Amplifier for HD800S

[odyo]

They're website just says "Sensitivity: 103dB".

Knowing HiFiMan, and noting else about that model, it could just as easily be 103dB per watt.

"Sensitivity" is usually specified in dB per volt, but that's not really all that high, especially for only 25 ohms...

They could mean efficiency instead, which is usually dB per milliwatt, which actually wound make it easy to drive for a planar...

Rtings seems to measure everything but efficiency, so idk what it actually is though. Anyway, at 25 ohms, here's the difference between 103dB/mW on top and 103dB/V on the bottom.

Yeah i think it's mW.

 

[maverickronin]

Yeah i think it's mW.

Seems optimistic, but if it's true, the Ananda should be fine with just about anything.

 

[solderdude]

Ananda: Efficiency: 103 dB/1mW (119dB/1V)
It plays pretty loud from a phone.

 

[maverickronin]

Ananda: Efficiency: 103 dB/1mW (119dB/1V)
It plays pretty loud from a phone.

I guess being optimistic worked out for once.

 

[kneading_kitten]

Only thing you need to consider is upgrades to balanced

This is a great point. I think spending an extra ~$70 for a DAC and ~$150 for an amp with XLR now is future-proofing enough. Look into the reviews of the LA-QXD1 and Schiit Modius DACs.

Or another choice for your list, you can also wait for the new JDS Lab Atom DAC that is supposed to come out soon.

 

[faisal2003456]

My favorite amp for the plain HD800 was the Heron 5.

 

[Jimbob54]

This is a great point. I think spending an extra ~$70 for a DAC and ~$150 for an amp with XLR now is future-proofing enough. Look into the reviews of the LA-QXD1 and Schiit Modius DACs.

Or another choice for your list, you can also wait for the new JDS Lab Atom DAC that is supposed to come out soon.

Doubt the Atom dac will be xlr. Bare bones

 

[dan2021]

Any opinions on the Topping A50s for HD800s? Similar price in my country to the Schiit magni (this is very overpriced here)

 

[AudioAntiRealist]

This is more or less half myth and half people wishing that the HD800(S) sounded a little different but being too "purist" to condescend to EQ or mods.

People in the first camp are usually falling prey to sighted bias in listening tests hear what the expect to hear from the reports of others or the HD800(S)'s aura technical superiority revealing differences between sources. The HD800(S)'s 300 ohm impedance is actually quite an easy load to drive. Higher impedance means lower current draw from the amplifier which almost always reduces distortion. The only real limitation from a weaker amp is maximum volume since high impedance requires higher voltage for the same power. Even many smartphones will drive an HD800 quite cleanly even though they won't reach a satisfying volume.

The second camp is mostly people who wish it wasn't as bright and didn't have that 6kHz peak which gives it a sharp sound. They then (whether they really understand it or not) try fix this with various amplifier designs with objectively poor measured performance in order to hide the HD800(S)'s deficiencies with the amp's deficiencies. This often takes the form of high output impedance or high levels of distortion from poorly performing but fashionable vacuum tube circuits.

Do you already have the HD800S? If so, what amp are you using it with?

I have the HD800s. I have a Bluesound Node N130 streaming via USB to a Topping D90SE, which then outputs to a Topping A90 via balanced XLR, which outputs to the HD800s using the balanced connectors. Yes, with certain, and indeed many tracks, the HD800s can be bright and even harshly sibilant but with the rights songs it really shines (no pun intended).

I'm relatively new to the Hi-Fi audio stream (2 years) and am by no means an engineer in any capacity (philosophy major). However, I too almost fell into the trap of looking for a "warmer" amp for the HD800s but I have now come to see this as misguided. From owning the HD800s for a year now, I have come to see that different headphones are optimal for different genres. Personally, I've found the HD800s simply marvelous for songs with lots of space and detail, especially games and films. Yosi Horikawa's experimental music is eerily realistic and encapsulating with the HD800s.

For songs that find the HD800s producing harsh tones or lacking bass, I simply use the EQ on my Node N130 and it (mostly) fixes the problem for me (though, I suspect, at the sacrifice of a few dB of DNR). I really don't need to, nor can I, spend $500+ on a new DAC or AMP to EQ a single pair of cans. The HD800s are amazing headphones but I'm sure there are others that would far outclass them in bass response and other areas. This is why, instead of buying a whole separate DAC or AMP, I'm saving up for another pair of headphones that can pick up the slack where the HD800s is lacking — not to replace but to compliment.

 

[Deleted]

I prefer the HD800s without any EQ for most of what I listen to, and need the detail/highs without bass for some things. I have found the HD800s easy to dive and use an amp as more of a volume control for the DAC (the joys of a Mac) and interface for my headphones. I'm currently using the Magnius but the wall wart has gotta go. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea over in-line...

 

[westyjeff]

My HD800s sounded best on my Cayin HA300, I had RME DAC, THX 789, some other crazy stuff but always came back to the Cayin for some crazy tube distortion that just made it sound perfect.

 

[AmalfiMan]

I prefer the HD800s without any EQ for most of what I listen to, and need the detail/highs without bass for some things. I have found the HD800s easy to dive and use an amp as more of a volume control for the DAC (the joys of a Mac) and interface for my headphones. I'm currently using the Magnius but the wall wart has gotta go. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea over in-line...

I tested the Fiio k9 which had an EQ for Bluetooth. It made an improved difference for theses headphones. For pc gaming, the windows 11 sonic sound helps also.