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Press Release-HeadRoom "official" announcement of the Audiophile Desktop

post #1 of 45
7/28/08 at 6:30pm
Thread Starter 

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

7-28-2008

HeadRoom redefines High-End Computer Workstation Listening!

Audio enthusiasts who sit in front of a computer all day and yearn for a high quality listening experience should turn off their computer speakers and listen to this. HeadRoom Corporation (a Bozeman Montana based firm) has recently redefined high-end computer workstation listening with the introduction of their Audiophile Desktop System which delivers what can only be described as a miniature high-end listening room experience on your desk.

Many options are available, but the basic system consists of: a headphone amp/pre-amp to switch between input signals and adjust the volume; a power amp/s to drive the speakers; speaker stands which properly position speakers at ear height and on axis, and the speakers themselves which can be selected and purchased either through HeadRoom or at your local audio dealer.

The HeadRoom Desktop Headphone Amp is the center of the system and provides all the switching between input signals and volume control. The volume controlled preamp output on the rear of the headphone amp as sent to one of three HeadRoom Desktop Power Amps available: a 50 Watt/channel Desktop Stereo Amp; a pair of 170 Watt/amp mono-block amplifiers; and a pair of 50Watt/channel Desktop Bi-Amps for speakers that are capable of bi-amplification. All the electronic gear can conveniently mount inside the speaker stands ensuring your desk is a clutter free as it is good sounding.

A few pre-configured, packaged systems are available; please feel free to call for personalized configuration and package discount.

Audiophile Desktop Article Series:Products - HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

Audiophile Desktop Products: The Audiophile Desktop - HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

####

Contact: sales@headphone.com

Press Contact: marketing@headphone.com

HeadRoom
HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears
800-828-8184
406-587-9466
Fax 406-587-9484
2020 Gilkerson Dr.
Bozeman, MT 59715
HeadRoom was founded in 1992 & manufactures headphone amps, DACs, and accessories; and sells headphones & related personal audio gear.
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post #2 of 45
7/28/08 at 9:31pm
Wow, for the truly addicted and spoiled computer person/audiophile!
Looks like a home music mixing studio
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post #3 of 45
7/28/08 at 10:00pm
Holy bovine, $500 for those pieces of metal!
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post #4 of 45
7/28/08 at 10:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule View Post
Holy bovine, $500 for those pieces of metal!
Those would be exquisitely crafted, fully adjustable, covered in the finest rubber available, with integrated headphone holder, capable of supporting a hundred pounds or more pieces of metal. If you saw them and held them you'd understand, they'll out live you and your gear.
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post #5 of 45
7/28/08 at 10:42pm
I have the stands and they are substantial. They are very flexible in terms of adjustment of position of the speakers. They are also made to integrate with the Headroom amps and headphone amp/preamps. If you are serious about a desktop audiophile rig, you will have to consider these as part of that rig. By the time you've spent $1800 on the the preamp/amp, another $1000 plus on speakers, the $500 for the stands will likely not be an issue, imo.
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post #6 of 45
7/29/08 at 2:11am
I am not adverse to the idea of $500 stands (most sound anchor stands are >$500); what I do take issue with is that $500 can only buy you a pair desktop stands with no mass-load capability. I have had enough experience with the little Harbeth to say definitively that you will not get nearly enough millage out of those Harbeth on the Headroom stand.

Perhaps had I tried it in person before I knew the pricing I wouldn't have such a negative attitude toward it, but as it stands I am so disgusted with the pricing that I don't even want to try it.

P.S. People do realize that its an audio-disaster when placing D-class amp in such a vibration-prone environment right? I just think the desktop speaker system is a bad idea (think about why multimedia speakers are at least 3 pieces with the bass module on the floor)
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post #7 of 45
7/29/08 at 2:26am
$500 for pieces of metal? $1800 for a preamp/amp combo? In high audio most of the $ is on packaging, i.e., aluminum housing and what not. But look at the op-amp and pcb board. Vishay resistors, blah blah blah...who needs 0.1%resistors in audio? Vacuum tubes don't operate at that level of resistance.
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post #8 of 45
7/29/08 at 6:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wuwhere View Post
$500 for pieces of metal? $1800 for a preamp/amp combo? In high audio most of the $ is on packaging, i.e., aluminum housing and what not. But look at the op-amp and pcb board. Vishay resistors, blah blah blah...who needs 0.1%resistors in audio? Vacuum tubes don't operate at that level of resistance.
Vacuum tubes? where do you see a vacuum tube in the audiophile desktop?

So you're saying that is better to pay 1000 for a crap pcb and parts with great looks than for high quality pcb and parts with a great enclosure? I don't get your point.

This has been discussed 100000000000000 times before here, Headroom products don't have such a great Price/performance ratio as say DIY. Headroom is a business. I personally don't buy their products because I prefer to DIY, but if I didn't they would be on the top of my choices. And using 0.1 resistors, and good opamps and parts overall IS good for audio.

I don't know of your audio or electronics experience but coming here with just a few posts and starting to talk trash about a company's products doesn't look good...

oh, and what does the accuracy of a resistor have to do with it's level of resistance(whatever that is...)...
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post #9 of 45
7/29/08 at 10:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MASantos View Post
oh, and what does the accuracy of a resistor have to do with it's level of resistance(whatever that is...)...
Perhaps he's referring to the accuracy of the resistance rating, such as that a 47ohm resistor may actually be 47.00001ohm.

Regarding the speaker stands, holy bovine is right! Regardless of how awesome those stands are, does anybody really need stands so good? I guess if nobody needed them, they wouldn't be made, so that's that. Or maybe it's if nobody wanted them. But is there any real difference between want and need in a place like this?
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post #10 of 45
7/29/08 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chesebert View Post
I am not adverse to the idea of $500 stands (most sound anchor stands are >$500); what I do take issue with is that $500 can only buy you a pair desktop stands with no mass-load capability. I have had enough experience with the little Harbeth to say definitively that you will not get nearly enough millage out of those Harbeth on the Headroom stand.

Perhaps had I tried it in person before I knew the pricing I wouldn't have such a negative attitude toward it, but as it stands I am so disgusted with the pricing that I don't even want to try it.

P.S. People do realize that its an audio-disaster when placing D-class amp in such a vibration-prone environment right? I just think the desktop speaker system is a bad idea (think about why multimedia speakers are at least 3 pieces with the bass module on the floor)
I'll say you have to see these stands to get it. These are EXTREMELY solid stands, and the harbeths sound spectacular in exactly the setup pictured.
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post #11 of 45
7/29/08 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by grawk View Post
I'll say you have to see these stands to get it. These are EXTREMELY solid stands, and the harbeths sound spectacular in exactly the setup pictured.
I am not saying Harbeth will sound bad on a Headroom stand (Harbeth sounds good anywhere). Having been very familiar with P3ES-2 for the past 2 years I can tell you that with proper setup using Sound Anchor, these little spkr can shake the floor. Did the harbeth you listened to shake the floor? table? chair? anything? Knowing the true potential of P3ES do you really want to use only 60% of its true potential when you had already paid 100% (assuming your answer to the previous question is no).
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post #12 of 45
7/29/08 at 12:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chesebert View Post
I just think the desktop speaker system is a bad idea (think about why multimedia speakers are at least 3 pieces with the bass module on the floor)
You may be right, but for some of us (say, in houses infested with small children) it's the best audio option we have.

I agree the stands are expensive, but a big part of the value for me would lie in the small overall system footprint when used with a Headroom amp/dac. Forget the Harbeths and the outboard amps, just add some decent active monitors and you're styling.
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post #13 of 45
7/29/08 at 1:36pm
That little black rectangular box sitting in front of the computer monitor looks VERY much like a SqueezeBox from Logitech (formerly SlimDevices). Ah, and the remote control for it is off to the right between the keyboard and the monitor.

(OK, Now that the picture has been updated with labels, it's obvious!) :-)

Why would you use a squeezebox when sitting right in front of your PC? The point of the SqueezeBox is to allow you to listen to music stored on your PC *without* sitting in front of your PC.

I wonder what they were thinking when they set that up. I have a SB connected to a headphone amp, but it is nowhere near a PC - that's the whole point.
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post #14 of 45
7/29/08 at 1:40pm
for example purposes, showing options
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post #15 of 45
7/29/08 at 1:43pm
I've actually heard the system in the photo (I'm pretty sure that was the configuration at HeadFest 2007), and it was stunningly good. Hearing that made me want to get into desktop audio, which I'm slowly dipping my feet into.


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