Sennheiser HD700?

[Mike Henrick]

  Please could any one advise which amp would go best with HD 700's  i'm due to listen to them next week,  and 650's i used to have the HD 600's and loved them,    i might end up getting HD 650's and HD 700's they haven't got any 800's to listen to but might get them later,       
    Thanks

 

[Doc B]

S.E.X amp or Mainline are good choices for the HD700.

 

[Shnutz]

S.E.X amp or Mainline are good choices for the HD700.

Hi Doc,
Have the HD700, and after quite a lot of reading, to be honest am quite confused, as quite a lot have recommended the Crack for the HD700, yet some say other wise as you have recommended.

I do understand that HD700 is at 150 ohm, and Crack is recommended for anything over 120.. Nevertheless am sure you are recommending the the S.E.X amp for some reason.

Would appreciate if you can provide some explanation regarding the S.E.X amp recommendation, so that i can proceed with my selection and purchase ..

Regards
Shnutz

 

[Paul Birkeland]

I do understand that HD700 is at 150 ohm, and Crack is recommended for anything over 120.. Nevertheless am sure you are recommending the the S.E.X amp for some reason.

Impedance matching is a small part of the entire equation.  The SEX, and especially the Mainline are simply better sounding amps.

You do get a lot of mileage for your money with the Crack, especially into higher impedance headphones.

-PB

 

[Shnutz]

Impedance matching is a small part of the entire equation.  The SEX, and especially the Mainline are simply better sounding amps.

You do get a lot of mileage for your money with the Crack, especially into higher impedance headphones.

-PB

Hey PB,
Thank you for simplifying the matter ... Needed that "bottom line" kind of response ... Much appreciated !! 

Over n out

Shnutz

 

[Mach2]

All the high impedance Sennheiser cans (HD600, HD650, HD700 and HD800) sound great with the trio Bottlehead amps (Crack, S.E.X and Mainline). I own them all except the HD700 unfortunately, and while I have heard the HD700 previously I didn't hear them on the Bottlehead amps so I can't comment on how good they sound. I never heard a single bad comment with the HD700 pairing with any of the three Bottlehead amps though.

The Crack is really good, but if your wallet allows you to shoot for the S.E.X or the Mainline you should do so. The Mainline is my favorite amp of the three but the S.E.X is pretty close behind. For some reason I personally prefer the HD800 on the S.E.X to the Mainline for symphonies. In my opinion the Crack sound can be described as intimate and fun, while the S.E.X sound is very atmospheric and the Mainline produces the most realistic and honest sound I've heard.

There is a great "Bottlehead amps" review by Loquah on Head-fi that you want to check.

 

[JamieMcC]

There is a great "Bottlehead amps" review by Loquah on Head-fi that you want to check.

Here is a link to the three amp reviews

https://www.head-fi.org/t/683012/bottlehead-amplifier-discussion-comparison-thread-crack-sex-mainline

 

[Shnutz]

Hey all,

Thanks Mach2/ Jamie !!.. I have already read the mentioned reviews so many a times, as they are an excellent reference as well as headfonia....

As you have all mentioned any of the bottlehead amps should work well , it's all about listening preference and budget.

Since I just started with DIY, at so many frontiers ( amp , dac (possibly dddac)) as well as high efficiency speakers) ... I believe I will go with the SEX for the reason being that I will be also going for ortho's (not sure yet what, as I still have to spend time enjoying my dynamic headphones first ..) ...
To be honest, though I was heading for the hd800, I stumbled upon an unbelievable deal at ebay that I couldnt resist .. And got the hd700s.. Though amped by a basic ss amp and dac, they're quite lovely, but I believe they would perform much better with bottlehead gear..

It's such a thrill to get into this, let alone diy woodwork to complement it ... And thank you all for the great responses ... Such a great forum to spend time reading..

So much to learn !,

My best
Shnutz

Over n out !