Originally Posted by bigwormie /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Well my quest is finally over. I will start with a list of all of the equipment and software I have purchased and tried over the past 2 months in the order that I, in my simple and humble opinion feel they should be placed (from #1 my personal best to #9 "what didn't work for me". I am posting here because in my opinion the key to this system is the amp/dac combo:
1. E-MU 0404 usb ($184.95 on Amazon)
2. Senn HD 650
3. Senn HD 600
4. Foobar2000 (best eq, I have found)
5. errrrrhhhhhh can--t sa---yy i--tt...BOSE COMPANION 5 System. uhhhhhh that was tough! I know I will lose many of you right there, but don't bash it unless you are willing to hook it up to your computer and plug your cans into the nifty little control pod. I will speak more on this below to try to relieve some of the shock caused by this statement.
6. $2000.00 dac/amp combo that gets much respect here on the forums (I will explain below why I have chosen not to give the name.
7. $1,000.00 dac/amp combo that is a 4 letter word and starts with a "D"(again I will explain below).
8. E-Mu 1212m
9. Creative X-fi Platinum
I relocated to a new state in November and decided to take half of november and all of December off to spend time with my wife and baby and get adjusted to our new home state. I was not returning to work with my company until 1/1/07 so during this time I took up the "hobby" of trying to re-create my main listening system in a way that won't disturb my wife and sleeping baby. Enter Headfi.
For hours on end, I would browse the various forums here trying to decide between all of the cans/amps/dacs/transports/cables/soundcards/software. Finally I began buying the items listed above. Consequently the last item I purchased turned out to be the best for me, the E-MU 0404 usb. I have decided not to give the names of the two most expensive combo's I tried because I would not want to discourage anyone from purchasing these as I do feel they are both great systems, they just didn't do it for me. I also appreciate both of the companies in the pleasant dealings I have had with them up to this point (still waiting for my money back to my credit card). I have also learned that it is probably unlikely that I will be able to exactly replicate the sound of Rotel/Denon/Some Large Tower Speakers and a Velodyne HGS 12iix. But I have come VERY close to the pleasure I experience from this setup.
Well enough already, I have decided to keep the E-mu 0404 usb, and both pair of Senn's and SEND EVERYTING ELSE BACK I will say though, that for someone on a "budget" all one needs is the 0404 usb and a pair of 650's I am keeping the hd600's for a little change from time to time. I was surprised to come to this at the very end because I had a good mind to send the 650's back before I paired them with the 0404usb. As many have said, there was a veil, they were way too warm, and most times muddy/sloppy in the bass. Now with the 0404 they sound buttery, and the kind of butter when you put it in the microwave for exactly 9 seconds, right before it melts, not too soft and not too hard-----oh, sorry I digress
Now getting back to the bose companion 5. This is really a cool little system, you plug the usb into your computer and place the control pod on your desk and hook up your cans to the control pod. As you already know, the sound from the speakers/acustamas bass brick thingy still sounds like bose, way too much work being done by the bass module and harsh highs but still pretty good for a computer speaker system. The beauty lies in the control pod, headphone jack. It really sounds good! The problem I had with it is there is definitely some sound processing being done by the bose sound card therefore I just know I am missing detail and it is a little too warm, that being said, if I hadn't found the 0404usb, I would have kept the bose as I didnt have to eq foobar at all, good synergy coming from that little jack, deep but not muddy bass, perfectly balanced (left to right, I think there is built in crossfade). It just sounds good. Like I said, don't start flaming unless you try it.
I decided against the $2000.00 combo and the $1000.00 unit because they were just not that fun to listen to for long periods of time, I spent too much time picking out the various instruments and too little time just enjoying the music. It just wasn't alive if you know what I mean.
I did not like the 1212m because it was WAY too analytical for me. I tried and tried to monkey with patchmix with inserts and eq's and although the mids and upper section sounded TERRIFIC, it was like it sucked the deep stuff out and wouldn't give it back no matter what I did.
The x-fi was ok, but it had too much processing going on, and I tried it with no eax, asio, no crystalizer, locking 44.1 and using an external dac and could not get it to stop processing the sound coming out. I don't mind my music being processed, I just dont want to be able to hear it.
I wrote this long post for the guy like me, who just wants to listen to and enjoy (not analyze) some good music and doesn't want to spend months on the merry-go-round that is headfi. And yes I am 1/2 bass head and proud of it. I am done with my quest for now (until I decide between UE-5c's and UE-10 pros for my ipod Reference Music: Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mack, Steely Dan, Sade, Luther Vandross, Earth Wind and Fire (spirit album), Chris Botti.
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