Quote: Originally Posted by mulveling For now I just place the microphone tip right next to the driver (in the case of my Senns, I place it gently against the layer of foam covering the driver, in the center); I figure that's a conservative way to estimate the actual SPL. I've...

Quote: Originally Posted by markl The problem is, your amp can only ever be as good as the source signal it's being fed. If there are all kinds of cheap components in the signal path before it hands that signal off to your over-built, pristine amplifier, the sound will still only ever be...

Everybody's been talking about the source/recording quality being the problem here. Can that be right? Everything I've heard about the Grace would indicate that it is a *highly* revealing amp--if the source or recording doesn't measure up, it should be noticeable. Namely, it should sound crappy...

Quote: Originally Posted by metal_monger First off, if you are here its because you love music. loving music means you spend money on your music, and music loving is expensive but lets face it, if youd idnt spend your money here you would spend it on somethign else. There are lots of...

Ymer, You've gotten a lot of good advice here so far. I'm sure your head's spinning about now. I've no doubt that any of these choices would give you great sound. I worry, though, that you might be setting yourself up for disappointment, expecting one of these new amps to blow your mind...

It's not the amp--can't be. I've never found the OBH-11 to be too sibilant, and that's consistent with most of the opinions I've read about the amp--even including its detractors. I'd estimate that the ratio of people who found it "smooth," rather than "bright," is probably in the neighborhood...

It's strange that you find the sibilance to be such a problem. I've got a Cambridge D300, which is supposed to have similar characteristics to the NAD 521i, and I don't find the highs too harsh at all with my OBH-11. I can listen for hours without getting fatigued. Maybe the slightly rolled-off...

Quote: Originally Posted by rodbac reeseboisse, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Send away for a tiny gay/lesbian pride 'rainbow shirt' and outfit the soundblaster voodoo doll in it (the rainbows on those shirts are second to none and will take the sound from your card up anywhere...

Hey Murdoch-- Should you decide to take the plunge, I noticed that Saturday Audio (www.saturdayaudio.com) has the 541i for $299. Not a bad deal, I'd say.

Quote: Originally posted by NeilPeart I am happy that he is happy with his amp - I definitely wasn't trying to "rain on anybody's parade." I was simply saying to any buyers interested in the Creek that there are other amps in a similar price bracket that I feel are superior, so please...

Quote: Originally posted by newmanoc Thank you, Sugano-san. You are of course not mistaken. I might add this fact is a little bit curious given that this is the web's premier site for headphone amp expertise and the Creek OBH-21SE is far from an obscure product. It's not an obscure...

You sure get a lot of mileage out of those graphs, fewtch. I put the term in quotes because it's such a common complaint about the OBH-11. I personally don't have a problem with a little bit of warmth in the OBH-11 (although interestingly, this conflicts mightily with all those who say they...

Quote: Originally posted by Alex Altorfer Like I said I have no opinion on any of the OBH amps as I have not auditioned any, but I remember Creek's OBH-11 brochure greatly overhyped this product. Many users had unrealistic expectations because of the manufacturer's hype, only to be...

Quote: Originally posted by fewtch All this strikes me as "defending your choice." Sorry, but that's really all it looks like to me from here. Isn't it a bit silly? If you really can't afford to even try a MINT or something to compare to the OBH-11, just use and enjoy what you have...

Quote: Originally posted by Murdoch Yes, someday I'll upgrade, to be sure. But not right now. Sheesh, I've only had the creek since November! Also, don't forget there are other considerations in upgrading your gear, like will you catch weeks of hell from your wife for "never being...