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END GAME RIGS PROPOSITION - Serious Discussions Only

post #1 of 78
10/30/11 at 10:27pm
Thread Starter 

To each of his own / YMMW -  this has been the core belief of Head-fi - and why there are so many products out there. These things can never be objective. It is completely okay to love the Beats over the SR009 and to consider the iPhone4 -> Beats to be one's end game rig. But after a year of searching and listening to some higher end headphones - here is my proposition.

 

In the Speakers world there are just too many products to consider anything to be end game - but in the Headphone world the number of products consdiered to be extremely good is quite limited and would actually allow us to make relatively agreed conclusions as to which of them can be considered "end game" despite one's taste in sound.

 

I am going to state below three END GAME RIGS from current production amps and headphones from reading impressions from Head-fi. I haven't heard all of them - but I believe it would be reasonable to propose these given the reviews and impressions so far. The rigs below won't include sources as there are just too many choices in the Audiophile world.  

 

I am raising this because meets have recently occured and there may be more people listening to these. I would be especially grateful if Jude, Skylab, Tyll and CurraWong could chime in - please let us know whether in your experience, you would also consider these the end game rigs. Not that everyone will agree - but please let me know your views,  your personal opinion. Many thanks.

 

1. BHSE->SR009

2. WES -> SR009

3. EAR HP4 -> LCD3


Edited by googleli - 10/30/11 at 10:32pm
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post #2 of 78
10/30/11 at 10:33pm

There are no LCD3 owners yet.  For current production, I'm sure there are many people that would consider O2/507/LCD2/HD800/ESP950 completely end game headphones.

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post #3 of 78
10/30/11 at 10:42pm

Price no object?

  1. I think you might also want to be aware of (DIY) T2>SR009.
  2. And consider the Balancing Act>??(modded HD 800?) as being a happy resting ground for some.

 

Think you can find some "voodoo" there...

 

(I might also try to find out Frank Cooter's weakness and then ply him with goods, just in case he has something he would part with.)

 

EDIT:  Ha!  I held back from saying that I reserve the right to change my mind until after I hear what n3rdling is up to...then he chimed in.


Edited by CEE TEE - 10/30/11 at 10:44pm
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post #4 of 78
10/30/11 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 

Price no object, but current production doesn't include DIY stuff (you can always hire someone to DIY a million-dollar headphone amp or buy out Stax and order them to make you a billion dollar electrostat if DIY is included). I actually hesitated to include the BHSE as it takes too long to be considered "current production".

 

The rigs stated in the first post are just propositions, and as I said it is okay to consider the Beats or any other rig as end-game. What I am really looking forward to is someone who have heard some of the stated setups and agrees that they are end-game, or feel that there is something better out there.


Edited by googleli - 10/30/11 at 11:21pm
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post #5 of 78
10/30/11 at 11:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CEE TEE View Post
what n3rdling is up to...


KGSSHV and then DIYT2 :)

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post #6 of 78
10/31/11 at 1:07am
Are you looking for end-game or just the most money you can spend?

Do you actually like the SR-009? Are they the best for you or do you want to buy what other people will hold in the highest regard?

Have you considered the difference between a $10k Stax rig and a $3k Quad ESL rig?

I stopped climbing the ladder with the HD-800, and even then, still have reservations about its cost. Headphones lost the value proposition a couple years ago. I changed over to speakers. When the Orion3 speakers are done, they'll still cost less thsn a new SR-009, and that would include amplification for them.

I'd recommend taking another look at speakers. There are some truly great ones and they're much less expensive than a SR-009 and a BHSE. Plus you'd get an actual soundstage and real bass.
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post #7 of 78
10/31/11 at 1:44am
Thread Starter 

I do have a separate speaker rig, and I agree with you no matter how good headphones are, they are just no match to speakers in terms of sound stage presentation, realism and bass impact.   Let's focus on headphones though.


Edited by googleli - 10/31/11 at 2:08am
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post #8 of 78
10/31/11 at 2:16am

I know you said DIY doesn't count but I feel my #2 is truly endgame for me.

 

My two endgame rigs are:

 

1) Waiting for perfect amp (probably from from Eddie Current) -> Stax SR-009

2) Objective 2 DIY Amp -> DIY Fostex T50RP's

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post #9 of 78
10/31/11 at 2:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by googleli View Post

... I agree with you no matter how good headphones are, they are just no match to speakers in terms of sound stage presentation, realism and bass impact.


My end-game headphone rig is the one I'm currently using.  It was arrived at largely by accident, and does an uncannily good job of sounding like a pair of excellent speakers in an excellent room:

 

Meridian G 08.2 > custom hot-rod Apex Pinnacle > Headphile Terminator V4

 

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post #10 of 78
10/31/11 at 2:57am
Thread Starter 


Is that something similar to the Smyth Realizer?
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by InnerSpace View Post


My end-game headphone rig is the one I'm currently using.  It was arrived at largely by accident, and does an uncannily good job of sounding like a pair of excellent speakers in an excellent room:

 

Meridian G 08.2 > custom hot-rod Apex Pinnacle > Headphile Terminator V4

 



 

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post #11 of 78
10/31/11 at 3:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by googleli View Post


Is that something similar to the Smyth Realizer?
 



 


No - the Meridian is a regular CD player, the custom Pinnacle is a SET tube amp, and the Terminators are woodied Beyer 770s.  Just a lucky and synergistic combo.

 

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post #12 of 78
10/31/11 at 3:32am

A simple K701 plugged into an X02 is an endgame setup for me. I don't need to spend $1000s of dollars for an "endgame rig."

My expenditure peaked with the LCD2, which, while a fine headphone, still has me reeling from the lack of value in its pricing.

Mustang -> Merlins is also an endgame setup for me.

 

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post #13 of 78
10/31/11 at 3:43am

ATH-W3000ANV + ATH-HA5000ANV possibly? lol ph34r.gif

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post #14 of 78
10/31/11 at 3:43am
Thread Starter 

I believe that your setup make your headphones sound great or even much better than speakers, but making it sound like speakers in a good room? I seriously doubt. 



 

Quote:
Originally Posted by InnerSpace View Post


No - the Meridian is a regular CD player, the custom Pinnacle is a SET tube amp, and the Terminators are woodied Beyer 770s.  Just a lucky and synergistic combo.

 



 

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post #15 of 78
10/31/11 at 3:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by googleli View Post

I believe that your setup make your headphones sound great or even much better than speakers, but making it sound like speakers in a good room? I seriously doubt. 



 



 


Hey, I would doubt it too.  But it does.

 

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