Yes, that is why I suggested the flagship Schiit dac. Anything more spent on dacs is really just diminishing returns, even moreso than with high end cans.
And the part that gets me in trouble is that I still think there are some things and types of music (classical / vocal especially) that a TOTL HD600 rig does better than the HD800.
Will a TOTL HD600-rig stand up to a TOTL-STAX rig? Probably not.
But there you have it, this can be a very subjective hobby!
Also - if you're living a busy life and want a low maintenance system that's easy to just turn on and use I'd be tempted to skip the tube rolling. Just get a Stax 007 or 009, a KGSSHV amp and a good source. Then just dim those lights and sip that wine, job done.
Yes, that is why I suggested the flagship Schiit dac. Anything more spent on dacs is really just diminishing returns, even moreso than with high end cans.
I'd avoid buying an R10 due to any likely hood of driver failure, you would not be able to buy matched drivers for them let alone finding any. From what I've read there is around 3 versions of the sound apart from being bass light and heavy. I've also listened to a pair of R10's out of my Gigabeat, sound was nothing to write home about. Just a more coloured CD3k when I had that.
I'd avoid buying an R10 due to any likely hood of driver failure, you would not be able to buy matched drivers for them let alone finding any. From what I've read there is around 3 versions of the sound apart from being bass light and heavy. I've also listened to a pair of R10's out of my Gigabeat, sound was nothing to write home about. Just a more coloured CD3k when I had that.
I honestly don't know what Sony is waiting for. The headphones market is exploding and here they have an automatic home-run if they just reproduced the R10's.
Make it exactly as the bass-light R10 (or maybe in between the bass-light and the bass-heavy version), make it look a little different because it's silly to make exact replicas, name it Sony R11, give it a $1500-2000 price tag to compete with HD800/Fostex/Audeze.
Bang just like that, they have an automatic home run and add lots of cred to the Sony name.
Wouldn't be that unlikely. Sony recently revived their popular Esprit series by bringing out a new hdd/network based player and an integrated amp (both recieved favorable reviews). So they might work on a new flagship headphone too.
I'd avoid buying an R10 due to any likely hood of driver failure, you would not be able to buy matched drivers for them let alone finding any. From what I've read there is around 3 versions of the sound apart from being bass light and heavy. I've also listened to a pair of R10's out of my Gigabeat, sound was nothing to write home about. Just a more coloured CD3k when I had that.
I know that this is sarcasm at best but when an R10 is properly driven it is nearly an even par with the BHSE+SR009. No I don't have a Gigabeat to plug it into, but an R10 out of the GS-X MKII does sound sublime. The R10 & CD3K is a different animal all together.
I use my headphones a lot, buying an R10 would be a bit like buying a Jaguar E-type. Fantastic for that Sunday drive but not something I'd like to use every day.
My HD800's are more like a BMW M5. Very practical, comfortable and reliable but also a great performer. And if I break them it's not the end of the world.
I honestly don't know what Sony is waiting for. The headphones market is exploding and here they have an automatic home-run if they just reproduced the R10's.
Make it exactly as the bass-light R10 (or maybe in between the bass-light and the bass-heavy version), make it look a little different because it's silly to make exact replicas, name it Sony R11, give it a $1500-2000 price tag to compete with HD800/Fostex/Audeze.
Bang just like that, they have an automatic home run and add lots of cred to the Sony name.
Never going to happen. A modern R10 modelled R11 would cost crap loads. Considering it use to cost over $2000 over 2 decades ago and the price for everything has drastically increased over time in modern days. Back then all those old school Japanese and European companies did the things they did to compete with each other and prove that they can produce anything they want, since most modern crap has migrated over to Asia due to much less production costs these companies have stopped caring. Most of the old school engineers have either passed away, moved on or retired, some are still in the industry but the market is a completely different ball game now. An R11 / R10 clone at $1500 is a laughable joke but would be awesome if it were to happen one day. I've held them and seen some leaked Sony white paper of the R10's driver and housing cross-section on a German or Dutch forum posted while back and you can tell some serious engineering went into that headphone.
I know that this is sarcasm at best but when an R10 is properly driven it is nearly an even par with the BHSE+SR009. No I don't have a Gigabeat to plug it into, but an R10 out of the GS-X MKII does sound sublime. The R10 & CD3K is a different animal all together.
Not sure if you're implying my post was sarcasm or the person above mine. I did state I drove them out of a Gigabeat which is a DAP. It was the only thing I was allowed to plug the R10 into when I briefly listened to it. Funny thing consulting with a few references from German forums but I'm unsure if it's true although vintageknob confirms what I've seen, early R10's used the CD3k drivers and there were no differences between the driver besides housing. But looking at the parts list serial number this changed for later batches broken down into bass light and bass heavy but a re-tuned CD3k driver all together. I do recall one person here put CD3k drivers into there R10 shell due to one malfunctioning R10 driver and the sound was different altogether. So not sure how accurate that source was but anything could be a possibility because I know the CD series range shared a single driver (excluding the 1400,1700 and 2000).
I've also heard the BHSE + 009 and the only thing the R10 was similar in sound was the treble. Everything was completely different sounding. Again out of the Gigabeat and I usually don't find amplification to emphasis that much of a difference except save the HD800 and O2.
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