Looked like a great meet!  Great job Chris.  Disappointed I couldn't make it.  That sucks about the low turn out, it seemed like last year we were in the middle of a boom.     This may not be the right place to weigh in -- but I'm not sure about a main state meet in the middle of summer.  Lots...

HE90s!  I picked the wrong weekend to go out of town.  Looked like a fun meet, good job Nick!  Will keep an eye out for the next one.

Damn, I will be in California on this date... have fun!

Quote:   You can actually mix and match, they don't all need to be the same.  I'm running 3 different types of tubes at the moment outputs, inputs, and a driver.  You can tweak things that way.  

Quote:   For what it's worth, the amp at the meet had the tong sol tubes that had less than 10 hours on them at the time.  So not only are they not considered the best tubes, they weren't even burned in.  As I've rolled in different outputs and drivers, I've changed the sound quite a bit...

Quote:   Has very good synergy with the hd800, but you wont' go wrong with a CSP2 either.

Just fyi there's a super 7 on the FS forum.

Quote: Fair enough.  We've gotten off track though, my original point was that we shouldn't be comparing our negative experience with the PWD to the xsabre.  

I'm willing to chalk up a lot of things to meet conditions, but this isn't one of them.  It simply sounded off.  It was grainy, thin, and had a digital stepped sound on shimmers and decay.  Once we swapped the sources, there was an instant improvement that really let the LL2->009 sound much...

There are three of us, myself, maxvla, and morbidtoaster that all agreed something was up with the PWD2 that we heard at the Austin meet.  I'm not going to comment on whether anything beat out anything else, but I will say the PWD2 in those conditions had some faults that were revealed when...

Quote:   The phonitor, just as an amp, with all of the tools off gets you about 99% of the way of the Bryston.  The BHA has a nicer energy to it though.  The phonitor is a great amp, just way over priced.  

Quote:   Can't argue here.  That combo definitely hits a sweet spot of bottom line vs performance. 

The decware taboo sounds like what you want in your price range.

Maxvla and I a/bed the DA11 at the Austin meet last Saturday.  The DA11 sounded a tiny, and I mean tiny, bit warmer.  Which personally I think pairs better with my HD800s.  Other than that they were extremely close, and personally I think with the PIC controls, which I use frequently, the DA11...

Maxvla's ears aren't busted... The PWD2s at the Austin meet did sound off. That said, most of my negative impressions (especially things that sounded harsh or abrasive) of any equipment that day, I've chalked up to having to have the volume up so loud to counter conversations.  We were not very...

Quote:   I can't wait to send them back for repairs!

Glad you had a good time.  Unless there is a sign saying do not touch something, there is generally an open invite to sit down at any free chair and have a listen.  Ground rules are, just stick to selecting music, and don't interfere with the equipment otherwise without asking.  Other than that...

Wish I had listened to the GSX2 on the sabre.  I thought it was thin and harsh out of the Oppo.  Also I hear your HD800s are some of the smoothest around, according to the high seas, so that might have been a factor. 

Quote:   Your rig's celebrity was the only thing stopping me from stealing it.

I'm not going to write the PWD off.  Obviously many people like it.  I think it's more likely that I'm used to dynamics and then when I switch to stax AND a PWD, the Stax sound, and lack of familiarity is also affecting my impression of it.  But I wasn't wowed by it, let me put it that way.  I...

I may need to audition one in a better setting, and with tubes I'm familiar with.  The amp is fantastic no doubt, but the setup had a few flaws with center voice in particular that I found not to my liking.  The liquid fire had the same issue.  I am willing to chalk that up to the source, the...

Quote:   True true.  Also in everyone's collection: Norah Jones (Those sweet female vocals), Tool (gotta try and trip up the drivers), and Pink Floyd (Everyone has PF ingrained into their brains).  

Quote:   Regardless, it seems pointless to try and compare them with two different headphones.  

Quote:   I intentionally left out my notes about the BHSE because it was sourced by an Oppo and was feeding the 007 MK1 and it thought it was kind of pointless to compare the two amps when the headphones and source was difference.  I didn't see if anyone tried the 009s on the BHSE, and if...

Quote:   Gotta agree here.  I wasn't impressed by the 009 until we swapped out the PWD. The PW sounded airy.