[achristilaw]

"Cost no Object". How about the Object OF THE COST. Which is of course Music. I'm taking a Hiatus from System building. And once again diving into re-vamping my Music Library. I know no one cares and it is off topic. But when is it enough? Just something I've asked myself of late.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by achristilaw /img/forum/go_quote.gif "Cost no Object". How about the Object OF THE COST. Which is of course Music. I'm taking a Hiatus from System building. And once again diving into re-vamping my Music Library. I know no one cares and it is off topic. But when is it enough? Just something I've asked myself of late.

It all depends on how bored you're of how your music sounds hahahaha.

Now seriously, I think we all have a set of minimum "sonic" requirements to be able of enjoying our music, and it's a matter of how far our knowledge and experience goes -mainly about music more than sound,- we get more demanding trying to fix flaws in our systems.

I think there are a lot of causes one might want to swap components, but the most important ones to me are two:

- You know the flaws in your system and you want to correct them, so you have a direction to move along and you get components focused to reach that goal.

- You know there's something that's not completely right, but you can't spot the culprit, so by swapping and comparing components, you learn what can be improved and get an idea of the direction to take. More a learning attitude than a "correcting" one.

All the other motivations to change components aren't really interesting to me if you're in this hobby more to get results and enjoying music, than for having a way to spend your money.

Rgrds

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by achristilaw /img/forum/go_quote.gif "Cost no Object". How about the Object OF THE COST. Which is of course Music. I'm taking a Hiatus from System building. And once again diving into re-vamping my Music Library. I know no one cares and it is off topic. But when is it enough? Just something I've asked myself of late.

I have never understood statements like this? Are you saying its one or the other? Work on your system, or buy music? I have been building, selling, upgrading systems for years and years. I have never stopped buying music during any of my upgrades.

 

[greggf]

The only problem with identifying and acquiring the ultimate amp is, as I see it, what do you do then?

You will still be dissatisfied, only then you'll be forced to recognize that the imperfection is in you, not the equipment.

And who wants that?

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only problem with identifying and acquiring the ultimate amp is, as I see it, what do you do then? You will still be dissatisfied, only then you'll be forced to recognize that the imperfection is in you, not the equipment. And who wants that?

I quite don't agree. If you really get the ultimate amp as I understand it, then you'll know who's to blame for your dissatisfaction if still exists, then you'd be able to point your efforts and money in the right direction to get the system that fully satisfies you.

Rgrds

 

[markl]

Quote:

"Cost no Object". How about the Object OF THE COST. Which is of course Music. I'm taking a Hiatus from System building. And once again diving into re-vamping my Music Library. I know no one cares and it is off topic. But when is it enough? Just something I've asked myself of late.

I have 6,000+ CDs (and counting). Good enough?

Quote:

"Cost no object"???? How about just "great sounding". $10,000 extra dollars may not buy you $10,000 extra dollars worth of enjoyment. Listen first, pay later.

Each manufacturer has a line that has a bottom and a top. The top represents everything they know, executed to the maximum without compromise or cutting corners to hit a certain price point. I'm in the market for the top, the best they can do. Actually, cost is an object, there's no way I could afford that two-box Singlepower.

Quote:

why solid state?

Why tubes? They are expensive, they die, you have to deal with shady dealers, I have yet to hear a tube amp that can fully power low-z headphones, etc. I also like the sound of well-executed solid state.

 

[fault151]

When people are refering to the B22 Amp as being one of the best, which are they refering too, the balanced version or 3 channel version?

 

[fkclo]

"Cost-no-Object" usually means something that is unlikely commercially viable.

What comes to mind is the RP1000 Concept amp from Rudistor. Wonder who has actually heard or own one ?

F. Lo

 

[fkclo]

And if what I read / learn is true, the upcoming new HeadCode from Phil is going to compete with the kings of Solid State.

F. Lo

 

[ast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fault151 /img/forum/go_quote.gif When people are refering to the B22 Amp as being one of the best, which are they refering too, the balanced version or 3 channel version?

I believe they meant both. Single-ended three channel Beta22 is awesome. I don't want to rewire all my cans so didn't have much experience with the Balanced version. Dynahi is on par with Beta22. To my ears I can definitively say which one is better, I like both equally.

My vote to OP's question: Beta22 or Dynahi.




...
side note, even though funding is not an issue in my search for the best amps, with both Beta22 and Dynahi, I just don't feel the urge to go for Singlepower or RS or Rudy's anymore ...

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... Each manufacturer has a line that has a bottom and a top. The top represents everything they know, executed to the maximum without compromise or cutting corners to hit a certain price point. I'm in the market for the top, the best they can do. Actually, cost is an object, there's no way I could afford that two-box Singlepower.

That's true, but electronics designers/builders may have different goals in mind when designing their line of products and their CNO model. Some consider the electronic circuit in itself the object of their goals, and pay little to no attention to the final sound provided it measures "perfect".
Experience tought me that for any product, being a top of the line model is not a warranty of good sound -as I experience it-, but the confirmation that some audio designers had better designed cars or computers.

Other times you find designers with a consistent sound throughout their whole line of products, and in their top or near-the-top ones, they reach some serious performance achievements, sometimes well worth their price.

I think most audio designers have their own phylosophy and finding a piece of gear that works for you, is more a matter of finding the man that can make his gear sounding good for your own ears, than going for anything which many people consider to be SOTA. There are so many variables accounting for the final result of a system, that unless you know before hand what's your current system doing wrong and what does the prospective amp going to do to fix that, it's very likely that buying a CNO piece of gear, for the simple fact of being CNO, does nothing to take you where you were aiming. The good part is that you learn a lot in the way hehehehe

Regards

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks a lot. I wonder if Markl would agree about the RP-010 being so forward in the midrange. My RPX-100 doesn't seem so, but I've never listened to the Apache, GSX or B22. Compared to lesser amps is way more neutral and "right" to my ears, but we're speaking of a category of amps in which I expect differences to be small, probably not worth the money and very very, listener's taste biased. By the way, did you listen to those amps using R-10? Rgrds

The only one I haven't heard with the R10 is the RP010, which I listened to with the Qualia (which fits me well, and I prefer to the R10) among other cans. Another point to keep in mind, is that these top-class amps, some of which can be had for less than $2k, are transparent enough to show what $10k+ sources are capable of. I wouldn't bother dumping the cash into one of these amps, unless I had at minimum a ~$3.5k source (used EMM Labs DCC2 comes to mind at that price). Perhaps the dynahi or B22 would be otherwise justifiable if one primarily uses the K1000. But I think these amps are overkill for the mid-high end DAC's and CDP's that a lot of folks on head-fi favor.

 

[pageman99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ast /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe they meant both. Single-ended three channel Beta22 is awesome. I don't want to rewire all my cans so didn't have much experience with the Balanced version. Dynahi is on par with Beta22. To my ears I can definitively say which one is better, I like both equally. My vote to OP's question: Beta22 or Dynahi. ... side note, even though funding is not an issue in my search for the best amps, with both Beta22 and Dynahi, I just don't feel the urge to go for Singlepower or RS or Rudy's anymore ...

Heck, even with the B22, you're never done. I had my Beta for a couple of weeks when I decided to upgrade the power supply. Then unfortunately, one of the transistors got fried. Probably a short due to a stray piece of solder.

Now it's out again to a builder (one a bit closer to home). He's only had a chance for a brief look, and he has made a few suggestions for changes that should improve the sound (now if he could only find time to implement them, sigh...).

So even when one has reached the so called "best", you're never done. (sigh number 2 ...)

BTW, I've posted elsewhere that IMO the balanced Beta sounds 20% (if one can put a number on something so subjective) better than single ended. At least with Senn 650's. My Ultrasone E9s haven't been balanced yet, so no opinion on those yet.

 

[kuma]

A Naim Headline 2 with a Supercap via NAC552 has got to be one of the most over-the-top solid state headphone amp option today.

 

[Frihed89]

The regular Headline 2 with the PSC-2 power supply is a fine-sounding unit. It reminds me of the Blue Circle SBH, only it is not quite so transparent. Upgrading the power supply improves it, but the improvements are not worth the cost to my ears.