them used, but I don't really see good deals on them. So you're probably already pushing $1k for a used Woo 6 SE.

[rpaul]

Alright, several avenues to consider, thanks for getting me started.

1) What integrated amp/DAC pairs well with the Grado phones mentioned in this thread?

2) If considering the HeadAmp GS-1, what DAC is recommended for use with Grados and/or HD650 (or HD600 that some prefer)? The Duet has been mentioned, but I don't want to restrict myself to the MacBook as source.

3) What DAC is recommended with the Woo? Will also have to read up on tube experiences and recommendations.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Good DACs to pair with Woo for the Grados above, which I have actually heard with the Woo and Grados - and keeping your budget in consideration:

Apogee mini-DAC

Stello DA100

PS Audio Digital Link III

[Currawong]

X3, or x4 wherever it is we're at for the HF-2, as they do kick-ass bass. However, they aren't the most comfortable if you like the feeling of Denons.

[rpaul]

Comfort is a major consideration, as is availability...so what is comparable to the HF-2 by any manufacturer?

The notion of going with tubes does sound appealing. Nice to know sound can be tailored by tube rolling.

How does the Woo 6/SE compare to the GS-1 (8 week wait kinda sucks)?

[mypasswordis]

They were given to me by a member I'd done a lot of stuff for.

.

[mypasswordis]

Ron Paul, get back to work killing old people, dammit.

[morphsci]

Well I am going to throw a monkey in the wrench here. If you like the comfort of the D2000 as well as its basic sound then I would suggest you keep it and replace the stock-for-shit cable. See how that does with your current amp and then look for an upgrade in the amp. For myself the D2000 sounds very good on the GSX as well as on the old Shanling P3000. In fact the Shanling mates pretty well with the D2000 and is not that expensive. I just sold mine but only because I replaced it with the GSX. If you want any more info you can either post here or PM me so we do not upset the anti-Denon mafia.

[digger945]

I have to agree. If you like the Denon's then keep them for now. You can always upgrade cans later. You may get tired of them after so long anyway and start looking for something else. They do sound different to me between a SS amp and SE or PP tube hybrid amps, and I have noticed an improvement when balanced.

[morphsci]

I have to agree. If you like the Denon's then keep them for now. You can always upgrade cans later. You may get tired of them after so long anyway and start looking for something else. They do sound different to me between a SS amp and SE or PP tube hybrid amps, and I have noticed an improvement when balanced.

Ah that is a good point. If you do recable them you should go balanced as it gives you more options as you can use an adapter for SE. On the GSX they do sound better balanced but the difference is not as great as it is for the K340s and K701s.

[blessingx]

Sell it all and get JH13s and a pico amp/dac. That should have you covered in every genre. It's the best rig I've heard under $5000.

The JH13 rep is growing.

[Dusty Chalk]

Don't want to go the IEM route. Major discomfort issues in left ear.

AKG K271 Mk II? Or just stick with the Denons.

[rpaul]

I can live with the Denon sound for now, actually more enjoyable the more I listen to them (for random non-critical listening). Saw a great deal on a new D5000 and decided to try it out and compare to the D2000. Biggest gripe with the D2000 is the damn cord that tangles all the time. Should have the D5000 sometime next week, and then I'll choose and send one of them back.

I am still interested in building a better rig built around a more competent/scalable headphone like my HD650 (or anything better I get a chance to try out later on). Limiting myself to integrated amp/DAC was a mistake.

Will start a new thread to get feedback on differences between GS-1 and Woo 6/SE with something like HD650.

No IEM.

[falkon]

Will start a new thread to get feedback on differences between GS-1 and Woo 6/SE with something like HD650.

Please don't. Just ask about it here. Most everyone here reads every thread and no one cares if you're on topic.

[rpaul]

Please don't. Just ask about it here. Most everyone here reads every thread and no one cares if you're on topic.

Got it.

Might be difficult to audition both the GS-1 and Woo, so wanna try to get some feedback before putting up the money to have one built.

I've never had an opportunity to listen to a tube amp so I don't know how the sound compares to a solid state amp. The HD650 driven by my HR Desktop amp is satisfying with symphonic music, but I want to know how it will change/improve with each of the GS-1 and Woo 6/SE. Would be used with some DAC in the $750 range.

[rpaul]

Is the Pico indicative of what the GS-1 will sound like?

[Asr]

^ No. Granted I did not do a direct comparison (I didn't own them at the same time) but in my experience, the Pico (as an amp) and GS-1 had distinctive different sonic attributes. The AE-2 is more indicative of the GS-1's sound. I covered this subject a bit in my Pico DAC/amp review which you can find here: Review: HeadAmp Pico w/ DAC - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

[morphsci]

I concur. The Pico and the GSX do not share a sonic signature using both single-ended. I currently have both.

[Kitarist]

interesting :D

[rpaul]

Just a little update on what's happened since my last post in this thread:

I auditioned the Denon D5000 and D7000 and ended up returning/selling all the Denons. The DT990 is a rocking headphone and just goes well with Metal. Great directly out of my MacBook and I prefer it over the Denons for that genre of music.

I had my Headroom Desktop amp upgraded to the Max electronics module. Great match with the HD650, and figured I'd try to get the most out of it with an SAA Equinox cable. Let it burn in for about 100 hours and I can hear a difference compared to the stock cable -- little more detail/extension in treble.

Interestingly the DT990 doesn't sound as good with the upgraded Desktop amp as I remember it did with the previous Home module that was in it. Too much bass mucking up the balance...at least I think I remember there being a better balance when using the Home electronics. Must be the OPA627 in the Max.

I noticed the same thing when using the Denon D7000 with my upgraded Desktop amp - midbass was boosted more than I liked, sounded better out of my surround sound amp.

Now I'm thinking about returning the Equinox cable because honestly the HD650 using the stock cable is good enough with Classical music for me, and I'd rather contribute that $200 towards another pair of headphones that fall somewhere in the middle, sound signature-wise, between the HD650 and DT990.

I am tempted to get the D7000 again...hopefully can wait to make any purchase before reviews start coming in for the beyerdynamic T1.

Edited November 18, 2009 by rpaul
Typo

[Dusty Chalk]

Interestingly the DT990 doesn't sound as good with the upgraded Desktop amp as I remember it did with the previous Home module that was in it. Too much bass mucking up the balance...

Really? Then don't ever try the DT770. Ever. Never.