I run the 840c digital out through the Havana. Beats the digital out of the Mac mini, though that could be due to the background noise from the mini's hard drives.   As a DAC and Cd player, the 840c is slightly more detailed than the Havana (stock tube), has a larger/wider soundstage...

  My first post in years, just to show my set up.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've looked into the Stellos but can't seem to find anyone in Australia that sells them. The Aqvox MkII and the mytek I'm still researching.

Hello everyone again. After 3 months I've come to the conclusion that the Cambridge 840c is not a great match for my Genelec 8020a speakers. The sound is a little too cold and analytical, plus I have to tone down the Genelecs with their -2db treble cut. The 840c is still incredible with...

I've read the 8xxx series of Genelecs aren't as bright as the old series. Having said that, I have the -2db treble cut on mine which helps tone things down. They have an up-front sound with fantastic stereo-imaging and excellent detail.

Wow great pick up for that price john. Wish I'd known about it a year ago. I know the street price for the 840c is about $1700au which I got mine for a bit less. As for the 840c lacking musicality, I think it depends on the gear you team it up with. I know when paired with my Genelec speakers...

Quote: Originally Posted by johnwmclean 840c is yet to arrive... I have a Darkvoice 337 with no balanced inputs, terrific sounding amp IMHO. Has anyone had experience with balanced vs RCA line out of the 840C? I have read somewhere the difference a subtle, I see that alot of people are...

None of the Genelec 8xxx series of monitors have rca inputs. The Dynaudio MC 15 which is their multimedia speakers, do have rca inputs as someone else noted. Genelec's 6xxx home theatre speakers have both rca an xlr inputs (which is the only difference between them and the studio monitors 8xxx)...

Are you going to be buying these speakers blind, as in without having listened to them? I don't think it's a good idea as you won't know whether you like a particular sound until you've heard it. The best source for information on the sound characteristics of these speakers is probably the...

I use the Nanopatch for my Genelecs monitors and Senn HD580s. It may or may not affect the sq when using my Genelecs, but they still sound incredible using my Cambridge 840c as a source. With the HD580s and Arietta amp, the Nanopatch allows me to use the balanced outs of my 840c to my...

I've had 2 friends develop tinnitus from blasting their car stereos to insane levels (one's stereo was worth more then the car). The volume one would have to play at to overcome the ambient noise of the road and engine is simply too loud to enjoy for an extended time period no matter how good...

My Genelecs are great for music listening. One of the complaints studio folks had on them was their hifi sound, but this makes them great just for listening pleasure. When it comes to detail and stereo image, they outclass my poor HD580s and totally piss on my old Samson Resolv studio...

Quote: Originally Posted by orkney I've not yet used anything but the stock settings for dither, etc. o Excuse my ignorance but what does dither actually do and does it improve the sound from the 840c?

I wouldn't put much hope in burn-in changing the sound on these phones. Mine didn't change a bit. A better dac/amp should improve things.

I just tested out my HD580s using the analog outs of an Edirol ua1-ex to my Arietta against the headphone out of the Edirol unit. The song was Last Goodbye- Jeff Buckley, volume matched at 65db +/- 3db. The difference was very minimal. The only difference would be a widening of the...

Quote: Originally Posted by Gurck The ESI Juli@ looks pretty nifty. I'm looking for a replacement for my audigy, and while I want nice sound, I also need an everyday card that will work well for gaming and watching movies & TV on my PC. I've read that some cards meant for professionals...

For sheer detail and clarity I'd recommend active near-field monitors for desktop listening, but they can be very pricey. However, it sounds like you're a bass-head which means you may be happy with Logitech's offerings. I've heard the Audioengine A5s and they have nice bass, more then my...

I haven't heard a modded-840c but considering how much these mods cost, unless they turn the 840c into a +$3k player, you're almost better off going with a more expensive player. I remember looking at the ebay site with all the mods and was pretty skeptical considering you have to send your...

My HD580s sound incredible with female vocals (Tori Amos, Regina Spektor etc). The 580s may not have the clarity and detail of my speaker setup but the sheer intimacy they provide with female vocals is just beautiful.

I have the Arietta-HD580 combo. I don't really think much of the Arietta considering it barely made a difference compared to the headphone out of an old Sony Discman (I actually preferred the sound of the Discman). I'd sell the Arietta but I need it if I'm using my cd player (840c) as a...

I must be in the minority who weren't impressed with the analog outs of the Juli@. I thought the headphone out of my old Sony Discman sounded better, and the Juli@ outs were being amped through an Arietta! Perhaps I'm underestimating the power of the Discman.

It's the same with the HD580s. I experienced no burn-in whatsoever. The only time the sound changed significantly was through changing the source (adding an amp did next to nothing).

I had this problem using the outputs of my Cambridge 840c cd player to my little Arietta. With the volume set to zero on the Arietta, I could still measure the sound from my HD580s at about 65db! Plugging the 840c into my studio monitors I could barely turn the volume on the monitors up at all...

Quote: Originally Posted by slinger1182 Do you understand Icelandic by any chance 'cos I would get where you are coming from in that case. I don't so I treat the vocals as another instrument. This album is definitely more accessible (or mainstream poppish if I may put it like that). I...

Meier's crossfeed has a similar effect- smaller soundstage, less separation and detail, but it does push channel-biased instruments forward a little, instead of being to the side to make it more speaker-like. Most of the time I have it off.