Sennheiser HD650 Headphone Amplifier

HD650 is my goto HP when I have to test an amp. Have tried it with Apex Teton, A&S Mogwai, Auris HA-2, Zana deux SE, Glen's OTL, Otomon 71A/45 based SET (which I owned till last month but sold after building my own amp). Listing only few as these amps I could see made big difference in terms of driving HD650. The so called veiled is no more there, bass sounds tight and controlled and overall you see more separation and space around various instruments.
none of these amps I would say added warmth, but there was better layering, bigger soundstage..
I've briefly glanced through the information on the headphone amps that you cited. They definitely look premium. I hope the performance matches that.

I'm also keen on exploring more portable, compact option. Chord Hugo looks interesting. @docharsha89 could share a brief review; along with other alternatives that come close to the amp. Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse looks promising as well. It brings the warmth of tubes in a compact device.
 
I've briefly glanced through the information on the headphone amps that you cited. They definitely look premium. I hope the performance matches that.

I'm also keen on exploring more portable, compact option. Chord Hugo looks interesting. @docharsha89 could share a brief review; along with other alternatives that come close to the amp. Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse looks promising as well. It brings the warmth of tubes in a compact device.
Best amp in that list with HD650 was Apex Teton, now the question of performance/price I dont think can be applied here as Teton isnt 50X better than something which costs $100 like Magni 3. But you are paying the amount for that sound, which no other amp could be able to do. Though Glen OTL comes really close to Teton at 1/3rd the price and another $500 in tubes. After trying all this I decided to work on my own design as the topology used on GOTL/Teton didnt look that complex and it was a question of tuning the circuit and components to get preferred sound. I can safely say that from limited feedback I got from people listened to that amp its quite close to some high end stuff (most of them have heard above mentioned amps).
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I've briefly glanced through the information on the headphone amps that you cited. They definitely look premium. I hope the performance matches that.

I'm also keen on exploring more portable, compact option. Chord Hugo looks interesting. @docharsha89 could share a brief review; along with other alternatives that come close to the amp. Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse looks promising as well. It brings the warmth of tubes in a compact device.
My reference is the Hugo 2, as I haven't listened to the original Hugo. With the Hugo 2, almost all headphones I've used until now have benefited immensely. The H2 outputs clean, smooth, liquid power, and drives almost all headphones from 300 Ohm Dynamic drivers to 80 Ohm Planar headphones. The one headphone which I couldn't come to terms with is the Hifiman Arya with the Hugo 2, it was great in technicalities, but the sound was too analytical for my tastes, which was probably due to the F-R curve of the Arya, rather than the Hugo 2's fault.
The Hugo 2 has a very balanced sound with a wide sound stage and top class instrument seperation, the highlight feature being holography to each and every sound in the mix. There is a perception of being in the very sound space with the singer, and a certain depth and "reachability" to the sound. This is especially evident in vocal heavy tracks and acoustic recordings. Treble in the Hugo 2 is again to a very high level with phenomenal extension and texture to the treble. It is seldom harsh or sibilant, but it can be so, If the headphone is a treble happy one (All Beyerdynamic/Hifiman); hence pairing is key to get the best out of it.
Coming to the pricing, ₹1,70,000/- is of course on the deep end, but there remains some value...The Hugo 2 is an All-in-one Dac+Amp combo with its own battery power suppy. It is a portable solution to your music needs, so when you go to work, you can just unplug the cables, pop it in your briefcase with your headphones and take it to work, for world-class sound right at your desk. So, utilities are high compared to other $3000 DACs.
 
My reference is the Hugo 2, as I haven't listened to the original Hugo. With the Hugo 2, almost all headphones I've used until now have benefited immensely. The H2 outputs clean, smooth, liquid power, and drives almost all headphones from 300 Ohm Dynamic drivers to 80 Ohm Planar headphones. The one headphone which I couldn't come to terms with is the Hifiman Arya with the Hugo 2, it was great in technicalities, but the sound was too analytical for my tastes, which was probably due to the F-R curve of the Arya, rather than the Hugo 2's fault.
The Hugo 2 has a very balanced sound with a wide sound stage and top class instrument seperation, the highlight feature being holography to each and every sound in the mix. There is a perception of being in the very sound space with the singer, and a certain depth and "reachability" to the sound. This is especially evident in vocal heavy tracks and acoustic recordings. Treble in the Hugo 2 is again to a very high level with phenomenal extension and texture to the treble. It is seldom harsh or sibilant, but it can be so, If the headphone is a treble happy one (All Beyerdynamic/Hifiman); hence pairing is key to get the best out of it.
Coming to the pricing, ₹1,70,000/- is of course on the deep end, but there remains some value...The Hugo 2 is an All-in-one Dac+Amp combo with its own battery power suppy. It is a portable solution to your music needs, so when you go to work, you can just unplug the cables, pop it in your briefcase with your headphones and take it to work, for world-class sound right at your desk. So, utilities are high compared to other $3000 DACs.
Thanks for sharing your review. Have you had a chance to experience this in comparison to other amp/dacs within that price range (or lesser)?

Best amp in that list with HD650 was Apex Teton, now the question of performance/price I dont think can be applied here as Teton isnt 50X better than something which costs $100 like Magni 3. But you are paying the amount for that sound, which no other amp could be able to do. Though Glen OTL comes really close to Teton at 1/3rd the price and another $500 in tubes. After trying all this I decided to work on my own design as the topology used on GOTL/Teton didnt look that complex and it was a question of tuning the circuit and components to get preferred sound. I can safely say that from limited feedback I got from people listened to that amp its quite close to some high end stuff (most of them have heard above mentioned amps).
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That looks like a professional quality build. As you touched on the topic of cost, I'm wondering about potential options under 80k. I do believe that it is possible to get a great value from less (like you have done with DIY). There could be brands which offer a better performing equipment for quite less.

On a different note, spending 5-10x the cost of the headphones looks slightly unbalanced. I'd rather spend more on headphones such as the Audeze series; and pair that with a decent amp. I consider that as a better investment as that impacts the sound signature more.
 
Thanks for sharing your review. Have you had a chance to experience this in comparison to other amp/dacs within that price range (or lesser)?
The Amp/DAC I've used at various price points :-
- RME ADI-2 DAC FS
- Mytek Brooklyn Amp DAC
- Parasound ZDAC v2
- Schiit Magni 2, 3
- Schiit Asgard
- Schiit Valhalla 2
- Schiit Lyr 3
- DAC : Modi 2 & Bifrost Multibit
- JDS Labs Element
- Chord Mojo
- Ifi Black Label

And some minor ones in comparison like dragonfly red, Fiio Amps etc which I refrain to compare with the Hugo 2.
 
That's a range of amp/dacs. I'd be interested to know how you would order this list, based on your preferences.The intention is to figure out a more affordable option.
 
That's a range of amp/dacs. I'd be interested to know how you would order this list, based on your preferences.The intention is to figure out a more affordable option.
I would place the Mytek Brooklyn at the top, followed closely by the Chord Mojo, then by the RME ADI-2 DAC FS, and rest of the others after that. The Chord Mojo, in my view, is a stunning piece of Audio tech. You need to spend easily over $1000, to see considerable improvements jn sound. In fact, I was so spoilt by the Chord Mojo, that when I sold my Mojo and got the RME DAC, I simply couldn't adapt to the neutral-bright sound of the RME, that I ended up selling it within the month.
 
I have driven 580, 600, 650 by a 6sn7 tube based amp. The combo is great. So this warm headphone + warm amp dont pair well theory I beg to differ on that. 650 are paired by many with tube amps or “warm amps” around the world and they sing.
I also drive the above headphones with my DIY non-tube amp and they sound great there too.

They primarily need to be driven well with an amp that can do or rated to do 300 ohm cans. The amp spec sheet should give you an idea.

Secondly Figure out your end state in terms of sound signature and then try them out with different amps before buying else you may find yourself in a pickle. 650’s scale considerably with quality of amplification used so try and buy wisely.

I have come across an Indian company based out of Delhi called Anode Acoustics. They make different kinds of tube and SS headphone amps including OTL. They are supposed to have been tested with the HD650, 600, 580 and planars. They have the capability to drive them well. The gentleman Nitin at Anode is a pretty friendly guy. Talk to him if you can. Speak to the clients. Check their website or their facebook posts.
 
So many unlimited options when pairing HD 650. Given a budget up to around 22k does anyone have any experiences with the Schiit Vali or xduoo xd 05 plus (with and without opamp swap)
 
So many unlimited options when pairing HD 650. Given a budget up to around 22k does anyone have any experiences with the Schiit Vali or xduoo xd 05 plus (with and without opamp swap)
I have paired the HD650 with xduoo XD 05 plus... excellent pairing with enough power to drive the headphones..I liked the soundstage as well.Being a portable amp is again a big plus.
 
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Since I don't have a reasonably good room for my 2 channel setup to shine, I've been thinking about trying out headphones. Interested in HD650 and JDS Labs Atom+ amp.
How good is this combo? And how much does the combo cost in the pre-owned / used market?
 
Since I don't have a reasonably good room for my 2 channel setup to shine, I've been thinking about trying out headphones. Interested in HD650 and JDS Labs Atom+ amp.
How good is this combo? And how much does the combo cost in the pre-owned / used market?
Headphonezone had 650’s that were used on their website. Should give you an idea.

Wonder if the element III which has a dac and headphone amp be a better more compact future ready choice ?
 
Headphonezone had 650’s that were used on their website. Should give you an idea.

Wonder if the element III which has a dac and headphone amp be a better more compact future ready choice ?
The pre-owned HD650s on HPZ are over 30k.
And currently not looking for a DAC as I have a PS Audio Digilink III from my 2 channel setup. It can output both SE RCA and Balanced.
So a powerful low budget amp should be enough. Any idea about the JDS Atom? Highly praised on ASR.
 
The pre-owned HD650s on HPZ are over 30k.
And currently not looking for a DAC as I have a PS Audio Digilink III from my 2 channel setup. It can output both SE RCA and Balanced.
So a powerful low budget amp should be enough. Any idea about the JDS Atom? Highly praised on ASR.
It should do ok. If its reviewed on ASR then there is one person who uses hd650 phones for a review. Check for that.

I don't know the sonic signature of the said piece but looking at the specs of the atom amp+ it should drive the phones well.
 
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