Recent content by khollister
  1. khollister

    Violectric HPA V281 - Vorsprung durch Balanced (September 2023 Update: Limited Reissue Edition up for preorder!)

    Wow - ordered it yesterday (Sunday) and got an email at 5:47 this morning (Monday) with a tracking number! Does Arthur ever sleep?
  2. khollister

    Violectric HPA V281 - Vorsprung durch Balanced (September 2023 Update: Limited Reissue Edition up for preorder!)

    Well, I just ordered a V281 to take advantage of the currency discount - hope I don't regret not going with the Taurus. I prefer the McIntosh house sound to say Spectral or Bryston, so I figure I will be happier with the Violectric.
  3. khollister

    Violectric HPA V281 - Vorsprung durch Balanced (September 2023 Update: Limited Reissue Edition up for preorder!)

    I'm very confused after reading this thread - I was set to get a Taurus Mk II, but now I'm torn between it and the V281. My current cans are older HD650's and Oppo PM-3's (purchased primarily to use with my Pono), but I am planning on picking up one or more of PM-1, HD800 or possible LCD-X...
  4. khollister

    What kind of headphone amp do you have?

    Woo WA-2 but I'm probably replacing it with a Auralic Taurus MK II later this summer. I'm tired of the snipe hunt for NOS tubes and paying outrageous prices.
  5. khollister

    Oppo PM-3 : The Portable Planar - Impressions

    Which, of course, begs the questions as to whether the LCD-3's are worth $2000. I can get a loaner pair of LCD-3's from The Cable Co and I can always send the PM-1's back to Oppo or AudioAdvisor if I don't like them.   That will be this fall's project.
  6. khollister

    Oppo PM-3 : The Portable Planar - Impressions

    Not to get too far OT, but different how? I understand the PM-1 is slightly darker than the PM-3?
  7. khollister

    Oppo PM-3 : The Portable Planar - Impressions

    Not sure how the amp in the Pono compares power-wise to what player you are considering, but my new PM-3's have sufficient volume in single-ended mode. On the rare classical album that is mastered quite low (much of the Reference Recording stuff, for instance) I run the volume in the Pono at or...
  8. khollister

    Oppo PM-3 : The Portable Planar - Impressions

    Got the PM-3's today and I'm very pleased so far with how they sound on the Pono. There is some upper midrange/lower treble energy that is missing on the HD650's that significantly reduces the veiling on certain instruments/ranges (piano an octave or more above middle C for instance). There is...
  9. khollister

    PONO - Neil Youngs portable hi-res music player

    I'm planning on picking up a Taurus MK II this fall, so going balanced full time on the Senn's is not a problem. Im assuming there are decent mini-XLR to dual TRS adapters?
  10. khollister

    PONO - Neil Youngs portable hi-res music player

    Yup. Got the firmware updated (finally - what a MCF) and some music loaded - thing sounds pretty damn good right out of the box with the HD650. The problem is volume - on many classical albums that are mastered lower in level, I don't have enough volume with the 650's.   Now the question is...
  11. khollister

    PONO - Neil Youngs portable hi-res music player

    Not sure I follow what you're saying. The PM-3's are apparently very efficient (confirmed by the InnnerFidelity measurements) with a pretty flat impedence of about 26 ohms so I doubt the Pono will have difficulty driving them. I realize Tyll recommended 30 ohms or higher, but I wasn't expecting...
  12. khollister

    Oppo PM-3 : The Portable Planar - Impressions

    After going blind reading reviews of semi-portable closed phones to use with my new Pono player, I settled on the PM-3's (nowhere to audition anything decent in town). Unfortunately I won't be able to really audition them on my main rig versus the HD650's I have since the WA-2 is OTL and...
  13. khollister

    PONO - Neil Youngs portable hi-res music player

    Well, I'm going down to a local Pono retailer today to pick one up to use on our summer travel. Also ordered some Oppo PM-3's to use with it along with my HD650's (may spring for the Moon balanced cable for the Sennheisers). It will be interesting to see how it compares to my full size rig. 
  14. khollister

    ARRIVED: new Rega DAC

    Good to hear - I was rather amazed at how much worse it sounded with the stock power cable.
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