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questions for tyle, and all of the headroom staff - Page 2

post #16 of 32
8/18/09 at 8:08am
There's a thread on ripping software for Mac you might find helpful.
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post #17 of 32
8/18/09 at 1:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Budley007 View Post
Coming from relatively the same direction, I'd be very interested in hearing your impressions of the Ultra Desktop once you get it settled in. Please drop a line sometime.

X2, please.
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post #18 of 32
8/18/09 at 11:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Budley007 View Post
Coming from relatively the same direction, I'd be very interested in hearing your impressions of the Ultra Desktop once you get it settled in. Please drop a line sometime.
it is actually amazing to me, to my ears, i love the grado sound, but the ultra takes me where i have never been before with any headphone, or speaker for that matter, i have had maybe 50-75 hours burn in on the ultra, and maybe 125 on the rs1i's, and am completely happy, my post is mostly about getting better, it is all but perfect to my ears, but little tidbits like using the optical outs on my mac, and other suggestions will help me to better understand how to achieve higher highs, i wait every day to come home and settle into my system,it often makes me gasp at its sound, it is just hard do to explain, i am working on getting my impressions in line so that i can write about it, but the combo of ultra and rs1i is something to behold.
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post #19 of 32
8/18/09 at 11:21pm
What other high end cans have you tried with the Ultra Desktop Amp? I do feel this is the area that you should explore more than an amp or cable upgrade. If you wish to stick with the RS1, then there's the Ultra Desktop DAC to consider.

I don't know what cable 'upgrade' there is when you're simply doing a digital out from the Mac to the Desktop Ultra. Are you referring to USB digital vs Optical. You have both options with your Mac and the more trouble free of the two is the Optical. The USB connection can at times suffer from very transient signal interruptions. However, if you're not experiencing this, then no problem.
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post #20 of 32
8/19/09 at 5:31am
Thread Starter 
the untra desktop amp comes with the ultra dac and ultra amp w max mod, included into one neat little package, so i do have the dac covered, this is why i am experiencing new highs in my listening pleasure, before i had the cosmic amp with a pair of rs2's. good but something missing, and after that hd650's with a musical fidelity xcan v3, my dac came from the on board dac on my krell cd player good,but not near what i am hearing now.
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post #21 of 32
8/19/09 at 5:35am
Thread Starter 
no i suffer no transient signal interruptions, i have the kimber usb cables, they were another huge upgrade, and my big red extensions are as advertised, they just disappear in system
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post #22 of 32
8/19/09 at 5:39am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pirate6955 View Post
since your running a mac use the optical output. start with that and see where you end up. also before you launch itunes open the midi control panel and tell it you want 24bit 96khz out the optical port. then launch itunes it will upsample your stuff for you and send it to the dac. this would be a big upgrade for the price of a toslink cable.

then see how it sounds. you can also set for upsampling and use the analog output for headfones directly on the mac but you can't upsample and send to usb.
this is an option i have been looking at, i know headroom carried the toslink adaptor for the mac, but, what is a good length or max length i could use with the optical, and where to buy? also are there any other good sources for the toslink adaptor, so i could just buy one instead of making a 2 dollar order from headroom? plus i have read about the toslinks being problematic?
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post #23 of 32
8/19/09 at 5:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tmcavinney View Post
I noticed your original post said USB cable to the DAC...you may want to try an optical cable and see if that is an improvement. Fifteen feet is supposed to be about the max length for a USB cable, so it's possible that's an issue.

Also, assuming that you ripped the CDs to Apple Lossless or WAV files (for maximum quality), you might want to make sure that the EQ in iTunes is shut off. I've noticed a drop in sound quality when the EQ is turned on. I myself forgot the last time I had to rebuild my PC and re-install iTunes. I'm pretty sure it's "on" by default.
no, i actually dont have issues with the system, it is the recorded music, the moment i plugged the new kimber usb in the whole soundstage just blossomed, it is that i can now hear the poorly recorded music even better. this i dont like, it is one of those ignorance is bliss situations, and i am not ignorant to sound. and yes the eq is turned off, i never have used the eq, even on cheaper cans, it discolors all music.
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post #24 of 32
8/19/09 at 5:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by aimlink View Post
What other high end cans have you tried with the Ultra Desktop Amp? I do feel this is the area that you should explore more than an amp or cable upgrade. If you wish to stick with the RS1, then there's the Ultra Desktop DAC to consider.

I don't know what cable 'upgrade' there is when you're simply doing a digital out from the Mac to the Desktop Ultra. Are you referring to USB digital vs Optical. You have both options with your Mac and the more trouble free of the two is the Optical. The USB connection can at times suffer from very transient signal interruptions. However, if you're not experiencing this, then no problem.
i have been looking into the denon series, but i am apprehensive, i had a bad experience with the 1001's, and from reading even the 7000's have a bit of sibilance problems, tyll advised me to try the 2000's, but am wary, the rs1i's have no sound issues i can identify, i dont want to spend another 300-1000 on cans that might have sound issues, and to be honest i am an analytical listener, so the senn sound have just never suited me. too laid back
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post #25 of 32
8/19/09 at 8:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by auradud3 View Post
the untra desktop amp comes with the ultra dac and ultra amp w max mod, included into one neat little package, so i do have the dac covered, this is why i am experiencing new highs in my listening pleasure, before i had the cosmic amp with a pair of rs2's. good but something missing, and after that hd650's with a musical fidelity xcan v3, my dac came from the on board dac on my krell cd player good,but not near what i am hearing now.
There's a new DAC in town. A step up from what comes with the Ultra Desktop. It's their dedicated Desktop DAC. This is the one I was referring to. The Ultra Desktop Amps integrated DAC is not the same.
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post #26 of 32
8/19/09 at 4:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by auradud3 View Post
this is an option i have been looking at, i know headroom carried the toslink adaptor for the mac, but, what is a good length or max length i could use with the optical, and where to buy? also are there any other good sources for the toslink adaptor, so i could just buy one instead of making a 2 dollar order from headroom? plus i have read about the toslinks being problematic?
I bought my toslink adapater from Audio Advisor and you can always find some accessory to add to the order in order to justify the shipping charge. I too use the optical output of my iMac with an Ultra Desktop and I'm really pleased with the sound. I've been trying to find time to re-rip my CD collection into Apple Lossless. BTW, I have AKG 701's, which I find highly detailed, but a little laid back, and I just received my new Grado HF-2's, which I'm finding to be truly outstanding. I've never heard the RS1's, so I can't offer any comparison.
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post #27 of 32
8/19/09 at 8:23pm
Thread Starter 
hf2's where do you get them, i have heard alot about them.
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post #28 of 32
8/19/09 at 10:47pm
From the used market, the original and only batch (about 525 units) is sold out.
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post #29 of 32
8/20/09 at 1:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aimlink View Post
There's a new DAC in town. A step up from what comes with the Ultra Desktop. It's their dedicated Desktop DAC. This is the one I was referring to. The Ultra Desktop Amps integrated DAC is not the same.
Yeah, it's a clear step up from the DAC one the Ultra Desktop, but the price/improvement ratio is probably not worth it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by auradud3
to be honest i am an analytical listener, so the senn sound have just never suited me. too laid back
This statement makes me think you'd like the D2000 all the more.

Also, if you do get new cans, listen to them exclusively for maybe 100 hours before you compare with your Grados.

Our brain is an amazing adaptive filter. If you've been using one set of cans exclusively, it is VERY LIKELY that your brain has built a strong filter to accomodate the sound of them. In testing a different can, you'll be well served by a long listening session/s without conscious judgement to let your head rewire itself a bit. Only then will you be able to evaluate the new can's suitability to your head's listening preference.
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post #30 of 32
8/20/09 at 1:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens View Post
Our brain is an amazing adaptive filter. If you've been using one set of cans exclusively, it is VERY LIKELY that your brain has built a strong filter to accomodate the sound of them. In testing a different can, you'll be well served by a long listening session/s without conscious judgement to let your head rewire itself a bit. Only then will you be able to evaluate the new can's suitability to your head's listening preference.
This is VERY good advice and what else would I expect coming from you Tyll.

My Grado SR325is, Denon AH-D5000 and Senn HD650's all sound quite different, but are terrific in their own right. If I've been listening to one for an extended period, putting on one of the others invariably leads to an initially unacceptable sound that after a while, settles down into the pleasant, though characterful listening experience each set of cans has to offer.
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