only quality ss, not otl?
OTL by default (nature of the design) is high output impedance. So low damping factor.
What would qualify as âquality ssâ?
Thatâs a loaded question lol. The higher end stuff is what Iâve seen reviews with.
Of course my theory about damping factor being the cause may be total crap.
Senn and Beyer went with hi Z drivers in order to keep a high damping factor when there was high output impedance. I think the reason many hi Z headphones like tube amps is because their impedance curve is U shaped and tube amps are very good voltage amplifiers that respond with more voltage to high impedance loads. In other words, high impedance dynamic drivers require more voltage in the bass and treble and tube amps can deliver more voltage more quickly to those increased loads. I think this is why the Senn 6?? series âwakes upâ on a tube with the bass and treble coming forward. There are solid state designs that can do this but you pay for the privilege.
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Headroom, not just more power. However sometimes you get both in the process.
So Iâm comparing them with the 6xx right now, I had the hd600, sold them and later bought the 6xx, and it kept bugging me that the 6xx werenât as smooth as I remembered the 600âŠ
Anyway I ordered 600s to compare, and yeah, itâs weird cause theyâre brighter but theyâre somehow less fatiguing than the 6xx itâs like everything is too loud on the 6xx, weird, the 6xx sound like the have some kind of resonance, might just be my pair idk.
So I need a new set of ear pads for my HD600. Any reason not to try a Dakoni pad?
Dekoni pads will sound different from stock. And most people prefer stock. But of course it doesnât hurt to try it out
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Thanks! That is exactly what I needed to know.
Does anyone know how much money you have to throw in to electronics to hear this fabled hd600 scaling?
Have a Ares 2 dac and Flux FA-12 amp. Are they up to the task or do I need to blow $1k on a tube amp? Would a simple Schiit Vali give me what I want?
I was thinking of dipping my toes in to a tube amps to see if thatâs the direction I want to build my speaker system towards, but the thought of ever having to replace or tweak tubes sounds like a chore and added expense.
I wonder if this WaveTheory review will be relevant. He goes into a fair amount of detail towards the end on the minimum chain to make the HD 650 come alive. Iâd think it would apply to the HD 600 as well.
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Thank you.
600 sounds better on the kit BHCs amp than on the well more expensive Ragnarok 1 and Bryston.
I never heard a veil on the 600. The 650 certainly is.
Cheapest great tube amp for the 600 is the DIY BHCs. Probably under $600 these days. Wonât run speakers or planars, but 300-600 ohm cans? All of them.
A Little Dot MKII will power 600 ohm sets 
I disagree with that. But we all have different preferences soâŠ
Interesting. I have a 5 yr old Rag 1 that I used for 1k + hours with the 600, also a Gumby DAC, after I finished my BHCs build, and put 100 hrs on it, it blasted my Rag 1 in every way but very damped bass. Interesting the 600 drops off starting at 85 Hz and is -5 db at 50 Hz and -10 db at 35 db. On the BHCs its -1.5 at 50 and -3 at 35 Hz. Bear in mind that the Rag 1 produces 3x the watts at 300 ohms over the BHCs but totally lacks the authority it has on the HE-6.
As for the Bryston, borrowed it 3 times for about 60 hrs - 15 when comparing it with the BHCs. Same as above, BHCs toasteed it on the 600.
Donât agree, but nice to hear other voices, thanks.