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Post by sidvicious on Oct 23, 2015 19:26:40 GMT -5
I happened to be at my local dealer talking to him about Amarra on his Mac and converting DSD to PCM and he gave me some suggestions on J River. While there, we got on the subject of headphones and headphone amplification and he showed me a headphone preamp/dac Sim Moon 430ha and I listened to some Sennheiser HD-700's (unbalanced cabling) and Audioquest Nighthawk headphones (balanced cabling). This was done through Sonos with some CD Rips. I was simply blown away at the quality that I was hearing. Headphone technology/amps have come along way, everything these days seems to have a Dac built in it. Well both the Sennheiser and Audioquest sounded good, but the Nighthawks were exceptional with low level detail, both were very good with channel separation. The Nighthawks might be my next headphone, next year. I have heard the Sennheiser HD800 on a tubed headphone amp before, priceless. This venture encouraged me to go home and set up a dedicated Headphone Station with equipment that I already own, but has been tucked away in my closet.
I was going through my closet and pulled out my Vincent KHV-111 MKII Headphone Amplifier and hooked it up to a Cambridge Audio Azur 350C Cd Player, through the tube section/RCA. I brought out a couple of my headphone stands and later brought out a pair of Sennheiser HD-558, Pioneer SE-A1000, Grado SR-325 and a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50s. I found an older nightstand and I have been in love with this for the last two days. I listened to a couple of CD's and was very impressed with this small but simple set up and I have at least for the last day not turned my system on and have listened to just the Headphone Station.
The Sennheiser HD558 are not expensive and sound very good, the Grados are better, the ATH-50s have more bass and the Pioneer SE-A100 would come in last, they are okay and very comfortable, but bass shy. I have been listening while on the internet and while reading books, this is really great and the best part is the simplicity of it all. I will be going out to look for a cheap 3 tier stand wood or metal to separate the CD Player, Headphone Amplifier and Headphones on. I will also be hooking this up to my Marantz NA-7004 to listen to my current CD WMA-Lossless Rips independent of my main system. Who would have thought Headphones could be this much fun. How many of you have a dedicated Headphone Station and find headphones this interesting?
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Post by rogersch on Oct 24, 2015 1:45:05 GMT -5
I do. I use an Oppo HA-2 with my old Sennheiser HD 560 Ovation. The fun of this setup is that this is very portable I can connect it to my desktop PC but also use it at other places. Then I use my mobile Phone as player (running USB Audio PRO software player to sent out bitperfect the flac files to the Oppo HA-2). While I'm typing this, rather early in the morning and my wife still sleeps, I'm listening music with my Headphones.
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Post by vneal on Oct 24, 2015 7:00:09 GMT -5
For me headphones (Grado 325) are used exclusively thru my laptop Hi Res Downloaded files to a Audioquest Jitterbug & Dragonfly. There are better portable systems out there but this modest one gets me by when I am on my laptop.Thinking about a third 2 channel system only in a different part of the house
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Post by Boomzilla on Oct 24, 2015 8:02:39 GMT -5
My headphone station is whichever drawer has room to stuff the darned things in. I hate headphones, and tolerate them only when I must.
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Post by yves on Oct 24, 2015 9:07:24 GMT -5
While I agree that a nice pair of open back headphones can sound really good (that is, if we can ignore the fact the soundstage that they can reproduce, even if using crossfeed / binaural recording is still nowhere nearly as realistic as that of a good pair of floorstanding speakers placed strategically in a well treated room), personally, I, can't stand them because they start to irritate my skin before a music album has finished playing. However, I will add that the "Flex Canal" soft silicone eartips combined with the hard acrylic body of my pair of Westone Elite Series ES60 Custom In Ear Monitors (CIEMs) has mostly solved this problem for me. Their custom fit earmolds provide a tight seal, thereby isolating the music listening experience from the distracting environmental background noises (similar to closed headphones, but without the typical sacrifice in sound quality associated with using closed headphones as opposed to open back headphones). At the same time also, this custom fit (i.e., you have to visit an audiologist and then wait for the finished product to arrive because they are custom tailored, handmade devices) eliminates the acoustic anomalies that plague even the most expensive fullsize open back headphones due to the acoustic space that sits between the headphones' drivers and the eardrum. I used to be very skeptic about CIEMs and the sound quality that they can achieve. But the first time I heard the Westone ES60 through my Astell & Kern AK240, this skepticism was *instantly* replaced with that huge, can't be wiped off grin on my face. You know which one.
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Post by USNRet on Oct 24, 2015 9:15:56 GMT -5
My 'station'
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geebo
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"Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are driving taxicabs and cutting hair"
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Post by geebo on Oct 24, 2015 9:21:25 GMT -5
I use the Little Ego with a pair of Oppo PM-2s and a laptop for some really great results. There is some material I actually prefer with cans and some that I prefer with the main speakers. For other things, they're just different and I just enjoy them for what they are. Usually, it's just my mood that decides how I'll listen.
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Oct 24, 2015 9:41:24 GMT -5
Why yes I do.
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Post by Loop 7 on Oct 24, 2015 17:54:59 GMT -5
I have a rather rare middle ear/semicircular canal disorder, partially corrected by surgery, that prevents me from enjoying headphones. In essence, I get vertigo with virtually any type of ear/headphones. Buds, over ear, on ear, I've tried everything but its just who I am now.
Speaker systems don't bother me in any way.
I'm envious of all of you.
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Post by garbulky on Oct 24, 2015 18:24:33 GMT -5
Very intersting. Loop 7 Is it some sort of hole that causes too much pressure that does this? Anyway as for me. I don't have what could be considered dedicated serious stuff. But I do have a Xenos 3HA headphone amp that fell out of use as the DC-1 managed to do the job. Not with the same power but it did bring some clarity. I have really longed for some gorgeous tube headphone units or some beastly balanced amps with power for my Sennheiser HD600s . I have only heard one amp so far that really took control of my HD600s and shook them around. And surprisingly it was an old preamp. I've been drooling over some of the new headphones out there. Also I've had a long time held crush on these units one of which I hope to get someday. The new Little dot X www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3036&sid=a7e35f90018560e716279db2ec02f8216 watts per channel. 1 watt PC at 300 ohms. Little dot MK 8SE www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=871&sid=a7e35f90018560e716279db2ec02f821This guy hasn't escaped my notice either!
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Post by Loop 7 on Oct 24, 2015 22:00:08 GMT -5
Very intersting. Loop 7 Is it some sort of hole that causes too much pressure that does this? It was explained to me technical medical terms that centered around pressure and the physics of post-surgery altered anatomy in the semicircular canal. Sucks because I greatly enjoyed headphones prior. However, the surgery restored hearing in left ear from 40% to normal and essentially restored balance.
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Post by wizardofoz on Oct 25, 2015 3:07:57 GMT -5
I used to have to use cans a lot when I was working with a friend who was a dj and I helped doing lighting and effects.
I have HD 25's sennheisers for almost 30 years and still like them, but about 20 years ago I started to travel a lot and got some shure E4C's that I used also a lot. They tend to walk out of your ears when eating and listening (airline food) and got quite micro phonic as the cable aged and hardened.
Recently replaced the cables with iPhone headphone cables which use litz wire and got a mic and volume/track control to boot....but this was done just after I got my newest kit
Just got oppo pm-2 and ha-2 combo and very happy but those around me on planes might have to suffer my music as I drown out the plane engine noise hahahaha
Next upgrade for home listening will be the oppo ha-1 which will be when I get back from my next few weeks of travel as I don't want it sitting there unused while not here.
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Post by pop on Oct 26, 2015 11:40:30 GMT -5
My headphone station is whichever drawer has room to stuff the darned things in. I hate headphones, and tolerate them only when I must. You just haven't heard a proper setup!
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Post by pop on Oct 26, 2015 11:42:31 GMT -5
I have a nice setup that I am very fond of.
Oppo BDP105 balanced out Oppo HA-1 Audeze LCD-X
The results are absolutely stunning.
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Post by jedinite24 on Oct 26, 2015 12:17:27 GMT -5
Same for me as well. I have a DIY non oversampling DAC feeding a Bellari HA540 headphone amp that I got here. My current headphones are MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs. At work I just have a NuForce DAC and a pair of BeyerDynamic DT 770 600 Ohm headphones.
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Oct 26, 2015 12:32:00 GMT -5
Same for me as well. I have a DIY non oversampling DAC feeding a Bellari HA540 headphone amp that I got here. My current headphones are MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs. At work I just have a NuForce DAC and a pair of BeyerDynamic DT 770 600 Ohm headphones. My office setup is a Vortexbox music server, Wavelength Proton DAC, and a Schiit Lyr amp. My current headphones are MrSpeakers Ether-C, which have just replaced my Alpha Primes.
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Post by pop on Oct 26, 2015 13:12:09 GMT -5
Same for me as well. I have a DIY non oversampling DAC feeding a Bellari HA540 headphone amp that I got here. My current headphones are MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs. At work I just have a NuForce DAC and a pair of BeyerDynamic DT 770 600 Ohm headphones. My office setup is a Vortexbox music server, Wavelength Proton DAC, and a Schiit Lyr amp. My current headphones are MrSpeakers Ether-C, which have just replaced my Alpha Primes. I realllly like the ethers. Was a hard decision between those and the Audeze LCD-X
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Post by garbulky on Oct 26, 2015 14:15:57 GMT -5
My office setup is a Vortexbox music server, Wavelength Proton DAC, and a Schiit Lyr amp. My current headphones are MrSpeakers Ether-C, which have just replaced my Alpha Primes. I realllly like the ethers. Was a hard decision between those and the Audeze LCD-X Wow. I am impressed. So care to share your impressions of the Audeze? I see that you had the HD700s. I have the HD600s. So I am quite interested.
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 26, 2015 16:46:14 GMT -5
I do. My Schiit Magni Uber 2. Easy as can be with my AKG 701.
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Post by GreenKiwi on Oct 26, 2015 20:54:13 GMT -5
I've got two... one at home, currently with a DC-1 and one at work, with a Geek Pulse Infinity. Both sourced by a MacBook Pro. Using LCD-2 at home and LCD-XC at work.
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