REVIEW: Meier Audio Concerto headphone amp - Page 29

It seems as if the Concerto is good with most headphones.

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Originally Posted by Skylab 

Very well!  The Concerto did really very well with the LCD-2, I feel.  Quite enjoyable combo.

It truly is the last 5%-10% that really makes the world of difference..
 

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Originally Posted by rasmushorn 

After several listening sessions and A/B comparisons I have sold my T1 and I am soon buying HD800 to be played from the Concerto. Both of them are playing greatly from the Concerto - the HD800 just sounded 10% better to me. So having heard the HD800 only on a limited couple of other amplifiers in the same price-range I can only say that Concerto/HD800 is not a bad combination at all and it will be my future main rig. 

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Originally Posted by MacedonianHero 

With regards to the T1 vs. HD800, I felt the opposite, but between the two, I believe it's more about personal preferences and the type of music you listen to (T1s are great with rock/metal while the HD800s excel with classical and jazz). Both are certainly great headphones!

Both are great headphones indeed! I agree that T1 is a better allrounder. Most of my listening is jazz and classical and that is partly why HD800 won me over. I wish I could afford both of them at the moment. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rasmushorn 

Most of my listening is jazz and classical and that is partly why HD800 won me over.

Makes total sense to me! With mostly jazz/classical, I do prefer the HD800s as well.

I am really enjoying my concerto with the HD800, bought them off Jan with  the deal he has going great value :)

The Concerto is also a really good match with Grados.

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Originally Posted by repo064 

I am really enjoying my concerto with the HD800, bought them off Jan with  the deal he has going great value :)

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Originally Posted by Kurt 

 

The Concerto is also a really good match with Grados.

Great to hear...Skylab has confirmed the D7000s and T1s are great matches and now Grados (RS1i) and the HD800s....looks like I've got all of my bases covered.

I can confirm the MAD tube amp is really strong with these four and it's nice to have a SS amp that works with them as well. I did however, pick up a set of copper interconnects (DiMarzio RCAs) as I am not a fan of silver interconnects with SS; tubes though, let's say they were the final piece to the puzzle .

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacedonianHero 

Great to hear...Skylab has confirmed the D7000s and T1s are great matches and now Grados (RS1i) and the HD800s....looks like I've got all of my bases covered.

 

I can confirm the MAD tube amp is really strong with these four and it's nice to have a SS amp that works with them as well. I did however, pick up a set of copper interconnects (DiMarzio RCAs) as I am not a fan of my Kimber Silver Streaks with SS...tubes though...let's say they were the final piece to the puzzle .

FWIW my audio-technica sounds great on it too, and I second the D7000 sounding great on the concerto.

Of all my headphones though, the HD 600 was better than I have ever heard it, and in spades too.

The concerto really pumps out lots of juice, regardless of the type of headphone.

Currently I am in heaven with my Concerto and LCD-2 combo... really something special

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Originally Posted by sokolov91 

FWIW my audio-technica sounds great on it too, and I second the D7000 sounding great on the concerto.

 

Of all my headphones though, the HD 600 was better than I have ever heard it, and in spades too.

 

The concerto really pumps out lots of juice, regardless of the type of headphone.

 

Currently I am in heaven with my Concerto and LCD-2 combo... really something special

Excellent...D7000s confirmed. I have to admit I did prefer the Denons with SS (even the Headroom Micro). So money well spent.

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Originally Posted by Kurt 

 

The Concerto is also a really good match with Grados.

Hmmm.... At the moment I am using my Grados on the Concerto because I sold the T1 and while I am waiting on the HD800 the SR325 is doing what they were made for. But I have to say that as with most other Meier amps Grados do sound all right - but for me there is no Grado+Meier magic. I have heard Grados synergise better with the LISA III or the Sugden Headmaster for instance. I just think Jan Meier tunes his amps with higher impedance headphones or maybe it is something else??? My SR325 does not sound bad on the Concerto - they just do not sing and elevate the music like I have heard them on other solid state amplifiers (Sugden Headmaster in particular). 

So I've been listening to Rush Gold (I know big surprise ) with my T1s for about an hour and my newly arrived Concerto. Rob (Skylab) was bang on right, a great pairing for sure! I did initially listen to my MAD Ear+HD first with my Sylvania Gold 5751 tube (my favourite tube with that amp). Overall the MAD does make the T1s sound slightly warm/lush with amazing mids and refined treble. I have liked this combination very much for about 10 months. The Concerto is "less" warm/lush and more "neutral" in comparison. Pick your poison I guess and no surprises (tubes vs. ss).

So now change over to the Concerto, the bass is just as deep though slightly more defined (not a surprise going from tubes to SS), the mids are up front and center but still seemed more "organic" on the MAD tube amp. The treble is a bit more pronounced on the Concerto. But that can also be due to my Kimber Silver Streak interconnects paired with a SS amp (btw my DAC is the PS Audio DLIII and source is a CD via my Sony SACD player). I bought them (Kimber Silver Streaks) to properly tune my rig with the tube amp.

I am waiting on my copper interconnects (DiMarzio RCA copper interconnects) from the good folks at Headroom (drop date is tomorrow). A coworker swears by them and we did an A-B with my (now sold Kimber Heros) and we both preferred the DiMarzio cables. So we shall see how the Concerto sounds with copper interconnects.

Overall the Concerto seems to be a great pairing for the T1s. So I think can confirm what others have heard. It can drive them very well. Although I am still surprised that my (now sold) Headroom Micro Amp could drive them equally loud (both on High Gain) with the same volume setting. Sonically the Concerto is the superior amp...no doubt...but for about half the cost and one quarter the size, the Micro Amp gives you about 75% of the sound. Really under appreciated around here IMHO.

Back to the Concerto...I am very happy with this purchase! Tonight T1s...tomorrow HD800s and (if the kids go to bed on time...unlike tonight) maybe the D7000s.

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Originally Posted by Skylab 

Nice, Peter! Glad you like it so far.

I gotta admit your description nailed exactly what I'm hearing with the T1s. As Solude already put in a few hundred hours into it, I can consider it fully burned in.

I really really liked the volume control on the Concerto, all the DACT love, none of the annoyance =)

Nice review. I also think peter you will like the D7000 better with the SS amp. I use audioquest samba interconnects which are copper with great results. The T 1as I have also said sound good on the Matrix but better on the tube amp. My Matrix really tightens the bass and defined the sound stage and the amp will be used for them. Also keep in mind that low impedance cans can really be hard on the OTL amps and your tubes. I can play the SS amp loud without clipping it. I really only have to leave the setting at about 8-9 oclock to make them sing. Good luck and enjoy the Concerto.