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Decided on an amp...

post #1 of 10
9/22/01 at 9:00pm
Thread Starter 
After spending a fair amount of time listening to various Solid State Headphone amps, I've decided to go with tubes.

Unfortuneately, the only tube Headphone amp I've heard is the Orpheus. I've listened to seperate and integrated tubes and even the cheap ones seem more musical than most solid state amps for double or triple the money...IMO.

So, the decision came down to the MG HEAD and Musical Fidelity XCans v2. There seems to be no consensus at this site. Both have had various quality control issues, but I have a feeling that is part of tube ownership.

I've decided on the MG HEAD(with Gold front panel) and I think I will order online.

Has anyone bought this unit from Divergent Technologies in Canada? How much extra will the shipping run?

If you guys know of anything I should be aware of...please let me know.
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post #2 of 10
9/22/01 at 9:09pm
I hear the X-Cans sound more 'forward' and the MG Head sounds more 'tubey'... and the HD600+MG Head combo is really good for classical... So your choice is good.

However be warned the MG Head does have a bunch of problems (like noisy pot, hissing, etc). Not sure about the X-Cans.
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post #3 of 10
9/22/01 at 10:26pm
Of course only some people have had problems with their MG-Head. When I owned one, it was just fine. There was no hissing until the volume control was around 3:00, which I think is normal for many tube amps, and no other noise whatsoever.

The amp sounds very nice, but beware of the temptation to change the tubes in it. Changing the tubes changes the sound, often for the better, but it can become addictive and expensive...
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post #4 of 10
9/22/01 at 11:26pm
Yeah, tube rolling can be time-consuming, but for me it was worth it to really enjoy my former MG Head. Mine developed some specific channel issue, resulting in a nice loud HUM whenever any tube was in that channel... never found out why, as I sent it back and got a Max instead.
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post #5 of 10
9/23/01 at 12:27am
Thread Starter 
DH Wilkin

Do you have a sight for the Headroom Max? Is it also a tube amp?

I have not seen that one...I might change my mind...any reviews etc..?
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post #6 of 10
9/23/01 at 12:41am
RGA: The Headroom Max is one of Headroom's best solid-state amps....not tubes here

You can get info about the max, and a whole bunch of other amps, headphones, and other equipment at Headroom's Site.
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post #7 of 10
9/23/01 at 1:09am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Coolvij.

But Man...it sells for $1700.00. I think I'll have to live with the quirky QC problems of the MG Head.

I was thinking about the Sugden Headmaster If I went the Solid State route...but in Canada it will likely run over $1000.00. I may be able to get the Head at $350.00 Canadian. It leaves more in the budget to buy a new integrated amp and sell my Arcam. The MG HEAD is kind of an experiment...if it goes well then I may look at buying a Tube Integrated.
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post #8 of 10
9/23/01 at 1:22am
If you're willing to take a quality control risk, you might want to leap for one of the Melos headphone amplifiers. Search for "melos" on http://www.audiogon.com/ for more information. I know the SHA-1 model is a headphone amplifier for sure, but I'm also pretty sure that the Gold and Maestro models are as well. I'd contact the sellers and ask.

Basically, Melos is out of business. Repairing Melos amps is a pain; you have to send the damaged amp off to a particular company ("Melos Audio Restorations" if I'm not mistaken) that handles that stuff, and it takes weeks or months to get back from what I've heard.

However, Melos amps have always had an incredible reputation for sound. The SHA-1 that you can get for $425 was originally $1200 and is still considered quite excellent -- I would wager definitely better than an MG-Head or X-Cans (others have said as much). Note that I haven't had experience with them myself, though. Just something for you to consider.
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post #9 of 10
9/23/01 at 1:32am
Thread Starter 
Actually, I don't want to take too much of a risk LOL. With the MG Head I can speak directly to Joseph Lau over at Audio Asylum ... the maker/owner of the company. Plus, There is an ASL Dealer an hour away from here that can get the unit fixed if need be. I'm thinking I should buy it from the retailer...with the 5 year warranty given if I have a problem I can take it to them. I would probably have to pay $450.00Canadian instead of $350.00 but it might be worth it.??? I've never bought an audio componant over the internet...and I feel a little wary of the customer care if any...plus I hate the idea of having to ship things all over the place when they break down. RPITA(Royal Pain in the *****).
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post #10 of 10
9/23/01 at 2:54am
Posted by RGA
Quote:
I can speak directly to Joseph Lau over at Audio Asylum
You can also speak to him here, he is a member.
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