[les_garten]

Quote:

I'm with you on the cost/value end of the cable debate. I really like Mogami- it's heavy rubber and sits still, is flexible and does not tangle easily. It's also super rugged being a mic cord. Markertek.com is a good resource for this and plugs (you probably already know this though). I have found that a lot of Monoprice cables serve their purpose fine but the casing is usually kind of thick, inflexible and plastic-y. FYI.
 

 
 
Indeed!  That's been the problem I've had with them as well.   I have a long HDMI cable that has some version on TechFlex on it that I swear I could cut a tree down with it.
 
Can't argue with their prices though, bang for the buck they can't be beat.
 
I like Mogami and Canare as well, and maybe Cardis if I'm feeling Exotic and want to deal with the Litz enamal.

 

[sokolov91]

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Thanks for the explanation Sokolov91.

 

 

You are quite welcome.
 
That is not to say there aren't benefits going from SE to XLR. I believe there are -that is to say other than more gain, most notably in dynamic headphones where the impedance curves are all over the place.
 
My D7000 especially seemed to jump in performance from SE in terms of soudstage and "control". Take it for what it is worth though as it could be all in my head .
 

 

[Pricklely Peete]

I'm still lovin' mine and I can hardly wait to get my hands on some LCD-2s (having heard CharlieX's balanced pair on my rig at the last meet I attended). I still have no desire to look for anything else, glad the newest owners are enjoying the combo (A-gd DAC/Phoenix).
 
Peete.

 

[SteveM324]

I'm looking forward to hearing my LA7000 balanced.  Based on your experience with the D7000, the LA7000 should really be sweet.  Within the next two weeks, 6 of my 7 headphones will be cabled for balanced operation.

 
Quote:

You are quite welcome.
 
That is not to say there aren't benefits going from SE to XLR. I believe there are -that is to say other than more gain, most notably in dynamic headphones where the impedance curves are all over the place.
 
My D7000 especially seemed to jump in performance from SE in terms of soudstage and "control". Take it for what it is worth though as it could be all in my head .
 

 

[odyssey]

Was so close to pulling the trigger on the Audio-gd Phoenix this morning but thought I get a second opinion from the experts. Plan to acquire the Oppo 95 as my source player + NAS (to be built) so the flow will be; Oppo 95 (balanced out) -> Audio-gd Phoenix -> HE6, Senn. HD600 (back-up) and pre-ordered LCD2 Is this the correct flow and a good choice / decision? Was looking at the Meier Concerto + StageDac Combo yesterday but decided on the above hoping that it will give me a better SQ at lower cost since I can use the built-in DAC in the Opp95. TIA.

 

[IPodPJ]

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The sound quality will (not to be confused with should) be identical. The only reason there are both options is because headroom stupidly made the standard 2 x 3 pins and many people paid big bucks to get their headphones done this way. There are only 4 cables used so the 2 x 3 method has one useless pin per XLR connector. The 4 pin method is the same, except is is easier to deal with, slightly less expensive and increasingly becoming the new standard (which it should have been from the get go).

Agreed, dual 3-pin was kind of a silly idea to implement as a standard for balanced headphones, however dual 3-pin definitely has a benefit if your cable has a shield and it's tied to pin 1, so don't say it has one useless pin because that's not true.  You will notice a difference if the shield is not connected properly in the headphone cable.  You do not want a floating shield.  However, if your cable does not have a shield 4-pin is fine, unless you're like me and want to keep both channels completely isolated as is the case with the Double Helix Cables HD800 Complement.

 

[SP Wild]

Quote:

Was so close to pulling the trigger on the Audio-gd Phoenix this morning but thought I get a second opinion from the experts. Plan to acquire the Oppo 95 as my source player + NAS (to be built) so the flow will be; Oppo 95 (balanced out) -> Audio-gd Phoenix -> HE6, Senn. HD600 (back-up) and pre-ordered LCD2 Is this the correct flow and a good choice / decision? Was looking at the Meier Concerto + StageDac Combo yesterday but decided on the above hoping that it will give me a better SQ at lower cost since I can use the built-in DAC in the Opp95. TIA.

Sokolov is the only user I am aware of that has both HE6 and the Phoenix, perhaps he could chime in with this combination as there seems to be a consensus that the HE6 requires speaker like output capabilities to truly shine.
 
Otherwise my HD650s really opened up in the soundstage, layering and 3 dimensionality as did the LCD2s when balanced with the Phoenix, the HD600s should also benefit.  FWIW I still preferred the Phoenix single ended than my single ended Lehmann black cube amp.  I had an audition with the Meyer Concerto + StageDac combo...the weakness was the StageDac, the amp being very, very good...I still felt the Phoenix was a better amplifier overall, without a doubt.  I do like the Concerto, as I felt it was a better than the Black cube overall and is also significantly cheaper I believe, I highly recommend the Concerto amplifier - very good value.

 

[odyssey]

Quote:

Sokolov is the only user I am aware of that has both HE6 and the Phoenix, perhaps he could chime in with this combination as there seems to be a consensus that the HE6 requires speaker like output capabilities to truly shine.
 
Otherwise my HD650s really opened up in the soundstage, layering and 3 dimensionality as did the LCD2s when balanced with the Phoenix, the HD600s should also benefit.  FWIW I still preferred the Phoenix single ended than my single ended Lehmann black cube amp.

Many thanks for the feedback. I also hope that the Phoenix can drive the HE6 otherwise I will have to really go for the Woo WA5/LE which was one of my shortlist. First time into tubes so the hesitation.. Hope Sokolov can give me some impressions.
 

 

[Fantoon]

Is there any planned update for the phoenix or is there a new HP amp incoming from Audio-GD? 
 
Thanks

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

Many thanks for the feedback. I also hope that the Phoenix can drive the HE6 otherwise I will have to really go for the Woo WA5/LE which was one of my shortlist. First time into tubes so the hesitation.. Hope Sokolov can give me some impressions.
 

At that last meet I also had the pleasure of auditioning a set of HE5-LE's ....the Phoenix handled them quite well but they were not as good as the LCD-2's, which should be no surprise. I would imagine the HE6 would likely be equally well handled by the Phoenix if they are similar to the HE5-LE's but I'm not 100% sure of that FWIW.
 
Peete.

 

[SP Wild]

Quote:

You are quite welcome.
 
That is not to say there aren't benefits going from SE to XLR. I believe there are -that is to say other than more gain, most notably in dynamic headphones where the impedance curves are all over the place.
 
My D7000 especially seemed to jump in performance from SE in terms of soudstage and "control". Take it for what it is worth though as it could be all in my head .
 

WRT the D7000s, I recall a sensation, even when single ended, when I first jumped onto the Phoenix, was the headphone that truly exposed the benefits of a dual mono design, as I could more easily discern better left and right channel separation over all my other cans.  I believe this is because it is a closed headphone and this design has no acoustic crosstalk, so it can mirror reductions on electronic crosstalk.  When going balanced, crosstalk is further reduced along with better noise rejection and the D7000 once again benefiting noticeably from the better channel separation.  It's still a double edged sword as on some recordings, where engineers did not check a track with headphone compatibility (most do) the centre image goes AWOL. 
 
Or it could just be placebo hehehe.

 

[dukja]

@ SP Wild
 
Would you please share your experience of using LCD2 and HD650 with Phoenix? 
 
I had HD600 in the past, but never balance it for Phoenix (that was before I learned the distinct difference of SE and balance in Phoenix).  Due to the looser and less focusing sound of HD600 in SE at that time, I never look back to HD600/650.  But recently I heard many posts mentioned some similarity between LCD2 and HD650 (certainly not the same level, probably), so my interest with HD650 peaks again.
 
I have always worried that LCD2 may be too dark with Phoenix so I have not pull any trigger yet (and certainly some financial reason).  So I will be very interested to hear your experience of those two phone with Phoenix in balanced mode.  And do you think that it will be worthy to get HD650 (after having T1) if my current budget is limited.
 
Many thanks to you and others who share.
 
Quote:

 
Otherwise my HD650s really opened up in the soundstage, layering and 3 dimensionality as did the LCD2s when balanced with the Phoenix, the HD600s should also benefit.  FWIW I still preferred the Phoenix single ended than my single ended Lehmann black cube amp.  I had an audition with the Meyer Concerto + StageDac combo...the weakness was the StageDac, the amp being very, very good...I still felt the Phoenix was a better amplifier overall, without a doubt.  I do like the Concerto, as I felt it was a better than the Black cube overall and is also significantly cheaper I believe, I highly recommend the Concerto amplifier - very good value.

 

[SP Wild]

Quote:

@ SP Wild
 
Would you please share your experience of using LCD2 and HD650 with Phoenix? 
 
I had HD600 in the past, but never balance it for Phoenix (that was before I learned the distinct difference of SE and balance in Phoenix).  Due to the looser and less focusing sound of HD600 in SE at that time, I never look back to HD600/650.  But recently I heard many posts mentioned some similarity between LCD2 and HD650 (certainly not the same level, probably), so my interest with HD650 peaks again.
 
I have always worried that LCD2 may be too dark with Phoenix so I have not pull any trigger yet (and certainly some financial reason).  So I will be very interested to hear your experience of those two phone with Phoenix in balanced mode.  And do you think that it will be worthy to get HD650 (after having T1) if my current budget is limited.
 
Many thanks to you and others who share.
 

 

If the only problem you had with the HD600 is a "loose" and "unfocussed" sound, and not the tonal balance.  Then IMO, nothing fixes that, and the HD650 suffers the same fate...as I mentioned, there is virtually no resolution improvements with the HD650 from mid level amps/dacs to hi end amps/dacs - there will be plenty of soundstage improvements, but there is a limit on the HD650s drivers acceleration rate - which for me is heard as greater definition and transparency, and that limit is met by mid level equipment.
 
The LCD2 is very different in this regard, even if many categorise both headphones as a dark can.  For me, balancing does not increase resolution, it increases spatial perception, many will be able to perceive more details from a more spread out and less congested soundscape, but in my mind there is little change in resolution.  Tonal balances changes a touch, as it seems to me an extra layer of electronic haze is removed and the "blacker background" can also be interpreted as either a darker presentation or a smoother, more relaxed and natural presentation.  I subscribe to the latter.
 
IMO, the increase in slew rate by going balanced is not realised by todays transducers.  There is sometimes an increase in bass control due to the 100 percent increase in available power on standby in quick class A mode.  Come think of it, yes the bass does seem to tighten up going balanced.

 

[dukja]

Thanks a lot SP Wild.  You just saved me from another trial and error. 

So you don't think LCD2 is too dark with Phoenix?
 
Another common complains of LCD2 is congestion. It is good to hear that balanced mode with Phoenix opens up more spacious soundstage.   Transparency, focusing, and believable soundstage is what I weight more.  Maybe with right cable and in balanced mode, I may have a shot with LCD2 and Phoenix, right?
 
Thanks!
Quote:

If the only problem you had with the HD600 is a "loose" and "unfocussed" sound, and not the tonal balance.  Then IMO, nothing fixes that, and the HD650 suffers the same fate...as I mentioned, there is virtually no resolution improvements with the HD650 from mid level amps/dacs to hi end amps/dacs - there will be plenty of soundstage improvements, but there is a limit on the HD650s drivers acceleration rate - which for me is heard as greater definition and transparency, and that limit is met by mid level equipment.
 
The LCD2 is very different in this regard, even if many categorise both headphones as a dark can.  For me, balancing does not increase resolution, it increases spatial perception, many will be able to perceive more details from a more spread out and less congested soundscape, but in my mind there is little change in resolution.  Tonal balances changes a touch, as it seems to me an extra layer of electronic haze is removed and the "blacker background" can also be interpreted as either a darker presentation or a smoother, more relaxed and natural presentation.  I subscribe to the latter.
 
IMO, the increase in slew rate by going balanced is not realised by todays transducers.

 

[SP Wild]

If you're happy with the tonal balance of the T1...the HD650 is a definitive downgrade
 
Me personally, I don't think the LCD2 is too dark with anything - NOS dacs and warms amps sound good to me with the LCD2   The Phoenix and Reference 7 combo is not dark in anyway whatsoever...my BCL amp is brighter, yet for me it was less able to retrieve ambient cues that exist in the upper frequencies.  Nor is the combo tube like warm, although I feel it has the staging and imaging advantage that I thought was exclusive to tubes.  I think more burn-in with both combos have had the combo seriously "opening" up and my initial impressions are a lot different to what I think now. 
 
VRLN had exactly the same setup as I did...with Norse Audio balance cable as well...but he had serious problems with "congestion" with the LCD2 and sold them...yet he had no such sensation with the HD650, so I can't say for sure how you will feel.
 
I see you have T1 and DT880...if you have a complaint that they are too bright then I would say the LCD2 is worth a shot, if you like them then I say the T1 is up there in the bigger scheme of things alongside the LCD2 and HD800.