Interesting! How did you connect the Arya to the speaker taps?

Yep, I really like the Buchardt/Willsenton combo. So much detail in the midrange and treble, and so dynamic! Somewhere in the near future, I will ask my local amp technician to install a lower value resistor in the headphone circuit; that would increase the R8's driving capabilities for lower...

The CV181's have been in there for at least the first 60 hours, after that I changed to the Tung Sols. Just to check, I put them back yesterday... they still sound a bit too hot to my ears. I have to say, a lot of clarity though! Online folklore says they need a very long (300h+) burn in time to...

I also like the Buchardts better with KT88s. I started with the upgraded KT88 and CV181-TII in place, but as I said there was a bit of harshness. First I upgraded the 6SL7 to tame the upper mids (no effect), then tried JJ E34L instead of KT88 (quite a bit warmer than kt88, but still too much...

LOL, same here (Willsenton R8 + Buchardt S400mk2). The Buchardts have a few hundred hours on them, the Willsenton probably 100h or so. Sounds amazing, and I was surprised how well the R8 handles these lowish-impedance (mostly 4 ohms) speakers. One warning though: I bought the R8 with upgraded...

I still use the Stereo 50 as my daily driver for headphones (Hifiman Arya) and speakers (Focal Aria 906). It continues to amaze me how good it sounds and the amount of power that comes out of this small box.

Put differently: if you don't need bluetooth/pre-amp/headphone functionality, which is the best 'pure' DAC in the Zen series?

On iFi website it is listed as discontinued. But I think some online hifi places still have it on stock.

I looked it up in the old head-fi thread... It is a pure tube amp, class A/B push-pull. Speaker taps (which I use for, well, my speakers) have 25W per channel (bit ambiguous as iFi state that the power output "is equal to a 25W solid state Amplifier when driven into real speakers using music"...

My Arya is v2. The iFi stereo 50 is class A/B for its speaker taps, but driving headphones it never leaves class A. Timbre is there, warmth and 3D imaging as well. Obviously the wise thing to do is to find someone with a high powered class A solid state amp in the neighbourhood and do some...

The iFi Stereo 50 tube amp (also the amp for my speakers). Has a very nice headphone section that delivers 7000 mW (into what is unclear unfortunately). Volume-wise this thing is a beast, with the Arya I rarely/never go beyond 11 o clock. Soundstage is incredible. But truth be told I’m looking...

Someone tell me I don’t need the soloist 3XP for my Arya. Because that baby seems really really attractive right now 😅

Arya V2 owner here. Completely agree with your assessment of the Aryas bass. The following is not directed at you but more a general observation: What always annoys me is the idea that good/deep/textured/punchy bass is only needed for so-called 'bass-heavy' genres like hip hop, EDM, modern pop...

I use my Arya with the iFi Stereo 50 tube amp. I think it’s pure magic. Just the right amount of warmth, more than enough power (7W or so), big bold bass (even without using the iFi Xbass feature), very ‘3D’ soundstage. Then again, I don’t have much to compare it with. A friends’ Mojo sounded...

Arya owner here since two months. I agree with everything said above about these headphones: amazing speed, holographic 3D soundstage, classical music sounds huge, subwoofer-like sub bass. I power it with the single ended headphone out in my iFi Retro Stereo 50 tube amp, some 7000mW if I recall...

I'm using the Stereo 50 with Focal Aria 906 speakers in a 5x5m living room. Very enjoyable on all volume levels, though obviously it doesn't go chest-thumping concert-level loud. Owned the LS3.5 stock speakers before, but I prefer the current combination.

Could bring the iFi Stereo 50 (the tube amp from the Retro set)

http://ifi-audio.com/reviews/germanys-prestigious-audio-magazine-rates-retro-as-reference-class/   Nice.

Would like to join too. Only a HD580 and HD700 to bring!