Name the best headphone rig you have ever heard (all components tied together!) - Page 2

I'm still hung up on the Moth/HD-800 combo.  Pretty accurate, but the 2A3 tubes smooth out the HD-800 a touch and lend some magic to the mids.

 

Wonderful with both vinyl and SACD.

I am sorry, It was so long ago I cannot remember the other equipment but the best I have heard was when I use to live in the UK and attended the Bristol HiFi show and heard the Sennheiser Orpheus headphones and tube amp. I listened to Carly Simon and the album of Leonard Cohen covers,famous blue raincoat by Jennifer Warnes.. it was sublime!

The setup or the album?

 

From the end of the eighties when I started in audio, I've used this album. Its still a superb album to both enjoy music and analyse audio equipment!

both! The version I heard with the senns was on vinyl which I find has more texture than the cd version I own, the cd is still wonderful though! One odd thing was that when I transfered the cd to lossless it warmed up a bit like the vinyl, don't pretend to understand why but there it is!

aristeus / he90

 

b22 / r10

 

There aint a heck of a big audiophile community down here in Mandurah WA, so the best system Ive heard is my own.

 

Supex 900 MKIV with benz retip on modded RB300>

Benz Lucaschek pp1 phono>

Stax SRM T1>

Stax SR507

 

I love it!

 

 

 

 

 

This was FRACKING amazing

 

 

 

 

 

When I heard this rig, Travis who organized the meet was sitting next to me waiting for my reaction,  I simply turned, shrugged my shoulders and said, "why bother anymore".  We both laughed, (I think to mask the pain we both felt knowing we would never own this rig)  I was so blown away by the completeness and wholeness of the presentation it was filling, like eating a great meal.  And whats more, I didn't think it sounded tubey in any way.

Edited by kboe - 11/23/10 at 7:16pm

It gets a lot better than HP1000 + Extreme ;) 
 

The best rig I ever heard was Bosebuttons' ES1 with an Emm Labs CDSD/DAC6e driving his HE90s.  It was at the first national meet in NYC and it was the only rig I heard that sounded better than mine.  It had the best balance of clarity, speed, bass impact and smoothness I had heard to that point.  Mine was close but did not have that extra bottom and top.  I don't know to what I can attribute the difference, but I was using an Ah! CD player and a Linn Genki CD player.  Plus I had inferior OPT in my rig.  I have since upgraded to Emm Labs gear and Tango OPT.  I would like to know how mine would stand up to the best available.  Because I have a feeling it would do pretty well. 

Personal favorite:

Amp:

Dosnt really matter. I have been quite fond of the bottlehead sex amp recently though.

 

Headphones:

HD800

 

Tweaks (this is the real key)

Equalized response curve based on the thread "how to equalize your headphones a tutorial" 

 

Music: 

Take your pick. I am somewhat biased towards classic rock but listen to classical, acoustic rock, or pretty much anything when the needle is in the groove.

 

What makes it awesome:

You know how you have NEVER seen a live performance where the cymbal is in front of the vocalist? dontcha think its kind of screwed up that most headphone systems take the cymbal, and whacks you in the face with it? Not mine! After you get it dialed in everything else falls into place from front to rear. (I should note that I didnt have the EQ in the system at the NYC meet if you subjected yourself to my rig) 

 

Plan B would be a similar system without the EQ, but with the HD650 or T1 (T1 is kind of a middle ground). There is something I prefer on the HD800 to both of those though. I think its transient response but could be wrong.
 

I built that amp. Thanks  :)

 

Despite owning many tube amps I cant stand the stereotypical tube sound, Icky.

You sold the extremely extreme extreme orange crush!? 
 

yepp. I wanted to buy these.

 

 

I hope the previous owner of those HP-1000 and that rig there also never sees this. He'll be more crushed then that extreme.

If it gets better than that rig... I quit!

 

It was seriously the most synergistic rig I had heard.  If Skylab's first offer falls through, I may have a Extreme of my own soon.

Mine. It's why I own it and spent about 7 years researching, testing, and trying out before I settled on what I considered my dream system. That might change if/when I ever get to hear the Apex Pinnacle or any of the new top sources out there (Weiss, EMM Labs, etc.).