[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif But he got a HD650 too.

So he screwed up and did one thing right.

 

[olblueyez]

Isn't the M3 supposed to be warm sounding? Also, for warmth, the Heed is known for being warm, thus the rep for paring well with the 701. Right?

 

[FallenAngel]

I would say the M3 is on the warm side, opamp depending of course.

 

[oneplustwo]

I would say my M3/S11 with OPA227's is a bit on the warm side, but not significantly so. It seems the headphones you use would be the much bigger lever in determining how warm/cold the sound would be.

 

[Shahrose]

With the OPA637/627 the M3 is quite warm and slightly laid-back. I can't imagine anything warmer than that sounding better as it would be bordering muddy IMO.

 

[olblueyez]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f42/fs...9/#post5644402

 

[K3cT]

That's a highly tempting offer olblueeyez.

I'm currently leaning more towards the FET-A though for the simple reason that it's less popular.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's a highly tempting offer olblueeyez. I'm currently leaning more towards the FET-A though for the simple reason that it's less popular.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/rev...8/#post5623842

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm currently leaning more towards the FET-A though for the simple reason that it's less popular.

That is a silly reason

An ironically, that is why many people don't choose the M3...... over the years, it has always stood in the shadows of every FOTM that comes along. But over three years on and people are still whispering about the M3, while the previous contenders are long gone.

 

[olblueyez]

Personally I would go for that M3 because it has a real power supply and the op-amps can be rolled. It also seems to me that the M3 would be a better buy, Todd needs to pay the rent ya know?

 

[K3cT]

I guess it's my curious soul in working as usual. After all I placed the order for the unknown Compass long before it becomes the FOTM now.

I'll take everyone's points into consideration but I think the clincher for me will be the warmth which the Denon really needs. The FET-A also has less footprint that makes it more attractive as an office-solution.

 

[Bilavideo]

I've got an M^3 and it's amazing. It's both warm and surprisingly detailed for the warmth. Mine has a bass boost which lets me adjust for the recording (some are bass shy, some need no added coloration). This unit also has adjustable crossfeed, which I don't really use (I prefer each channel unadjusted). I'm not sure if I'm going to keep the 627/637 combo (I like the crispness of AD chips) but that's part of the charm of the M^3, whose opamps can be rolled to satisfy personal preferences.

Beyond its sonic transparency, what impressed me most was the quality of the bass. There's a trick to finding the right degree of warmth, where the lows are powerful enough to imitate that low-low-low frequency rumble of a live concert, but without making the listener feel claustrophobic. I'm sure there are tube amps out there that would make me throw rocks at my amp but for the price, the M^3 brings a lot to the table.

 

[K3cT]

Now the Denon is gone and an HF2 is coming to replace it.

Things get really screwy at this price range because we have so many options. KICAS Caliente, Audio-GD C2C Mk II, FET-A, Millet MiniMAX and of course the venerable M^3 + S11 combo. The last two are particularly hard to get though.

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif the venerable M^3 + S11 combo. The last two are particularly hard to get though.

Balderdash! YBM Audio products

You have plenty of customisation options including stepped attenuators, gain switches, OPAMPs used, etc etc. I know of at least 1 New Zealander who bought a B22 from YBM and is very happy with it.

 

[K3cT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beefy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Balderdash! YBM Audio products You have plenty of customisation options including stepped attenuators, gain switches, OPAMPs used, etc etc. I know of at least 1 New Zealander who bought a B22 from YBM and is very happy with it.

Many thanks dude! I never knew about the existence of these fine folks.

@Beefy
How does the M^3+S11 stacks again the Mini Max since you have both? I would surmise the Mini MAX to be cheaper than the M^3+S11 combo no? My current and future cans are all low-impedance if it helps (Grado HF2, Audio Technica ESW9 and hopefully Denon D7000 way down the road).