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[LCfiner]

I wouldn't call the T1s overwhelmingly bright at all. Have you heard the HD800s, AT cans or Grados? That's bright. Variance and ringing issues are problems that most headphones have as well. To me the T1 has the best tonal balance I've ever heard in a pair of headphones.

Please do tell which $700 headphones objectively outperform the T1s.

Well, the T1 are MSRP of $1300.

And do you mean things like FR, square wave response, CSD (impulse response graph) when you mean "objectively" outperform?

If yes, there are headphones that do this, sure. But, please note that I have not heard these. i'm just going by measurements of performance. The T1 don't objectively perform that great.

beyer T1 FR and CSD:

http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,66.0.html

note not just the FR but also the longish ringing duration at those peaks in the CSD. it makes treble more harsh.

innerfidelity pdf link of T1

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeyerdynamicT1SN3964.pdf

relatively high distortion for bass frequencies and a weird distortion spike around 1K, too. and the treble peaks in the FR do show up here, as well.


As one example of a better performer based on measurements, the HE-500 have faster decay, less distortion and less treble ringing. $700

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/HiFiMANHE500.pdf

http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,101.0.html


Another is the Paradox mod done on the Fostex T50RP super clean and neutral FR. $500.

http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,41.0.html

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RPDIYModifiedLFFParadox.pdf

Or the Stax SR407 with a used, good quality electrostatic amp.

Anyway, a lot of writing to say that the T1 are not the best measuring headphones out there. But they apparently sound really good to a lot of people. But it's not inconceivable that they might sound harsh to others, looking at the data.

I'm curious to try them to hear what they do but I'm worried about them sounding bright to my ears based on my experience with the PS1000 and HD800.

 

[Alucrid]

Nerds

 

[HiResDes]

Nerds

Showoffs

 

[LCfiner]

ha ha! I know. I felt compelled to write all that shit after the word "objectively" was used.

On another note, I got a bunch of things in the mail today.

My Mad Dogs with upgraded Dog Pads: they have more bass quantity than before and are more comfortable. thumbs up. They still sound incredible and, for a little over 300 bucks, give a nice, slightly dark sound but with great clean sound. no nasty harshness and good imaging.

Koss ESP950 and E90 system: I've wanted to get a midlevel electrostatic setup for a few months now after backing out of the super high end. these are really sweet. construction is kinda cheap looking but sound is awesome. slightly dark for an electrostatic which I was hoping for. good bass impact, gobs of detail, wide soundstage. Got these for $630 off Amazon but I understand why the MSRP is $1K. they stack up well to other high end shit I've used in that price range and above.

Schiit Gungnir DAC: my latest attempt to get a high end DAC and see if I can tell the difference from lower end stuff (now that I;m using more neutral headphones than the GS1000 which I had back when I auditioned previous DACs). So far, I did some A/B with the Gungnir and the ODAC with the Mad Dogs and, well, could not pinpoint a difference. I am a bad audiophile I'll try tomorrow with the Koss ESP950 and the two DACs. If I can't hear a difference, I'll try to return it. It shouldn't be a problem.

 

[HiResDes]

New portable amp/DAC additions in the OP:

EHP-O2
E-DAC

...Also I'm tempted to buy the Kam HP1s next to complement my FA-011s, but I'll wait until next week.

Edit: UE600's also added to the OP

 

[Naked Prime]

Picked up a HD439 on sale at Best Buy (+ RZ points) for some headphones for my Wii U Gamepad. Two question. 1. Whats the quickest and dirtest way to break them in? 2. Looking for a decent looking stand/hanger/banana holder for about $25.

 

[Alucrid]

Picked up a HD439 on sale at Best Buy (+ RZ points) for some headphones for my Wii U Gamepad. Two question. 1. Whats the quickest and dirtest way to break them in? 2 Looking for a decent loking stand/hange/banana holder for about $25.

1) just use them

2) i dunno, just search banana hanger on amazon

 

[HiResDes]

So not me, but someone needs to take the dive and audition the Beats Executive phones.

 

[mhayze]

ha ha! I know. I felt compelled to write all that shit after the word "objectively" was used.

On another note, I got a bunch of things in the mail today.

My Mad Dogs with upgraded Dog Pads: they have more bass quantity than before and are more comfortable. thumbs up. They still sound incredible and, for a little over 300 bucks, give a nice, slightly dark sound but with great clean sound. no nasty harshness and good imaging.

Koss ESP950 and E90 system: I've wanted to get a midlevel electrostatic setup for a few months now after backing out of the super high end. these are really sweet. construction is kinda cheap looking but sound is awesome. slightly dark for an electrostatic which I was hoping for. good bass impact, gobs of detail, wide soundstage. Got these for $630 off Amazon but I understand why the MSRP is $1K. they stack up well to other high end shit I've used in that price range and above.

Schiit Gungnir DAC: my latest attempt to get a high end DAC and see if I can tell the difference from lower end stuff (now that I;m using more neutral headphones than the GS1000 which I had back when I auditioned previous DACs). So far, I did some A/B with the Gungnir and the ODAC with the Mad Dogs and, well, could not pinpoint a difference. I am a bad audiophile I'll try tomorrow with the Koss ESP950 and the two DACs. If I can't hear a difference, I'll try to return it. It shouldn't be a problem.

The Gungnir is a balanced DAC, and one of the nice things about that is using it with a balanced amp, through to balanced phones. Makes a big difference with some headphones (and amps). Even without that, I recommend trying the Gungnir with headphones like the HD800 in the mix, if you get a chance. The oDAC is no slouch - if you are not hearing a difference with a mix of gear, don't beat yourself up over your hearing, chances are the differences are not audible in that chain. The ESP950 is not bad, but the E90 is not as well regarded.

 

[mhayze]

From a fidelity point of view, not even close. They don't sound an awful lot better than $75 CAL!s tbh.

That said, they are super comfy, isolate nicely and perhaps most significant of all, are sexy headphones for the inner extrovert with too much self-esteem to wear Beats in public. I'd probably buy them at $200.

---

On another note, this is one of the best shootout/comparisons I've seen in a long time. Well worth a read.

There's not a lot of good closed (semi) portable headphones in the <= $300 price range. There's the HD25-I ii and the amperior, V-MODAs (M80 and now M100), DT1350 etc. I'm curious to see more comparisons of the 1Rs compared to these more established players.

 

[HiResDes]

I've heard good things about the UE6000 believe it or not, so much that I think I might audition them soon.

 

[Kwixotik]

How is the bass on PK3s? If it's bad, are there any budget earphones with better bass (without compromising everything else too much) in that price range?

 

[HiResDes]

How is the bass on PK3s? If it's bad, are there any budget earphones with better bass (without compromising everything else too much) in that price range?

Are you opposed to in-earphones?

 

[Kwixotik]

Are you opposed to in-earphones?

No, those are fine too. Sorry if I used the wrong term.

 

[HiResDes]

No, those are fine too. Sorry if I used the wrong term.

Get the R1s for sure then

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Very much enjoying my Mad Dogs.

On my rig, however, they're not replacing my D7000s.

 

[aznpxdd]

I'm looking for Panasonic HJE900 IEM's, but can't seem to find them anywhere. Halp!

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

I'm looking for Panasonic HJE900 IEM's, but can't seem to find them anywhere. Halp!

Yeah... You're not gonna find them new. I scored a pair off of Head Fi a few years back by putting up a WTB in the buy/sell section. Got a few offers within a few days. Going price should be between $100-120 shipped

 

[Neko Mimi Mode]

I wouldn't call the T1s overwhelmingly bright at all. Have you heard the HD800s, AT cans or Grados? That's bright. Variance and ringing issues are problems that most headphones have as well. To me the T1 has the best tonal balance I've ever heard in a pair of headphones.

Please do tell which $700 headphones objectively outperform the T1s.

Ringing issues aren't problems that most headphones have, especially at that price. Don't see many other expensive headphones with variance and QC issues either, which is inexcusable either which way.

As for headphones that objectively out-perform the T1s, LC got in there before me, but there are plenty. Even the step-down Beyerdynamic DT880s are smoother, more balanced, cleaner (very clean in fact) and with superior decay and harmonic distortion.

ha ha! I know. I felt compelled to write all that shit after the word "objectively" was used.

On another note, I got a bunch of things in the mail today.

My Mad Dogs with upgraded Dog Pads: they have more bass quantity than before and are more comfortable. thumbs up. They still sound incredible and, for a little over 300 bucks, give a nice, slightly dark sound but with great clean sound. no nasty harshness and good imaging.

Koss ESP950 and E90 system: I've wanted to get a midlevel electrostatic setup for a few months now after backing out of the super high end. these are really sweet. construction is kinda cheap looking but sound is awesome. slightly dark for an electrostatic which I was hoping for. good bass impact, gobs of detail, wide soundstage. Got these for $630 off Amazon but I understand why the MSRP is $1K. they stack up well to other high end shit I've used in that price range and above.

Schiit Gungnir DAC: my latest attempt to get a high end DAC and see if I can tell the difference from lower end stuff (now that I;m using more neutral headphones than the GS1000 which I had back when I auditioned previous DACs). So far, I did some A/B with the Gungnir and the ODAC with the Mad Dogs and, well, could not pinpoint a difference. I am a bad audiophile I'll try tomorrow with the Koss ESP950 and the two DACs. If I can't hear a difference, I'll try to return it. It shouldn't be a problem.

Grats on the awesome new gear, I've got a Gungnir on route as well, but I'd really like to try the Koss ESP950s. Good (or bad, for my wallet) to hear they aren't bass-lite, now if only they'd appear more frequently at lower than $1k :x

There's not a lot of good closed (semi) portable headphones in the <= $300 price range. There's the HD25-I ii and the amperior, V-MODAs (M80 and now M100), DT1350 etc. I'm curious to see more comparisons of the 1Rs compared to these more established players.

I dunno, there's quite a few here. Also add Momentum to the list, which I really need to listen to.

+1 on Des's rec for the UE6000, Tyll loves them.

 

[aznpxdd]

Yeah... You're not gonna find them new. I scored a pair off of Head Fi a few years back by putting up a WTB in the buy/sell section. Got a few offers within a few days. Going price should be between $100-120 shipped

Darn, any good alternatives in the $150-200 price range?

 

[leng jai]

Ringing issues aren't problems that most headphones have, especially at that price. Don't see many other expensive headphones with variance and QC issues either, which is inexcusable either which way.

As for headphones that objectively out-perform the T1s, LC got in there before me, but there are plenty. Even the step-down Beyerdynamic DT880s are smoother, more balanced, cleaner (very clean in fact) and with superior decay and harmonic distortion.



Grats on the awesome new gear, I've got a Gungnir on route as well, but I'd really like to try the Koss ESP950s. Good (or bad, for my wallet) to hear they aren't bass-lite, now if only they'd appear more frequently at lower than $1k :x



I dunno, there's quite a few here. Also add Momentum to the list, which I really need to listen to.

+1 on Des's rec for the UE6000, Tyll loves them.

I heard ringing in the HD800s and D7000s but maybe it's just me. By objective I actually meant listening to the headphones properly not just putting them down because they don't have the sound signature you enjoy. Measurements and graphs aren't the be all and end of all of how headphones sound - there are a lot of external factors that determine how they sound.

As for variance and quality - the HD800s had and still have a point paint job that chips off after a while no matter how you handle them. For a $1700 headphone I'd say that's pretty unacceptable. The LCD2s had huge issues with the wood breaking. I'm not even entirely sure what you mean by the T1's QC issues - they without doubt one of the headphones with the best build quality around. People on Headfi claim variance on sound signatures all the time. This is not something exclusive the T1s. The LCD2s and HD650s have well documented inconsistencies in sound depending on when you bought them.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Darn, any good alternatives in the $150-200 price range?

I'd consider the Fischer Silver Bullet, and the JVC FXT90. There are plenty of other great phones in that range, but I don't think too many of them will hit with the same sub bass that the HJE-900 is known for. (Atrio MG5/MG7 is worth checking out too) Depends on how much you value bass I guess, if you like more neutral phones, your options widen

 

[Neko Mimi Mode]

I heard ringing in the HD800s and D7000s but maybe it's just me. By objective I actually meant listening to the headphones properly not just putting them down because they don't have the sound signature you enjoy. Measurements and graphs aren't the be all and end of all of how headphones sound - there are a lot of external factors that determine how they sound.

As for variance and quality - the HD800s had and still have a point paint job that chips off after a while no matter how you handle them. For a $1700 headphone I'd say that's pretty unacceptable. The LCD2s had huge issues with the wood breaking. I'm not even entirely sure what you mean by the T1's QC issues - they without doubt one of the headphones with the best build quality around. People on Headfi claim variance on sound signatures all the time. This is not something exclusive the T1s. The LCD2s and HD650s have well documented inconsistencies in sound depending on when you bought them.

Listening is subjective as everyone's tastes are different. I'm prone to sibilence and find the T1 extremely harsh, but that's perhaps not the experience of others. It should be noted that a good proportion of T1s are "treble heavy" compared to the standard, this goes back to the QC/variation issues I mentioned earlier.

You mention the LCD-2 and HD650, you could have both for the price of the T1 and individually they are superior to begin with. That's my subjective opinion, but it's also backed up by objective measurements and data.

Really though, the T1s just have an impossible task to compete at it's price range, especially when up against Hifiman he-6s, Stax rigs, HD800s etc. It's telling that David, who prefers bright cans, preferred the sound of the much cheaper and darker LCD-2 Rev 1, but even moreso that the HE-500s are within a whisker at half the price.

Beyer fans would do better with the excellent value for money DT880, which honestly sound better regardless.

 

[Dice]

As I have been getting back into trance, I'm trying to keep it in consideration for my eventual closed can purchase. What would be some of the better pairs for the genre? Obviously it'd need to be really fast to handle all the layers of synth clearly, but then also have a nice wide soundstage and very deep bass.

 

[leng jai]

Listening is subjective as everyone's tastes are different. I'm prone to sibilence and find the T1 extremely harsh, but that's perhaps not the experience of others. It should be noted that a good proportion of T1s are "treble heavy" compared to the standard, this goes back to the QC/variation issues I mentioned earlier.

You mention the LCD-2 and HD650, you could have both for the price of the T1 and individually they are superior to begin with. That's my subjective opinion, but it's also backed up by objective measurements and data.

Really though, the T1s just have an impossible task to compete at it's price range, especially when up against Hifiman he-6s, Stax rigs, HD800s etc. It's telling that David, who prefers bright cans, preferred the sound of the much cheaper and darker LCD-2 Rev 1, but even moreso that the HE-500s are within a whisker at half the price.

Beyer fans would do better with the excellent value for money DT880, which honestly sound better regardless.

I bought my T1s for $1100 actually so no I couldn't have gotten those two cans for the same price. I also owned the HD650s for 2 years with various amps no they do not come close to the T1's performance. That's my opinion and it's based on extended listening periods. I'm not sure where you're getting your info from but it's pretty clear that on Headfi the T1s are generally regarded in the same ball park as the LCD2s and HD800s - it just depends on what sound signature you are looking for.

 

[Neko Mimi Mode]

I bought my T1s for $1100 actually so no I couldn't have gotten those two cans for the same price. I also owned the HD650s for 2 years with various amps no they do not come close to the T1's performance. That's my opinion and it's based on extended listening periods. I'm not sure where you're getting your info from but it's pretty clear that on Headfi the T1s are generally regarded in the same ball park as the LCD2s and HD800s - it just depends on what sound signature you are looking for.

I'm glad you enjoy the T1s and I'm sorry objective measurements do not match your subjective listening experience. There's no point arguing further as it clearly won't change either.

As I have been getting back into trance, I'm trying to keep it in consideration for my eventual closed can purchase. What would be some of the better pairs for the genre? Obviously it'd need to be really fast to handle all the layers of synth clearly, but then also have a nice wide soundstage and very deep bass.

What's your budget?
Got an amp?
Open or closed?

 

[HiResDes]

Updated the OP again to reflect the current IEM market and I'm trying to sort out all of the dead links. I'm thinking of segmenting the selections into categories such as warm and balanced, cold and neutral etc. However, I think it might be too subjective.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Updated the OP again to reflect the current IEM market and I'm trying to sort out all of the dead links. I'm thinking of segmenting the selections into categories such as warm and balanced, cold and neutral etc. However, I think it might be too subjective.

Indeed, it would be subjective but it would be helpful and perhaps reduce the redundancy of questions. Maybe categorize by which phones would work well with certain genres?

 

[Dice]

What's your budget?

Let's say... $2k. This will also be for producing my own.

Got an amp?

Schiit Asgard but I can get another that better suits them. This is long-term plans for my sole hobby and interest in life.

Open or closed?

Already said closed.

 

[Neko Mimi Mode]

Let's say... $2k. This will also be for producing my own.

Schiit Asgard but I can get another that better suits them. This is long-term plans for my sole hobby and interest in life.

Already said closed.

If you're looking for ToTL closed cans I'd be inclined to advise you to wait for these and in the mean-time upgrade your amp (and possibly source). I'd imagine it will blow away anything else closed, if it retains the Audez'e house sound.

For closed cans that are actually available today that are suited for trance, the best is probably the Audio-Technica ATH-W3000ANV.

In either case, you'll doubtless need to upgrade the Asgard, but if you like your Schiit why not look for the Mjollnir? Of all the top tier amps available, it's probably the cheapest and it's absolutely fantastic if bass and mids are what you're after. Downfall is it's balanced input/output only of course.
Alternatively, the Burson Soloist would make a good (and possibly more neutral) choice.

 

[pax217]

Updated the OP again to reflect the current IEM market and I'm trying to sort out all of the dead links. I'm thinking of segmenting the selections into categories such as warm and balanced, cold and neutral etc. However, I think it might be too subjective.

Nice. Like the new avatar, too.

@LC - Got them pads, they work as advertised-- haven't been listening to the SR80s lately because of the pain, so I can't tell much of difference in sound, but I'm still expecting my ears to hurt everytime I take them off; and they don't.

Nerds

I got my BFF's back on this one-- you'z a bunch of nerds.

 

[Dice]

I have no inherent attachment to Schiit. I got it because it was cheap enough to allow me an HRT MS2+ at the time, had a fantastic warranty, and matches 325is brilliantly. Stepping into EDM production is another world from before when I was simply getting something to enjoy my favorite genres on a $1k budget to hold me through the process of putting together a studio. The current setup does quite well at being good fun for a few things but trance hits all its weaknesses at once.

I've never used other headphones with my amp so I can't be sure how far that extends to it, but I'd assume it's significantly limited in this realm. Headphones and amp will need to go together but the MS2+ is good enough to hold through some of the learning process while I save more and acquire more compositional tools. The main thing is that while I've done plenty of research on headphones, I've focused on open models because the next step wasn't yet approaching, and for whatever reason the need to play to the unique characteristics of trance didn't hit me till recently.

 

[Neko Mimi Mode]

I have no inherent attachment to Schiit. I got it because it was cheap enough to allow me an HRT MS2+ at the time, had a fantastic warranty, and matches 325is brilliantly. Stepping into EDM production is another world from before when I was simply getting something to enjoy my favorite genres on a $1k budget to hold me through the process of putting together a studio. The current setup does quite well at being good fun for a few things but trance hits all its weaknesses at once.

I've never used other headphones with my amp so I can't be sure how far that extends to it, but I'd assume it's significantly limited in this realm. Headphones and amp will need to go together but the MS2+ is good enough to hold through some of the learning process while I save more and acquire more compositional tools. The main thing is that while I've done plenty of research on headphones, I've focused on open models because the next step wasn't yet approaching, and for whatever reason the need to play to the unique characteristics of trance didn't hit me till recently.

MS2+ is a fantastic DAC for the money, no doubt about it.

If you're looking for something professional for your studio (closed) you'd probably be best served with the Paradox. It's unrelentingly neutral and while the bass isn't prominent it's certainly tight and drops to 20hz readily. These aren't suited to trance per se, but more to actual studio monitoring, which may well be what you're looking for.

If you're not overly concerned with absolute neutrality though, then certainly the W3000ANV (and all the moreso the closed Audezes when released) would probably be the best bet.

 

[LCfiner]

Nice to hear that you're not feeling any pain with the pads, pax.

I'm looking forward to getting home and spending some quality time with the Koss 950 and pitting my two DACs mano a mano.

I've had the Gungir on all day playing music to get the temps up and get it thermally stabilized. Looking forward to running some tests this afternoon on the new gear.

 

[TrAcEr_x90]

Was waiting in line for my Halo 4 360 Bundle at midnight and my buddy slyly convinced me to buy the Astro A40 headset......amazing but the wires were killing me. So I exchanged for these:

Never owned a pair of 7.1 headphones before. Halo 4 is amazing with them, and I can't wait to watch some Blu-rays with them on. I need to hook them up to my PC also at some point and play some Half Life games.

 

[mhayze]

Ringing issues aren't problems that most headphones have, especially at that price. Don't see many other expensive headphones with variance and QC issues either, which is inexcusable either which way.

As for headphones that objectively out-perform the T1s, LC got in there before me, but there are plenty. Even the step-down Beyerdynamic DT880s are smoother, more balanced, cleaner (very clean in fact) and with superior decay and harmonic distortion.

I dunno, there's quite a few here. Also add Momentum to the list, which I really need to listen to.

.

I've been a head-fi member for over 10 years now, I know that thread well . I know of all the closed (non IEM) options in the under $300 range. Heck I own a few of them. My quote was in response to the 1R being inferior to $75 headphones (the implication is comparable, or closed, $75 headphones), which is quite contrary to the opinions of some well-respected head-fi'ers, if you keep it in the universe of comparable closed phones. But I don't own and have not heard the 1R, which is why I was asking. Do you own / have you heard the 1R? What would your recommendation be for an alternative. I'm also curious about the Momentus, but first impressions were pretty negative on head-fi, including a negative comparison to the Amperior.

 

[LCfiner]

@mhayze, There were two guys in the momentum thread on head-fi who didn't like the momentum but a ton more who love it.

yes, including myself. it's pretty awesome after using them for two weeks at work. It's a dark sounding headphone with great, clean solid bass, good imaging and a clean, grain free sound. it's got great clarity and doesn't sound mushy despite being a darker, more "lush" headphone.

there are some measurements up at headroom (and a review with more measurements coming soon at inner fidelity) to give you an idea of its character.

note: my comments are base on using them on the ear. my ears cannot come close to fitting inside the cups. I can imagine the sound getting more muffled and bassy if you placed your ears inside the cups.

 

[Alucrid]

Nice. Like the new avatar, too.

@LC - Got them pads, they work as advertised-- haven't been listening to the SR80s lately because of the pain, so I can't tell much of difference in sound, but I'm still expecting my ears to hurt everytime I take them off; and they don't.



I got my BFF's back on this one-- you'z a bunch of nerds.

http://i.imgur.com/CfC4a.gif[IMG][/QUOTE]

i'm not wearing panties

 

[leng jai]

I listened to the Earpods today. They are actually pretty decent and almost good enough for casual use if you don't need isolation. Big upgrade from the old buds especially when it comes to bass.

 

[HiResDes]

I need your input should I separate the entries into categories based on musical genres or more generally like: Colder, Warmer, More Neutral

Also I just noticed but isn't it weird that there are ads spliced throughout my OP?

 

[Alucrid]

I don't see any ads.

 

[LCfiner]

I wouldn't recommend basing categorization on music genre. I feel that this is too subjective as different people look for different things to be highlighted in the genres they like.

If you don't think that open/ closed is enough, then I would suggest the dark/neutral/bright classification. or just a vague "darker/ brighter" scale and place the headphones along there, with the warning that it's not a ranking.

 

[Xdye7]

Got my DT990's, E9K, and E17 today.

Wow.

 

[54-46!]

I think I'm getting interference through my DAC (Audioengine D1) because I've got no ground in my house.. will a USB Galvanic Isolator fix this?

http://electronicsshop.dk/?id=1038

.. I'm not sure what the source of the problem might be, I've tried using optical input instead of just USB, changing USB ports and changing bit rate.

Any ideas? I would describe the inteference as "crackling" or "popping" sounds, happens randomly but I'm thinkin it might be a ground issue because every time I turn on the light my room I can hear it in my headphones.

 

[1stStrike]

So, I managed to knock my amp onto the floor and lost sound in the right ear yesterday. After I finished holding it above my head and screaming at the heavens, I decided to just make the jump to a tube amp/dac combo after having one on my wish list for a while.

I went on Amazon, got myself 1 day shipping, and it came today. Behold the Hi-Fi Man EF2A.

I have a set of GE tubes coming to replace the stock ones, but so far I'm impressed. Definitely an upgrade over my Creative soundcard and the highs are a bit brighter with the bass being clear and not muddying up the music.

The only thing I miss is the separate bass control, as that really allowed me to tweak the bass to my liking. I can get around that, though.

 

[HiResDes]

I have that as well, great amp, but I wish I would have kept my Nuforce DAC. I want to upgrade to a Darkvoice 336 soon though. What size GE tubes should I order if I'm interesting in checking them out?

 

[1stStrike]

I have that as well, great amp, but I wish I would have kept my Nuforce DAC.

Why's that?

I want to upgrade to a Darkvoice 336 soon though. What size GE tubes should I order if I'm interesting in checking them out?

Recommendations are for the GE 6AK5's for the Hi-Fi Man EF2A. Takes out the harshness from some of the highs and further smooths out the bass. I ordered a pair off ebay which should be here early next week. They're pretty cheap.

 

[HiResDes]

Why's that?



Recommendations are for the GE 6AK5's for the Hi-Fi Man EF2A. Takes out the harshness from some of the highs and further smooths out the bass. I ordered a pair off ebay which should be here early next week. They're pretty cheap.

Thanks gonna cop those when I get home. And in regards to the DAC, I felt I lost a slight bit of clarity in the midrange in my FA011s

 

[LarryButz]

Is there any chance of the DragonFly USB DAC going on sale for BF or Xmas? Also, anyone know any decent bags/cases for the Mad Dogs? I just received them back with the new pads. Surprised to receive an adapter for the original cable as well as a V-moda cable.

 

[Degen]

Just wanted to say thanks for the recommendations in the OP. My AudioTechnica ATH-M30 just arrived in the mail and sound great