@Andy77 Pass Labs thread, HPA / INT / X / XA / XS - #11
You can’t go wrong “settling” on an HPA-1. I enjoy it most w/ my LM-32 DAC, (tube buffer w/Quad 9028pro chips), the DAC allows me to be either fully SS or to inject tubes into the path. I get best of both worlds and allows some diversity.
The amp itself will somewhat color the sound, nothing negative mind you, I feel it has a lovely midrange warmth while maintaining a brutal and tight bottom end and top notch detail across the top. Nothing I have ever paired it with ever felt fatiguing or bright in a negative fashion.
It has enough power for everything in my stable minus the HE6 series (which let’s be honest, they play fine on it, but nobody here care about “just fine”
we want the best).
If I were you I would match it with a neutral or forward and most detailed DAC otherwise the amplifier signature along with a warm leaning DAC might feel too “liquid” or lean too rich in sound.
Think of the HPA-1 almost like a perfect W in its presentation, and I mean that, if you pushed me and forced me to keep just one pure headphone amp you would have to pry this one out of my clutches. For anything but the most picky TOTL level HP’s that really do require much picky levels of mating this is a “go-to” piece, you would be so very hard pushed to find a flaw with.
Good luck whichever direction you go 