Does a headphone (e.g. Sennheiser HD600) improve with a dedicated amp?

original uncompressed FLAC recordings: goo.gl/1V2e3B
Sennheiser HD600: amzn.to/2NbBz3v
Steljes hybrid valve amp: amzn.to/2N88hiU

[@ciudadanovivanco1]

Finally someone brave enough to talk about this. Subscribed!

[@Justin-zi4wm]

Welcome to the world of headphones. You're going to be attacked constantly for not sucking off every amp you get your hands on. Personally, I can hear the difference between amps and phones on SOME headphones if I listen closely (more obviously planar headphones and even that is a lot of volume rather than nuanced differences) and I did music school as well as freelance music publishing work. There's a reason no one ever does blind tests in the headphone world when it comes to DACs and amps because no one can really hear the difference as well as they think they can.

[@scottlowell493]

I have heard a lot of difference if: the amp is inadequate for the job. Good example? Cans like Sennheiser need tons of power, and a fanboi amp like the darkvoice runs out of gas. The cans sound wrong if the amp tip-toes and can't push them.

[@Leonhart_93]

@@scottlowell493 Tons of power is just a myth. HD 600 is like 5 dB quieter than normal easy to drive headphones. If you have a source that is too loud for you at 50%, then you will be absolutely fine even with 300 ohm. Point in case, something like Fiio E10k + HD 600 is too loud for me even at like 40% volume. I am sure that's enough power and that's one of the cheapest AMP/DACs you can find.

[@Aseutester]

+Leonhart Good points.

[@Sorestlor]

I have my hd 6xx on 20 % plugged into my pc audio most of the time rarely do i have to increase it.

[@theosamma3a60]

When you say "I can hear the difference between amps and phones on SOME headphones", how do you know that what you are hearing is a difference between the amps and not the effect of something else (the output impedance, for example) on the frequency response of the headphones?

[@edwinsnoek2009]

And your inear microphones sounds very good with good details and a good soundreproduction. Nice video.

[@FranciscoAldereteE]

I love this type of content. Testing side by side really gives the best results and as I suspected once you have enough power, improvements are basically not discernible. When I listen I don’t like to have to focus extremely hard to hear tiny differences. I want my money to show me a good improvement to justify the money spent. I don’t want to be advertised to how great something is when it barely does anything different from a good enough amp. Great job and I’m subscribed now!

[@daanw6270]

Great video. I think the point of this video is not to say there is no difference or they are the same in quality but I think the point is if you need to listen incredibly close to even hear a miniscule difference then a dedicated amp probably not worth it. There are definitely some examples where a dedicated DAC/AMP could be worth it or is needed. 1) When you have difficult to drive headphones and need more power/volume. 2) When you have a really old device with a bad DAC and/or AMP. 3) It might be easier and more convenient to have your headphones plug into the amp that's on your desk if you can't plug them easily into your pc. Mine(Dx3pro) also comes with bluetooth connectivity and has a remote so I can control it from the couch if I need to. I can also use it as a pre amp for my powered monitors so it works well for me. Can I hear the difference between my amp and my phone? I think I do but I can't trust myself. It might be placebo. Just remember, the best way to improve your sound is 99% of the time: Buy better headphones.

[@jamestucker1799]

Very Nice review. I used my HD-650 and they were quite revealing to the two comparisons. The hybrid tube style amps are a little more transparent, and there is this effect of some frequencies bouncing around in the stereo field. A bit more soundstage or ambience as well which I liked over the slightly tighter digital sound (still not bad). "A" is the hybrid tube amp on samples one and three. Two seemed to be "B", but that was just what I was hearing. Anyway, very nicely done video comparison! Enjoy your nice amp and the HD-600's!

[@intreppit]

I think B is the iPhone. I have the same experiences with headphone amps like you. It is very difficult for me to hear any difference between amps about 150€ and very good smartphones. And I use Sennheiser HD 800 and HD 600. I clearly hear the difference between the headphones and what the difference in detail is. But when I use my HD 800 with my Audio Quest Dragonfly Red and compare it with 1000€+ amps I do not hear any difference. And I find the difference between my Note8 and my Dragonfly Red very minimal.

[@althewicked]

Which one was A and which B?

[@RetroOkamii]

I could hear a bit more bass string detail in Source B with my HD558, but it's nearly identical. I'm curious if there will be a noticeable difference with my HD 650's when I get them.

[@oluvsgadgets]

The HD650 will be probably more muddy

[@Rafatrompa]

Can you name the songs and artists on your videos? I really love your music choices :) Thanks

[@cosmicboy402]

listening with my Shure SRH1840 (one of the most neutral and honest sound cans imo) with Fostex HP 1ABL (very good dac/amp combo unit) in balanced output. It's not the most expensive and luxuary sets, but pretty descent gears to be called mid-fi level. I'm pretty sure the source A is amp, but the difference is surprisingly very minimal. especially the third tracks are almost the same.

[@A_Player]

What's the name of the song at 3:15? Also, I can't tell the difference. Maybe there's a little more bass on source A? I'm not sure.

[@deepblue153]

That track is a bop, whatever it is.

[@EasyLifeES]

Hi Oluv, I have a question a bit "off topic". There is any way to play sound from 2 different devices via cable at the same time without an headphone amplifier on my wired 3.5 jack headphones? EXP: From TV and my Marantz stereo amplifier (that has a Phones output) at the same time? While on TV are Commercials, just want to switch from tv's remote to AV (TV is connected to my living room PC and the Marantz amplifier is connected to the PC via DAC ) and watch content on KZbin from my PC without moving the cable from TV to my Marantz Stereo amplifier during late night with my closed headphones to not disturb the neighbors? If SO, what is the name of the cable that is needed? Thanks in advance! L.E: Solved! :)

[@veoquenoesunproblema]

Damn!!!!, can we get the playlist that you did for this video, soooo freaking outstanding selection!!! please please please!!!

[@amitliss7433]

Very good subject that everyone's seem affraid to talk about

[@davidhodgin8900]

can you put the eq’s you used in the community tab. Just as a reference for these two demos

[@starboundcraft3089]

Oluv, thank you for being a man of integrity. I have reached the same conclusion through personal experience. Consider this: I can power an Austria made K240 Monitor (600 ohm) at less than 100% volume from an mp3 player running off an AAA battery for about 7 hours, and I can't tell the difference between this set up an an O2/ODAC. At 95% volume setting it is louder than I like to listen to. Same volume level as the O2 at 10:00 in low gain. I appreciate no distortion or any other issues. It is possible the bass is slightly more powerful with the amp, but I have concluded I can't tell if this is placebo or not. The K240M is supposed to be extremely hard to drive, but my experience says this is not true. It boggles the mind that this myth is so pervasive and almost nobody challenges it. The headphone is vastly more important than the amp. Even an integrated amp from a 17 year old MP3 player (with a high quality Sigmatel DAC) is enough. It is possible to have poor matching between a portable source and a headphone, but the need for an amp is simply a myth.

[@justinnaramor6050]

I figured I'd add my own little thought here (yes, I know this reply is a little late :)): What people seem to overlook in headphones, when deciding whether or not an amplifier is needed, is sensitivity. In other words: how loud will my headphones play at, even with a fairly small amount of electrical power being applied to them? Or to simplify it even further: how good are my headphones at converting electricity into sound? (remember, that's the ultimate purpose of any sound-reproduction transducer, headphones included). Some headphones (and speakers, for that matter) can play quite loud even without much power being delivered to them. This is what I mean by sensitivity. And so, if Oluv was able to get the IPhone to even power his Sennheiser HD 600s at all, even despite their 300-ohm impedance rating, this has to mean not that the IPhone is simply "powerful enough" or something, but rather that the headphones are simply sensitive enough that they don't need a ton of power to reach even a 'normal' volume level. And that leads to the problem with these so-called audiophiles: they only look at impedance, current, power requirements and blah blah blah blah, and they think that somehow equates to loudness; this is just as ridiculous as saying "my 500 watt speaker plays louder than your 100 watt speaker because it has more power". Well... you could have a 2000 watt speaker that's actually quieter in comparison to a 1000 watt speaker. Why? Again, sensitivity... the 2000 watt speaker is less sensitive than the 1000 watt one. So... power requirements don't really determine volume of sound. Now of course you can use the power requirements to determine how much power you'll need to 'reach' a 'certain' volume level, but the power requirements, on their own, do not determine volume level. Sensitivity is a far better specification in this regard. So in conclusion, if the Sennheiser HD 600s (or any other headphone) is plenty sensitive enough so that you don't need to really crank that volume up just to get reasonable loudness, even despite a high-impedance rating, then the idea that they "need an amplifier" is already disproven straight up... period.

[@mikafoxx2717]

@@justinnaramor6050 For instance, that 2000 watt speaker at 2kw is probably still quieter than a Klipschorn at 100W. (104dB/W)

[@justinnaramor6050]

@@mikafoxx2717 Exactly, you seem to understand precisely what I'm talking about!

[@mikafoxx2717]

@@justinnaramor6050 I'm the grandson of a broadcast/electrical engineer specializing in audio, so I can only hope that I've gleaned off most of the snake oil BS. My headphone endgame is probably going to be a homemade electrostat, if that project ever gets further than a working driver prototype. The physics just say that they're the end all be all for audio transducers, and those with a high voltage solid state amp (as opposed to transformers) and some eq could be better than anything else, within reason. Hard to beat a basic Sennheiser 600 series headphone for doing almost everything a headphone needs to, and well. A friend of mine was planning to build a high voltage solid state amp for his Stax with SMD parts so it could be plug and play like a regular headphone, plus a battery.

[@justinnaramor6050]

@@mikafoxx2717 Pretty interesting stuff indeed. Hope that electrostatic headphone project works well for you!

[@BramPribadi]

To my ears Source A sounds with fuller and more impactful bass, so I guess source A was the headphone amplifier, and source B was iPhone.

[@ltnlng]

For me, Source A sounded brighter, had a little bit more detail, and slightly punchier bass. But, imo, it was a bit fatiguing and I actually prefer source B's slightly muted and recessed sound signature more. It just sounded more smooth imo. That's just for the first 2 songs, the 3rd song was too close for me to tell much of a difference, it might have slightly more recessed mids? idk.

[@Vyz3r]

I don't know if you know this already, but Source A was the iPhone lol

[@garyluciani370]

@@Vyz3r interesting. I preferred source B. I thought source A was the amp.

[@garyluciani370]

@Mein Schwanz ist kaputt Most of the time yea. There may be some cases in which whatever a person has their headphones plugged into doesn't have enough power to drive a particular headphone to a loud enough volume. If that's not the case, then there's no need to buy a headphone amp.

[@automachinehead]

@@ltnlng You prefer a more natural sound that's great bc that means the more accurate amp will sound brittle and forward to you. Others have a different taste. This is why the audio world is full of sham and lies bc there is but one standard to follow. Imagine if all companies use the same transducer and use the same housing and use the same schematics for a discrete amp and dac... you wouldn't eve be hear comparing things. It's a good thing that large corporations are following the Harman target curve nowadays to have a more uniform frequency response off the drivers so if you don't quite like the tuning, you use eq. But the problem now lies in the amp bc even if it is ruler flat, low thd+n, when the power supply runs out of gas it will sound like shit. This is why despite having Mjolnir, my two headphones will sound authoritative when I connect it to my vintage Marantz amp.

[@YouNeedToHearThis]

A/B testing is really the only way to tell a difference in a lot of things because the nuances are so subtle you'd never notice them without an immediate and direct comparison. I do think the audio from the Amp sounds fuller and punchier when we can actually see you switching sources. At the same time I'd almost bet money that during some of the A/B blends where we don't see the source switching, you didn't actually switch sources (especially during the Rock song). This is a great way to tell if placebo is the only difference affecting things. With that said, I actually just got the HD600 headphones after listening to Beyerdynamic DT990Pros for the last four years. Without doing A/B testing, I could immediately tell that the HD600s sounded drastically different than what my ears had become accustomed to from the DT990s. Sound is totally subjective, but I much prefer the HD600 sound and will be selling my DT990s after just an hour of listening.

[@amaleksix7863]

Whats the source replaying app? Do you assess this also with High Reas like Tidal in Hifi Mode or with CD?

[@64north20west]

I even pulled out my Sennheiser 600 for this video on a laptop with no DAC. I could barely tell a difference, but it seems that source A was the amp. I'm sure the amp offers much better versatility than the phone does, but it seems minor in this video. This is a great way to start the discussion on the benefits. Great video as always.

[@dnd6379]

You probably meant dedicated dac, all PCs and Phones have dacs and amps in them, otherwise you'd just be hearing bleeps boops.

[@diamond_dogs]

@@dnd6379 Mr. Krabs would love that

[@andizhang5961]

Can't hear a difference here w/ my a900s, but it was much clearer when you compared several dac/amps to the iphone, the dx7 pro was clearly different from the iphone. Is that a methodology thing? In that video you used the ear device.

[@Anomalyn1]

i'm a semi noob to audio but i have to ask this: how can we tell the diffrence when youtube is compressing the audio quality?

[@davidwright2379]

Hi Oluv, great comparison and informative advice, would a fiio btr5 dac amp be enough to run the hd600 off an Android phone or tablet? Thanks David 👍

[@oluvsgadgets]

I am pretty sure it will, I am using either the ES100 or the Qudelix 5K which has a fully parametric EQ with 10 filters

[@davidwright2379]

@@oluvsgadgets thanks Oluv, I think the btr5 dac amp is a great little unit, so will definitely give that a try, will let you know, thanks again 😀

[@vivid_xyz]

This is exactly the kind of video I needed. I like the idea of listening to the amp via these mics in your ears, also you're very sympathetic :)

[@malygos9301]

Amps deff change the sound do you need a $1500 one? probably not but especially with tubes the 600 shines thats before you even get into tube rolling which also changes the sound. But just in general having an amp that can handle 300ohm cans really brings the sound to life i have to max my iphone x to even listen to my 600’s

[@adamsrober]

Thanks for the video. I liked source B more than source A. That said, they sounded very similar, the only reason I am picking source B is that it was a little less fatiguing on my ears... ie. B was a little smoother, as if the edges of each note were rolled off

[@gamingandmusic9217]

Exactly, i also felt the kick drum in source B satisfying than in A

[@sw1ts796]

Hello,first of all congratulations for all the reviews,i recently discover your channel searching for 2 headphones : HD58X Massdrop and the new HD600.Now i can't decide wich is better for gaming and for music.I need a good open stage in multiplayer games like Overwatch,CoD,Battlefield,etc.What do you recomend?I have a Sennheiser GSX1200Pro DAC and a SoundBlaster Z internal sound card.I know maybe they are weak for both 150 and 300Ohm drivers but i will buy a better dac if i must.Can u help me please?Thankyou and sorry for my bad english i'm from Hungary.

[@oluvsgadgets]

the DT770 has a huge soundstage, and it'c closed, so you shouldn't hear your computer fan or other noises. It's a bit bassheavy, but this could actually help for gaming etc.

[@DavwinderSSheena]

@clavinetjunkie - what is the binaural earphones that you're using for these tests in the video?

[@zahitemremetin606]

Sennheiser Ambeo

[@urbanspaceman2007]

Thank you...Just saved me a lot of money!

[@Hersheyquest]

Listening with Beyerdynamic dt 770pro 80 ohm hooked up to my motherboard. Can't really tell much of a difference if there is any. Maybe source B was a little bit more full sounding. I'm guessing B was the amp but I wouldn't be that surprised if that's not the case. Was trying to decide if I should get an amp/dac and as far as this video goes it doesn't seem like I need to... Of course, there is youtube compression that might be leaving out some detail?

[@amoryblaine1102]

pls review the LGv30's inbuilt quad dac vs external and how good/ bad it is while driving some high imp headphones?

[@cryptogymbro]

This

[@alexander-12]

I think there is minor difference for sample 1 and 2, but no difference for sample 3. Can you please try dac & amp with no valve? I believe this case the output should be different.

[@notme756]

hey im new to the audio world, i just want to know what converter i need or whatever to connect my HD6xxs to a relatively cheap amp, i havent picked one up yet because i cant properly google what i am trying to ask, does this not make any sense? im assuming i cant plug my 3.5mm or .25in jack?

[@valendis]

Ah funny, I though I could hear a difference in the highs in the first sound demo where the device used is written, but on the blind test I think I can't hear any noticeable difference...

[@xvr_demi_trees2937]

I think source A is through an amp. The instruments are more separated and more distinct compared to B where everything sounds more smooshed together

[@proffessasvids]

I think so too. 'A' had the holographic magic. I'll look well silly if I'm wrong lol xx

[@kuuhgle]

Hi Oluv, love your channel. I think you should have tested this with a High end planar magnetic headphone and something like a Chord Hugo 2, as the Sennheisers are very easy to drive and Apple generally uses good DACs. I did a test listen between my LG V30 phone (with proper ESS quad DAC so even better than iPhone) and Chord Hugo 2 with Meze Empyreans and could definitely hear a huge difference, as fast as after 3 seconds of listening. The phone sounded a lot more dull and the chord more lively, I think phones are simply underpowered mostly.

[@DoctorObviously]

I feel like this is the only worthwhile channel on KZbin about headphones.

[@whirled_peas]

The sound when taking off/putting on headphones with those mics is WILD

[@tanzhonghui]

Source B, which I'm guessing is the amp, had a fuller sounding bass. In particular, I felt the sub bass was ever so slightly more present compared to source A. I'm listening with a pair of Sony MDR-1000X which have a pretty strong bass extension so perhaps that helped. Other than that, I'm hard pressed to notice a difference. Tbh the first time watching through I had my eyes closed and didn't know you were switching sources mid track, and didn't notice. Only paying very close attention and KNOWING the source was changing, was I able to pick up on differences.

[@nlmnx5763]

yep, B sounded better to me, at least with the bass punchiness

[@garyluciani370]

I thought source A had a cleaner tighter bass with a little more forward midrange. The difference wasn't big enough to pick one source over the other. Which source was the I phone ? Oh, I guess it was A.

[@andrewmccorkell652]

Ha ha Olaf you are very brave to step into the lions den with an honest opinion. My experience is that the sennheisser does get better with a better source but it's also ok with a phone. My Sony phones sound pretty much the same whatever the amp, but they are low impedance and efficient. You should try this with some of the more popular amps that are said to be a match for the hd600 and see if you have a different opinion, maybe a good idea for a video.

[@JesusGreenBL]

I feel like there might be a slight difference and that A sounds slightly more detailed in the treble but that could be my mind playing tricks on me they're that close. I also think if there was even a 5 second pause between the two audio clips, I'd be able to tell 0% difference. So in the real world if you gave me the two sources to test side by side blind, there's no way I'd tell them apart.

[@galihgori]

Omg, where you buy thats binaural mic?

[@Matt-ne3cl]

Do these work great plugged in a new samsung s10+ and listening to rock n roll music ?

[@dyztroyax4628]

They will never reach their potential plugged straight into a phone. Thats just nonsense.

[@studio_person]

Hello author of the channel. I`m from Ukraine so my English is bad. Can you say is there something similar in terms of sound between Sennheiser HD 600 and Neumann KH 80? Do they sound similar or their sound is opposite? I`m asking because i want to buy small speakers for my small room like Neumann KH 80 and HD 600 headphones and i want to be sure that the sound is similar because i dont want speakers and headphones to be opposite in sound. Hope you understood what i mean.

[@adrianmorrish8494]

I am shocked, I am just about to start down the rabbit hole of external dacs and amps well excluding my fiio btr5, hiby R2 DAP and my Periodic ni amp, so I mean headphone desk amps I suppose. I do for instance notice quite a difference with my Periodic BR IEM or my balanced armature sets in particular between the hibby and the fiio, the fiio being much warmer sounding but more resolving at the same time. Also from looking at many reviews of products and reading articles there seems to be a focus on how many mw/w output an amp has but the voltage for a low sensitivity device is surely at least as important and you need the voltage to physically cause the drivers to move, also voltage will stack in power in series with devices so if I connect by btr5 to my periodic ni amp I get 250 mw at 32omhs single ended from the amp with 4.5 volts cumulative from a tiny package.

[@cryptogymbro]

Can't hear any difference, bro you need proper $5,000 dac/amp. 😂

[@raymondchan3587]

At least have a proper dac with linear power supply.

[@cnscm2614]

Yes his voice literally change. I am using HD650

[@cnscm2614]

He said listen with headphones

[@zzezzobike]

new pair of ears can help

[@cryptogymbro]

@@zzezzobike need weed more

[@teeaymusik9811]

Man die klingen einfach genial. In 2 Tagen ist es soweit und meine sind da

[@Davey_01]

Theres a brighter stereo sound from the amp. Deeper sound from iphone. Only small though not worth getting the amp. I listened with my Audio Technica ATH M50X

[@han_pritcher]

I couldn't really tell any difference, but I also find it hard to believe that a DAC/Amp would make no noticeable difference as it seemed here. The market for these products is huge and these devices are expensive. It is difficult for me to accept that a tiny chip on a phone is a good substitute for a dedicated piece of hardware. I'd be interested in your view of the recent LG phones that contain a much more powerful and effective DAC and amp than most other phones. I'd also like your opinion on Beyerdynamic headphones, which I personally favour over Sennheiser.

[@MaybeTiberius]

I ll need to get a dac/amp combo soon myself going to a headphone that requires more power. But i still think, you should probably go with an affordable option and value value something like input options and stuff aswell. Right now i m using an audio interface/ Yamaha ag03 and 80ohm headphones like the dt770 are fine for example but any higher and it gets tricky. with the 80ohm, i will get my perfect volume at between 30-50% volume knob but if i go to like 60-65% you start to hear some white noise build up from the amp in the background so i 100% want some more headroom. But i wont spend more than like 150 ish bucks on that. Currently deciding between something like a zendac2 and an K5pro alltho i must say the K5Pro has a huuuge advantage for me because of that digital input it has. If for example i want to to add an avr to the chain because i wanna hook a turntable to it but i still want to listen to that through my headphone amp i can do that easily by routing back a digital output from the avr into the digital input of the K5. There is no way i could do that with the zendac. actually that digital output is huuuuge for its flexibility

[@garyluciani370]

Very wise to buy a budget amp if you need more power or more volume. No need to buy something expensive. It won't make much if any difference, as this demonstration shows.

[@Travlink]

The HD600 has extremely low Thd, or Total Harmonic Distortion. You can push more power into the HD600s without it distorting. The tiny holes, and the low harmonic distortion can push more voltage through the holes without it distorting like other headphones. Other headphones can sound good when connected through a nice clean amp, and dac but will distort and cross other frequencies more often (THD). Cheap headphones are inconsistent if the power is to high. Cheap amps/dacs can also have THD so watch out when buying.

[@noabaak]

A great review! No difference, just shows how wonderfully iPhone has been made. However, now that I have just bought HD 6xx, power isn't enough with iPhone and it probably will be more useful if you could review some of the portable amps to carry on. Thanks again. - New York, 330/2019

[@jedics1]

so the HD600 can be driven to and adequate volume with the amps in the iphone and your mac? Honestly, the main thing that stopped me buying a pair is I thought I needed a dedicated amp so I decided to just stick with my HD280's but if they provide similar volume then I will buy a pair, can anyone confirm?

[@Sorestlor]

No amp on my pc and i keep everything at 20% volume so its pretty fine to my ears. At max volume its too loud and only on oddly quiet tracks is it an issue.

[@chthaman]

I was thinking about buying a hd6xx and boy am i confused, amp no amp dac no dac ohmz and db and i dont really know if its worth the hassle anymore, if i go without amp/dac and just go for the output on my mobo a x370-a will that be an improvment over a g933 ?, will i have to buy an amp to make it loud enough? i have no idea anymore everyone seems to be sending mixed messages. ive seriously googled this for hours and some is saying its fine without and the rest seems to say it is needed for good sound i seriously have no clue now haha

[@laowai2000]

Personally believe the DAC adds the most noticable improvement. Was using ifi DAC then added CAN paired with HD560s and did not notice much at all from the addition of CAN. Feels a little 'punchier". Now using HD6xx believe with the same characteristics even though higher ohm than the 560s. Feel you can definitely get away without the CAN and not lose out too much.

[@behwatch]

A is the amp with more mid and bass details with smooth treble. B is the iphone that sounds more digital (harsh treble). I am using Stax SR009 and the wav files which may make it easier to differentiate. For travel, I think iphone is good enough for music.

[@meowtrox1234]

who is the jazz artist ? i like the music

[@MrAscot39]

I love the sound. Sound trak??? Please.

[@MrAscot39]

The 1 one.

[@trei2unu]

In the blind test, the only thing I was able to pick up was that Source B had more bass, and Source A sounded like has some sort of high pass filter. Honestly I'm not a fan at all of this "hybrid" type amplifier, I mean it's not bad but I think it wants to be something high end when in reality I don't think it is. A fully Valve amplifier yes, would be interesting. A Class A amplifier also! But a valve hybrid with a *Chip* amp?? sorry but no. Some manufacturers make hybrid power amplifiers with valve and transistors that I believe sound good, but that needs a Lot of know how... So in conclusion, you should try more headphone dedicated amps, maybe something with digital IN from PC so this way all the processing is done inside the amplifier. Fun video though, the binaurals picked up the headphones really well.

[@edwinsnoek2009]

The Steljes Amp is a Class D Amp with a tube in the preamp. The output is 2x30 watt of the power amp.

[@trei2unu]

That's why I said it's a Tube/Chip amp hybrid. The power amp part is actually one of those small chips amps with many pins, LM3886 type

[@justangvano]

I would also like to see something with a dedicated dac. That is where the real difference will be.

[@testedgames7294]

Trying to guess whether A or B is the iphone/hybrid is a bit unfair, because you have a 50% chance of getting it right. It won't be a statistically significant result. What would be even more humbling for a "golden ear" audiophile is to listen with with his/her eyes closed, trying to guess when sth changes. I also think you miss the point. The point is not whether Steljes is a high fidelity amp or not. What the video proves is that different designs have virtually the same sound as long as their fidelity is high enough. On the contrary, audiophiles believe that different designs MUST sound different. Because they lack even the most rudimentary common sense.

[@zzfaithlezz]

@@edwinsnoek2009 2x30w is for speaker out, not headphone out, which supplies milliwatts of power. you can't power speakers from headphone jack and vice versa. he should re-run the test using an amp suited for headphones.

[@drewmorg.]

Before hearing results, I feel that Source A was the Amp. Listening through unamped 560S at the moment. Magni cables come tomorrow!

[@MiserableEffect]

My bet is that source B is the tube. Slight sub lift. Tighter tube sound and subtle but noticeable harmonic excitation in the mids. When it switched back to source A the mix just felt like it chilled out and got a touch sterile. Not enough difference to reflect the price difference I’m sure.

[@JtwasLuck]

Listening with my Sony MDR-7506, Source B sounded more natural compared to A. But the difference is so minuscule, I honestly think it's not worth getting an amp if an iphone can play that loud. I been considering getting the HD600s and have seen a ton of videos reviews on DACs/amps. From what I heard, I think I'll be fine with running the HD600s without a DAC at least for now. My point being, if a 300 dollar+ amp makes such a small difference, I don't think I'll benefit in buying a "cheap" Schiit dac/amp combo. BTW, this is the first video I've watched on your channel and lets just say I insta-subbed. These kind of blind comparisons should be more readily available but people are too scared to face the hardcore audiophiles. I'm glad you did this video, you've probably saved people a lot of money!! That should put a smile on your face =)

[@irishpotato7399]

what is the song he uses at the beginning I cant find it even through sound searches

[@irishpotato7399]

found it nvm. -Music Man Soulpersona

[@markyap2603]

Difference is minimal, though I prefer the sound of B btw. It's just fuller and have more warmth than A. So I guess B is the amp and A is the iPhone? But either way, it's still worth investing a amp if you have high impedance and low sensitivity headphones.

[@SriRamaKrishnaD]

The headphone impedance recommended for this AMP is 32 - 160ohm according to the specifications: www.steljesaudio.co.uk/docs/products/ML-30HD.shtml

[@curiosity9347]

Omg! u r right! But even though there should be atleast a clearly noticeable difference if u r using a tubeamp...what say?

[@BenWeigt]

Couldn't really identify a difference (or without looking, even tell when the source was switched) until the rock; source b had a significantly different tone, particularly around the bass where there it was revealing an entire section that wasn't obvious before.

[@hanfpeter4190]

I'm quite new to hifi and I thought the Sennheisers were about 300 Ohms, thus needing an amp to even produce a high volume. How can you just power these over an Iphone, can someone explain?

[@garyluciani370]

Nope, that's just what keeps being repeated over and over, so people think it's written in stone. It's not. In some cases you may need more power, however if whatever you're plugging them into has enough power to play them at a volume you're happy with. It's not necessary. It is true that higher ohm impedance are " harder to drive", but that doesn't mean they can't be "driven" from a phone or tablet or laptop or desktop.

[@iliketoreadiliketothink1763]

The amp is meant to amplify the sound, not improve the sound. The idea is to get the music to play louder through the headphones. My HD 600 sounds good out of my iPhone, but not quite loud enough for my liking, that’s why I use an amp, to “amp” up the volume.

[@oluvsgadgets]

I know this, but everyone will pray you some fairytales about the synergy of amp and headphone and how much the sound will improve with particular amps.

[@KTT94]

Noticeable differences are the treble on the iphone is more tinny and less pronounced, especially in the upper ranges. Bass is more present on the iphone and mid are relatively similar. The only real advantage of getting a separate amp (solely based on this test with this specific equipment) is that you would have more power thus allowing you to drive the headphones to play louder.

[@Trashm1n]

I can hear tell the difference on blind test, for me B is alot wider than A but the change isn't that significant, maybe like 5-15% change, btw i did close my eyes and open it when i feel some small changes and manage to get 80% of the time except for the rock, i didn't notice anything change in there.

[@user-ku8qp3lb5x]

I'm currently on HD6XX and I feel like source A sound more wider like music coming around from wider angle. i'm not sure this is correct way to put it. I would be willing to pay maybe around 100usd for this subtle difference

[@seanisaacdelapena3533]

Do you pair your hd6xx with an amp or just your motherboards audio? And how is it?

[@user-ku8qp3lb5x]

@@seanisaacdelapena3533 direct connection to motherboard. no problem at all. I also use LG G6 but it is the same

[@geeker9545]

I was listening on my HD560S and Source B sounded more "present" or "wider", just a bit slightly more like live concert. Don't know if it was tube or Iphone...

[@markpelletier4505]

Oluv, Thank you for the great videos you put out. This one is sure to cause many disagreements, but I have to say that I really could not hear any difference between your iPhone and the headphone amp. For those that can hear the difference, good for you. Choose the source that you prefer, but don't beat up on those of us that did not hear much (if any) difference.

[@oluvsgadgets]

There is a difference but I couldn't say for certain that A sounded better than B or the other way round. I prefer B btw. I would like to repeat this maybe with a more sophisticated headphone amp.

[@dadjohndoe]

@@oluvsgadgets I listened to your WAV files through my HD660s, and I also slightly preferred B (I even got this impression when I first listened to the youtube comparison though the Jabra evolve 40 I use for Skype at the office). Somehow B seemed a very tiny bit less "busy" and very slightly smoother, and I also preferred the bass of B for some reason, seemed better defined. Back home I did a frequency analysis on the WAVs and indeed B is +1dB at 40Hz, and has slightly better high frequency extension. I somehow suspect that this small difference doesn't tell the whole story though, and B also has a bit better distortion performance. But I can't prove that. Love your channel!

[@Riseun]

Part of me wants to order an external solid state amp to see if there is any difference myself with my own HD 600. It's hard to decide because I keep hearing most people say it won't make a difference and be a waste of money. The HD 600 are said to not be extremely hard to drive in comparison to planar headphones... I don't want to waste money either.

[@soulfulfool]

it helps if DAC give all the power to amp like I have connected both by XLR cables

[@alexreiser6325]

Does a computer have a built in dac like an iphone?

[@scorpio5646]

Almost identical and I can't fit that amp in my pocket so the answer is clear to me

[@heavendenies3959]

Well, open headphones are not really meant to be portable either.

[@colinburger6084]

bahahahaha, says the guy listening at home on his computer speakers. lololol

[@scorpio5646]

@@colinburger6084 or my Sony WH-1000XM3's but whatever you say keyboard warrior

[@oluvsgadgets]

Colin Burger nobody here is listening to binuaural recordings through computer speakers except some fools

[@scorpio5646]

@@heavendenies3959 it was a poor attempt at sarcasm, I failed

[@jiggy5535]

Forget the test, what are your damn songs man??? Your music is awesome.

[@nathanr.4804]

Can someone tell me what the second track in the source A/B switching is, it's beutifull

[@Shifter21000]

Source A is incisive, but a simplified sound. A clean sound. Source B has a bit of bloom, not tight bass and probably tricking myself that a bit more information. This is really difficult and one might prefer either, just a bit different. Differences when we describe, no matter how we put are exaggerated, but there

[@hrungnir00008psp]

Great video. The next iteration is audio cables.

[@4lc441]

Pretty much any dac/amp combo over maybe $100 is snakeoil. Past that point you're paying for something that looks nice, has a nice feeling knob, etc which is obviously not worth what a lot of companies are trying to charge. Amazing how few people in the audiophile community realize this or are willing to admit this.

[@iNewbieBoy]

What is the best amp for hd6xx?

[@shul5684]

the truth is.. no difference to me at all... I wonder if with more expensive headphones and a higher ohm difference, the audio texture changes?? and to think i'm trying to get a tube amp for my headphones.. now I'm questioning if I need the "enhancement"

[@FedorDushkin]

Listening to this video through the Schiit Modi DAC and Schiit Magni Amp on my Sennheiser HD58Xs: I could not tell an appreciable difference between source A and B.

[@Raterex]

Download the flac files in the link provided below the video. Otherwise you are listening to compressed (lossy) audio via KZbin. Note that I am not saying if compressed audio would make a difference to our ears, but I am just saying that for this to be a true test, you should listen to the same audio recordings.

[@john240474]

With the 1st track, source A sounded best. 2nd track source B sounded best a the last track source A was the best in my opinion 👍🏻

[@gordonosterhage2439]

I’ve always tried to find a non biased video like this on amps. U are doing a great thing reviewing these amps and headphones. If you can’t hear a difference it definitely counts for something even if you had terrible hearing which I highly doubt. Crazy audiophiles are going to be mad at you! Haha

[@gordonosterhage2439]

after listening on my k712 I can tell the lowest octave is a little more present. Going to listen some more.. maybe some more minor differences.

[@gordonosterhage2439]

after this its hard for me to say i would ever spend more then 200 or so on an amp.

[@paianis]

Why are you using a tube amp and not a proper amp?

[@kmook76]

I never understood wanting a tube amp on any music for quality, except where the original is too harsh on the treble and too compressed. EQ would fix the treble better anyhow.

[@ImJustinKAY]

The headphone amp gives audio more transient detail (initial attack of sounds e.g thump of the kick, initial percussive strum sounds of the acoustic guitar etc.) and sounds more true to the actual sound.The iPhone smears these transients a little and makes audio sound flatter, and has less perceivable "depth". Source A sounded like the amp to me. Thoughts?

[@davidhodgin8900]

It sounded a lot more layered on the amp

[@Alfredul03]

There's not much difference between the two sources, they are so clear, so gratifying that they do not disturb the ear. Btw, I listen to Ur videos and tests with my Hybrid Pro from Xiaomi. Thank U very much for uploading and sharing Ur phenomenal and unparalleled videos reviews! 😉💯👍🏻📱🎧🎶🎶🎶

[@radovancechvala3158]

Interresting. No much difference to hear. What has been the app used to play the flac on the computer on on iphone?

[@oluvsgadgets]

Now even the app matters boahh hahaha

[@radovancechvala3158]

@@oluvsgadgets Well this matters a lot indeed, perhaps your try to use the same player for both tests... Actually pre iOS 11 iPhone would not play FLAC at all unless you install an 3rd party app. Anyhow, the apple-build-in DAC on the models having one, used to be Cirrus Logic CS42L61, a custom version build for Apple. It is capable of sampling audio up to 24-bit/96kHz. So technically it matches the quality of your source file. According to the info on amazon, the Steljes is capable up to 24 bit/96kHz (no info on the chip, so perhaps it is even the same as on the iPhone) so when both are playing the very same 24/96 flac, assuming both apps support 24/96, technically there should not be too much difference. Even using a better external DAC would not probably lead to dramatic difference when playing 24/96 flac files. The Steljes uses a valve, probably in the output amplifying circuit, this should make the sound a bit "warmer" which is however very subjective. Bear in mind valves need quite some time to burn in and the sound characteristics typically changes quite a bit thereafter. The HD 600 is a very good headset, so this will not represent any bottleneck even when using a better DAC and flacs with higher sampling rate, I believe. Perhaps you try to use a better external DAC and files with higher sampling rates (matching the sampling capabilities of the DAC), then there should be more difference observable.

[@acsoj4375]

Can you do a JBL flip 4 vs Tribit sound go review???

[@cuerex8580]

the flip 4 is horrible sounding in comparison with the cheaper Tribit Xboom. but the flip goes louder atleast. you only get volume out of the flip 4, no real good tuning

[@sergiu1624]

I can hear a clear difference between the valve amp and the iPhone from 1:35 - 2:00. The sound of valve amp is better defined, with more sparkle. I think this amps are not intended for more bass or highs, but for sound definition and fidelity. Also, how/where is the amp connected, through your Laptop ? Maybe you'll get better results with a good player (better DAC and DSP), like Fiio X series. I think source B is the valve amp, anyway the iPhone sounds very good as well.

[@oluvsgadgets]

I hear it exactly the opposite way, the iphone has way more sparkle and also more low bass, this is what I also said in the video, that to my ears the amp sounds less sparkling, the video just proves this. and B was in fact the iphone, better definition in highs and lows.

[@sergiu1624]

Then we can conclude that iPhone sounds better that this particular amp. :) But, still... between 1:30 to 2:40 the amp sounds a little bit more refine/define/detailed to me. The difference is hardly noticeable, but with my headphones it's present.

[@oluvsgadgets]

Sergiu i hear clearly more definition from the iPhone, also a friend of mine who listens with a HD800s hears the amp more as a bandpass version with lows and highs cut off

[@tuetktran9477]

Does anyone know what's the answer? I think A is the iphone, B is amp but I want to know for sure.

[@edwinsnoek2009]

Source b is the iPhone, i guess The bass on source B sounds a bit uncontrolled and slower in the dynamics. But the treble on source A sounds a bit to harsh, but the overal sound is more dynamic and controled. I think, source A is the Steljes amp.

[@MarceloTezza]

I felt the same, still i think A is the iphone.

[@poki6041]

at 4:27 between a and b the a put like 10% more detail in the guitar backround (in the right hear) but without that i don't hear any difference

[@yannick930]

How can you ear properly with earbuds on ?

[@oluvsgadgets]

These are microphones

[@skengasaurus]

lol barely heard a difference. Source B sounded a a tad darker, but only with certain instruments, so that could either be a different frequency response or possibly just different dynamics? Listening on HEX v2s, by the way, and they are insanely revealing. I like that you didn't disclose anything, good move. Drives the point home more (or leaves it open-ended for those whose assessments might differ), and now people can't run wild with psychoacoustic impressions...and their subsequent opinions :)