Would like to try Balanced Headphones and Planar but unsure?

Jenz · 14 Apr 2021 at 22:20

I have an incoming Drop 789 and a Balanced Dac.

I would like some recommendations on Balanced Headphones to purchase and I would like to also try a Planar Headphone. Budget would be £500 each.

I currently use Senn HD58X (can get a balanced cable but won’t something higher) and AKG 7XX.

I was thinking of Hifiman Sundara for the planar but am nervous about the Quality Control issues in rainforest reviews.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks Neil.

danoliver1 · 15 Apr 2021 at 13:42

I have the hd58x and hifiman ananda running off a sabaj d5 via the balanced connection. Imho the Anandas are considerably better both in sound quality and comfort. I have had no QC issues with them at all. The sundara are supposed to be really good for the price. If you buy online and they do have QC issues then just send them back. Since getting the Anandas I haven't wanted to use the hd58x I am now a planar convert. What dac are you using?

Jenz · 15 Apr 2021 at 14:42

Thank you so much. I had been debating the Ananda's but wanted to cap my budget

hence Sundara.

My Dac is the Drop + Grace Standard Dac Balanced. Probably will be identical to my current JDS OL USB Dac but it's Balanced Outputs and USB powered.

TALON1973 · 15 Apr 2021 at 16:08

The 789 isn’t a fully balanced amp. It’s got the connections but apparently it’s not technically balanced. I’m waiting on mine to arrive as well.

Jenz · 15 Apr 2021 at 16:30

TALON1973 said:
The 789 isn’t a fully balanced amp. It’s got the connections but apparently it’s not technically balanced. I’m waiting on mine to arrive as well.

Which Headphones do you plan on using?

TALON1973 · 15 Apr 2021 at 18:14

Jenz said:
Which Headphones do you plan on using?

ive got Sennheiser hd650 with a balanced connection which I occasionally fire up on my sennheiser hdvd800 headphone amp. The 789 will actually be going under my tv to hook up to my panny ub820 4k player. I’ve got hi-def music on hard drive I play .

Although I’ll probably get some balanced leads to bypass my hdvd800 and use it’s dac to see how they work on my main rig. My audiolab 6000cdt doesn’t have a dac. Although I will be able to to a direct comparison as I’ve got a turntable as well. Which means I can use my hd800 headphones as well.

TALON1973 · 17 Apr 2021 at 09:06

@Jenz

I’m assuming your 789 order is from drop? When did you order it ? And are they sending it via boat ? Also on the receipt all I can see is shipping and handling charge... does that mean we get hit by an import tax when it gets to uk?

TALON1973 · 17 Apr 2021 at 21:48

Ah bugger... forgot about import tax... had to pay up before final shipment phase.

Jenz · 19 Apr 2021 at 12:14

TALON1973 said:
@Jenz

I’m assuming your 789 order is from drop? When did you order it ? And are they sending it via boat ? Also on the receipt all I can see is shipping and handling charge... does that mean we get hit by an import tax when it gets to uk?

Drop now has a Rainforest Dot Com Store. I ordered it via there so that it was shipped via UPS.

5 day delivery via plane arriving tomorrow. It's in the UK depot now. I bought the matching Dac also. So Dac + 789 = $508 before Import Tax which is calculated and charged by Rainforest at $105. Totalling $614.21 or £459.50.

TALON1973 · 19 Apr 2021 at 22:03

Jenz said:
Drop now has a Rainforest Dot Com Store. I ordered it via there so that it was shipped via UPS.

5 day delivery via plane arriving tomorrow. It's in the UK depot now. I bought the matching Dac also. So Dac + 789 = $508 before Import Tax which is calculated and charged by Rainforest at $105. Totalling $614.21 or £459.50.

When did you order ? Mine turned up today. Took it out of the box to look , but not hooked it up as not long back from work. Will try tmoz as I’m watching recorded Monday night football :cool:

TALON1973 · 20 Apr 2021 at 09:55

Just plugged it in.... fired up some daft punk RAM in hi-def 96/24 .....Just WOW .

This is using my balanced hd650 . Literally only a quick test. And I’ll be interested to hear what my hd800 headphones will sound like on it. Seems like it’s abit more slam and drive than my admittedly good but way outclassed, monolith liquid spark that was there before.

And this is via a hard drive plugged in a ub820 4k player. And ... Get Lucky :cool:

Jenz · 20 Apr 2021 at 10:03

TALON1973 said:
When did you order ? Mine turned up today. Took it out of the box to look , but not hooked it up as not long back from work. Will try tmoz as I’m watching recorded Monday night football

I ordered Thursday morning. It's arriving to me this morning so very good delivery timeline. I also decided to pick up an "open box" set of HifiMan Sundara's for £235 :cry:

as my "let's try a Planar"!

TALON1973 · 20 Apr 2021 at 10:22

Jenz said:
I ordered Thursday morning. It's arriving to me this morning so very good delivery timeline. I also decided to pick up an "open box" set of HifiMan Sundara's for £235 as my "let's try a Planar"!

Thats quicker than my order. I did on the 13th , arrived 19th. Although not too shabby

Jenz · 20 Apr 2021 at 12:30

And UPS just dropped mine off

Rroff · 20 Apr 2021 at 12:37

TALON1973 said:
Just plugged it in.... fired up some daft punk RAM in hi-def 96/24 .....Just WOW .

This is using my balanced hd650 . Literally only a quick test. And I’ll be interested to hear what my hd800 headphones will sound like on it. Seems like it’s abit more slam and drive than my admittedly good but way outclassed, monolith liquid spark that was there before.

And this is via a hard drive plugged in a ub820 4k player. And ... Get Lucky

600 series seem to really benefit from balanced IMO - probably more than most other headphones including higher end ones I've tried. But as always they are headphones that seem particularly sensitive to amplifier "synergy" when you do pair them up with an amp that gets them bang on it is quite a revelation. Sadly the amp on my AE-5 while very good doesn't quite hit the spot I know, from my other equipment, my HD600s are capable of.

TALON1973 · 20 Apr 2021 at 14:38

Jenz said:
And UPS just dropped mine off

nice

Plugged my hd800 in at the same time..... I thought the hd650 were hard to drive , but I need more volume on my hd800. The 650 are pretty loud at 11 o’clock, but I need it at 2 on the hd800. Which is roughly what my sennheiser hdvd800 needs, and that’s 4x the price easily. Admittedly that has a built in dac as well tho.

Edit.... so far my listening has been hi def digital files... and seems to be how they’ve been mastered. Some are louder than others.

Although I’m sure my hd650 are picking out more detail than my 800 :eek:

TALON1973 · 21 Apr 2021 at 18:42

Jenz said:
And UPS just dropped mine off

tried it ? :cool:

Jenz · 22 Apr 2021 at 09:01

Yes - extremely pleased.

Just using SE Headphones at the moment whilst I await my balanced cables to arrive for my Sundara's and my Senn HD58X's.

Goes very loud without distortion and I am liking the build quality compared to my JDS Labs Atom.

Jenz · 23 Apr 2021 at 10:33

Using Balanced Cables on both a set of HifiMan Sundara's and a set of Sennheiser HD58X's. Very, very pleased. Might also try a decent closed back set but not as yet sure what to try.

TALON1973 · 24 Apr 2021 at 21:30

Could have got the amp in focus lol