High End Audiophile thread

GenClaymore....have you listened to that HD700 with tubes, yet ?

 

I haven't tried them with an tube amp yet, I don't really have one atm.I don't really have any plans for another amp right now. But have you tried them with a tube amp?

 

I've put on hold my intent to buy a replacement cable for my HEK, I'd decided to get a pair of KRK Rokit5 to replace the dinky Focal speakers I was using. These badboys rock! Oh yeah, I also got a Deepcool monitor stand, I like the idea that I can slide my other keyboard under it, freeing up some desk space.....:infinity:

 

Nice... Interesting that the Rockits are better than the Focal speakers....

Enjoy,
Ragards,
RagDoll.

 

Nah, not saying that, but the Rokit5 has more midbass slam compared to the Focal XS Book. I'd prollu pair the Focals with my HiFiMan Dock 1 on a side table beside my bed, figure it'd be great for some night time chillaxing music.

 

Cool thought so and being that the Rockits have a slightly different mid bass driver, but prolly all round sound, the Focal's are better?

cheers,
RagDoll.

 

That just all looks great together

 

Thanks GW! Maybe the Rokit5's a new toy, but I've put aside my cans for the time being, and simply enjoy music, movies and games with it.

@Ragdoll, I'm still assessing the Rokit5 and in the process of slowing burning it in, I guess I'd be in a better position to judge after about a week or so. Thus far, the Rokit5 definitely has better bass extension and good treble extension. They are three small knobs at the bass for HF, LF and volume setting. I have HF and LF at 0db (LF maxes at +1db, HF at +2db) and I find this suits me best.

Also played Star Wars: The Force Awakens and I enjoyed it more than with the ESI nEar 06 (too neutral I guess, lacks the bass and treble I want, needed to be EQ'ed) and the Focal XS Book simply because the latter lacks the rumble I like when watching movies.

I'll pair the Rokit5 with my FX8350/2x HD7950/Oppo HA-1 rig. The ESI nEar 06 will be pair with the Gustard stack on my i7 4770K/2x GTX Titan rig, the Focal XS Book will be used on my Phenom II X6 1100T/HD7970 rig/Fostex HPA4......that's the advantage of having spare rigs and DAC's.

The NuForce uDAC-3, while being decent for headphone usage, isn't really great as a 'pre-amp' of sort because while I can control the volume of the sound with it when hooked up to speakers, there's just too much interference. I had it hooked up to the Rokit5 (with RCA connectors) and depending on cables used, I'd notice a 'scratchy' humming, it was terribad with regular red/black cables, but with good shielded cables (like the Monster component cables) the interference was reduced but still present. I hooked up the Rokit5 to my Gustard X12 via balanced cables (Neutrik plugs + Canare cable) and it's perfect.

 

Hot off the press! A Collaboration between MasDrop and HiFiMan with the resulting MassDrop X HiFiMan HE-350, before you hit the commit button, do note that this is a dynamic can (prolly based off the HE-300) and NOT a planar mag. But at 99.99USD, I don't think anyone can complain....
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdr...- Audiophile&utm_term=4-26-2016 HiFiMAN Audio

 

Made some purchases, an i7 2600K rig from my friend, and a Nakamichi micro-system with a pair of nice wood speakers (will post pics of that later). I'd just swapped my HE-500 (which I'd not been using as of late), topped up some cash and got myself a nice HE-560.

The balanced cable was from an earlier purchase, I use it for the HE-4, HE-560, Denon AH-D2000 and AH-D7000. One thing I can say about the HE-560, it's pretty hard to drive, had to up the volume on my Oppo HA-1 way pass all my previous cans.....even the DT990/600.

 

^ Very Nice ^

How does it compare to HE500 ?

I was once looking at getting this headphone when it first came out, I tried the HD800 in the mean time and planned on selling it when the HE560 came out....but after listening to the HD800, i feel in love and decided to build my main rig around it.

 

It's still too early for me to write any sort of impression of it, but I can say I do like its sound. I'll try to give my impressions of it vis-a-vis the HD800 and HEK.....I'll be using balanced cables + Oppo HA-1 on all of them.

 

I been trying out the warm sounding op-amps that I have in my collection, mainly the OPA627AU and the LT1357's. Both almost work for what I looking for, but the OPA627AU causes the bass to be punchy instead of tight with an little impact. While the LT1357 causes the bass to be too impact with an decrease of the sound stage.

The op-amp's in my chain is the V5-OPA-D's in my matrix M-stage Dac v2 and the V5-OPA-S's in my gustard H10 single channel socket, I mainly keeping those in there but changing the dual channel op-amp's inside my Amp. I know the about the muse 02 but those are costly, which is kind of funny since I own the V5's, but I didn't buy those as they was given to me.

What I really asking is there any other warmest op-amp's out there that isn't low voltage, as op-amp's with low voltage req doesn't work in my amp. That will smooth out the highs an bit, while giving bass that is accurate while having an 3Dish and wide sound stage, I don't mind the mids being an tad forward. As long the bass is not punchy or too impact-ful but just right. I can't think of any others, As i really don't wanna get back into tube amp's as I am happy with the gustard H10 I have and the lycan.

 

I am really out of touch with the op amps.

I am probably a tad biased here...but tubes are pretty hard to beat for smoothing out treble. and getting the bass just right, but with a nice transparent amp, you can get there That being said I have not heard any of the most popular op amps either

 

Sorry for not having pics but here is my set-up guys...It was a gift from my in-laws much appricated lol.

1) Marantz SR-3001 A/v receiver 7.1
2) Front speakers pair-KLH bookshelfs-911-B model
3) Sub- Tru-Audio model CS-8 Powerd-sub-Earth shattering bass! Godamm!
4)Also have x 4 tru-audio surround 7.1 speakers I dont use,I find the Klh to sound better.

Now for the question-In back of my sub-woofer I have connects for front speakers,Schould I connect to the sub or directly to the a/v receiver? Thank you.

 

Answer: No, you should connect the speakers directly to the Marantz Receiver and connect the sub to the LFE/Sub pre out on the Receiver... Then set the subwoofer to Yes and set the LFE to 120hz. Set your KLH speakers to crossover frequency of 90hz and you're set

cheers,
RagDoll.

 

continued: I just read the Marantz manual, just set your fronts to small and an automatic 100hz crossover is selected

Remember to flick the phase switch to see which way has better bass, experimentation is needed here, also select position for sub, usually corner of front of room, near either left or right front speaker... don't set the sub volume to maximum, ever, usually set to half way is best or lower...

cheers,
RagDoll.

 

Just adding my can family to the thread.
Sennheiser IE6 (used a LOT when traveling and fitness, massively worn out now but still going strong XD)
Sennheiser HD650 (with 600 headband) the oldest of the bunch, about 11 years I have them now, still working absolutly fine although looking very worn now

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohms - My music production cans,

and last (and sort of least) the Sony MDR-XB800's that I use for my movie watching in combination with an Onkyo 609.

 

Yea I hear you, it just that the last time I had an tube amp, I went crazy with rolling tubes and ended up spending a lot of money.That's the main reason I don't really wanna return to using tube amps. I think i spent at-least 100+ on Power and driver tubes combined. I did have my eye on the vali 2 but only because it uses an single tube. I doubt I will even do that, unless my gustard H10 decides to give up the ghost.

 

I agree with that statement, it is easy to go down the rabbit hole....but it is not necessary.

But I could not imagine listening to just the same tubes all of the time...thinking, wonder what something else sound like