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Headphone suggestions needed

I'm building my first high-end headphone system and need some headphone and dac suggestions based on my current setup.

I went about this backwards....I bought the amp first (a good deal fell into my lap).  I bought a Cary HH-1, a tube hybrid that uses 6922 input tubes.   What headphones would pair well with this amp?  What DAC would you recommend?  I would like to have a few options to put on a short list to either demo or research in further detail.  My budget for now would be up to around $1000 for the dac/headphones, new or used gear.  Right now I'm listening to sennheiser momentum 2 wired overear, and for the most part...I like them.  I also have a bottlehead foreplay tube preamp that can be used.  I just don't want flabby bass or shrill highs, something with accurate bass, great mids, and airy highs that aren't fatiguing.  Grado? Sennheiser? Audeze?  I will be using my laptop/tablet as a source with tidal and roon.

Thanks

youngerd
audibleguy
152 posts
 

My suggestions would be:

-Meze 99 Classics

-HiFi Man 400i

-Grado RS1e

-Audioquest Nighthawk or Nightowl (If you can find them, discontinued)

audibleguy
152 posts
 

The above mentioned headphones are used with a Cary HH-1 tube headphone amp.

thaddeus's avatar
thaddeus
3 posts
 

I use a Synthesis 41DC+ integrated tube amp (ECL82/6BM8 in a Single Ended 2W class A), source is USB from a PC usually running Tidal using CD Lossless quality. My headphones are the Audeze LCD-2. I am very happy with this arrangement. It's clear and huge, and has a ton of bass for the clarity. I also run low capacitance litz cables and an IsoTek Evo 3 power conditioner. 

I do like, in general, how magnetic planers have sounded with my tube amp more than any dynamic but I can't speak to many headphones in the $1000 price range.

It seems the LCD-2 (70 ohm, >100mW Min, >250mW recommended ) would match the impedance/power output of your amp (30-600 Ohms; 200mW/300 ohms, 300mW/30 ohms), which should give you at least the 250mW into 70 ohms that the LCD-2 recommends. I think you should give them a try. It's so far my favorite headphone and they are very comfortable. But amps are all different, your mileage may vary. But it should be a contender. It really blew away my Senn 6XX in every way and you see how much praise those get.

I have loved how HiFiman and Grado pair with the Synthesis as well, at a variety of levels. The Arya should work if you can find it in your price range, and for Grado the RS1x. If you don't see recommended power rating, look for over 90 db sensitivity.

The Synthesis uses a Asahi Kasei AK4495S DAC chip, not that that tells you much. Sorry I can't be more help for the DAC.

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yyzsantabarbara
4,811 posts
 

@youngerd This is not yet released widely (next month) but the $2K RAAL CA-1a will likely be incredible on your gear. I am using it on a $500 Schitt Jotunheim R and it is rather good. On my $7K RAAL VM-1a (tube headphone amp for ONLY the RAAL SR1a and CA-1a) we are approaching the best of the best in headphones and maybe even 2-channel.  In 6 months or so, you may be able to get a used one for $1000. It is not a pretty headphone. 

There is an $500 interface box that allows any headphone amp to play the CA-1a or SR1a. I never tried it. So, your tube amp should sound good. I use a Benchmark DAC3B ($1700) and a Topping D90LE DAC ($719) and they are amazing with either of my amps. 

I have a 'better' DAC, Musetec 005, but I have not given it much of a spin yet on the headphones since the cheaper DACs are really working for me.

I am listening to the CA-1a and VM-1a in PENTODE mode and I think it will be a long night of hard rock.

 

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