I'm Next
Well, it's my turn with the Opera, and even though I'm not ready to give detailed impressions yet, I definitely like what I hear and see. I wasn't very enthusiastic about the looks of the Opera from the pictures, but seeing -- and holding -- it in person is a different matter. It feels wonderfully solid and well made, and it's actually very handsome. (But Dr. Meier, why oh why must the DAC light throb at me when there's no digital input? It's the one disappointment in an otherwise top-notch appearance.)
As for sound -- much more listening to be done, but I feel sure already that the Opera surpasses the GS-1. I'll focus next on comparisons with the Extreme Platinum. Early take: The Opera easily holds its own on bass, but has a less lively mid-range and a slightly more limited upper treble. As I say, though, much more listening to be done before I'm ready to commit on those judgments.
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Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 (Balanced) & AD2000 (SE), Ultrasone Edition 9 (SE), Sennheiser HD-600 (Balanced), Beyerdynamic DT-880 (SE)
Amps: Singlepower Harmony XLR (coming soon), Singlepower Extreme Platinum, Headroom BitHead (2006)
DACs: Channel Islands VDA-2 + VAC-1, Modded Adcom GDA-600
Previously Owned: Headphones: Grado RS-1 and SR-60, AKG K-701, Sennheiser HD-555 and HD-570 // Amps & DACS: Headamp GS-1, Singlepower MPX Slam, Headroom Micro Amp and Micro Dac, Lite DAC-AH, Rega Ear, and Meier Opera (extended loan)
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