RSA Apache Impressions (with nice pic) - Page 3

Thanks for the nice words. Someone asked me how the Apache/dynamic phone experience compared to the Staxes (I also have had the 007t/Omegas since 1999. Here's what I told them.)

The Staxes generate exquisitely pure, continuous, beautiful images that are well defined and have very distinct boundaries. Tonality is perfect from the sweet highs to
the firm and clear bass. There is an overall fluid sound; everthing just flows. There is no tizziness, rawness, or discontinuity of any kind. It seems to fill in the blanks everywhere. The sound in very similar to Quads I have heard. They never offend, regardless of the quality of the recording. Like Will Rogers, the Staxes never met a recording they didn't like.

But, the images are smaller than life, and there is not the sense of expansiveness or distance up, down, around I hear with dynamic phones, especially with the Grado GS1000s, which open up a new frontier in this respect to my ears. The dynamics put me in the performance space. (With the Grados, they actually give speakers a run for the money in this regard.) The dynamic sound is more raw than than the Staxes, more challenging to listen to, but
not in an offensive or abrasive way. While the Staxes are more absorbing, the Grados are more involving and participatory.

The Staxes, while comfortable and do not make me sweat at at all,
still press on my head somewhat and I find myself adjusting them a lot.
I am always aware of them.

The Grados are super-comfortable and feel great, like a fine, light shoe does.
I actually like the way they feel.


I enjoy both of them depending on my mood. I like to listen to the same recording on one than the other for
a different experience. (Maybe there is no absolute sound...)

It's really a grey area; both stats and conventional have their strengths. If you read stereophile, it seems everytime there is a review of stat phones,
(by Wes Phillips and others), they always seem to end up saying they like the Sennheisers--& now the AKG 701s-- better.

Now I keep coming back to the GS1000s with the Apache. Yeah I think the Grados can
have some searing highs without any equalization. But with some judicious roll-off (a bit at 1.2 kHz, and more at 4 kHz and above), they are spectacular to me, absolutely spellbinding; a you-are-there feeling with just enough softness to avoid fatigue.
I've never really seem equalization work well, but somehow,
with the GS1000s, it seem to be the perfect remedy.
I think the Grados are on the verge of greatness, and maybe Joe Grado can
tweak them to pull down the frequency response curve in the upper mids and highs a bit and see if the magicly spacious soundstage and just-right image definition remain. If he can do this, I think it would be a major advance in headphone technology.

Saving up my pennies...

That is the problem with Ray's product, everyone buying the Apache and B-52 are enjoying their new toy, they don't want to lose a minute posting but instead would rather spend the time listening.

I was reading the latest issue of "The Absolute Sound" and came across this article:

http://www.avguide.com/news/2007/08/...igh-end-sound/

I talked to Ray and he indicated the LME49710NA was the one that was compatible with the Apache. At the price, I couldn't pass up giving this chip a try.

http://www3.national.com/pf/LM/LME49710.html

As they say, nothing venture, nothing gained.

No problem at all.

Anybody else think the HD650 loses a little slam factor out of the Apache?

Afrikane:

I can't comment on the Apache, as I haven't heard it yet, but I have been using an SR71, which exhibits Ray's "house sound" as it is often called. While an excellent amp, to my ears it does indeed drop off the very bottom edge, but it is a very clean trimming. Bass seems cleaned up compared to the amp on my Emu 0404 USB, with less bloat, and improved definition. Same results with the 5g ipod internal amp. But it counters the drop with a satisfying mid range punch.

That being said, I have still occasionally experienced the feel of the headphones actually pulsating on my head, especially from bands like Crystal Method.

My assumption is that the Apache follows Ray's house sound, which would infer similar results as I have experienced with the SR71.

That of course is my personal estimate, YMMV.

Thanks. Definition is superb I think. Perhaps I am just used to the HP4 over achieving in the slam department.

Audio Addict,

I was interested to hear in your recent posting about yet more possible op amps. As I recall you had already bought some LT1028s to switch for the AD797s. Did it make a difference?

When I got my Apache I initially had some problem with noise at several of the lowest gain settings. Ray suggested switching the op amps for the LT1028s, and I did so. After 100 hours burn-in, which is what Ray recommended, they sounded great and did away with the noise problem. While switching op amps was pretty easy, I never did try to A/B them with the AD797s because I did not want to take any unnecessary risk. My impression is that the Apache sounded much the same with the LT1028s--extremely high resolution, very natural sound for instruments. I'm curious as to what your reaction was.

ctemkin

I've also swapped out my AD797 op-amps but with OPA627. I also did experience some noise issues at the lowest gain settings (between 6'oclock and 8'oclock) but that's been remedied with the switch.

I definitely prefer the sound coming out of the Apache with the OPA627. There's an extra touch of warmth without loss of detail or resolution - something which synergizes with my W5000s.