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| Headphone Amps (full-size) Discussion of desktop headphone amps. |
09-21-2007, 02:33 PM
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500+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Right between my ears
Posts: 786
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dzjudz
I need somebody to review two Cantates head to head: high gain and low gain
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Did you read mine here ?
__________________
Grado RS-1, sr60,
Corda Cantate Low Gain Setting, Total Bithead
Before: AKG 240 K Monitor 80's, HD 414 SL, Koss Porta Pro, Sony MDR-V700, Sony Noise Canceling MDR-NC6
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09-21-2007, 02:35 PM
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500+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Right between my ears
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vcoheda
that would be nice but what meier audio is really lacking is a balanced amp. all the major audio companies now have one. jan really needs to look into this. balanced ground may be good, but i doubt it is anywhere close to a truly balanced system. if he could put one out around the $1250-$1500 range, it would be a big success.
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Interesting, someone here have made a review who compare balanced ground of Opera/Cantate vs a real balanced amp ? 
__________________
Grado RS-1, sr60,
Corda Cantate Low Gain Setting, Total Bithead
Before: AKG 240 K Monitor 80's, HD 414 SL, Koss Porta Pro, Sony MDR-V700, Sony Noise Canceling MDR-NC6
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09-21-2007, 04:39 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus:
High-End Forum Volunteer
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: White Plains, NY
Posts: 8,918
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lerio
Interesting, someone here have made a review who compare balanced ground of Opera/Cantate vs a real balanced amp ? |
the only comparison i recall is one member compared the opera with a HD650 to the same HD650 but using it balanced straight out of an apogee mini-dac. even from this compromised setup, he preferred the 650s from the mini dac, which tells me that balanced ground is not really close to a true balanced system.
i think a good test would be to use the same headphone from the opera and then from the headroom balanced desktop as they are similar in price - and of course using the same source for both amps.
__________________
1. Cary 306 SACD »» RSA B52 or HR Bal Home »» HD650 / HD800 / SR325 / RS1 / HF2
2. Cary 306 SACD »» HeadAmp KGSS »» HE60
FS: Balanced RS1 (buttons) Click Here
Head-fi
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09-21-2007, 04:44 PM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: The Beautiful State of Maine
Posts: 287
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As usual, you come through with an awesome comparative review! I love my Move and was wondering what the rest of the line-up had to offer. Not a question now. Great work!
__________________
Currently Using: Ipod Touch 2g 32gig > Shure E500PHT
Also Own:
Source: Cowon D2 (240vbr)
Amp: Meier Headsix
Feedback:
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09-22-2007, 02:14 AM
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Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 94
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Excellent review Skylab! I bought an Opera before the Cantate came out and love it, but wondered if the Cantate came close or not. Now I know. Keep the reviews coming.
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09-22-2007, 02:39 AM
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1000+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bapetikosweti
Posts: 1,418
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Many thanks for the excellent review Skylab. The comparative format that you chose for the reivew by looking at the entire Meier range, made this a very useful review. Thanks for your efforts.
Thanks also to Dr. Meier for sending the amps for you to review.
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09-22-2007, 02:31 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus:
Reviewerus Prolificus
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 11,439
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Quote:
Originally Posted by malcolmhead
Hi Skylab and all head-fiers
I've been struggling on the choice of home amp for my Alessandro MS2/Marantz CD6002 combination. I like the current output of the CD6002 to MS2, very detail and a lot of clarity but not so smooth and natural. I'm considering xcanv3, Darkvoice and Mapletree Ear HD+, all of them tube amp. But after reading all the nice reviews of Meier amps, knowing that they also offer the warm characteristic of tube amp, I need your advise on this - does Meier amp offers the same characteristics of tube amp (like those mentioned) or it sounds closer to a hybrid? I understand that Meier amps are SS amp so it is not an apple to apple comparison, but I like to have the best of both worlds.
Basically, I like to have an amp that offer the warm natural sounding characteristics of tube amp but does not lose the detail/clarity/origin of the source.
Thanks all.
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The newer Meier amps have a slightly warm sonic signature, but they aren't the same sonically as tube amps. My Darkvoice 336i is far more "tubey" sounding than the Meier amps (which it should be - it's a tube amp  )
So a Meier would sound smoother than what you have now, no doubt. But there is no way to know whether it would be enough for you - only you can determine that 
__________________
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the volume of PM's I have been receiving in connection with my reviews, I no longer have the time to answer PM's from people with zero posts. Please read head-fi first before asking questions.
Team GO-U-NORTHWESTERN
Pics: Main Home Rig; Bedside Rig; Office Rig; Portable Rig;
Headphones: JVC HP-DX1000, HA-RX900; Headphile Deep Cup Darth Beyers VXD3,VXD4; Beyerdynamic DT990/600 (Manufaktur) DT770/600 (Manufaktur), DT880/600 Balanced (Manufaktur); HiFi-Man HE-2 Planar Magnetic; Sennheiser PXC-350; Shure SRH840
Home amps: Ray Samuels Audio Stealth (Mullard ECC32/CV4003); Decware Zen CSP-2 (Amperex BB 6DJ8/Sophia Princess 274B); Darkvoice 337 (GEC 6AS7G's/Tung-Sol mesh plate 6SJ7GTs); Wheatfield Audio HA-2 (Mullard ECC32/GEC 6AS7G/GEC U52); Ming-Da MC84-C 07 (Mullard CV4004/EL84/EM87); Audiotailor Jade (GEC 6AS7G/Sylvania 5751); J. Sound Lab Headphone (Mullard 12AT7); Audio-GD Phoenix; Musical Paradise MP-301 (Ken-Rad 6V6GT/Mullard 6AU6)
Portable Amps: Ray Samuels Audio P-51 Mustang; Decware ZenHead; Qables iQube
Sources: Denon DP59L table + Clearaudio Maestro Wood / VPI Scoutmaster + Benz Micro Wood L2 > Audio Electronics PH-1 DJH Phono Preamp; Music Hall 25.2 DAC; Denon DVD-5900;Red Wine Audio iMod iPod (Apple Lossless) & ALO VCap dock; Sony SCD-555ES SACD player
Loudspeaker system: Krell KAV250 Preamp>Sunfire Signature II Power amp > B&W Nautilus 800 Signatures + Velodyne FSR-1500/Martin Logan Descent
Tube testers: B&K Dyna-quick 650 & Dyna-Jet 606
Head-fi feedback
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09-22-2007, 04:36 PM
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Moderator:
Headphoneus Supremus:
Insulting his K-1000's would
begin the Battle of Karthage
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: PDX
Posts: 4,971
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Excellent work, Skylab.
Thank you for such a great service!
__________________
"The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because philosophy is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water." --John W. Gardner
"In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." --Eric Hoffer
"There are 4 things that can never be recovered in life; the stone after the throw, the word after it is said, the occasion after the event, and the time after it is gone." --Anonymous
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09-22-2007, 07:06 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus:
Reviewerus Prolificus
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 11,439
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Thanks for all the kind words, guys!
__________________
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the volume of PM's I have been receiving in connection with my reviews, I no longer have the time to answer PM's from people with zero posts. Please read head-fi first before asking questions.
Team GO-U-NORTHWESTERN
Pics: Main Home Rig; Bedside Rig; Office Rig; Portable Rig;
Headphones: JVC HP-DX1000, HA-RX900; Headphile Deep Cup Darth Beyers VXD3,VXD4; Beyerdynamic DT990/600 (Manufaktur) DT770/600 (Manufaktur), DT880/600 Balanced (Manufaktur); HiFi-Man HE-2 Planar Magnetic; Sennheiser PXC-350; Shure SRH840
Home amps: Ray Samuels Audio Stealth (Mullard ECC32/CV4003); Decware Zen CSP-2 (Amperex BB 6DJ8/Sophia Princess 274B); Darkvoice 337 (GEC 6AS7G's/Tung-Sol mesh plate 6SJ7GTs); Wheatfield Audio HA-2 (Mullard ECC32/GEC 6AS7G/GEC U52); Ming-Da MC84-C 07 (Mullard CV4004/EL84/EM87); Audiotailor Jade (GEC 6AS7G/Sylvania 5751); J. Sound Lab Headphone (Mullard 12AT7); Audio-GD Phoenix; Musical Paradise MP-301 (Ken-Rad 6V6GT/Mullard 6AU6)
Portable Amps: Ray Samuels Audio P-51 Mustang; Decware ZenHead; Qables iQube
Sources: Denon DP59L table + Clearaudio Maestro Wood / VPI Scoutmaster + Benz Micro Wood L2 > Audio Electronics PH-1 DJH Phono Preamp; Music Hall 25.2 DAC; Denon DVD-5900;Red Wine Audio iMod iPod (Apple Lossless) & ALO VCap dock; Sony SCD-555ES SACD player
Loudspeaker system: Krell KAV250 Preamp>Sunfire Signature II Power amp > B&W Nautilus 800 Signatures + Velodyne FSR-1500/Martin Logan Descent
Tube testers: B&K Dyna-quick 650 & Dyna-Jet 606
Head-fi feedback
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09-22-2007, 09:26 PM
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500+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Right between my ears
Posts: 786
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Skylab, you used on you iPod for this review .mp3 or lossless format ?
__________________
Grado RS-1, sr60,
Corda Cantate Low Gain Setting, Total Bithead
Before: AKG 240 K Monitor 80's, HD 414 SL, Koss Porta Pro, Sony MDR-V700, Sony Noise Canceling MDR-NC6
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09-22-2007, 09:39 PM
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500+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Macau
Posts: 528
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Skylab, as also a Meier lover, I am jealous with you. Thanks for your excellent review.
__________________
Headphone: Beyerdynamic DT880/250(05), Sennheiser HD800, HD650, HD380Pro, HD25-1II, Denon D5000, D7000, AKG K701, Grado SR225, Darth Beyer DT770/80, Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9, Shure SRH840
IEM: Shure E4C, Shure E500PTH, UE Super.fi 5 Pro, Westone UM2, UE Triple.fi 10 Pro (Lune Silver recabled), Westone 3
Amplifier: Corda Symphony-Analog, Xenos X1HA-EPC, RSA Tomahawk, RSA P-51 Mustang, RSA Shadow, Corda MOVE, iQube v1, TriadAudio LISA III Standard (Limited Edition), Diablo, PICO w/DAC
Source: Corda StageDAC, Marantz CD7300, RME9632, iPod 5G 30G, iMod 5.5G 80G, Cowon S9 32G, PC thru USB, PICO DAC
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09-22-2007, 09:44 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,539
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lerio
Skylab, you used on you iPod for this review .mp3 or lossless format ?
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I think, like it says in his sig, Apple Lossless.
__________________
Portable rig: Cowon D2 -> Cheap Buds
PC rig: Asus P6T motherboard optical out -> Apogee Mini-DAC USB -> Meier Audio Corda Cantate -> Sennheiser HD650
CDP rig: Arcam CD73 -> Apogee Mini-DAC USB -> Meier Audio Corda Cantate -> Sennheiser HD650
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09-22-2007, 09:50 PM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 8°20'23'' // 47°03'08''
Posts: 430
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Good job indeed! Answers a lot of questions - thanks!
__________________
Alas - life is short, art is long.
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09-22-2007, 10:28 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dallas, TX / St. Louis, MO
Posts: 3,152
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Good Review...
Certainly a good review and comparison.
But... would it be beneficial for someone on Headfi, who's heard a lot of components, to develop a "rating system" based on standardized criteria and point values - so, we could have a more quantative evaluation of such products?
For example - 6, 7, 8, or whatever criteria (e.g. bass, mids, highs, soundstage, holography, PRAT, details, resolution, balance, with Senns, Grados, ATHs, etc.), on a scale of 10 for each criterion.
While these would still be subject to some subjectivity - over time, clearly obvious subjectivity would be smoothed out, or identifiable.
It sure would help us all develop a much better sense of "relative" SQ and value.
I'm betting that for most equipment above $500, there wouldn't be a variance of more than 3 points on any criterian - if that. Which would sure make it a lot easier for most of us to avoid buying "uber-expensive" components, which really don't improve upon the sound that much.
__________________
Sources: Marantz SA-8001 SACD/CDP - California Audio Labs Delta Transport - California Audio Labs Alpha Tube DAC - Monarchy Audio M24 Tube DAC - Monarchy Digital Upsampler - Sony Walkman EJ612CK & JD01 Portable CDPs -- Sold: Musical Fidelity XDAC v3 -- Music Hall MMF CD25 1+ CDP - California Audio Labs Sigma II Tube DAC.
Amps: WooAudio 6 SE Maxed - Aphex 204 Aural Exciter (to remove HD650 veil) - Shellbrook Maxi Moy Portable - Grant Fidelity B-283 Tube Buffer -- Sold: Singlepower Extreme (tried, but canceled order) - Darkvoice 332 w Svetlana 6S19P-EV & Tung Sol 5654 tubes (superb) - Musical Fidelity X-CANv8 - Musical Fidelity XCAN v3 (with PinkFloyd Mods) - Musical Fidelity X10 v3 Tube Buffer with XPSU v3 - Graham Slee Solo 2007 - WooAudio 3 - Grado RA-1 - Shellbrook Audio Lab Hybrid Head (Millet Hybrid) - Core Audio Tube Buffer - Meier Audio Move.
Phones: Senn HD580 (new version modded & de-veiled) w RAL Senn Cryo-Silver cable - Grado RS-1 - ATH AD2000 - Denon AH D5000 w Markl Mods -- Sold: Bose Tri-Port ("the beginning”) - Senn HD280 Pro - Senn HD600 x2 (old versions) & HD650 x2 (old and new versions) w Cardas, Zu Mobius, Headphile Senn v2 Blacksilver cables - Grado SR125 - Grado SR225 - Grado SR325i - Grado GS-1000.
Accessories: Signal Cable Black Magic PCs x2 - Iron Lung Jellyfish PCs x2 - CT Cryo Silver ICs x6 - Shellbrook Silver Mini IC - RnB Audio Sky Blue Mini IC - Caig Pro Gold - Walker SST - Herbie‘s Tube Dampers.
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09-22-2007, 11:24 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus:
Reviewerus Prolificus
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 11,439
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dzjudz
I think, like it says in his sig, Apple Lossless.
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Yup.. I use 100% Apple Lossless.
__________________
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the volume of PM's I have been receiving in connection with my reviews, I no longer have the time to answer PM's from people with zero posts. Please read head-fi first before asking questions.
Team GO-U-NORTHWESTERN
Pics: Main Home Rig; Bedside Rig; Office Rig; Portable Rig;
Headphones: JVC HP-DX1000, HA-RX900; Headphile Deep Cup Darth Beyers VXD3,VXD4; Beyerdynamic DT990/600 (Manufaktur) DT770/600 (Manufaktur), DT880/600 Balanced (Manufaktur); HiFi-Man HE-2 Planar Magnetic; Sennheiser PXC-350; Shure SRH840
Home amps: Ray Samuels Audio Stealth (Mullard ECC32/CV4003); Decware Zen CSP-2 (Amperex BB 6DJ8/Sophia Princess 274B); Darkvoice 337 (GEC 6AS7G's/Tung-Sol mesh plate 6SJ7GTs); Wheatfield Audio HA-2 (Mullard ECC32/GEC 6AS7G/GEC U52); Ming-Da MC84-C 07 (Mullard CV4004/EL84/EM87); Audiotailor Jade (GEC 6AS7G/Sylvania 5751); J. Sound Lab Headphone (Mullard 12AT7); Audio-GD Phoenix; Musical Paradise MP-301 (Ken-Rad 6V6GT/Mullard 6AU6)
Portable Amps: Ray Samuels Audio P-51 Mustang; Decware ZenHead; Qables iQube
Sources: Denon DP59L table + Clearaudio Maestro Wood / VPI Scoutmaster + Benz Micro Wood L2 > Audio Electronics PH-1 DJH Phono Preamp; Music Hall 25.2 DAC; Denon DVD-5900;Red Wine Audio iMod iPod (Apple Lossless) & ALO VCap dock; Sony SCD-555ES SACD player
Loudspeaker system: Krell KAV250 Preamp>Sunfire Signature II Power amp > B&W Nautilus 800 Signatures + Velodyne FSR-1500/Martin Logan Descent
Tube testers: B&K Dyna-quick 650 & Dyna-Jet 606
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