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Best Headphone system under $1000???

Hi all,
I've been a 2 channel audiophile for 30+ years, and I'm ready to liquidate the big system and simplify.
I'm interested in finding a really nice set of headphones and a headphone amp, to pair with my DAC and MacBook based Tidal streaming source.

Interested in staying within the $1000 range (or under) for headphones and a dedicated headphone amp/preamp.
As far as tastes go, I prefer a "musical sound" to the more hyper detailed hifi/neutral sound. I enjoy jazz, funk and R&B, classic rock, and some classical, so I'm hoping for a headphone system that is slightly warm and has good soundstaging.

For reference, my big system has Vandersteen 2CE Sig 2s, Odyssey Kismet amp, and a nice 6SN7 tube preamp from JE Labs. I like the full, colorful, dynamic sound of this rig and hope I can replicate it in a headphone set up. 

Any recommendations would be very much appreciated!
Thanks!
Lincoln
lincnabby
umn
65 posts
 
Continued...
Expect to pay around $500 for a used WA6 1st gen. (The newer 2nd gen. will not accept 6SN7's even with the necessary adapters. But you may be fine anyway.) You will need around $200 plus, for the adapters and tube upgrades. One nice thing about the well reviewed WA6 is that it will work with both low & high impedance headphones.
lincnabby OP
56 posts
 
Thank you for the info @umn 
I will find it hard to not live with that 6sn7 sound. 
I’m enjoying the Focal Elex right now with my tube based MHDT DAC, and a temporary solution with an old Yamaha receiver as I await a JDS Labs Atom HP amp. I also have Senn HD6xx cans. 

I prefer the Elex on this non-ideal system, but still would like more of the warmth and soundstage of tubes. I’ll update once the Atom arrives. 
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@lincnabby

The $770 Monoprice Liquid Platinum is a hybrid amp, the $100 Monoprice Liquid Spark is solid-state.

Also, the tube really does nothing, the frequency response is flat and the output impedance is “normal”, so it will not add any warmth (bass boost due to high output impedance, and possibly an engineered treble roll-off) compared to a true tube amp.

____

As for a preamp for the Atom, the Atom already is one, it has a volume knob and can gain th incoming signal if needed (the output of your DAC shouldn’t need gaining).
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
Very interesting discussion. I’m rather new to phones (speaker guy) and just bought the Beyer DT 990 Pro with the Topping DX3 Pro dac and amp. After googling and for a start. I like it but would be fine to have your opinions. I also have the AKG (Quincy) 701 which have no warm at all. Just a precise working tool maybe. I find the DT 990 a little smaller in soundstage and a little less emphasis on the mids than the AKG 701. The AKG can easily be a bit too much for long-time listening. The DT990 for me non-fatiguing but still very clear and well-balanced. And very very comfortable. However, based on this short experience headphones will never ever be instead of speakers :-) But is a fine reference for evaluating your speaker sound.
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@gosta

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/akg-k701-vs-beyerdynamic-dt-990-pro/326/329?usage=49...

They indeed show less outout at around 1kHz and a wider “soundstage” for the AKG. Take note that their definition of imaging and soundstage are not like the definitions for speakers, they use “imaging” in regards to reproducing what’s in the track and “soundstage” in regards to emulating listening to stereo loudspeakers in a room. They rate the AKG as more comfortable (less clamping force), but do also show the Beyerdynamic as being more breathable, which also factors into comfort. 
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