$2000 budget. Help me build my system. Amp pairing questions.

[ardilla]

.... but what about the Woo WA6SE....  

 I love my WA2 (with the Muse DAC.... ) http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/504700/wa6-se-or-wa2#post_6817879
 
However - I've been drowling on the Violectric - but never heard it.. It's been claimed to have a dash of the essential warmth
 
You'll be happy either way. All are good amps
 

 

[AmanGeorge]

Quote:

Violectric V200 - with the muse DAC
 
and tied for last place 160D/Lyr with their unreleased DAC

 
Ok - just keep in mind that upgradeitis is a killer in the audio world, and spending $50 on a DAC that you can find lots of people saying is very good for the money is unlikely to prevent you from wanting to buy a $500 or $1,000 DAC later (which is why I recommend the 160D, which seems relatively no-compromise for the $$). Consider yourself warned.

 

[BrucYSN]

$60 really? where?
 
Quote:

I guess you've already seen this... http://www.headfonia.com/burson-ha-160d-review/
 
The Burson looks pretty nice - I must admit.. 3+2 inputs, pre-out... But get that $60 Muse DAC I've been nagging about anyway ) It's that good!
 


 

 

 

[ardilla]

 
There is no way to avoid the upgrade-monster.
 
The dac in the Burson is a budget dac. You are just as likely to want to upgrade from that as from the Muse, or any other dac. 
 
I had the Grace m902, and when I noticed I couldn't hear the difference between the mid-fi CDP I used as a transport and the DAC in the Grace, I sold the whole thing and got the WA2. However - the Grace is worth it's money as a standalone amp - at least if you need several inputs and a pre-amp. I really enjoyed it with the HD650, but it got too bright with the T1, and I was curious about tubes.....
 
I also had the (as mentioned) the USD 3500 Naim Dac with an extra $1000 PSU - that is a USD 4500 award-winning dac. When I tested it blind with a buddy - I preferred the Muse 18 of 20 times. My buddy prefers the Naim 8 of 12 times, however. But often we really couldn't tell them apart. 
 
The reason I'm pushing this cheap dac (besides it beeing an excellent dac regardless of price) is to make people realize that it's not always about money. Right now am enjoying the WA2 with extreme satisfaction through some Sony earbuds that came with a mid-price walkman CD-player ) I didn't believe my ears! (but Sony do/did know their earbuds - too bad they now discontinued most of them)
 
First thing I did, of course was to order some more expensive earbuds. Two different pairs, actually.....................
 
Quote:

 
Ok - just keep in mind that upgradeitis is a killer in the audio world, and spending $50 on a DAC that you can find lots of people saying is very good for the money is unlikely to prevent you from wanting to buy a $500 or $1,000 DAC later (which is why I recommend the 160D, which seems relatively no-compromise for the $$). Consider yourself warned.

 
 
Quote:

$60 really? where?
 
 

 
Here
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/559930/2000-budget-help-me-build-my-system-amp-pairing-questions#post_7564335

 

[Canadian411]

If you are getting LCD2, get Burson HA-160D instead of SR-71b or any portable amps.
You will not hear much improvement with a portable amp, (from my experience).
 
Your total will come around (give or take) $2000, lcd2 + burson.
Then later you can upgrade your cables, etc...

 

[schaaf]

I'm going to wait until Schiit releases info on their DAC this Thursday before I do anything.

If it looks appealing I'll take the plunge with a full line of Schiit electronics.
Lol. I love saying Schitt.

If things don't pan out that way, I'm going with the 160D.

Now, where is the best place to order from?
Wooden box or travel case?

Hmmmmm........

 

[Dreaming Of A Better ...]

....

 

[ardilla]

What happened to V200?
 
Quote:

I'm going to wait until Schiit releases info on their DAC this Thursday before I do anything.

If it looks appealing I'll take the plunge with a full line of Schiit electronics.
Lol. I love saying Schitt.

If things don't pan out that way, I'm going with the 160D.

Now, where is the best place to order from?
Wooden box or travel case?

Hmmmmm........

 

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

I'm going to wait until Schiit releases info on their DAC this Thursday before I do anything.

If it looks appealing I'll take the plunge with a full line of Schiit electronics.
Lol. I love saying Schitt.

If things don't pan out that way, I'm going with the 160D.

Now, where is the best place to order from?
Wooden box or travel case?

Hmmmmm........

You should probably wait a lot longer than Thursday, I would wait for some experienced DAC reviewers (like Project86, etc.) to step in before I took that plunge.
 

 

[schaaf]

V200 - No DAC. I haven't heard anything that great about the DAC. Limited budget and all....
 
On the Lyr/schitt dac Im not going to wait forever. I need something soon. 
 
Also questioning the LCD2 at this point. I have read that the HE6 has better mids and is more clear thru the treble. 
 
Anyone heard the HE6 with the lyr or the 160D?
 
 

 

[sphinxvc]

It's a very demanding headphone, speaker amps and pigtails should also be under consideration.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Quote:

Quote:

You should probably wait a lot longer than Thursday, I would wait for some experienced DAC reviewers (like Project86, etc.) to step in before I took that plunge.
 

Agreed - it's going to take much longer than Thursday for you to have a sense of how good/bad this DAC is. All you'll know on Thursday are the final specs and look.
 

 

[ohhgourami]

V200 - No DAC. I haven't heard anything that great about the DAC. Limited budget and all....
 
On the Lyr/schitt dac Im not going to wait forever. I need something soon. 
 
Also questioning the LCD2 at this point. I have read that the HE6 has better mids and is more clear thru the treble. 
 
Anyone heard the HE6 with the lyr or the 160D?
 
 

Yes, I've heard the HE-6 on both amps. I much prefer the Lyr over the 160D. IMO, the 160D has a very mediocre DAC. The amp does NOT have enough power for an HE-6. The Lyr goes pretty well with the HE-6 but is slightly too smooth for my taste. You might want to look into an NFB-10ES (used) as your source for either headphone.

The 160D, IMO, does not go well with the LCD-2 also unless you like overly warm sound. Plus the amp section can still use more power. You definitely want an amp that is neutral or bright to go with the LCD-2. I expect the Lyr to pair well with it but still warm. If you want soundstage, I don't think the LCD-2 should be on your list. The LCD-2 has one of the smallest soundstages I've ever heard. You might want to look into a T1 or HD800 if you want soundstage.

BTW, I strongly recommend that you look into some better DACs. IMO, DAC is more important than amp assuming the amp can supply sufficient power. I think the NFB-10 is THE best source you can get for the price.

With your budget, don't even bother getting an HD650, go straight into high end orthos. LCD-2 if you like lots of warmth, bass, and creamy mids. HE-6 if you like realistic tonal balance with some emphasis on the treble. HE-500 if you want a smoother HE-6 and a less demanding amp.

 

[ardilla]

FWIR the HE6 is quite tilted towards the brighter side - and quite different than the LCD-2 which has the opposite reputation....
 
HE500 is the new kid in town - better mids than the HE6, easier to drive.... FWIR
 
http://www.headfonia.com/hifiman-he-500-first-impression/
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/hifiman4/1.html
translate this with googleif you need to  http://loevhagen.blogspot.com/2011/06/hifiman-he-500-he-6.html
 
 
If you like brighter phones than LCD-2, the T1 is very good - now I talk from experience. But they are not "un-bright".. 
 
Quote:

 
Also questioning the LCD2 at this point. I have read that the HE6 has better mids and is more clear thru the treble. 
 
 
 

 

 

[baka1969]

I think the PS DLIII > M^3 > HE500 would make a great combo. The M^3 amp is very close in quality to the beta22 which is another great pairing. The DLIII has already been mentioned in this thread and can be had for close to $500 on AudiogoN.

The HE500 does very well with the WA6SE and WA2 but that leaves no room for a DAC. I personally preferred the HE500 over the LCD2.