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Denon D2000 + Head-Direct EF1 + ibasso D10 = solid combo - Page 2

post #16 of 21
11/8/09 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spareribs View Post
Congrats!
The EF1 is a fine amp and one of my picks for headphone enthusiasts out there. With this amp, you get good quality tone for a reasonable price.
I like the way how you budgeted your rig. It's very sensible. I've always felt that it's possible to build an impressive audiophle rig for around $900 assuming you spend about $300 each for the headphone, source and amp. And it's money well spent, IMO since a good $900 rig can last many years of your life.
agreed! a great rig don't have to cost too much. I am listening right now to my denon D5000+ EF1 rig and it sound beautiful out of my headroom dac and a marantz cd-5001 CDP. the EF1 is especially good with the denons, as it is well known. in the end, it is all about good chemistry.
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post #17 of 21
11/8/09 at 3:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by estreeter View Post
You will find a lot of debate over how best to use any computer as your source, but this is what I do:

1. Rip everything to WAV, then convert to FLAC or ALAC (I have Windows and Linux machines in addition to the MBP)
why not simply rip it straight to flac or alac?
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post #18 of 21
11/8/09 at 10:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spareribs View Post
Congrats!
The EF1 is a fine amp and one of my picks for headphone enthusiasts out there. With this amp, you get good quality tone for a reasonable price.
I like the way how you budgeted your rig. It's very sensible. I've always felt that it's possible to build an impressive audiophle rig for around $900 assuming you spend about $300 each for the headphone, source and amp. And it's money well spent, IMO since a good $900 rig can last many years of your life.
my thoughts exactly. i'm considering my new rig to be a nice little investment in my audio future, which hopefully will last many years indeed.
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post #19 of 21
11/8/09 at 10:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeW View Post
no, it will sound terrible with ipod source, that's crap. You need a half way decent dac.
I can confirm that the EF1 does not come close to reaching its potential when using the ipod as a source. I wouldn't go so far as to say terrible, but I would say that the EF1 is largely wasted when not being fed by a nice clean source. After testing the two (with my Denon D2000s) by running ALAC files from the ipod directly through the EF1 versus running the files from my macbook through the D10 into the EF1, the difference is clear: the soundstage opens greatly, the bass is stronger and tighter, the mids are smoother and more prominent, the highs are clearer and crisper (without being too bright, thanks to the EF1's little tube I do believe) and the overall music is warmer, richer, more natural and just in general much "bigger."

after initial testing my ears tell me that the D10 is a very valuable and worthwhile component to this rig.
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post #20 of 21
11/9/09 at 10:42am
ouch... ef1 is not available in head direct.. is there a good alternative for ef1? ef5 or ef2?
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post #21 of 21
11/9/09 at 1:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ikitub View Post
ouch... ef1 is not available in head direct.. is there a good alternative for ef1? ef5 or ef2?
after looking on their site, it appears that the product listing for the EF5 is at this moment using the same photos and specs as the EF1. I've emailed Fang at head-direct asking for clarification and what sorts of differences and/or upgrades there are between the EF1 and EF5. I'll post if he gets back to me with anything new.
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