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Audiophile GAF

Well after lot's of testing. I'm going to RMA the modi/multi - magni stack. It didn't quite perform as well as I would have liked. My current set up is a old Yamaha RXA700, and I was hoping the stack would out perform it. While the stack did IMO beat the RXA700 it was very subtle. Certain sounds were just a bit better and louder, and but over all they nearly sounded the same.

This coming week I will be visiting the Schiit retail store, so I'm looking forward to it. I hope to demo the Asgard and Bifrost. More later.
 
i talk gruff about keeping it simple but deep down care about formatting and compression methods, theory and craft

listen to music at basically every waking moment of my life and value this thread's content tremendously, good recs and assistance

thanks to Maiden Voyage Maiden Voyage for creating and maintaining a haven for the language of g0d
 
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Made a trip to Schiit Audio, and got to demo many of their shit. Short story, the bigger the unit the wider the sound stage and the better the details.

They had a table with a huge selection of setups, each with a ipad with Tidal to use for the demo. Only problem with Tidal and good DACs is you can really hear poorly recorded music tracks. Low DR rated recordings sound terrible.

More later...
 
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Dynamic Range explained for those that don't know what I'm talking about.



OrqxxZe.jpg
 
I do agree with Steve, recording quality matters first and foremost. Interesting vid, if you've got the time:


Enjoying that EP he discussed as well: Bright Bright Bright by Dark Dark Dark

 
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On a whim I picked up a cheap headphone called the Douk u3 mini:

Douk Audio U3 Mini Class A Headphone Amplifier HiFi Desktop Home Stereo Amp DC5V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C2MKBGN/?tag=neogaf0e-20

From what I read, you can replace the op amp. Would it be worth getting a high end op amp like a Sparkos Lab or a Muses 02 for this thing? The op amp would be more expensive than the amp.
 
tsumake said:
On a whim I picked up a cheap headphone called the Douk u3 mini:

Douk Audio U3 Mini Class A Headphone Amplifier HiFi Desktop Home Stereo Amp DC5V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C2MKBGN/?tag=neogaf0e-20

From what I read, you can replace the op amp. Would it be worth getting a high end op amp like a Sparkos Lab or a Muses 02 for this thing? The op amp would be more expensive than the amp.
Click to expand...

I can see the appeal from a cheap way to experiment but not sure if that's your goal?
 
Not exactly audiophile but i do care for sound quality.


PC: basic midrange Intel Nuc
DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
Headphones: AKG K-872
Speakers: Yamaha HS 8 and HS 8S
Cables: mostly In-Akustik, tried Lavricables recently
Sources: mostly WAV files and a bit vinyl here and there


The RME is the core and i'm super happy with it. The biggest improvment i've ever bought.
I would love to upgrade my speakers to some Dynaudios. Core 47 would be nice.
For headphones i think the market is oversaturated and i have a hard time to decide where to go next.

My music taste is pretty wide spread from solo piano to the depths of cyberneuro.
Overall as far away from the mainstream as possible.
 
DarkestHour said:
Is there a way to demo the expensive equipment to see if it's really worth all that dough?
Click to expand...
Google is your best bet.

I'm always suprised how many special retailers i found over the years that let you come in and test their stuff.
Just call them and ask nicely.
Some even send me equipment to try it out with no additional cost.

As Maiden Voyage Maiden Voyage said sometimes they are far away.

Most of them are enthusiasts and you will not read about them in the newspapers.
 
I caved and put in an order for the Schiit Loki Mini+. Not for music reasons, only for audio issues on conference calls. My headphones, the DT 1990 Pros, have a noticeable high treble. Some people's mics have distortions on their set-ups and it's grating. Strangely enough, the high frequencies don't bother me with music, just these conference calls.

Anyway, I will report back when I get a chance to play with it. I suspect the feedback will be good, as everything I've read or seen about the Loki has been really positive.
 
Con-Z-epT said:
Sure but i would have to buy so much equipment.

It is just open end for all of this. Once you start to care about all of this it is so hard to not get swept away.
Click to expand...

I can really recommend both the Beyer T1's and Sennheiser HD800s for the RME. Both for different reasons. HD800s for rocking out with a few beers, (the big open sound getting boosted by the equaliser) and the T1's for more critical listening or when working.

In the next few months I'm going to upgrade my workspace with a Wyred 4 Sound ST-500 amp driving a set of ATC SCM 11 speakers. The RME will be the dac/preamp.
Will post photos when it's all set up.
 
Have the Schiit stack (Magni/Modi), was using a DT 770 pro (250 ohm) as a daily driver, but after discovering Peace and AutoEq am now using my Grado SR equalized to Harmon-Target.

Ordered Sennheiser HD6XX from Drop, and is now shipping. Was going to get a HD 560s but per Joshua Valour I went with the HD6XX so that it would "grow" with my system. I have a Hifiman EF2A and enjoy the tubey goodness but the output impedance is 30 ohms (hence the DT 770), so I'm looking at high impedance headphones.

When I'll get the HD 6XX, I'll probably use AutoEQ because I like a bit of warmth, but we'll see. I'm currently going for $200 mark for my equipment to start and move up when the itch happens I suppose. I'm currently using Spotify (fight me) so it should be fine for now.
 
Moomalade74 said:
I can really recommend both the Beyer T1's and Sennheiser HD800s for the RME. Both for different reasons. HD800s for rocking out with a few beers, (the big open sound getting boosted by the equaliser) and the T1's for more critical listening or when working.

In the next few months I'm going to upgrade my workspace with a Wyred 4 Sound ST-500 amp driving a set of ATC SCM 11 speakers. The RME will be the dac/preamp.
Will post photos when it's all set up.
Click to expand...
I have never tried a Beyerdynamic Headphone. I hear just good things about them.
The price-performance ratio seems really good with them.
Will definitely get one in the near future. DT 1770 or DT 1990.

I went away from Sennheiser a few years ago.
I'm not the biggest fan of their build quality.
Sound quality was not a problem however.
 
I bought the HarmonicDyne Zeus about a month ago and want to share my impressions:

I got them as an addition to my Focal Clear. The Clear are excellent for music. But I found them a bit too analytical for gaming & movies, missing the broad sensation. Therefore I was searching for headphones with a wide soundstage and warm sound. Didn't want to go full on premium again, so they had to be relatively "cheap". After watching the review from DMS, I ordered these for a bit under 300 bucks. Took them three weeks to arrive.

PWkCQZy.jpg
Kj3UTsb.jpg


As you can see, packaging is great, but nobody cares about that after 5min.

The built: Thick and "fluffy" earpads, very soft and cushy. They look pretty nice in person with that wood . Those metal grills are rather sharp. The earcups are very flexible, the built quality is overall good. Not totally premium, but fine.

Comfort: As I've said,. they feel very soft. They fit well and dont generate a lot of pressure. I find them to be comfortable, but not incredibly so. They are not bothersome in any way and I can use them for hours. I was pretty surprised though when I switched between these and my Focal Clear. The Clear weigh 450g, while these weigh 380g - 70g less. But the Clear somehow feel way lighter, because of their superior design and weight ditribution. This of course being an unfair comparison as the Clear are way more expensive. Overall comfort of the Zeus is still good.

Sound: I tend to like natural sounding headphones. This still has a well balanced sound, but it's on the warmer side. They are enjoyable to listen to. Good bass response, not overwhelmingly hard slamming, but with a good presence and still strong impact. As to be expected, the details and "structure" in the bass are not that great - that's normal for that price point. Soundstage is wide, which in combination with the warm sound signature, makes them a very good choice for gaming & movies. Very good sense of scale and great positioning of the individual sounds. Especially the city in Cyberjunk sounds great - as DMS has also pointed out. Details are fine, not that pronounced or clear, but competitive in that price segment.
So even if you buy these just for music, they are very good sounding headphones. But I would rather recommend them for entertainment purposes, that's where they really shine.

I'm satisfied, they perform as expected.
 
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Con-Z-epT said:
I have never tried a Beyerdynamic Headphone. I hear just good things about them.
The price-performance ratio seems really good with them.
Will definitely get one in the near future. DT 1770 or DT 1990.

I went away from Sennheiser a few years ago.
I'm not the biggest fan of their build quality.
Sound quality was not a problem however.
Click to expand...

The 1990s are built like a tank. I love the build quality.

regawdless said:
I bought the HarmonicDyne Zeus about a month ago and want to share my impressions:

I got them as an addition to my Focal Clear. The Clear are excellent for music. But I found them a bit too analytical for gaming & movies, missing the broad sensation. Therefore I was searching for headphones with a wide soundstage and warm sound. Didn't want to go full on premium again, so they had to be relatively "cheap". After watching the review from DMS, I ordered these for a bit under 300 bucks. Took them three weeks to arrive.

PWkCQZy.jpg
Kj3UTsb.jpg


As you can see, packaging is great, but nobody cares about that after 5min.

The built: Thick and "fluffy" earpads, very soft and cushy. They look pretty nice in person with that wood . Those metal grills are rather sharp. The earcups are very flexible, the built quality is overall good. Not totally premium, but fine.

Comfort: As I've said,. they feel very soft. They fit well and dont generate a lot of pressure. I find them to be comfortable, but not incredibly so. They are not bothersome in any way and I can use them for hours. I was pretty surprised though when I switched between these and my Focal Clear. The Clear weigh 450g, while these weigh 380g - 70g less. But the Clear somehow feel way lighter, because of their superior design and weight ditribution. This of course being an unfair comparison as the Clear are way more expensive. Overall comfort of the Zeus is still good.

Sound: I tend to like natural sounding headphones. This still has a well balanced sound, but it's on the warmer side. They are enjoyable to listen to. Good bass response, not overwhelmingly hard slamming, but with a good presence and still strong impact. As to be expected, the details and "structure" in the bass are not that great - that's normal for that price point. Soundstage is wide, which in combination with the warm sound signature, makes them a very good choice for gaming & movies. Very good sense of scale and great positioning of the individual sounds. Especially the city in Cyberjunk sounds great - as DMS has also pointed out. Details are fine, not that pronounced or clear, but competitive in that price segment.
So even if you buy these just for music, they are very good sounding headphones. But I would rather recommend them for entertainment purposes, that's where they really shine.

I'm satisfied, they perform as expected.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the write-up. They sound like a pretty great deal for the price point. Really nice looking as well.
 
tsumake said:
Have the Schiit stack (Magni/Modi), was using a DT 770 pro (250 ohm) as a daily driver, but after discovering Peace and AutoEq am now using my Grado SR equalized to Harmon-Target.

Ordered Sennheiser HD6XX from Drop, and is now shipping. Was going to get a HD 560s but per Joshua Valour I went with the HD6XX so that it would "grow" with my system. I have a Hifiman EF2A and enjoy the tubey goodness but the output impedance is 30 ohms (hence the DT 770), so I'm looking at high impedance headphones.

When I'll get the HD 6XX, I'll probably use AutoEQ because I like a bit of warmth, but we'll see. I'm currently going for $200 mark for my equipment to start and move up when the itch happens I suppose. I'm currently using Spotify (fight me) so it should be fine for now.
Click to expand...

Be sure to post your thoughts. I've been on the fence about getting a pair of 6XXs for years now.
 
tsumake said:
Have the Schiit stack (Magni/Modi), was using a DT 770 pro (250 ohm) as a daily driver, but after discovering Peace and AutoEq am now using my Grado SR equalized to Harmon-Target.

Ordered Sennheiser HD6XX from Drop, and is now shipping. Was going to get a HD 560s but per Joshua Valour I went with the HD6XX so that it would "grow" with my system. I have a Hifiman EF2A and enjoy the tubey goodness but the output impedance is 30 ohms (hence the DT 770), so I'm looking at high impedance headphones.

When I'll get the HD 6XX, I'll probably use AutoEQ because I like a bit of warmth, but we'll see. I'm currently going for $200 mark for my equipment to start and move up when the itch happens I suppose. I'm currently using Spotify (fight me) so it should be fine for now.
Click to expand...
Good choice. I used the HD560s for years and loved them, but after the molding cracking, falling apart (10years use) and multiple gorilla glues repairs I needed replacements. I finally bought the HD6XXs, and was amazed with the noticeable upgrade. Everything sounded better with more detail, and larger sound stage.

Maiden Voyage said:
Be sure to post your thoughts. I've been on the fence about getting a pair of 6XXs for years now.
Click to expand...

I recommend them, but they are not for everyone. They have a great sound stage, and for me it helps draws me into whatever I'm listening to. Music sounds more live, and games feel more atmospheric. If you are looking for accuracy then look elsewhere.
 
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Korranator said:
Good choice. I used the HD560s for years and loved them, but after the molding cracking, falling apart (10years use) and multiple gorilla glues repairs I needed replacements. I finally bought the HD6XXs, and was amazed with the noticeable upgrade. Everything sounded better with more detail, and larger sound stage.



I recommend them, but they are not for everyone. They have a great sound stage, and for me it helps draws me into whatever I'm listening to. Music sounds more live, and games feel more atmospheric. If you are looking for accuracy then look elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Question: don't they say the 560S has a larger soundstage than the HD 6XX?
 
Has someone here tried the Sony Z1R?

Would like to hear impressions!

The spec sheet look intimidating.
 
How does the 6XX compare to the 660S?

I have the 660S. Best headphones Ive ever tried/owned. Most comfortable, amazing sound. Only "drawback" is I cant crank music in them cause my wife yells at me :D
 
DGrayson said:
Ive never heard of this brand but it makes sense at its slightly out of my current price range. How do they sound?
Click to expand...

I slowly crawled my way up there over the years after starting with some 30 buck garbage cans.

They are totally incredible and rightfully considered as one of the greatest headphones on the market. Heavenly detailed without being sharp or annoying on the sssss sounds. Very neutrally tuned but still fun, with a delightful midrange that makes the vocals shine. The bass response is incredibly well defined and controlled.
These headphones are like precision tools. Every little sound is perfectly separated, positioned and refined. They 100% nailed it with the naming. Everything is clean and clear.

But there are no perfect headphones. These are designed for a more intimate listening experience, so while having great positioning, the soundstage is average regarding it's size. I love the listening experience but people who are looking for huge spacious sound should look at the Sennheiser HD800 series.

Edit: oh and you better make sure to have well recorded and mixed music. You'll hear every distortion, hiss, bad setup etc.
 
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DGrayson said:
Ive never heard of this brand but it makes sense at its slightly out of my current price range. How do they sound?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure the MG pros will be my next pair.

Clear Mg Professional - Excellent open-back headphones | Focal

Clear Mg Professional, Excellent open-back headphones : enjoy your favorite music wherever you are with Focal headphones. They combine modern, elegant design with high-intensity sound.
www.focal.com www.focal.com

$1500 but god damn do they look good. The non-MG look dope as hell too.

Clear | Focal

Clear, Open-air circumaural headphones : enjoy your favorite music wherever you are with Focal headphones. They combine modern, elegant design with high-intensity sound.
www.focal.com www.focal.com
 
Maiden Voyage said:
Pretty sure the MG pros will be my next pair.

Clear Mg Professional - Excellent open-back headphones | Focal

Clear Mg Professional, Excellent open-back headphones : enjoy your favorite music wherever you are with Focal headphones. They combine modern, elegant design with high-intensity sound.
www.focal.com www.focal.com

$1500 but god damn do they look good. The non-MG look dope as hell too.

Clear | Focal

Clear, Open-air circumaural headphones : enjoy your favorite music wherever you are with Focal headphones. They combine modern, elegant design with high-intensity sound.
www.focal.com www.focal.com
Click to expand...

I bought my Clear used on ebay from a guy, 1 month old, perfect condition for 880 Euro. Even new, I see them regularly for around 1k.

I'm sure the MG will also drop to at least 1.2k soon.
 
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Ya nice deal. I have teh Sennheiser HD 660 S and Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pros for my closed back phones.

Both sound great for me. I think I would upgrade my DAC/AMP before getting new phones.
 
DGrayson said:
Ya nice deal. I have teh Sennheiser HD 660 S and Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pros for my closed back phones.

Both sound great for me. I think I would upgrade my DAC/AMP before getting new phones.
Click to expand...

The HD660S are very good, I like them a lot. For me, they are the best in that price range.
 
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