[wallijonn]

DW,

supposedly low impedance headphones will not sound good with the HA-2. the reviewer on epinion didn't like the bass tightness. (for what that's worth. I trust Kelly's opinion over anyone outside of Head-Fi). Why NOT the RKV?

i do not like sennheiser, grado or ath.

HA-2 is a tube amp (triode). don't think you'll get into tube rolling? hahahahahahahaha. you're DOOMED, DOOMED I tell you. (so why isn't that Hudson Brothers movie on DVD?)

come on guys, DW can't be the only guy in Massachusettes who is into headphones... please, someone throw this guy a bone, preferably a beyer, akg, grado....

 

[Tim D]

The Wheatfield HA-2 has issue with low impedance phones...Corda's will not since they have low impedance outputs, and not only that but a nice large current supply.

Did you ask Jan's opinion recently? I have the feeling he will consider the 931 as the top Beyer phone in the end. On headwize he used the adjective dark for the 880, and obviously considered them a member of the 770/990 family. I was hoping for some perfect harmony between the two families, but that seems pretty slim now. But the 770/990 probably has a stronger following (or at least more vocal) than the 831/931 line so it kind of figures.

Also ever since the debut of the 880, I think the prices of other Beyer's have become more than reasonable for the performance.

 

[andrzejpw]

john: I think he's talking about the corda HA-2, not the wheatfield.

 

[braillediver]

A side note about the Senn HD600 vs Beyer DT931. I have both and truly love the HD600’s. For some reason the 931’s seem small. With the headphones fully extended my earlobes touch the bottom of the headsets. Really aggravating. The coiled cord is a pain in the butt, makes it seem 3 feet long. Sonically they are great phones but the ergonomics just don’t match the HD600’s.

Just something to consider. YMMV IMHO AFAIC AFLCIO FDIC EI-EI-O

You’ve gone about this in a smart manor. I still listen to some music and when done just say “wow”.

I was listening to Deep Purple “Made in Japan” yesterday and in “Child in Time” someone on stage says, “you’re only 4 foot 6, that’s OK I’ve fallen on smaller people”. This whole hobby lets you rediscover your music.

 

[wallijonn]

Andrze,

it looks like you're right, and DW meant the Corda and not the Wheatfield. (he says, "I don't think I'm ready for tubes.")

DW,

let' start using some brand names, huh?

sorry, guys.

 

[andrzejpw]

Ugh, it really is annoying with this whole Wheatfield/Corda HA-1/HA-2 thing.

 

[DarkWolf]

Oh sorry about that, I did mean the Corda HA-2.

Ok, so I did a search for the Marantz 1060 and found a thread with a link to another thread about a bad ass meet at Hirsch's house.. Wow, so much stuff! I feel like I just ate a few power bars and a loaf of rasin bread with my eyes. (Woodstock 99 reference.) I guess most of it doesn't apply to me, what with the high end stuff I can't afford. They even started tlaking about power cords that cost more than my whole system will. (I'll show them though, I'm an electrician, I'll intall a new outlet in my room with a home run with MC to its own breaker... Then we'll see who has nicer power!)

Well anyway, that Gillmre amp looks like a mighty good deal for $500 if it warants a real review against the uber$$$$ BlockHead. But how does it do against Jan's little HA-2 and will I really like the cross feed a lot? These are questions I don't expect to have answered.

Never the less, I want to know more! Bleh..

And here's a size thing.. My current phones' pads are 6.5 cm tall on the inside and they don't touch my ears. There isn't really any room to spare though. The other internal dimentions are 4.5 cm wide and about 1.5 cm deep. my ears don't really touch the sides of the pads in any uncomfortable way, but there's not much extra space. My ears do touch the drivers' covers, or at least the plastic area around them, but only slightly and it's not a big deal. I'd prefer no contact though. My ears surely are not huge, but they must be on the bigger side (I sure am) and this needs to be taken into consideratrion as comfort is important to me. Thanks agian everyone. For a reference point, I did find the 590s very comfortable. Maybe I should 'barow' a pair from tweeter and really try them out. Albiet with stock cables and no amp.. Well ok, I know you guys are going to agree with that idea, but I don't like the idea of buying something and returning it and I'm certanly not spending $200 on 590s. Oh well, I should probably do it. Maybe while I'm enjoying my 30 days or what ever the 880s will come out and get reviewed, and I can get more A1000 impressions and learn more about amps. But I'm not looking for excuses to hold off any more, I'm itching to get under way and I just don't want to make an impulse buy with hundreds of hard earned dollars.

 

[Trounce]

Don't let these swill merchants pressure you into retracting your viable bid for the 590s... they are better phones than most people give credit for and are the most comfortable phones on the market.

I've been reading your various declamations about the 590s and you seem to love them, despite the bad conditions. You won't regret your purchase if you get them, and they are cheaper than some of the other components these people want you to buy - you would be able to upgrade the cord and upgrade other various things you couldn't with a more expensive phone.

For the type of music you listen to they will be perfect. The bass is there, you just need an amp to open it up.

Good luck!
Don't let peer pressure pressure you into pleasing your peers.

 

[wallijonn]

DW,

sooner or later, you have to jump in. it can't be helped. you didn't want to jump in when the hd590 was going for $125, so....

chances are the crossfeed will never be used by you or your hd590s. just ask how many guys have the hd600/corda ha2 combo, and how many of them use the crossfeed.

i do know that Greg has a corda TAH and a HD600/cables. so you may want to speak to him.

i'm surprised that you like eggos headphones.

 

[DarkWolf]

When were the 590s going for $125? Or was that used deal you showed me?

I don't know, maybe I should just get them. It's not like I coldn't sell them and try something else if I decided they weren't right.

And if you're talking about the sony Eggos, I've never tried them. They looked interesting as a back up phone for portable use and what not, but how could you know I was thinking that? I didn't post it anywhere... One of us is cutting some cornners somehwere in reality. I should go to bed. But I don't want to yet, I tweaked my chair some more and now I want to sit back and listen. Just ask before you read my mind any more, ok wallijonn?

 

[kelly]

I am not a merchant but still would not prefer the HD590.

The best option on your list for quick transients (which you noted as a priority) is indeed the Stax 4040. This is selling for a little over $1200 on AudioCubes so it's beyond your limit of $1000, but may save you money upgrading in the long run. It may make you long for a better source, however as it will lay everything bare.

No one but Jan Meier so far has posted anything about the Corda HA-2 and while I value his opinion, anyone else who recommends it is speaking from the wrong orifice. Still, I have developer a certain amount of confidence based on Jan's other two amps and I am a fan of his crossfeed circuit.

I wish you could audition the HD600 and DT931 for yourself. I have a bit of a comparrison I'm needing to post in the near future (and get someone his DT931 back to him) but in short, I can tell you that the performance of either is very good for headphones of their price and they're close enough that which you prefer is a matter of taste. Jan has a clear preference for speed and bass control which the DT931 does have over the HD600 and if this is priority for you, that was probably a good recommendation.

The DT880 is another thing no one but Meier has heard yet. From what Jan is saying, it's not as fast and clean as the DT931 (at least on initial listen), but I still wonder how it compares to the HD600. He described it as dark and if it's as bass-heavy as the DT770 is, then it's not something I would ultimately prefer--at least not as my only headphone or not without an equalizer.

The new Audio-Technicas are in a similar situation. No one has really heard them yet. My belief is that Audio-Technica will eventually take their seat among the other headphone companies but right now they're still a little behind the curve. Beyerdynamic seems to just barely miss the mark for me a lot of times. Audio-Technica is like that only their pros are better and their cons are worse--at least based on the W2002 and W100. If the new phones are derivatives of these designs, I'd wait. If they're something new entirely, I'd still wait for reviews unless you're getting such a killer deal that you can resell without taking a loss.

Grado RS-1 pushes you out of your budget with the amps you have in mind and this is probably the only Grado you should be considering. If you're open to used and didn't find the HD590 bright at all,then keep this phone in mind. It's smooth yet articulate and faster sounding than the Sennheisers. However, Jan's amps tend toward tonal neutrality and won't do much to filter down those highs. I'm saving the RS-1s for after I've gotten a bit older and begun to lose my high-frequency perception. This is another case of something you should probably audition.

From what you're considering, my best advice would be this:
1. Try to attend a Head-Fi meet or otherwise audition some of these phones yourself.
2. Wait for reviews to start coming in of the DT880 and Audio-Technicas.

 

[DarkWolf]

Thanks kelly. Everything you say makes sence. I wonder... How seriously should I take the stax 4040? I mean.. If I got that and the ICs I'm loking at we're talking around $1400... But then, that's like 2.2 more weeks of saving up. Not so bad. I read an absolutley glowing review of the Omega II, does the 4040 touch that at all? Have you heard either, or any other stax? The idea of electrostatics is pretty sexy after all... Man, at this rate, by the time I'm ready to buy something I'll have my journyman's licence and I'll be putting money in the pot for an Orpheus.

Though, even from what you say, I still can't quite shake the 590s. Have you used them with the Equinox or any other after market cable? I'm told that with the Equinox, the highs mellow, the bass deepens and gains controll, while the overall detail and clarity is increased. It sound like a pretty sweet deal to me, but I can't help but wonder if I'd be doing my self an injustice by not saving a little more and going into electrostatic terratory. Of course, I may well be doing my self an injustice if I do that. If I don't like them I'd lose a lot of money, and they would surely drive me mad for an expensive new source and then I'd be desperate to fill a few shelves with SACDs... I can't really afford that. Unless there is something truely great just brushing my finger tips, I think I should build a more modest killer system and not look back. Do you think the stax are worth the effort and money to try to audition and risk getting sucked into? How good are they?

What this all comes down to is that I know I'll be happy with most anything I buy. I'm not gagging with what I have now. What I'm trying to avoid is the second guessing and the upgradeits. I know I won't be able to hide form them for ever, but I want some time in peace beofre they catch me again.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkWolf Thanks kelly. Everything you say makes sence. I wonder... How seriously should I take the stax 4040? I mean.. If I got that and the ICs I'm loking at we're talking around $1400... But then, that's like 2.2 more weeks of saving up. Not so bad. I read an absolutley glowing review of the Omega II, does the 4040 touch that at all? Have you heard either, or any other stax? The idea of electrostatics is pretty sexy after all... Man, at this rate, by the time I'm ready to buy something I'll have my journyman's licence and I'll be putting money in the pot for an Orpheus. Ok people, this is great, keep it comming. Thanks again to everyone.

I would not recommend something I haven't heard. The Omega II is better than the 4040 to me and most anyone who has heard it in a good environment, but the 4040 gets excellent reviews as well. I'm always surprised it isn't a more popular choice.

One reason may be that hobbyists like to interchange headphones and amps and play with and compare things. This is probably one reason the BlockHead doesn't sell more than it does, too. It's fun to plug a new headphone into your amp or try a new amp with your favorite headphone. Going the Stax route limits this greatly.

 

[DarkWolf]

The Omega II is $1825 and then it needs a $1400 amp to run it. Do the 4040s come anywhere near the sound quality? It sure would be cool, even if it weren't practical, I'll give you that. I think, once, just once, I'd have to bring them to a LAN party. Just to see a room full of kids who think $100 is a lot for headphones, and that the V600 is an audiophile product, come face to face with a $1200 electrostaic system.

Pure matirialistic joy?... You bet!

Actually, here's a serious question, how good is the 3030 system? That's actually in my budget. If it's almost as good as the 4040, and the 4040 is worth the money, than the 3030 would be a great value, and would keep the upgradeits under lock and key with it's fancy connectors. It's also all solid state, which is probably for the best for me... I don't know much about tubes.

 

[Trounce]

Sorry but that seems stupid to me.

Do it for yourself, no one else; who cares if those kids think Sony MDRs are good phones? All you can do is tell them otherwise, if they don't want to listen, so be it.

I'm not telling you to get the 590s. I couldn't care less if you do except to garner some praise for some good phones. I have listened to the 580s, 590s, 600s and I liked the 590s best, if that means anything. Granted, they were being played with stock cables, but were on a very high-end Denon receiver with a very decent headphone output.

So, buy what you think is best, but don't waste your money on something that isn't going to be worth it. Will the difference in price really warrant the improvement in sound between a $200 phone and a $1500 one? Not bloody likely.