Sennheiser HD800 Certificate for Frequency Response Arrived - Page 11

Thanks for the correction, Skylab.

I'm really interested in reading your review of the Phoenix with HD800 SE. (I promise not to post any critical comments!)


That might actually be interesting. I wonder if balanced is always better than SE. I haven't been able to do any straight A/B comparisons, but I find I like the SE sound in certain lineups. My balanced listening is limited.

LOL - and thanks I am really looking forward to hearing it. I like the Audio-GD C-2-C very much, and the Phoenix is supposed to be much better - so I'm very excited to give it a spin!

I just have a second but i will tell you this, I had the Phoenix SE and Balanced vs the Zana in one sitting with the exact same inputs. Then later I tried it again at a meet.

I liked the Zana better SE hands down but balanced Phoenix vs Zana SE, the Phoenix may have edged it out, I thought that for sure on my first go around at least. Later at the meet i wasn't so sure but that first time we really had controlled conditions and I was very impressed. The Phoenix SE sounded a bit flat to my ears.

Just a quick input seeing how you guys are talking about it now, gotta go.

Edit- that was at IpodPJs home, he does run it balanced, it is the obvious choice.

That would be a cool comparison, too -- if you have the time.

dallan, that's interesting. With all the excitement surrounding the Phoenix, it's hard to imagine another amp -- SE to boot -- could even come close. What would you say was the determining factor for you? I'm assuming IpodPJ didn't agree. I'm assuming not in dynamics, soundstage, articulation, or bass strength. Was it more in the subjective area such as warmth and musicality? Fun?

On another note, the thread on the Phoenix is one of the most fascinating I've seen in Head-fi! It reads like a thrill-a-second novel if you read it from start to finish, chronologically. After an hour or so in the wee hours, though, I had to force myself to stop. It ought to be turned into a movie. It's that good.

For a thousand bucks, it has to be one of the best buys, even with some of the early-adopter woes. The array of inputs and outputs is unbelievable. It's like they've covered all the bases! And the sheer power and SQ seem to be phenomenal.

The one thing that keeps me from jumping in, though, is the heat issue. I realize that a lot of equipment simply run hot, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable. I have a hard time shaking the feeling that all that heat, which seems to be quite intense, has to be harmful to the parts that are in the enclosure. IpodPJ seems to have found a solution by positioning it close to the AC. Another person's solution was to remove the cover. And there was talk of drilling vent holes and adding heat sinks.

Anyway, I'm still on the sidelines and up in the air about the best amp for me and my HD800.

On blackberry-SE Zana vs Phoenix SE - Zana more depth and three dimensional/open/dynamic- then when balanced the Phoenix opened up, but a differnt sound balanced and possibly/probably better than Zana but I will hear it again when I am over there next. Remember the Zana costs twice as much.
The single ended sounds just different to me by the way, you need to hear it yourself. Maybe SE kind of limits the 800 in a way, balanced seems to be a different sound-ya maybe more dynamic, by far but no more transparent-thats it.

Also, I liked the B22 better than the phoenix both balanced in my one song a/b at the Mega Meet. I felt it was a big enough difference that I didn't have to listen any further.

Blackberry finger cramp bye!

For your info, since you want to know who get strong bass and with what amp. I tried with Heed Canamp single ended, it's really a STRONG bass. I played Dido "Burning Love", I was "WOW"-ed.

Lets try this.


Okay back to the thread, there is mine for better or worse.

Thanks, dallan. "More dynamic" -- I think that's what I'm looking for, and looks like balanced is the path. Right now I guess I'll focus on SS balanced. Which means I'll need to get a decent DAC with balanced outs. The m902 can be upgraded for balanced outs but with TRS jacks, and that would save me a lot, but I'm not sure if that's the best route. The Kingwa DACs look pretty good, especially the reference series, but they're huge. The DAC1-USB or Pre look really good, but I have no experience with them.

Thanks, RedBull. I just checked out their site and was impressed: "The CanAmp is a two-stage amplifier. While the first - voltage gain - stage is based on an integrated circuit of the highest audio pedigree, the second - power gain - stage is a single-ended, pure Class-A amplifier. It enables the CanAmp to drive virtually any headphones from 32 ohms up to 600 ohms. The unit has no internal wiring, and the signal path is kept to a minimum on its PCB. Its high-quality, 1 dB-tolerance Blue Alps volume pot goes through a further selection process during manufacturing to achieve an even tighter, 0.5 dB tolerance."
But right now I think the best route for the HD800 may be balanced. But the cost of going balanced is crazy.

I was going to get a Ref-one, all set to do it with an external usb converter and everything, then shifted around a bit and after hearing the PSaudio DLlll modded with the 800s I decided to take the mod two steps further and get it. With that configuration it does cost somewhere around $700. more than the ref-1 but it has the usb with a superclock in it now and I got to hear what it sounds like first.

Sh*t! Thanks for the tip, dallan. I just checked out Paul Candy's review, the PSA site, and the Cullen Circuits site. Upsampling and bypassing op-amps plus a full run of Cullen mod options -- sounds radical. Price -- less than the DAC1-Pre.

Questions: Does the upsampling over-color the original tracks? Is the upsampling automatic or an option selected from the front panel? Did you purchase it from Cullen and do you think I should go for the "NEW DLIII + Stage IV Modification" to avoid second thoughts down the road.

Thanks, dallan! I think this is going to be my DAC.

I am getting mine modded by Kyle at RAM. I heard a mod with a superclock put in it that Ipodpj has. I got the same mod which is $725.but upgraded the clock to an ultraclock and ended up also putting a superclock into the USB section. Ipodpjs with the mod he has sounds great so with the upgrade to the clock I can only imagine.

Oh RAM is Reference Audio Mods

Just ordered the DLlll from PSA. Current special $699. Read other reviews: Stock seems fine. Upgrades address weaknesses. I'll see what's broke before zeroing in on fixes. Can't thank you enough, Dallan! Now to figure out how to get the balanced cables for the HD800.

I look forward to reading your review of the Phoenix. It's between the Phoenix and Phonitor for me at this point. If you favour the Phoenix, that will be the tipping point for me. Although right now I'm leaning towards the Phonitor.

Sounds great, good luck!