Yup. No.23 on the list.
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I would expect the Phonitor X, XE, E and 2 to pair very well with the HEDDphone.
That’s just an expectation, however - I’ve only actually heard the Phonitor X with the HEDDphone from that list.
Though it is an expectation based on my understanding that the amplifier stages in those units are fundamentally similar (and possibly just minor tweaks to layout/features on the same core design/topology).
I’d expect it to pair very well with the Pro iCAN, there’s plenty of power on tap, you can thicken up the sound a bit by invoking Tube+ mode, and you can also bring up the bass a little right on the amp (though I found after a couple of weeks use that wasn’t necessary).
The Ragnarok, if it’s the original, might be a hair too forward-sounding with the HEDDphone, since both are basically slightly forward-sounding themselves. Can’t say how that fits with your preferences, so that could be ideal or not so desirable. But again it’s got ample power to drive them.
BHA-1 … should be fine. Might be a little on the lean side with the HEDDphone, but that’s speculation and based on audio-memory from years ago.
While I’m a fan of Decware’s stuff in general, I’ve never heard the Mini Torii (any version), so I can’t say how it might work. It should have plenty of grunt, and it’s a transformer-coupled design, so should be fine but without even knowing the output impedance I cannot say if there are potential matching issues there or not.
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The HEDDphone with the Phonitor E is one of Freddy‘s favourite pairings and it was used during the design phase. As @Torq said, the Phonitor E, X and XE should all offer similar perforance. I can’t speak for the Phonitor 2 though as it was discontinued before I ever had a chance to try it out.
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Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I like that you think the XBass won’t be necessary with the Pro iCAN after a little burn in. I love versatility of the little powerhouse with all of those features it has but I usually try not to rely on them when the HPs pretty much do the job themselves, with the exception of the Tube+ option.
I forgot to mention the Master 9 but I have a feeling that it will be a similar response to the BHA-1 response and maybe even more lean than that one.
And @taronlissimore, thanks for your reply too.
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Again this will be from memory, but as I recall, the Master 9 clearly exhibited more grain and less refinement than the BHA-1, while both have leaner/thinner signatures than the other amps in question.
That would not paint a particularly encouraging picture for the Audio-GD unit w/ the HEDDphone.
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I almost never use headphones when I have movies playing (even when they’re a background thing), but for some reason I decided to keep the HEDDphone on while re-watching* “Inception”.
Bloody hell …
I say “re-watching” - it was more sort of "playing in the background while I was finishing up my ZMF Pendant review.
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Can you deep dive into the HEDDPhone’s detail retrieval and texture for every BRAAAAAAAHM in the movie, with timestamps? Thanks!
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Sure.
That’ll be $29.95 for every time-stamped reference.
Payable in cash.
In advance.
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Bloody hell…
That reminds me of a drinking game we play at our yearly Christmas party. We play the original Grinch Who Stole Christmas cartoon, and every time you hear the word Who, you take a shot. A real shot, mind you - beer drinkers need not apply.
When Little Sally WhoWho starts singing the Whoville song, you are gonna pay. As in, wake up 10 hours later to find your liver sitting beside you, smoking a cigarette, saying “We need to talk…”
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Just like watching American Chopper and doing a shot each time they say “fabricate”.
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Or The Sound of Music, where you have to have a shot every twenty-four frames just to get through it.
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For various reasons, which are unlikely to become clear at the moment, the last 24 hours or so has seen me running the HEDDphone purely off my WA234 MKII Mono. Prior to this point, I’ve been switching between various sources/amps during my listening.
As good as these are off decent solid-state amplification (and they are excellent), I think I like them even more off a suitably powerful and resolving tube amplifier.
Right now I’m running:
- Blu-Mk2 -> DAVE -> Woo WA234 MKII Mono -> HEDDphone.
- NOS WE300B/Takatsuki 274B/RCA 13EM7
- WA234 configured for Lo-Z/plate output (about 8W available power into the HEDDphone)
- My custom, modular, “Isotope Protium” headphone cable.
I think the richness, mid-range presence, treble smoothness and deeper stage of the WE300B “complete the picture” here. With RCA mono-plate 2A3s things are a tad leaner in the mids than I want, but perhaps a hair more resolving also.
And … I think these just made it into my “top 5” for open-back headphones …
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Stage depth/distance is definitely better off the WA234 (configured as above) …
Can’t say the same effect will necessarily be apparent with other tube amps. Though I’d bet the recent Eddie Current stuff (Studio, Jr, Aficionado) would do well in this regard.
It’s never going to be SR1a level staging/imaging, nor Abyss or HD800(S), but this is just much better than anything else I’ve heard driving them, depth-wise, with solid-state drive.
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What got kicked off your top 5 to make room for these?
Sennheiser’s HD800S.
While the Sennheiser’s are ahead for staging/imaging and micro-dynamics and comfort, the HEDDphone beat them everywhere else.
Though it’s worth noting that the #4 position is a currently-indeterminate trio (i.e. I’m not sure which I want in that spot) of LCD-4/Abyss/RAD-0.
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Let me guess.
- HEDDphone
4)?
3)? - Verite Closed
- SR1a
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Close …
- RAAL-requisite SR1a
- Focal Utopia
- ZMF Vérité (Open)
- LCD-4/Abyss/RAD-0*
- HEDDphone
*And it is ONE of these in position 4, I’m just not sure which … there are pros and cons each way both in terms of performance, ergonomics and value.
To be fair, the MySphere should be in there next to the Utopia, but since I tend to use them as an alternative to the SR1a, but for portable/transportable purposes, they tend to get overlooked in these sorts of lists.
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My guess is the RAD-0 will be dropped.
It appears that the HEDD is doing more for less.
It’s very interesting to note how you put Abyss as your 4th best. Many rank them as their best. That or the SR1a, from what I have heard at least. Also, you got the Open instead of Closed for Verite. Definitely interesting.
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Only one of the items on line 4 can stay on the list.
I am not sure I agree that the HEDDphone is doing more for less. It’s cheaper, sure. But it is also significantly less comfortable, meaningfully harder to drive, exaggerates micro-dynamics and sounds a bit less natural than the RAD-0.
Bear in mind that this is subjective list, based on relative listening time/enjoyment - not just performance or value.
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