Amp/DAC for Senn HD800

[Geo2160]

I got my pair of HD800 a couple of weeks ago, on a very good deal, and I've been using them with my iDSD Nano BL. Coming from a pair of ATH AD-900x, I quite enjoy the HD800 sound signature as it is.

The question that I have is whether I need to upgrade my iDSD Nano to a more powerful amp. At the moment, it seems to be driving them at comfortable listening levels at 40-60% volume, but, from what I understand, that may not be a good indicator for the HD800 and their wide impedance swings.

Here are my options:
1) Get a balanced cable and maybe squeeze a little more juice from the iDSD nano amps.
2) Get a better solid-state amp (+dac). I may be able to get a good deal on something like an iDSD mini or something in that price range.
3) Enjoy everything as is and start saving up for a tube amp. Even so, I may not be able to stomach a TOTL 1000€ amp, so your opinions would be greatly appreciated here.

Thank you.

 

[flipflop]

At the moment, it seems to be driving them at comfortable listening levels at 40-60% volume, but, from what I understand, that may not be a good indicator for the HD800 and their wide impedance swings.

nano iDSD BL has an output impedance of 1.0. That's too low to be a problem with any headphone including IEMs.

 

[Ratatoskr]

The HD800 scale with better DACs and amps. Try a Modi 3 and Vali 2 stack. You have two weeks to try out and can send back if they don't work for you.

 

[flipflop]

The HD800 scale with better DACs and amps. Try a Modi 3 and Vali 2 stack.

Vali 2 is clearly a worse amp: https://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/Schiit Amp APx555 Standard Test Suite_ Vali2.pdf

 

[flipflop]

I'd suggest taking a look at some of the DAC/amp combos on ASR that measure really well and have a good feature set:

Why? His amp doesn't have the problem he thinks it does.

 

[Geo2160]

Why? His amp doesn't have the problem he thinks it does.

I do not think it has a "problem". I'm just asking if I could get to the sweet spot of these headphones without spending car-tier amounts of money. Or, if the idsd nano already does that, I just need confirmation or opinions about it, since I don't have an easy way to do A/B testing with various amps on my own. I did a little research on my own, but since the HD800 were considered TOTL at the time of release and some years after that, they are usually paired with >1000€ amp/DAC setups in popular reviews.

 

[RickSanchez]

Why? His amp doesn't have the problem he thinks it does.

Fair point about the output impedance of the iDSD Nano BL; it's definitely not the cause of any issues in the OP's setup. I was merely offering suggestions about amps that have more power (I believe the HD800's are 300Ω) in case the OP wanted that. The iDSD Nano tops out at 30 mW @ 300 Ohm.

 

[JIW]

Fair point about the output impedance of the iDSD Nano BL; it's definitely not the cause of any issues in the OP's setup. I was merely offering suggestions about amps that have more power (I believe the HD800's are 300Ω) in case the OP wanted that. The iDSD Nano tops out at 30 mW @ 300 Ohm.

That's enough power for 115 dB SPL peaks. I doubt OP needs more if he does not want to use EQ.

 

[flipflop]

I'm just asking if I could get to the sweet spot of these headphones without spending car-tier amounts of money.

You can get there for free with a parametric equalizer.

Or, if the idsd nano already does that, I just need confirmation or opinions about it, since I don't have an easy way to do A/B testing with various amps on my own.

The biggest problem with it is the channel balance. If you don't hear any channel mismatch, I wouldn't recommend that you replace it.

I did a little research on my own, but since the HD800 were considered TOTL at the time of release and some years after that, they are usually paired with >1000€ amp/DAC setups in popular reviews.

Price and popularity are not indicators of quality.

I was merely offering suggestions about amps that have more power (I believe the HD800's are 300Ω) in case the OP wanted that.

He said it was "driving them at comfortable listening levels at 40-60% volume".

 

[maxxevv]

I have spent a fair bit of time with the HD800 and listened using the Khadas Tone Board with the JDS Atom. Also mixed combination of a ES9038Pro DAC and the Matrix HPA-3B intermixed between the KTB and the Atom as well.

In my opinion, its marginal gains going from KTB + Atom. Make sure whatever combination you use, it can sustain 82dB SPL with head room to spare. The bass response of the HD800 really comes into its own at that level and slightly more.

It doesn't have to be expensive source devices to make it sound good. It just needs to be good source devices.

 

[RickSanchez]

He said it was "driving them at comfortable listening levels at 40-60% volume".

Point taken. Post deleted.

 

[Geo2160]

Price and popularity are not indicators of quality

You're missing the point. Opinions and objective information about decently priced gear paired with the hd800 are not that easy to find due to the price bracket in which the headphones were launched in.

 

[NTomokawa]

Try the Topping DX3 Pro. The headphone amplifier measures very well with high-impedance loads such as your HD800.

 

[flipflop]

Opinions and objective information about decently priced gear paired with the hd800 are not that easy to find due to the price bracket in which the headphones were launched in.

Have you read the ASR review of nano iDSD BL?: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ents-of-ifi-nano-idsd-black-dac-and-amp.4799/
30 mW into a 300 ohms load. 1.0 ohms output impedance. Is there anything else you want to know?

 

[Geo2160]

Yes. I want to understand how those numbers are useful into quantifying whether an amplifier can drive a set of headphones which usually have a non-linear impedance/frequency graph and how the sensitivity is taken into account.

 

[Ratatoskr]

Vali 2 is clearly a worse amp: https://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/Schiit Amp APx555 Standard Test Suite_ Vali2.pdf

With HD800 I prefer tube amps to solid state. A wise enthusiast once told me that with HD800 or HD800S just use a Vali 2 whilst saving for a TOTL tube amp like an Eddie Current Studio Jr or Donald North Audio Starlett. There are other great tube amps around the $2000 - $3000 price range from ampsandsound. If building kits is doable a Bottlehead Crack also seems to be in the OP's price range. If you get too obsessive about the measurements you can miss out on some very musical and enjoyable amps. OP has great phones that will serve him well for many years.

 

[westyjeff]

I have run my HD800s off the THX 789, drives them to good volume levels, sounds alright, RME ADI-2 DAC, great DAC, great headphone amp, again good listening levels are no problem and they do sound good but the best I have is the Cayin HA300 tube amp and this is where they really shine, tubes bring out the best in these headphones, something about tubes and HD800's just mesh correctly and give a very good listening experience.

 

[flipflop]

Yes. I want to understand how those numbers are useful into quantifying whether an amplifier can drive a set of headphones which usually have a non-linear impedance/frequency graph and how the sensitivity is taken into account.

This article should provide the information you're looking for: https://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-power.html
If you're having trouble understanding any of it, let us know.

 

[strangeskies]

THX 789, drives them to good volume levels, sounds alright, RME ADI-2 DAC, great DAC

Did you prefer the THX 789 to the amp section of the RME ADI-2?

 

[JIW]

This article should provide the information you're looking for: https://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-power.html
If you're having trouble understanding any of it, let us know.

Also, add this: http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/headphone-amp-impedance.html.