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An Audiophile’s Journal: Introduction - Page 3

post #31 of 105
1/5/06 at 6:28pm
Congrats! The better seal you get, the better bass you will get. But imho the triflanges are evil - stick with the foamies. You never know when you will push the IEM in so deep that the flange pops out, and hello trip to the emergency room!

Your next step imho is to get a Sony SA5K. If you like the hyperreal ety, the SA5K probably makes the most sense from a home can aspect.
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post #32 of 105
1/6/06 at 2:04pm
Thread Starter 
This one may sound like it's coming out of left field, but I'm thinking about selling (or returning) my Aria...

I’m finding the Ety ER-4S / Aria combo to be pretty dry. Whereas, I'm finding the Ety to iPod G5 combo to be less "accurate," but in some ways more satisfying for listening as low to moderate volumes. This leaves me with $400 invested in an amp that I am finding I can live without.

Now that Arias retail for $450 (the sale is off), what would be a fair price for this like-new unit?
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post #33 of 105
1/6/06 at 3:47pm
I thought about the Aria myself but suspected it may be not to my liking based on what I've read. I'm going to try the Ray Samuels Hornet with the mod to make it less 'in your face' and see how I do with it. The modded version should be better suited to the Ety whereas the unmodded is probably better for the laid back HD-580's.
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post #34 of 105
1/6/06 at 6:38pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by smeggy
I thought about the Aria myself but suspected it may be not to my liking based on what I've read. I'm going to try the Ray Samuels Hornet with the mod to make it less 'in your face' and see how I do with it. The modded version should be better suited to the Ety whereas the unmodded is probably better for the laid back HD-580's.
Don't read too much into my decision...

I still think that this combo delivers more sound per dollar than anything I've ever heard. But it lacks in many areas compared to what I'm used to with my home rig (there's a big price difference too!). And remember this is my first round with head-fi -- I doubt that any amp at this price would fair any better.

Regarding your comment about in your face: This amp is not in your face. If anything it comes off reserved at low to moderate volumes. Bring the volume up a bit and the sound is very good (considering the price). It's just not enough to float my boat after living with my home rig.

So it comes down to this: I am finding this combo does not satisfy my audiophile needs, and it’s overkill for casual listening, where I find the stock iPod / Etys do just fine.

My only meaningful nit for the Aria is the blue LED. Jan has addressed this in another thread, so all things considered the Aria will likely be tough to beat for the $.

I plan to give it another day or so before making a final decision.
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post #35 of 105
1/6/06 at 7:49pm
Heck, just put it on the sale forums for $400 but eat the shipping costs for a domestic sale. That way you don't feel like you made a profit, and someone else gets a used Aria for under the current market price. win win!
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post #36 of 105
1/6/06 at 8:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smeggy
I thought about the Aria myself but suspected it may be not to my liking based on what I've read. I'm going to try the Ray Samuels Hornet with the mod to make it less 'in your face' and see how I do with it. The modded version should be better suited to the Ety whereas the unmodded is probably better for the laid back HD-580's.

I've been getting a similar impression about the ARIA from the reactions I've been reading, and I was so close to buying it, but reading between the lines, no one seems to be really raving about it.

Now, as for the new Larocca PRII ... that sounds extremely promising...
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post #37 of 105
1/6/06 at 8:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smeggy
I'm going to try the Ray Samuels Hornet with the mod to make it less 'in your face' and see how I do with it. The modded version should be better suited to the Ety whereas the unmodded is probably better for the laid back HD-580's.
Ray abandoned the idea of having two different-sounding Hornets. There is only one "unmodded" version.
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post #38 of 105
1/6/06 at 8:52pm
No harm in asking
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post #39 of 105
1/6/06 at 9:03pm

Save the Aria post...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alwayswantmore

As this series begins – having NEVER heard a modern head-fi rig – I don’t know the answers.
Hello Kent,

I suspect that you will soon send back the Etys as well....

I never suspected that all along the German amp was to drive exclusively an iPod. If it's the case stop your journey into the amps world right there. It doesn't worth the trouble and the $ and the trauma of having to live with the SQ reduction from the one you enjoy using your main rig. Listening to the Etys directly from your iPod will be enough IF and only IF you use it on the go. But using an iPod at home, even driven from an amp, is a contradiction in itself.

On the other hand the Aria + (choose the regular headphone you like from the Grads/Senns/AKGs/etc.) + your CDP = a completely new sonic experience.

Amicalement
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post #40 of 105
1/7/06 at 1:56am
Thread Starter 
Someone needs to be first. Looks like its me...

I'm selling my Aria and it's listed in the For Sale / Trade Forum. I want to be very clear that the Aria is the ONLY headamp I’ve ever heard, so don’t take my decision as a reflection on the product.

I appreciate everything that this forum has done to help me put my toe in the water, but I’m going to stick with component stereo.
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post #41 of 105
1/9/06 at 12:54pm
Thread Starter 
Spent a couple more hours listening last night. Decided to hang on to the Aria after all.
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post #42 of 105
1/9/06 at 1:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alwayswantmore
Spent a couple more hours listening last night. Decided to hang on to the Aria after all.
That's nice to know.

the amp is opening up nicely for me now, around 30+ hours burned in. So far I like the DT990 the most followed by HD650 with this amp, bear in mind the HD650 is catching up as the amp gets burned in. MS2i (bowls) is also good but the bass is lacking.

the internal DAC works flawlessy, plug it in, it set's itself up and your ready to go
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post #43 of 105
1/9/06 at 2:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by practitioner
That's nice to know.

the amp is opening up nicely for me now, around 30+ hours burned in. So far I like the DT990 the most followed by HD650 with this amp, bear in mind the HD650 is catching up as the amp gets burned in. MS2i (bowls) is also good but the bass is lacking.

the internal DAC works flawlessy, plug it in, it set's itself up and your ready to go
I think that the Etys are the main limitation in what I am hearing. I want isolation and the flexibility to use with iPod on the go, so I am happy that I have the Etys. Over time I hope to get a chance to listen to other headphones. Hopefully I will be able to get something like the HD 650 or DT 990s on on my gift list for next Christmas.

BTW: What do you think of the Crossfeed? At first I thought that I was losing some detail and sense of space so I didn't use it. But last night I did most of my listening with Xfeed on, and found the sound more 'settled'.
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post #44 of 105
1/9/06 at 2:19pm
I love listening to the amp - all my music is now piped through the adoring box rather then through my audigy 2. I do think that the HD555 sound great throught it. I did try my E2c once... but I immediately stopped that as they sounded dreadful (though I love them via my X5 on the go)

Can't wait to try out the MS1 and the DT880 (just ordered them)
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post #45 of 105
1/9/06 at 3:38pm
Even if you have to borrow some good full-sized headphones, you need to try that out before re-re-thinking your head amp experience. No knock on the Etys, but IEMs just won't reproduce the home/speaker listening experience you want when you are sitting in your home. I am not surprised you find the Etys dry or sterile out of that amp, and I am guessing you might be hearing a lot more noise than you would otherwise. IEMs are sensitive and perfect for mobile use, IMO, but I cannot enjoy my Super.Fi 5 Pros while sitting at home. Slapping on some HD650s or CD3000s or HF-1s is a whole different experience. I am sure you will like it and will find it entirely engrossing if you are a speaker-based audiophile. You will be amazed at the difference going from Etys to any good full-sized cans.

I think you are also going to experience the amp differently as it settles in, and prectitioner points out that his Aria is sounding better and better. As for the cross-feed, I have the Corda Prehead Mk. II and I love the cross-feed feature on that amp. I was not sure I would but listening without it a great deal for a cable comparison drove home how much it adds to the sound. I really do not hear a loss of detail and if anything it adds to the sense of space for me.

Enjoy that rig! Get your hands on some cans and see what it can do.

Cheers.
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