It arrived yesterday!
CI Audio VDA2 DAC - Balanced output mode
First impressions are very very positive - just incredible power to attack snare drum notes, vocal crecendos, acoustic guitar plucks, and standing bass thrums.
Incredibly black background. Silent.
Lush, sweet vocals but again, super powerful.
Everything has a greater sense of realism, not necessarily like I'm at a concert, but that the artist is just there - performing for me.
The cost appears to be worth it - there is enough of a bump in performance to warrant its price. It reminds me of auditions at local hifi dealers, listening to $5k and up speakers, with $4k preamps and $10k amps wondering and confused as to why and how the sound quality could be so good, so rich.
The amp is brutally revealing - poor recordings, compressed CDs, lower bitrate MP3s, etc are all rendered unlistenable. I can hear every inhaled breath, every creaky shift on the piano seat, every foot pedal movement, every mouth smack. Notes hit harder, linger longer, but then stops quicker as well. Not sure if that makes sense, but there you go.
Good recordings such as Jack Johnson are of course made even better and more transparent, but interestingly, older kinda dull recordings like Toad the Wet Sprocket and Cranberries have been given new life.
I've recabled my Senn600, reterminated the Grado 325i, and got a new Beyer DT990.
The Senn just got even better - amazing difference. More but very tight bass, richer mids, even more of a reinforcement as to why these are my fave cans. My Senns have maybe 300 hours on them, and they needed every one. They're getting better and better.
The Grados didn't really change too much - still very upfront, but also still pretty new, less than 100 hours. Much more break in is needed. I have got to change the earpads!
The Beyer 990s are a huge surprise. I bought them "blind" based on a recommendation from Jorge at Headroom, and they don't disappoint. Way WAY wide soundstage, absolutely slammin' performance, crisp highs, very fun. More recessed sound than the Grados, but I like that -- more dimension and instrument separation as opposed to the Grados putting everything in the same place.
Vocals are ok, no where near the lushness and realism that I perceive from the Senns, but then again, Def Leppard and Metallica are different applications and different moods from Diana Krall and Oleta Adams! The Beyers are also very tight right now, slightly harsh, and so the amp and the cans are being frybaby'd 24/7.
So as echoed by many before me, thank you and curse you head-fi! What an amazing and rewarding hobby this is. I've met a lot of cool and like-minded fanatics along the way, drained my wallet, and have become much more adept in hiding / repurposing the litany of boxes that enter the house!
CI Audio VDA2 DAC - Balanced output mode
First impressions are very very positive - just incredible power to attack snare drum notes, vocal crecendos, acoustic guitar plucks, and standing bass thrums.
Incredibly black background. Silent.
Lush, sweet vocals but again, super powerful.
Everything has a greater sense of realism, not necessarily like I'm at a concert, but that the artist is just there - performing for me.
The cost appears to be worth it - there is enough of a bump in performance to warrant its price. It reminds me of auditions at local hifi dealers, listening to $5k and up speakers, with $4k preamps and $10k amps wondering and confused as to why and how the sound quality could be so good, so rich.
The amp is brutally revealing - poor recordings, compressed CDs, lower bitrate MP3s, etc are all rendered unlistenable. I can hear every inhaled breath, every creaky shift on the piano seat, every foot pedal movement, every mouth smack. Notes hit harder, linger longer, but then stops quicker as well. Not sure if that makes sense, but there you go.
Good recordings such as Jack Johnson are of course made even better and more transparent, but interestingly, older kinda dull recordings like Toad the Wet Sprocket and Cranberries have been given new life.
I've recabled my Senn600, reterminated the Grado 325i, and got a new Beyer DT990.
The Senn just got even better - amazing difference. More but very tight bass, richer mids, even more of a reinforcement as to why these are my fave cans. My Senns have maybe 300 hours on them, and they needed every one. They're getting better and better.
The Grados didn't really change too much - still very upfront, but also still pretty new, less than 100 hours. Much more break in is needed. I have got to change the earpads!
The Beyer 990s are a huge surprise. I bought them "blind" based on a recommendation from Jorge at Headroom, and they don't disappoint. Way WAY wide soundstage, absolutely slammin' performance, crisp highs, very fun. More recessed sound than the Grados, but I like that -- more dimension and instrument separation as opposed to the Grados putting everything in the same place.
Vocals are ok, no where near the lushness and realism that I perceive from the Senns, but then again, Def Leppard and Metallica are different applications and different moods from Diana Krall and Oleta Adams! The Beyers are also very tight right now, slightly harsh, and so the amp and the cans are being frybaby'd 24/7.
So as echoed by many before me, thank you and curse you head-fi! What an amazing and rewarding hobby this is. I've met a lot of cool and like-minded fanatics along the way, drained my wallet, and have become much more adept in hiding / repurposing the litany of boxes that enter the house!
