Building system for HD800;Please Advise

Hey guys. So I just got an HD800 and I have been trying to optimize my experience.

My current system is the one I built a while ago for my HD650. NAD D1050 for DAC and Lehmann Linear for Amp. I play using a coaxial-connected ColorFly C4, with CD converted WAV.

The best thing I noticed is the great clarity and spacious sound from HD800. This system sounds very good for symphony ochestra. I impressed a few friends with it who's now convinced that they are gonna upgrade to a HD800. :)

But I am a bit of a Jazz fan as well. And the system + HD800 is just disastrous with vocal! Those famously warm and smooth vocal masters like Ella Fizgerald, Carmen McRae sounds very cold. Sibilance is a big issue(especially when Louis Armstrong is singing...) of which I am not sure if that's the problem of my system or the problem of my music source.

Anyway, I just hope that I can keep the romance I had when listening to symphony but bring the Jazz experience alive. I have heard mixed opinions on the Senn HDVD800 Amp/DAC. Is it worth the money if warmthyness is what I want? Honestly $2199 for a dac and an amp sounds a bit overated.

I am considering Vacuum Tube Amps. May anyone give my some advices on Vacuum Tube Amps, or just in general with my system? I am not very experienced when it comes to gears.

Thanks guys!
 

dalethorn

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Anlan Dong said:
Hey guys. So I just got an HD800 and I have been trying to optimize my experience.

My current system is the one I built a while ago for my HD650. NAD D1050 for DAC and Lehmann Linear for Amp. I play using a coaxial-connected ColorFly C4, with CD converted WAV.

The best thing I noticed is the great clarity and spacious sound from HD800. This system sounds very good for symphony ochestra. I impressed a few friends with it who's now convinced that they are gonna upgrade to a HD800. :)

But I am a bit of a Jazz fan as well. And the system + HD800 is just disastrous with vocal! Those famously warm and smooth vocal masters like Ella Fizgerald, Carmen McRae sounds very cold. Sibilance is a big issue(especially when Louis Armstrong is singing...) of which I am not sure if that's the problem of my system or the problem of my music source.

Anyway, I just hope that I can keep the romance I had when listening to symphony but bring the Jazz experience alive. I have heard mixed opinions on the Senn HDVD800 Amp/DAC. Is it worth the money if warmthyness is what I want? Honestly $2199 for a dac and an amp sounds a bit overated.

I am considering Vacuum Tube Amps. May anyone give my some advices on Vacuum Tube Amps, or just in general with my system? I am not very experienced when it comes to gears.

Thanks guys!

I don't know about the NAD DAC, but even a $100 USD DragonFly is a good DAC. A decent tube amp will work wonders. Make sure to heat-sink it really well. Extra cooling is good.
 

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