[XVampireX]

Schiit Ragnarok vs Auralic Taurus mk2, Go!

 

[Byrnie]

Schiit Ragnarok vs Auralic Taurus mk2, Go!

Maybe chengka7 can shed some light on this. I know he used to have a Taurus mk2 and recently switched to a Ragnorak.

 

[Bogart24]

I'm currently comparing my Taurus Mk II to my new Cavalli Liquid Gold and the process is difficult enough with both amps in front of me.  Different recordings, different headphones, different headphone cables are all factors.  I would never offer an opinion based on the memory of a departed component.  Unless it just sucked, which is not likely.

 

[Xdaggersoul]

  I'm currently comparing my Taurus Mk II to my new Cavalli Liquid Gold and the process is difficult enough with both amps in front of me.  Different recordings, different headphones, different headphone cables are all factors.  I would never offer an opinion based on the memory of a departed component.  Unless it just sucked, which is not likely.

Looking forward to the difference!

 

[Lavakugel]

Auralic Taurus MKII vs Schiit Ragnarok vs Cavalli Liquid Gold. Let's start the game!

 

[NZtechfreak]

The comparison to the Ragnarok I will be interested to hear. I may end up with both simultaneously, if the Taurus MKII I have doesn't sell in the next few weeks.

 

[XVampireX]

The comparison to the Ragnarok I will be interested to hear. I may end up with both simultaneously, if the Taurus MKII I have doesn't sell in the next few weeks.

 
You're selling your Taurus mkII.... in favor of what?

 

[NZtechfreak]

You're selling your Taurus mkII.... in favor of what?

Probably the Ragnarok. The thing to understand here is that the only headphone I care about is the HE-6, and I've little doubt already that they will sound better from the Rag. If I were still maintaining a stable of TOTL as I previously did the Taurus world likely stay (and may still yet).

 

[TonyNewman]

Probably the Ragnarok. The thing to understand here is that the only headphone I care about is the HE-6, and I've little doubt already that they will sound better from the Rag. If I were still maintaining a stable of TOTL as I previously did the Taurus world likely stay (and may still yet).

 
Taurus really doesn't have the juice to bring out the best of the HE6. It drives it OK, but you don't get the body and bass impact that a more powerful amp can deliver.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Taurus really doesn't have the juice to bring out the best of the HE6. It drives it OK, but you don't get the body and bass impact that a more powerful amp can deliver.

Yep, I've heard it on better pairings - last year for the New Zealand meet I organised I had it from Merak monoblocks, and also heard it from the Luxman L507U integrated which sounded even better than the monoblocks. I got my Taurus when I had a number of headphones including the HD800, so I was happy enough with compromising the output of my HE-6, from the Taurus I enjoy still enjoy the sound of the HE-6 well enough that I don't feel like I'm missing anything (I hope you can understand what I'm getting at there), will enough that I'm happy to take my time over selecting an amp to settle down with in the slightly longer term.

 

[XVampireX]

You do know that Merak is 400Wpc and Luxman is 200Wpc, so if you're looking for a ton of power, the Merak would just obliterate your HE-6, I find that the quest for ultimate power is just silly, my LCD-3 are rated at something like 91dB/mW they still make some sound from a mobile device and with a dedicated amplifier of course it makes great sound, I'm thinking regarding the HE-6, all that HE-6 talk is just silly me thinks... I need to try it out for myself to believe all this crazy non-sense talk.
 
 
Also so far I've figured out in the audio chain:
 
DAC - Ultimate Resolution
AMP - Ultimate Dynamics and Volume and if something is wrong it can also produce distortion...
 
Audeze dealer seems to have started dealing with hifiman recently though I haven't seen him having an HE-6, I should give it a try later maybe it's worth it, maybe not...

 

[Chik0240]

  You do know that Merak is 400Wpc and Luxman is 200Wpc, so if you're looking for a ton of power, the Merak would just obliterate your HE-6, I find that the quest for ultimate power is just silly, my LCD-3 are rated at something like 91dB/mW they still make some sound from a mobile device and with a dedicated amplifier of course it makes great sound, I'm thinking regarding the HE-6, all that HE-6 talk is just silly me thinks... I need to try it out for myself to believe all this crazy non-sense talk.
 
 
Also so far I've figured out in the audio chain:
 
DAC - Ultimate Resolution
AMP - Ultimate Dynamics and Volume and if something is wrong it can also produce distortion...
 
Audeze dealer seems to have started dealing with hifiman recently though I haven't seen him having an HE-6, I should give it a try later maybe it's worth it, maybe not...

I think I have read somewhere from Hifiman that the power need is just stated to ensure that the amp have a good and large enough transformer to provide a controlled needed peak power need for some occasions, if an amp is designed good enough a much lower rated power can provide what HE-6 need. and that's why some amps such as the taurus mk II and Headamp GSX mk 2 are praised to be able to handle HE-6

 

[NZtechfreak]

The Merak is 200W per channel, and it didn't obliterate my HE-6 at all (connected via the speaker taps, did not use any resistors). Worth pointing out I had the Taurus Pre in that chain, so very good volume control. The Luxman is 110w per channel, and I preferred the 6 from the Luxman.

On the portable side I had the RSA Intruder, it gets the HE-6 loud enough, but seriously fails to make them sound good.

To the above poster - the Taurus doesn't bring out the best in the 6, and neither does the GSX. It sounds good from the Taurus, no doubt, but it has more to give.

 

[TonyNewman]

...
To the above poster - the Taurus doesn't bring out the best in the 6, and neither does the GSX. It sounds good from the Taurus, no doubt, but it has more to give.

 
I struggle to call it 'good' - sound is thin and bass is mostly absent. Comparing it to the WA5 K1K output highlights how much more the HE6 is capable of with sufficient amping.
 
A well amped HE6 is capable of a visceral body in the presentation unlike anything else I have heard. The Taurus just can't make it dance like that - the WA5 can.
 
Taurus is a great SS amp, but not enough for the HE6. It performs extremely well with any other headphone I have thrown at it (HD800, HD600, LCD-X).

 

[NZtechfreak]

   
I struggle to call it 'good' - sound is thin and bass is mostly absent. Comparing it to the WA5 K1K output highlights how much more the HE6 is capable of with sufficient amping.
 
A well amped HE6 is capable of a visceral body in the presentation unlike anything else I have heard. The Taurus just can't make it dance like that - the WA5 can.
 
Taurus is a great SS amp, but not enough for the HE6. It performs extremely well with any other headphone I have thrown at it (HD800, HD600, LCD-X).

 
I've heard the HE-6 well-driven, as noted above, so I know it scales more. That said, my experience is that it is a fine sounding pairing with the Taurus also, if not close to it's potential. Provided I have not recently heard it from better amplification I don't feel like I'm slumming it too badly with the Taurus - although if you're paying attention the Taurus is on the block.