Getting back to your earlier question Craig, Fyi after considering all my options, I've decided to double down on my main 2-channel audio system. So i'm not going ahead with the purchase of the Stelia cans, and will be putting all my headfi gear up for sale here in the next couple of days, incl...

Yes, but the Utupia's are less practical in that they need a dedicated high end headphone amp to properly drive them & get the best out of them. And also, being open back, they're not practical in noisy environments or public places. The Stelia's OTOH can be driven comfortably with a high end...

That's a fair call, though the HE1000SE's are $1kAUD more than the Stellia's in my neck and are open back. I weighed the pro's/con's of open back cans & think closed back is the way to go as i'd be able to use them on long-haul flights, on some of the long overland rail journeys in Australia &...

Thanks for your post Craig. I thought for a minute a time capsule I planted 30 years ago was just uncovered :D I returned to the store to have a second, longer listen to the Focal Stellia cans which i'm happy to say confirmed my first impressions. Unfortunately though i'm under the pump atm with...

I went into Addicated to Audio yesterday and auditioned some headphones. TBH I was debating whether to sell my SP1000 Copper dac while it's still new/sealed & just buy a portable dac/headphone amp to use with my Iphone, reasoning that I might be able to get better bang for the buck that way. But...

Thanks for the suggestion, though the low sensitivity wouldn't be an ideal match with the SP1000 & they are $1500AUD over my budget.

Yeah it was clear, even in the audio store the closed back design worked very well & was the way to go. I got the impression from my sales guy that he preferred the Stellia to the Utopia. I can't comment on the Utopia's sound, but the Stellia is clearly a more usable headphone. I'm about to...

Thanks @m-i-c-k-e-y. I discussed with the guys what I planned to use the headphones for (ie: 90% at home or on the sofa & 10% travel, incl: on airplanes). They quickly ruled out open-back headphones, and said they won't work on trains/planes even at low levels. But I still wanted to audition the...

@m-i-c-k-e-y, Thanks for the suggestion, they look unconventional! I went into Addicted to Audio today and setup a 3-way shootout between the Focal Clear, Hifiman Arya & new Focal Stellia cans. Long story short, paired with an A&K SP1000M dap, the new Stellia's were a clear winner, and were the...

Hi folks, I'm looking for recommedations for a pair of cans I can run off my SP1000. In terms of use, It would be for headphone sessions at home, going away on holiday & train trips. As i'd like to take them away on holiday, a relatively compact semi-hard or hard case would be useful, and good...

Lol, I just don't believe it. How motivated do you think those sweat shop factory workers in Shin Zhang provence are going to be on 500 yuan a week? Thanks but i'll buy mine designed and built in-house in a SOTA factory in Denmark by hightly trained, motivated and paid workers :wink:.

AMR is quite nice gear, but made in China.

YW! Please post an update if you decide to pull the trigger on the Signature dac. Based on my experience with the SCD-025Mk2, it is very good.

I run the SIA-025/SCD-025Mk2 combo in my system with Jorma Prime and Statement cables. They sound analogue-like, fluid and have good bass. In Class A mode as you would know, the SIA-025 sounds warm and tube-like once up to optimal temperature. HOV said these two components are "made for each...

Cheers Jalo. You've got a very nice DAP there btw! I could see myself stepping up to a higher end A&K player in future, perhaps when I add something like a future model replacement for the HiFi man Edition X. And I'll inevitably need more storage at some point. Though the AK300 has terrific...