I agree it is not a very refined amp, especially in the highs. But there is a musical rightness to it when it is playing well. I think it has tremendous potential if little mods are carried out like the one suggested by vivek.saikia and giving it a better power supply (may be a 12v battery, even simple automotive battery) than cheapo stuff it comes with. All these will not cost much but I feel it will be a very entertaining amp then.
Good headphone amps for Sennheiser HD650
- Thread starter kratu
- Start date
I agree it is not a very refined amp, especially in the highs. But there is a musical rightness to it when it is playing well. I think it has tremendous potential if little mods are carried out like the one suggested by vivek.saikia and giving it a better power supply (may be a 12v battery, even simple automotive battery) than cheapo stuff it comes with. All these will not cost much but I feel it will be a very entertaining amp then.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
I have listened to one particular album more times in the past weeks than I have in the past ten years. It does that particular album perfectly! That alone has been a musical experience worth having, especially given the low cost.
I suspect that the main problems are quality-control issues. The only mistake I made was penny-pinching: if, for just a small amount more, I had bought new, then I might well have no complaints at all. I have no recourse to the company, and the seller is too far away for me to bother about making a fuss and returning it. All that I have written off to experience.
Good info here - I found this thread while googling on headphone amps for my HD650s. I have the E12 but wanted to try out a tube amp (I have a 2A3 based music system and love the sound of tubes, especially single-ended triodes... which I realize this one isnt).
I've been in touch with Viren earlier about repairing/rebuilding my 2A3 amp and will also see about getting a 6SN7 SE OTL amp from him, but for now, I got the Bravo Audio amp recommended on this thread (like a muppet, I ordered it without completely reading this thread first and so missed out on the local sale above).
Good to find an active hifi community for India as well - look forward to being a part of it.
I've been in touch with Viren earlier about repairing/rebuilding my 2A3 amp and will also see about getting a 6SN7 SE OTL amp from him, but for now, I got the Bravo Audio amp recommended on this thread (like a muppet, I ordered it without completely reading this thread first and so missed out on the local sale above).
Good to find an active hifi community for India as well - look forward to being a part of it.
It's good to see that this topic has picked up steam and has been helpful to people. However, I wouldn't be comfortable in turning the tide towards one amp such as Bravo Audio Ocean. Granted that I haven't auditioned this amp and can't say anything from personal experience. I see that the biggest USP is it's low price point. There are lot more options to choose from. The jury is out on THE best amp for HD650.
From my understanding, the amp's primary duty is to amplify the signal and drive enough power to the headphones. It's quite important to consider the right match in terms of power/impedance matching. Throw a lot of power; HD650 will sound bright, thin and harsh at the highs. This is not ideal. Move less power, and the headphone will sound damp and muffled. You can see this when you connect it directly to a music player or a laptop; i.e., without amping. Also, the output power/impedance of the source is important.
Little Dot MK IV allowed me to experiment with the switch gain settings. There are three options to choose; low/mid/high impedance. This is actually made to ensure that this amp works for all headphones low to high impedance. Why we need amp for low impedance phones is beyond my understanding I found that the sound can be customised to your liking though. Low setting makes the sound bright. I've found that the highest setting is the perfect match and am sticking to it. So, it's good to have an amp that is tweak-able.
So, the point I'm driving at is more than the x, y or z brand of amp, the right matching in terms of power is more important. HD650 is a great headphone and it can't go seriously wrong with many amps. In a way, I'm still not convinced that sound signature can vary a lot from one amp to the other (respectively in their own class of SS or tubes). It's not a head scratching issue really.
Bravo Audio isn't even close to the best amp for the HD 650. But it is one of the best deals under 10k in India. There are very few competitors and all of them are equally good if not better. Like Little Dot MK1+ and Indeed G3.
It is definitely better than what you could expect with Fiio E12 etc.
It is definitely better than what you could expect with Fiio E12 etc.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Yes, I think value for money is the deal. I wish you'd been selling before! Whilst I determined never again to save a just few pennies by buying such a thing used, and got stung, pre-tried by a forum member is a different matter.
For a long-term pairing, I am leaning towards the Little Dot Mk4, Schiit Valhalla or the Bottlehead as options. I am also going to try out Viren's tube amp - although his is transformer-coupled and what I've read is that the 650s sing best with OTL (which the others are). Most likely, it is going to be either Viren's setup or the Little Dot Mk4.
The Bravo Audio is a short-term plug, till I can decide which way to go. And later, I can always stuff it in a suitcase and use it in a hotel when I travel.
The Bravo Audio is a short-term plug, till I can decide which way to go. And later, I can always stuff it in a suitcase and use it in a hotel when I travel.
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Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't advise that. Apart from the inherent fragility of glass, there is the fact that it gets so hot. For travelling, best to go for something truly portable, that will work in the pocket, away from power sockets, without setting fire to your coat. Then you're good for trains and planes as well as hotel rooms.
The Bravo is a short term plug for me too, else I might be completing the circle and buying techboy's! :lol:
By the way, I don't have Sennheiser 'phones --- but this is the best recent head-phone-amp thread
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
I mean the tube 
For a long-term pairing, I am leaning towards the Little Dot Mk4, Schiit Valhalla or the Bottlehead as options. I am also going to try out Viren's tube amp - although his is transformer-coupled and what I've read is that the 650s sing best with OTL (which the others are). Most likely, it is going to be either Viren's setup or the Little Dot Mk4.
The Bravo Audio is a short-term plug, till I can decide which way to go. And later, I can always stuff it in a suitcase and use it in a hotel when I travel.
Many will advise you to aim for a single long-term plan instead of a short fix. Try to have something you will like or just wait for the right time. However. if it's a question of portability, yes you might want to have two. Again, HD650 isn't meant for portable use; because it is a full-size, open-back design.
I know that it's quite difficult and frustrating to decide solely based on reviews and comments online. I've been there. There are so many varied and seemingly contradictory inputs. Everyone suggests X as the best amp. However you can pick up some consistent underlying thread and shortlist some good ones.
In an ideal scenario, the final call can be made by listening to them personally and making a comparison. Unfortunately, this is quite difficult as headphone amps are niche products. I personally would lean on to the ones which I've listened to; rather than trying to speculate about a product I've read about. (aka One bird in hand is better than two in the bush). In this case, the recommended minimum sample test size is three amps.
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Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
That's true, and it is also true that it is cheaper to buy once. But it doesn't include affordable experimental purchases of the fun sort. And sometimes, experimental fun purchases, like my ODAC, can end up looking much more serious
That's true, and it is also true that it is cheaper to buy once. But it doesn't include affordable experimental purchases of the fun sort. And sometimes, experimental fun purchases, like my ODAC, can end up looking much more serious
Well, I'm not sure about experimental purchase when it comes to hifi equipment. Not everyone has the budget or resources to spin all these devices. I'd rather aim and shoot. There are options to audition these products if we choose to. I restrict the experimentation to pickles, soup sachets, and assorted food products for cooking though
ODAC is discussed considerably and it's hard to miss it. I'd categorise under the "serious buy" category.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Very wise, and, even at the sub-10,000 price point is not something I do regularly --- but it is nice to indulge, and I'm not sorry to have bought the Ocean, only that I bought foolishly.
If my indulgence had been an O2, that might have got promoted to serious buy too --- but I wanted to get a taste of this valve thing that is enthusing a lot of people, and the Ocean was a very cheap way of doing that.
The Ember has a solid-stage output stage. Not really a big fan of that - atleast with regular hifi, hybrid amps dont come even close to SETs. The Little Dot has a tube-based output stage. So that's a big win for it, IMO. I am not too fussed about power... my old listening rig used to be a 3W 2A3 amplifer, running a moderately-high sensitivity pair of bookshelves with a Velo subwoofer, and that was loud enough to reach earbleed levels. I reckon 500mW @ 300ohms ought to be more than enough for my needs.
Kratu - I'd love to hear your thoughts on this combo, as this is what I am leaning towards. What kind of music do you listen to on it?
Re travel - well, I didnt mean I was going to have these amps or the headphones plugged in when on the move (for casual listening, I have a couple of IEs that are just fine). I meant transport them in a bag, along with the cans, and then plug it in at night in a hotel room, when I'm on the road.
And I agree that in general, it is best to buy once - but that only works if you know what you want. And the only way to know what you want is to try different combos. I already know that the HD650s are most likely NOT going to be my critical-listening headphones - but I knew that before getting them. I bought them to be my easy-listening headphones when I am working late, etc. and the plan is to get a complementary rig at some point down the line (LCD2.2s and/or HE-500s). The 650s will make a good baseline, provided I get to know their sound really well.
And who knows? I may simply be so satisfied with how it sounds that I'll stop caring about gear. That's what happened when I built my SE 2A3s & 5842 preamp. The idea was to try out the tube sound and then invest in a nice, high-end rig. I just liked the results so much that not only did I not upgrade, I sold my Stereophile-approved solid stage rig as well
Best damn experiment I ever did - cured me of being an audioweenie and got me back to listening to music.I like your last point. Sometimes, you might like an equipment that's not in anyones radar. It's a matter of your personal tastes.
Frankly speaking, I've exhausted myself from all the rat race; This can easily become an endless wild-goose chase as there is always something better around the corner (aka grass is greener on the other side syndrome). So, no more amp trials for me. Yes, there might be a better one, but I'm quite content with the current setup. Happiness is being content with what you have.
To narrow down you purchase.
1. Figure out your budget.
2. List out your preference regarding the usage and musical tastes
3. Shortlist six amps that are highly rated and within your reach
4. Try at least three amps with your favourite music
Frankly speaking, I've exhausted myself from all the rat race; This can easily become an endless wild-goose chase as there is always something better around the corner (aka grass is greener on the other side syndrome). So, no more amp trials for me. Yes, there might be a better one, but I'm quite content with the current setup. Happiness is being content with what you have.
To narrow down you purchase.
1. Figure out your budget.
2. List out your preference regarding the usage and musical tastes
3. Shortlist six amps that are highly rated and within your reach
4. Try at least three amps with your favourite music
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