Head-Fi.org › Forums › Head-Fi Special Forums › Premier Sponsor Forums and Sponsor Forums › Premier Sponsor Forums › HeadRoom Premier Sponsor Forum › Pie-in-the-sky, if you could have anything, product suggestion thread.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Pie-in-the-sky, if you could have anything, product suggestion thread.

post #1 of 144
6/19/07 at 12:31pm
Thread Starter 
Jimmy made a great suggestion:

Quote:
Originally Posted by jpelg
If you want general suggestions, create a thread asking for open suggestions for desired products from the masses.If you want general suggestions, create a thread asking for open suggestions for desired products from the masses.
OK. What would products would you like to see in the future? PLease comment on why you would like the product; if and why you think it would be a good product for HeadRoom to produce; and estimate how successful it might be for us.
Reply
post #2 of 144
6/19/07 at 12:43pm
Great idea for a thread, Tyll!

(Seriously, thanks for taking the suggestion.)

I'd like to see a more Grado-centric amp. That is, something for the low-impedance camp (Grado, Audio-Technica, Ultrasone, etc.) that don't require so much voltage as current. More & more headphones being made these days are much lower in impedance than Sennheiser HDxxx's, or the older classic 600-ohm AKG's.

Why is the Melos still touted as one of the best amps for Grados? I'd think someone would have come up with hybrid tubed-input, SS-output design since 1992 that could compete on the Maestrobation level by now? A totally untapped market that has been left high-and-dry (especially since Carlo isn't Maestrobating any more).

And/or maybe an SS-only version based on a Szekere-like buffer w/Mosfets & low-gain stage to give the current drive and tubey goodness?

Single-ended is fine, but options on that would be good too.

Power supply is paramount, and non-negotiable. Only TOTL on this part.

Another major value-ad that the Melos had was pre-amp functionality with multiple inputs. Maybe even an optional phono-stage plugin board?
Reply
post #3 of 144
6/19/07 at 1:32pm
how about a dac that would get this entry:

Headroom Max Dac $1999 http://www.headphone.com/
Quote:
Oversampling (optional)
Dac: Dual-mono 4X PCM1794
output: Class A Discrete
input: USB/Coaxial/Toslink
It would have a beautiful wadia-like interface, remote control, digital crossfeed.... and sound better than the Esoteric DV60.

It will be good because I want it... and because it would be "the" dac in this price category... every time a person wants a high end source, this will be the de-facto dac and make headroom a household name in audio (the new benchmark).
Reply
post #4 of 144
6/19/07 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by granodemostasa View Post
how about a dac that would get this entry:

Headroom Max Dac $1999 http://www.headphone.com/


It would have a beautiful wadia-like interface, remote control, digital crossfeed.... and sound better than the Esoteric DV60.

It will be good because I want it... and because it would be "the" dac in this price category... every time a person wants a high end source, this will be the de-facto dac and make headroom a household name in audio (the new benchmark).
$2000 would be too low to make this profitable for the manufacture.

Anyways, my suggestion: a TOTL transformer-coupled tube amp.
Reply
post #5 of 144
6/19/07 at 3:20pm
In the 80's I owned a Sumo Polaris amp. I really liked the sound of that amp - if you could make an headphone amp that sounded like that I think it would really work with the Grado's. Sumo had a high failure rate (flawed design) with the amp design so they went out of business. That would have to be figured out and fixed.
Reply
post #6 of 144
6/19/07 at 4:49pm
A headphone amp that can access my music collection on my computer....wirelessly, a la Slim Devices.
Reply
post #7 of 144
6/19/07 at 11:38pm
I mentioned this in the other thread, but I'll elaborate here.

HeadRoom Audio Gear Protection

Cases and bags made not just for HR amps, but audio devices/accessories in general. Also, many of us have more than one (read several) headphones and/or amps. I'd love to see a nice looking case capable of holding multiple phones in some sort of moldable protective material. Why would this be useful? As an apartment dweller in Manhattan, space is at a premium. I have a fair amount of gear, and Mrs. Monkey doesn't love when it gets spread all over the place. Add a curious Baby Monkey to the mix and you can see the need for a system that would allow one to stow gear in stylish protection while maintaining easy access.
Reply
post #8 of 144
6/20/07 at 12:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Monkey View Post
I mentioned this in the other thread, but I'll elaborate here.

HeadRoom Audio Gear Protection

Cases and bags made not just for HR amps, but audio devices/accessories in general. Also, many of us have more than one (read several) headphones and/or amps. I'd love to see a nice looking case capable of holding multiple phones in some sort of moldable protective material. Why would this be useful? As an apartment dweller in Manhattan, space is at a premium. I have a fair amount of gear, and Mrs. Monkey doesn't love when it gets spread all over the place. Add a curious Baby Monkey to the mix and you can see the need for a system that would allow one to stow gear in stylish protection while maintaining easy access.
X2

I think this is a great idea. I love Headroom gear bags and think you do a great job. Headroom designs are stylish and very functional.
Reply
post #9 of 144
6/20/07 at 12:15am
Also, how about a HeadRoom Transport to pair with your DACs? My CDs probably would see more use as a result.
Reply
post #10 of 144
6/20/07 at 12:33am
HR makes a great sounding but cheap phono stage for $100. throw it in a Airhead case to save on space and money. don't call it any of HR's regular names for the line products.. instead give it a name to get some attention, like "the little head".
also sell it and push it out to your competitors, musicdirect, needle doctor, ttvj to name a few..
reason why you want the competition to sell is oblivious..more later attention to Headroom and other products you sell by a wider range of people who normally would not look your way.


(if anyone use's any of my ideas then you consider yourself sending me a free model!)
Reply
post #11 of 144
6/20/07 at 5:28am

solar powered charger

a solar powered charger for the Micro Portable Amp and an iPod. for camping and when we are off the grid so we are able to keep on jamming! q:O)>

plus it would be nice to have a Green product so to speak. kinda, sorta self-sustaining. you could load your iPod once and be off the grid for months at a time on some adventure and still be able to charge you amp and iPod. natural disaster could strike and your power is out for a week but your still able to charge your amp and iPod(maybe even a cellphone). or just to take the load off our ever growing needs for electricity.

..
Reply
post #12 of 144
6/20/07 at 12:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bhd812 View Post


(if anyone use's any of my ideas then you consider yourself sending me a free model!)
You're not the first to want a phono pre.
Reply
post #13 of 144
6/20/07 at 12:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jpelg View Post
I'd like to see a more Grado-centric amp. That is, something for the low-impedance camp (Grado, Audio-Technica, Ultrasone, etc.) that don't require so much voltage as current. More & more headphones being made these days are much lower in impedance than Sennheiser HDxxx's, or the older classic 600-ohm AKG's.

Why is the Melos still touted as one of the best amps for Grados? I'd think someone would have come up with hybrid tubed-input, SS-output design since 1992 that could compete on the Maestrobation level by now? A totally untapped market that has been left high-and-dry (especially since Carlo isn't Maestrobating any more).

And/or maybe an SS-only version based on a Szekere-like buffer w/Mosfets & low-gain stage to give the current drive and tubey goodness?

Single-ended is fine, but options on that would be good too.

Power supply is paramount, and non-negotiable. Only TOTL on this part.

Another major value-ad that the Melos had was pre-amp functionality with multiple inputs. Maybe even an optional phono-stage plugin board?
Amen to this, we definitely need some more Grado-centric amps. I'm not so interested in preamp functionality or a phono stage. Typically I like my components to do one thing, and in this case I'd like this amp to power lower ohmed cans, period.

Quote:
Originally Posted by granodemostasa View Post
how about a dac that would get this entry:

Headroom Max Dac $1999 http://www.headphone.com/


It would have a beautiful wadia-like interface, remote control, digital crossfeed.... and sound better than the Esoteric DV60.

It will be good because I want it... and because it would be "the" dac in this price category... every time a person wants a high end source, this will be the de-facto dac and make headroom a household name in audio (the new benchmark).
An out and out "high end" headroom dac would be the bomb. I'm not to interested in a beautiful wadia-like interface, remote control, or digital crossfeed, but sounding better then the Esoteric DV60 sounds good. I don't like any frivolous stuff on my gear, just make sure it sounds amazing.

Quote:
Originally Posted by thrice View Post
A headphone amp that can access my music collection on my computer....wirelessly, a la Slim Devices.
Not at all interested in this. Sorry thrice! I'm sure others are though. I just have no real need for a squeezebox type thing, I'd rather headroom's energies go elsewhere.
Reply
post #14 of 144
6/20/07 at 1:12pm

my sky pie

Tyll,

I would love for Headroom to produce a truely portable, high fidelity digital audio player. It should be small enough to carry on a plane, with sufficient battery life for an international flight. It should support several lossless formats, with a reasonable DAC and a solid headphone amplifier. It would be unique in that its design emphasizes sound quality over cost/prolonged battery life/cosmetics.

I will restrict my remarks to only one of your prompts,
Quote:
comment on why you would like the product.
It would solve a number of problems I face when I travel or live temporarily away from home (think vacation). I could also use it as my office rig, perhaps with powered speakers if a line out were included. The advantage to me would be that I would not have to concern myself with all the hassles associated with separate components (interconnects, synergy, multiple batteries, awkwardness in transport). I have spent a fair amount of time & money trying portable components. It sure would be appealing to have a one box solution that did sound quality well.

If such a product is currently available I would like to know about it.

A thought about pricing: consider what an iMod + Hornet + a cable costs.
Reply
post #15 of 144
6/20/07 at 6:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjhatfield View Post
I don't like any frivolous stuff on my gear, just make sure it sounds amazing.

I'd rather headroom's energies go elsewhere.
dido! q:O)
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: HeadRoom Premier Sponsor Forum
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Head-Fi Special Forums › Premier Sponsor Forums and Sponsor Forums › Premier Sponsor Forums › HeadRoom Premier Sponsor Forum › Pie-in-the-sky, if you could have anything, product suggestion thread.