Sadly, it was discontinued soon after it was introduced onto the market. I am also under the impression that Fostex destroyed many of the remaining units that were at the factory. It's a shame because it was an incredible sounding amp.

At the Canjam NYC 2017, I did an A/B comparison between my Fostex TH-900 and the LCD4 on the original King. The TH-900 sounds absolutely incredible with the King! With a high rez recording, it can sound like a real band is playing in the room. Very spooky. The TH-900 is easier to drive which...

Cool, right now I am debating between the Audeze King MKII or PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium HP. Anyone here have experience with both? I'm also a huge fan of Woo Audio amps but the Audeze King sure does sound special.

Thanks for the reply TommyCat69. Good to know that the original can be upgraded for only $500. Have you noticed any downsides at all?

Has anyone had a chance to do a A/B demo comparing the original King to the new MKII? Impressions?

+1 on the Gray's Papaya. They have amazing Papaya drinks. 

I suggest people who are attending send emails to companies they would like to see exhibit at CanJam NYC. I sent an email to PrimaLuna encouraging them to become an exhibitor so they can demonstrate the headphone amp capabilities of their DiaLogue Premium HP amp. Of course, don't send emails to...

Bought my plane ticket. Looking forward to going. Don't worry about the weather guys. I've been to NYC twice before during Feb for fashion week and the weather is fine as long as you have a decent jacket. I never saw any snow. 

I listened to a lot of dacs at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2015 and I highly recommend the Resonessence Labs Invicta. It is priced at $4995US but you could probably negotiate a lower price. I was also really impressed by the Bel Canto DAC 3.7 at $4495US. 

Thanks for clarifying. 

Word from a dealer is that The King is now discontinued. 

Out of curiosity, have you ever tried the Fostex TH900? If so, how do you think they compare? They are known for their bass and I wonder if they would be able to handle more bass before distorting. 

Ya, no kidding. I don't normally complain about the price of high end audio but the retail should have been a max $5000. They got some fierce competition at that price. I can't imagine they are going to sell very many unless they lower the price. 

I agree that the height should be adjustable out of the factory. When I tried them, I found they sat far too low even on my big head. 

I used to own a high end leather sofa set from Italy and the guy from the furniture store was very honest. He told me that most furniture stores will sell you expensive leather conditioners that you don't really need. When it comes to high quality leather all you need to do is take a damp cloth...

Seriously, you have not really heard the Abyss until you have heard it with the Egoista. 

Yoga, I'm a big fan of Moon speaker amps but the 430 was the amp that I liked the least when paired with the Abyss. The Viva Egoista is just so much more incredible. A night and day difference. I think you will be amazed by the upgrade if you decide to go that route. 

I'm guessing the Dave would have a similar sound signature to the Hugo but probably with more resolution and features. If I was you, I would go with the MSB Analog. They have some cool custom colors that you can order. 

This discussion about wine reminds me of an article that I read a while back. In blind taste tests, the average person almost always picks the cheaper wine as tasting the best. But in that same blind test, experienced wine aficionados picked the expensive wines as tasting the best. They were...

bigfatpaulie, that is a very valid point. I agree that the more resolution your equipment can resolve then the bigger the difference your dac and cables will make.  It is more proof that the dac and cables should be the last thing to upgrade.  I can relate to your last paragraph. My degree is...

I find that with dacs the difference isn't always immediately noticeable. It is only after an extended listening secession that I find myself being able to understand some lyrics that were previously incoherent. IMO, I would say that dacs make a 5% difference. The only cables that I have heard...

No problem. I'm always happy to help as much as I can.  The Viva Egoista is Italian so it should be better distributed in Europe than here in North America. It may even be worth a trip to Italy to have an audition. You could make a vacation out of it.  I know they had a CanJam in London...

If I was in your shoes and wanted to stick with the Abyss, I would get a Viva Egoista. It definitely won't give you the bass slam your are looking for but it does have the best overall sound I have heard by far. Getting the amp that has the best overall sound is more important than getting the...

I've heard the Abyss with just about every amp out there including the WooAudio WA5 and to be honest none of them gave the Abyss the bass slam that I hear everyone talking about. The Liquid Gold seemed to give it the most bass but still not enough to satisfy me. I wonder if the issue is that the...

If you are willing to consider something big and expensive, I was very impressed by the Moon 780D. I heard it with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins speakers and the bass sounded like thunder. Their advertising states that is has a "greater sense of finesse, focus, bass slam, and control." If I had the...