Review: Entire Meier Audio Headphone Amp Line Compared - Page 2 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Skylab · #16 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 08:21 PM

Thanks guys.

The Arietta sounds very good with Darth Beyers IMO, as do all Meier amps. I cannot answer questions like "worthwhile" differences though, because what is meaningful to me is not the same as what is meaningful to everyone else. The Arietta and Cantate both have crossfeed (all Meier amps do). I use Meier crossfeed - I like it.

I hope to formally compare the Cantate and the Lisa III soon.

AnaKinDV8 · #17 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 08:27 PM

Finally! Excellent review in that its certainly very useful. I've never paid attention to the Arietta until today. Suddenly im searching for all the information i can find on it. Sky, can you share a picture of the inside? (Pulling the trigger on a Meier suddenly became an easier decision

)

vcoheda · #18 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 08:30 PM

you really do have a lot of amps. have you ever thought about selling all or most of them to fund one really big amp purchase - whatever that may - or do you think the opera, with the exception of the extremely expensive custom-made amps, is about as good as it can get; at least for single-ended use.

Skylab · #19 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnaKinDV8

Finally! Excellent review in that its certainly very useful. I've never paid attention to the Arietta until today. Suddenly im searching for all the information i can find on it. Sky, can you share a picture of the inside? (Pulling the trigger on a Meier suddenly became an easier decision

)

No, sorry, I don't have permission for that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcoheda

you really do have a lot of amps. have you ever thought about selling all or most of them to fund one really big amp purchase - whatever that may - or do you think the opera, with the exception of the extremely expensive custom-made amps, is about as good as it can get; at least for single-ended use.

That wouldn't work for me. I need at least 3 home amps - one for the office, one for the bedroom (actually my main headphone rig) and one in the family room where my main stereo is.

But I also believe that the Opera, and my Blue Circle SBH, are at the very top level of performance, based on what I have listened to.

I also like variety

pianomav · #20 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mindless

Makes me feel all the more happy about my Opera. Really is a great amplifier.

x2 --

Ricey20 · #21 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 09:53 PM

im also eagerly waiting for the Lisa III vs Cantate

euclid · #22 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 09:59 PM

thanks for another great review Skylab

i was pretty confused about the Meier lineup, where does the Headfive place in this?

gkl · #23 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 10:42 PM

^Headfive is a little bit downgraded Arietta, from what I've read. Well, Arietta is more like an upgraded Headfive

Skylab · #24 (**permalink**) 09-20-2007, 10:55 PM

The Headfive was a limited edition amp that has sold out and is no longer available, except used. The Arietta is a slightly upgraded version of it.

Dzjudz · #25 (**permalink**) 09-21-2007, 12:06 AM

Nice review. Makes me feel good about my purchase of the Cantate when it was just released as well (I need the USB input -> nice foobar to headphone action it certainly delivers), since the Opera was a bit out of my league financially wise (more than 2x Cantate) and I don't have 2 fullsize HPs anyway

. Thanks for the review.

As a side-question: what's the use of having 2 headphone outs anyway? Listening to two HPs at the same time? Maybe for HP A-B comparing/reviewing purposes, but that's about 0.0001% of total listening time? Listening with two people at the same time?

Edit: Doh, looked at the site: different output impedances. The Cantate can do that, but you have to screw off the top and put in the 3 shunts.

Side-question 2 then: did you review the Cantate on high or low gain?

Skylab · #26 (**permalink**) 09-21-2007, 12:15 AM

The Cantate was reviewed in low gain (as was recommended by many folks here). I did not try to examine the differences.

Dzjudz · #27 (**permalink**) 09-21-2007, 12:18 AM

Thanks. I haven't put mine on low gain yet, and I don't think I will (hassle of screwing the top off again

). I need somebody to review two Cantates head to head: high gain and low gain

(it'd take too long to remove/replace the shunts to review it on just one Cantate

).

illkemist · #28 (**permalink**) 09-21-2007, 12:35 AM

For anyone interested, I may be selling a Cantate in a couple of weeks. In addition to the Cantate, I have ordered a Slee Solo, Headamp GS-1 and HR Max Desktop. After comparing them, I'm going either return or sell off 2 or 3 of them. So PM me if you'd like to be on the list in case I sell.

Hellenback · #29 (**permalink**) 09-21-2007, 01:10 AM

Quote:

But I also believe that the Opera, and my Blue Circle SBH, are at the very top level of performance, based on what I have listened to.

I also like variety

Speaking of variety, (and to get a better comparative perspective)where would you put your ASLabs MG head in this line up. (Just a short comment would help.)

MonolithTMA · #30 (**permalink**) 09-21-2007, 01:10 AM

Wow! That was great! I think the price and the DAC on the Move have me leaning more towards it, I'm no where near making any kind of decision yet, but I'm much closer than I was before I read this.

Your review was very helpful!

Thanks.