[CAMiasm]

hey, fewtch, do you have an instant messenger or chat service? i have a lot of questions and posting like this isn't very efficient.

would you mind?

 

[Unearthed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAMiasm well, it won't be living my room, so i don't care about its appearance. i don't see a power switch though. also i don't see a plugin for a wall wart (i think that's the term). which is unfortunate. will it run with rechargable batteries? i'm not sure if this matters for other units, but it affects the performance of the PA2V2.

Yah, those are all the questions I had about that amp as well. You know, the absence of the Go-Vibe really adds a gap in the progression of amps if you want to run off of DC power.

Personally, I think you answered your own questions when you said "I am a NEWB." I would start off with a PA2V2 and progress from there as the time comes. If you are really against doing that and you want DC your best bet IMO would be the mentioned x3. But it's $110 plus $15 for a DC jack and then you need to order a power supply (like 12-15). So yah, it's a bit out of your price range.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAMiasm hey, fewtch, do you have an instant messenger or chat service? i have a lot of questions and posting like this isn't very efficient. would you mind?

Sorry, I don't use IM... you can click on my username to the left and then "Send a Private Message" if you want (about to log out for the night though).

 

[CAMiasm]

i need to get a job...

so right now my options are:
-used govibe
-pa2v2
-ebay pimeta

the leading candidates are the pa2v2 and the ebay pimeta, i need to decide between those two.

since i am such a newb, i probably wouldn't even notice the difference between a pa2v2 and a pimeta. i wouldn't mind having an extra $40 in my wallet. i'm definitely leaning towards the pa2v2.

i need a very convincing argument for the pimeta to make me change my mind. anyone have some amazing reason for a pimeta? if i wasn't such a newb fewtch's sounds like it would have done it, but now i don't know.

i'll wait a few hours if anyone has anything else to add. thanks for the help so far.

 

[CAMiasm]

well, i'm going to get the PA2 V2.

thanks to all who helped.

 

[Unearthed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAMiasm well, i'm going to get the PA2 V2. thanks to all who helped.

Cool man, enjoy it!

 

[J W]

Would the millet hybrid from http://www.rockhopperaudio.com/ work well with a k501?

If not, what else in that price range would work well with them?

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAMiasm well, i'm going to get the PA2 V2.

I hope you enjoy it. I had started testing the combo and had done about an hours listening with PC and iRiver Slimx as sources so too early to make any huge conclusions.

 

[fewtch]

My feeling is that the K501s deserve a better amp than the PA2V2, but enjoy...

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch My feeling is that the K501s deserve a better amp than the PA2V2, but enjoy...

I think the fundamental issue is that the K501s are a difficult pair of headphones to make sound good, um, in my opinion.

I have had 2 high quality and coincidentally high voltage (24V) amps that have failed to make them acceptable to me. They were 3 to 5 times more expensive than the PA2V2 and made by respected builders. That these amps failed with the 501s did not make me think they were bad amps as both worked very well with the HD580s.

The amps I have owned which made the 501s sound good (to me) were a Pimeta (AD8620), a Graham Slee Solo Mk II(AD843) and my current favourite the Mcubed(AD843) by MisterX.

To say that a pair of headphones deserve better than an amp which I do not think you have even ever heard - correct me if I am wrong - looks a little like snobbery to me.

FWIW my observation is that the PA2V2 does surprsingly well with the 501s - imo. It does not do enough to bring the very best out of the 501s, it doesnt fall over in a heap i.e it does not distort noticeably and it is plenty loud and the output is perfectably listenable but the 501s tend to be a little more harsh and congested than with my "better" amp. It is far from a disastrous combination though and I am still listening to it now (Disco Man - by the Damned).

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hciman77 I think the fundamental issue is that the K501s are a difficult pair of headphones to make sound good, um, in my opinion. I have had 2 high quality and coincidentally high voltage (24V) amps that have failed to make them acceptable to me. They were 3 to 5 times more expensive than the PA2V2 and made by respected builders. That these amps failed with the 501s did not make me think they were bad amps as both worked very well with the HD580s. The amps I have owned which made the 501s sound good (to me) were a Pimeta (AD8620), a Graham Slee Solo Mk II(AD843) and my current favourite the Mcubed(AD843) by MisterX.

I like the K501s with a maxed out Pimeta as well. Seems to be a lot of synergy issues with the K501, so maybe the PA2V2 will work out well. It's reported to be a bit boosted on the low end, so perhaps it will work out well for the OP.

Quote:

To say that a pair of headphones deserve better than an amp which I do not think you have even ever heard - correct me if I am wrong - looks a little like snobbery to me.

Maybe. They were originally $200+ headphones, and in my opinion are rather high end. Is it snobbish to say that the PA2V2 is a very well made/full featured consumer grade amp? After looking at the specs, that's about where it stands (in my opinion). High end headphone deserves an amp that's high end as well. If you think that's snobbery, I don't know what to say... it's not an uncommon opinion around here.

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch High end headphone deserves an amp that's high end as well

This is partly a semantic issue. I am not sure I would call the Pimeta a high end amp even by my modest standards, yet it did a very nice job for me, with the 501s - better than one of *my* high end amps (i.e twice as expensive) and I regret selling mine so much that I am getting another one

I would call the 580s high end but Headroom call them entry level high end or some such - as Bhudda says with our thoughts we make the world.

Granted on spec terms the PA2V2 is a modest amp, given its price and the fact that the builder is a professional builder it has to have what members here would regard as "consumer" grade components.

On the other hand I remember someone once taking apart a rather well known headphone amp that sells for quite a lot of money and concluding that its parts cost (ex enclosure) was at or around the parts cost for a standard cMoy, yet its owners (by and large) feel it worth the retail cost.

I know I am going to hate myself for saying this but...you cant predict what something will sound like by looking at the specs (1) - that will buy me 100 years in objectivist purgatory

1. Unless it is a Rigonda of course

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hciman77 This is partly a semantic issue.

Agreed... there was a thread on "what do you consider hi-end" recently, and everyone had a different definition. For whatever reason, I consider the PA2V2 to be quality consumer grade, and Go-Vibe to be entry level high end. Could be WAY off the mark on that one, but that's just what it is I guess.

Like you mentioned, the quality of components used has a major influence on my opinion how to classify the two amps. Also, PA2V2 seems to focus more on features and long battery life, while Go-Vibe is (well, was...) very minimalist and just uses good parts in a simple design intended to deliver good sound.