[jinxy245]

We do allow US dealers! Atticus and Eikon only though, no Ori, Blackwood or Vibro.

That's awesome! @JerseyD , your move...

 

[Erikson2k]

Some of us here really like the Atticus paired with the Woo WA2. Smooth and rich, yet still full, detailed and punchy. Soo easy and listenable and satisfying, IMO.

Woah, that's a little outside my budget. Anything you can recommend in the $300 - $500 USD range?

 

[Monsterzero]

La Figaro 339 drops occasionally on Massdrop for around 5 bills.I used to own the WA2 and I prefer the La Figaro due to its ability to drive not only high ohm headphones,but planars and low ohm HPs well,something the WA2 couldnt do.

 

[Erikson2k]

La Figaro 339 drops occasionally on Massdrop for around 5 bills.I used to own the WA2 and I prefer the La Figaro due to its ability to drive not only high ohm headphones,but planars and low ohm HPs well,something the WA2 couldnt do.

That's good to know because I use my M1060's when I want to listen to an open headphone.

 

[ctaxxxx]

Woah, that's a little outside my budget. Anything you can recommend in the $300 - $500 USD range?

I ordered Project Sunrise after talking with Garage1217. An OTL amp like Project Horizon that was also mentioned, but compatible with more lower ohm headphones as well. Haven't received it yet.

I'm really hoping it makes a big difference with the Atticus though, because it sounds really bass light so far. Not hearing that crazy impact I've seen mentioned around here...

 

[Monsterzero]

I ordered Project Sunrise after talking with Garage1217. An OTL amp like Project Horizon that was also mentioned, but compatible with more lower ohm headphones as well. Haven't received it yet.

I'm really hoping it makes a big difference with the Atticus though, because it sounds really bass light so far. Not hearing that crazy impact I've seen mentioned around here...

What amp are you using currently? I have heard The Atticus sound bass lite(read neutral) at the Long Island Head-fi meet thru Zach's tube amp(forget the make/model).
However I can verify that vintage receivers and the La Figaro 339(slightly less so) make the Atticus slam,so thats a great option w/o breaking the bank....too much....so dont give up on them,the slam is in there!

@Hansotek can better chime in on resistor values and tubes and what they do to The Atticus sound signature.

 

[Erikson2k]

I ordered Project Sunrise after talking with Garage1217. An OTL amp like Project Horizon that was also mentioned, but compatible with more lower ohm headphones as well. Haven't received it yet.

I'm really hoping it makes a big difference with the Atticus though, because it sounds really bass light so far. Not hearing that crazy impact I've seen mentioned around here...

Interesting, the G1217 Project Sunrise III seems very reasonably priced. Let us know how it sounds.

Out of curiosity, how does the TH-900 mk2 compare to the Atticus?

 

[zach915m]

ctaxxxx said: ↑
I ordered Project Sunrise after talking with Garage1217. An OTL amp like Project Horizon that was also mentioned, but compatible with more lower ohm headphones as well. Haven't received it yet.

I'm really hoping it makes a big difference with the Atticus though, because it sounds really bass light so far. Not hearing that crazy impact I've seen mentioned around here...

Amps will definitely make a different with the tonality and impact character with the Atticus and Eikon, but truthfully, compared to the th900 and nightowl in your sig, the Atticus won't have as much of a bass boost. The Atticus has about a 6-7db bass boost that is centered around 115hz, the TH900 and other foster variants often have a 10+ db boost and less mids, making the bass sound all the more impactful and forward. It definitely all depends on where you're coming from and what you're used to.

Not to say that amp changes don't make a dramatic difference with high impedance cans, they definitely do!

 

[zach915m]

What amp are you using currently? I have heard The Atticus sound bass lite(read neutral) at the Long Island Head-fi meet thru Zach's tube amp(forget the make/model).
However I can verify that vintage receivers and the La Figaro 339(slightly less so) make the Atticus slam,so thats a great option w/o breaking the bank....too much....so dont give up on them,the slam is in there!

@Hansotek can better chime in on resistor values and tubes and what they do to The Atticus sound signature.

It was the micro zotl 2 - one of my favorite amps with the Atticus for its ability to add speed, neutrality and and a touch of liquidity. Zotl is definitely a low Z fast sounding amp though, and will not bring the boom like a vintage power monster or a high ohm otl.

 

[ctaxxxx]

What amp are you using currently? I have heard The Atticus sound bass lite(read neutral) at the Long Island Head-fi meet thru Zach's tube amp(forget the make/model).
However I can verify that vintage receivers and the La Figaro 339(slightly less so) make the Atticus slam,so thats a great option w/o breaking the bank....too much....so dont give up on them,the slam is in there!

@Hansotek can better chime in on resistor values and tubes and what they do to The Atticus sound signature.

Honestly, my DX200 dap. It drove my other headphones so well (via AMP3) that I ended up selling my Liquid Carbon to earn some money back. May have not been the best option...

I bought the EH 12BH7 Gold Pin through Garage1217 - described as "Excellent bass with a mellow top end". Hoping that will help with what I'm looking for (smooth, romantic, and bassy).

Interesting, the G1217 Project Sunrise III seems very reasonably priced. Let us know how it sounds.

Out of curiosity, how does the TH-900 mk2 compare to the Atticus?

Completely opposite sound lol. The Fostex TH-900 excels in sub-bass and treble (maybe too much in some cases). Atticus excels in vocals and mid-bass. I got the Atticus because it seemed like the perfect complement to the TH-900s.

Edit: If anyone is curious, the Eikon (when I bought used) did pretty well in the sub-bass when compared to the TH-900s. I actually preferred how it's bass was textured (not sure how to describe it exactly).

ctaxxxx said: ↑
I ordered Project Sunrise after talking with Garage1217. An OTL amp like Project Horizon that was also mentioned, but compatible with more lower ohm headphones as well. Haven't received it yet.

I'm really hoping it makes a big difference with the Atticus though, because it sounds really bass light so far. Not hearing that crazy impact I've seen mentioned around here...

Amps will definitely make a different with the tonality and impact character with the Atticus and Eikon, but truthfully, compared to the th900 and nightowl in your sig, the Atticus won't have as much of a bass boost. The Atticus has about a 6-7db bass boost that is centered around 115hz, the TH900 and other foster variants often have a 10+ db boost and less mids, making the bass sound all the more impactful and forward. It definitely all depends on where you're coming from and what you're used to.

Not to say that amp changes don't make a dramatic difference with high impedance cans, they definitely do!

Thanks for the reply. I figured that was the case. Fostex really knows how to make impactful bass, but I wasn't expecting the NightOwls to have more bass as well (though it sounds much more closed in).

I don't mind EQ'ing up the bass (I even do it for the TH-900), but my current amp source didn't have quite enough juice to compensate for the lower volume from turning on the EQ. The Atticus really does have nice vocals though.

 

[nocturaline]

Can anyone recommend a good Amp to pair with the Atticus? I'm looking at the Valhalla 2 right now.

I'm using the Valhalla 2 with the Atticus (with a Bifrost Multibit, Roon on a Mac, and a Classé CDP-10). It works beautifully. It's not too warm and has plenty of slam. The bass is very powerful, the mids are out of this world, and the treble is present but not overwhelming (exactly where it should be).

Now, I'd add it also depends on what kind of music you're listening to. For me it works very well with Drum & Bass, Electronica, Pop, Rock, and Prog, especially with remastered works. Not so much with classical - the HD650 does a better job when it comes to classical music.

On a side note, as Aornic indicated in his Atticus review, Pink Floyd doesn't work too well with the Atticus. I agree with him, but only if we're talking about the 2011 remasters, and that's only because those remasters are absolutely dreadful. If you want to appreciate Pink Floyd with the Atticus (and with the Valhalla 2), you have to listen to the 1992 remasters made by Doug Sax.

That said, I advise you to try the Valhalla 2. Schiit is a great company, and their products are spectacular. Plus, you have a 15-day window to return the product if you don't like it.

As always, it's a matter of taste, and there might be other amps in the same price range that will be more suited to your preferences. Hope this helps. Cheers!

 

[Erikson2k]

I'm using the Valhalla 2 with the Atticus (with a Bifrost Multibit, Roon on a Mac, and a Classé CDP-10). It works beautifully. It's not too warm and has plenty of slam. The bass is very powerful, the mids are out of this world, and the treble is present but not overwhelming (exactly where it should be).

Now, I'd add it also depends on what kind of music you're listening to. For me it works very well with Drum & Bass, Electronica, Pop, Rock, and Prog, especially with remastered works. Not so much with classical - the HD650 does a better job when it comes to classical music.

On a side note, as Aornic indicated in his Atticus review, Pink Floyd doesn't work too well with the Atticus. I agree with him, but only if we're talking about the 2011 remasters, and that's only because those remasters are absolutely dreadful. If you want to appreciate Pink Floyd with the Atticus (and with the Valhalla 2), you have to listen to the 1992 remasters made by Doug Sax.

That said, I advise you to try the Valhalla 2. Schiit is a great company, and their products are spectacular. Plus, you have a 15-day window to return the product if you don't like it.

As always, it's a matter of taste, and there might be other amps in the same price range that will be more suited to your preferences. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Very helpful thanks. Since I'm using my O2 dac/amp combo to drive the Atticus currently, if I picked up the Valhalla 2, I would need to also get a DAC.
I do have an Asus xonar essence stx sound card in my PC I could use temporarily. I guess the RCA outs would leverage the DAC and not the headphone amp. Apologies if this is giving any of you veterans a headache seeing this source chain but I'm just getting into the hi-end world and have lot's to learn.

Out of curiosity, nocturaline, is the multibit upgrade pretty necessary for the Bitfrost?

 

[nocturaline]

Very helpful thanks. Since I'm using my O2 dac/amp combo to drive the Atticus currently, if I picked up the Valhalla 2, I would need to also get a DAC.
I do have an Asus xonar essence stx sound card in my PC I could use temporarily. I guess the RCA outs would leverage the DAC and not the headphone amp. Apologies if this is giving any of you veterans a headache seeing this source chain but I'm just getting into the hi-end world and have lot's to learn.

Out of curiosity, nocturaline, is the multibit upgrade pretty necessary for the Bitfrost?

I never listened to the regular Bifrost - which I'm sure is excellent on its own - and went directly with the Multibit, Since you're starting, you could go with the regular Bifrost and upgrade later. That's always a possibility. It will sound really good, no matter what.

 

[Hansotek]

I ordered Project Sunrise after talking with Garage1217. An OTL amp like Project Horizon that was also mentioned, but compatible with more lower ohm headphones as well. Haven't received it yet.

I'm really hoping it makes a big difference with the Atticus though, because it sounds really bass light so far. Not hearing that crazy impact I've seen mentioned around here...

What amp are you using currently? I have heard The Atticus sound bass lite(read neutral) at the Long Island Head-fi meet thru Zach's tube amp(forget the make/model).
However I can verify that vintage receivers and the La Figaro 339(slightly less so) make the Atticus slam,so thats a great option w/o breaking the bank....too much....so dont give up on them,the slam is in there!

@Hansotek can better chime in on resistor values and tubes and what they do to The Atticus sound signature.

In my experience with the Atticus, amps with higher output impedance tend to bring out the mids a little more, and amps with low output impedance tend to make Atticus slam a bit harder. HOWEVER, the individual flavoring of the amps also comes into play. Some OTLs slam pretty dang hard. Some low impedance solid states are light on impact. Atticus won't override the inherent sound signature of your amplifier, but it will combine with your amp's signature to author the final sound: an amp that is heavy on impact and low-impedance will stack to make it hit harder, etc.

FYI @ctaxxxx - most mid-priced gear doesn't slam very hard compared to the high-end, summit-fi stuff. If you want to stay in budget range and get more bass out of the Atticus, I'd cancel the Garage 1217 order and buy the iFi iDSD Micro Black Label - it hits really, really hard for a product that can easily be had in the $400-$500 range.

 

[gLer]

In my experience with the Atticus, amps with higher output impedance tend to bring out the mids a little more, and amps with low output impedance tend to make Atticus slam a bit harder. HOWEVER, the individual flavoring of the amps also comes into play. Some OTLs slam pretty dang hard. Some low impedance solid states are light on impact. Atticus won't override the inherent sound signature of your amplifier, but it will combine with your amp's signature to author the final sound: an amp that is heavy on impact and low-impedance will stack to make it hit harder, etc.

FYI @ctaxxxx - most mid-priced gear doesn't slam very hard compared to the high-end, summit-fi stuff. If you want to stay in budget range and get more bass out of the Atticus, I'd cancel the Garage 1217 order and buy the iFi iDSD Micro Black Label - it hits really, really hard for a product that can easily be had in the $400-$500 range.

+1 Micro iDSD. I don't own the Atticus, but rather another hard-slamming headphone (Fostex X00), and the original (non-BL) iDSD matches it perfectly. Not only does it tame the X00's highs, it extracts all the possible detail from the bass without bleeding into the mids, and if the song calls for slam, it slams! There's very little difference in terms of SQ between the original iDSD and BL version - I've actually read the BL is a little shier on the bass - so you can't go wrong with either version.