[ljokerl]

Sansa Clip + KSC75. The bare on-the-go minimum

 

[jinp6301]

ipod -> px-100 or esw9 when its not so freaking hot

Sometimes I feel like im missing something but thats only after I spend time with "real" headphones.

 

[minimus]

I have done a fair number of headphone-related purchases but basically stopped about 2 years ago when I found that I was completely happy with my system, which is an Eastsound E5 CD player, a Singlepower Extreme Platinum with some very good NOS tubes, and some JVC DX-1000s. I spent some coin on good interconnects from Gabriel Gold and on power cords from Audio Arts, which despite all the claims to the contrary, were on par with substantial upgrades to the amp's tubes. When I listen to my system, I don't wonder how much better R10s, a Blue Hawaii, a Zana Deux, HD650s with aftermarket cables, etc. would sound, but instead just how marvelous my current system sounds to me. (I could at some point decide to upgrade my source, but frankly it seems the bang for the buck is especially poor when it comes to digital source upgrades.) I would not be as happy with a lesser cheaper system and don't ever feel the desire to trade in my current components for something new or better.

If New York ever defaults on its munis, I might find that I could easily live with my Hat Peed Thingee in place of the Singlepower Extreme, especially since it seems impossible to get the latter serviced by Mikhail anymore and the Hat Peed is a very good amp. But I think it would be crazy to incur the significant transaction costs associated with swapping gear in and out of my system to try to improve on a rig that is already so satisfying. So (until something breaks) I have found "good enough". It wasn't at a low price point, but it was not at a stratospheric price point either.

 

[priest]

Onkyo DX-7555 > Onkyo A-9555 > SR325is > "Shauri Yako"

 

[Edwood]

Ever since I got the Smyth Research SVS Realiser, everything changed for me.

Adding a believable multichannel setup to my headphone listening experience has changed my focus and direction.

At the heart of the set up is THE only one headphone that worked equally well on both standard 2 channel headphone listening, and Smyth Realiser Multichannel.

The JH13.

I'm streamlining my set up as well. My standard 2 channel headphone rig is going to be portable, because of the HiFiMan HM-801.

When I'm at home or in the studio, I listen to much more multi channel sound in movies, games and such, more so than regular headphone listening these days. When on the go, it's strictly 2 channel, so the HiFiMan HM-801 -> Pico Slim -> JH13 will suit me just nicely.

I've sold off one of my major full sized cans, and another will probably follow.

-Ed

 

[Benaiir]

That's kind of funny because at the NNJ meet Yikes told me that I'm lucky I like the DT770 more than the D7000, and how much he wished he liked something cheap like that.

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Often times a mere adjustment in thinking and perspective brings forth new experiences with the same gear............enjoyment can be fleeting or it can be permanent depending on how one approaches the experience.

I think many of us spend too much time analyzing the gear while we listen which means putting the source material second instead of first. Make that attitude adjustment to source material first, forget about the rest and your enjoyment seems to follow. The only way I've found that to work effectively is to have a system that meets basic requirements, the most of important of which was pointed out by Duggeh....system synergy. Once you have a complimentary system put together (low cost or high cost) it can mask a multitude of sins.

IMO at least.

Peete.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

The simplest rig that gave me many hours of enjoyment was a Panasonic cassette player (walkman type) with some Pioneer phones whose model I can't recall. They were circumaural open phones and to me (that was more than 25 years ago) that system sounded incredible.

More recently I spent many hours listening to a G2 iPod using the Sony EX71 buds (the first units made in Japan sounded pretty good) with great enjoyment.

Nowadays my good enough rigs are:
Portable: Sony NWZ818 with Klipsch X10 or AT ESW10
Stationary: PC with SB Audigy sound card (has dedicated HP out) into the Grado HF2.

These really manage to make me forgetting about sounds and just enjoying the music. Not that "better" rigs don't do that, they do and possibly more effectively, but definitely these systems are "good enough" for me.

 

[uraflit]

my rig is good enough for me, lol

however, i do wish to snag a pair of jh | 13 pro just to "end" the quell for any additional upgrades

lol

 

[DJShadow]

I am actually really enjoying the combination of an ipod classic and SE420, perhaps because the SE420 is a big improvement over the e4. I'm now quite satisfied with this set-up, something which I never though I'd say having downgraded from NAD c542 --> Gilmore Lite --> SA5000. In fact so much so, I think I might be heading towards to the rocky and treacherous waters of speakerland for my next venture in audio gear

 

[Meliboeus]

Good soundcard > Ms1 is the bare minimum i could be happy with for a long time, even if i think i'll miss a bit of the refinement of my best setup, maybe a Zero Dac >Dt-990pro would be a bit better for just a few dollars more...

 

[catscratch]

There are lots of headphones that I like and find enjoyable, but nothing I have is good enough for me in the absolute sense. Everything has flaws. Even the O2 is flawed but that's partly the amp (717). Where I stop in the upgrade path usually depends on a simple equation: how much the flaws bother me vs how much it would cost to fix them.

The best purchase I've made in this hobby so far has been the ES2. It wasn't perfect but its flaws didn't bother me that much and a simple X5L --> ES2 rig was good enough... for a while. It was really practical and it was great to have more or less acceptable sound wherever I was at the time. But then the ES2 stopped sealing.

Maybe the new iAudio 7 --> JH13 rig will do the same. I'll see soon enough.

As far as an actual minimum rig that I need in order to enjoy the music - I don't really know about that. I enjoy music that I like on just about anything as long as it isn't *complete* garbage. I can listen to my car stereo and enjoy music, even if it's not as good as even a SR-60.

So you could say that I'll never be happy in this hobby - since nothing is ever good enough - but I would disagree with that. I think I have the best of both worlds. I can enjoy music on whatever and out of whatever, but at the same time there will (probably) never be a level at which upgrading becomes pointless. In fact I don't think technology even exists today to give me the sound that I want, so there will always be the promise and potential for new discovery. Without that this hobby would be terribly dull, at least for me.

 

[jeffreyj900]

Exemplar Denon 3910 > Eddie Current Zana Deux > HD-650 w/Cardas cable

This IS it for me. I don't plan on going balanced. The only thing I may change in the future is the purchase of HD-800's. I am finally to the point were my source and amp are what they are going to be for a LONG time. Time to focus on, collect, and enjoy music

Jeff

 

[greenhorn]

any source with a pair of Koss KSC35.

 

[DeusEx]

My Samsung P3 or my iPhone -> Sennheiser MX 760/Shure SE530

No Amp, LOD, or DAC required. Not doubling or tripling the weight/size for a marginal benefit...