[En_R]

Quote:

 
[size=10pt]Here's an easy exercise you can do at home:[/size]
 
[size=10pt]1.   Quantify the number of headphone amplifiers you feel should constitute a “one of the best” grouping.  1?  3?  5?  10?[/size]
[size=10pt]2.   List the amplifiers you think would be in this group, preferably by ranking.[/size]
[size=10pt]3.   Justify why you think each of the amplifiers you’ve listed deserves its “one of the best” classification.[/size]
[size=10pt]4.   List the amplifiers from your “one of the best” group that you personally own or have extensively reviewed.[/size]
[size=10pt]5.   Buy a Bakoon HPA-21, compare its performance to your “one of the best” amplifiers and get back to us, hopefully with a comprehensive and objective review, so that we can lay to rest Candude’s qualitative assertion one way or the other.[/size]

Or I can just wait. Like Radio_head said this amp will eventually make its way around- and more reviews will come out. From what I've seen some more experienced reviewers hesitate to call something "one of the best", and instead state its flaws and then go on to explain what a headphone amp does well and what they like about it.
 
Quote:

I just wonder how a particular product would go about laying claim to "one of the best".  Acclamation?  Exhaustive A-B testing?  Anointment by a recognized Authority?  With so much popularity driven opinion and lemming type behavior I've seen demonstrated around this website, I think that the distinction of any line of demarcation being bandied about has already been blurred at least to some degree.  

 
Exactly why we don't want more hype. But you seem to be a staunch defender of this behavior- which I don't mind. The OP, however, has already removed the line and I can see why. I wonder what makes a product well established?


 
 
You see a pattern?
 
Quote:

It is however also accepted practice in the scientific community to assert a claim and pose a working hypothesis for the community to set about proving or disproving.  Perhaps Candude's Great Sin is that he didn't include a question mark at the end.  And I must admit that so far I haven't seen any evidence presented to contradict his claim.  That's why I think it'd make such a great homework assignment for En_R, since he has already demonstrated a remarkable absence of hyperbolic tendency. 

 
Mpingo discs are one of the best additions to a system money can buy. I can't believe how these have changed my system! Wire with gain! PRAT! Naturalness! Toe-tappin' Hands-a-clappin' MUSIC! Do I exaggerate? Heck no! I don't think anything can top these discs (unless you pile more on top of course HYUK HYUK HYUK HYUK). They roll with the top dogs like the Hallograph and ASI Resonators. Don't believe me? Well go buy one and get back to me and my buddy Austin .

 

[x838nwy]

For what it's worth, I have one of these in house for review on Innerfidelity next month.

This made my day. Looking forward to your thoughts on this amp.

 

[x838nwy]

For what it's worth, I have one of these in house for review on Innerfidelity next month.

This made my day. Looking forward to your thoughts on this amp.

 

[jacal01]

Quote:

I wonder what makes a product well established?

You see a pattern?
 
Well go buy one and get back to me and my buddy Austin .
 

 
Nice post construct.  Time obviously well spent in bringing an attractive feature to this thread.
 
I'm not going to worry about it.  I'm very happy with my system.  Feel free to ask if you have any questions.  That's true for anyone.
 
The only niggling point is that your "well established" argument segues back nicely to my "popularity driven opinion and lemming type behavior" one. 
 
EDIT:  I'm not being fair to you, En_R.  How's about me buying some of them [size=11pt]mpingo discs[/size], and you pick yourself up a Bakoon, and then we'll get together and trade notes?  

 

[Dr. Roberts]

Quote:

Or I can just wait. Like Radio_head said this amp will eventually make its way around- and more reviews will come out. From what I've seen some more experienced reviewers hesitate to call something "one of the best", and instead state its flaws and then go on to explain what a headphone amp does well and what they like about it.
 
 



 
 
You see a pattern?
 
 
The "pattern" fails to address the fact that the Bakoon HPA-21 has just recently been released and the name Bakoon is not well known by members of HF.
 
I have compared the Bakoon Amp 11-R, the integrated brother of the HPA-21, which is based on the same SATRI circuit to an EAR HP4 using NOS RCA valves and a Leben CS-600 rolled with NOS Sylvanias using the LCD-3. My choice, hands down, the Bakoon. That being said, the HPA-21 is claimed to have 1/10th the distortion of the 11-R.
 
Of course, that is my own personal subjective opinion but would anyone care to discuss the pedigree of the two amps used for comparison?

 

[jacal01]

Quote:

...to an EAR HP4 using NOS RCA valves...

 
I'm using Mullard/Philips ECC35 tubes (KLU as drivers and Miniwatt as output).  Very nice, especially with recabled LCD-2.2 phones.  And I find that I still prefer listening to the Bakoon HPA-21 through TH900s.  Go figure. 

 

[Dr. Roberts]

Quote:

 
I'm using Mullard/Philips ECC35 tubes (KLU as drivers and Miniwatt as output).  Very nice, especially with recabled LCD-2.2 phones.  And I find that I still prefer listening to the Bakoon HPA-21 through TH900s.  Go figure. 

I do not own the Fostex cans however I do have a pair of the AT W3000ANV's which many compare favorably to the TH900's, although usually giving the nod to the higher priced headphones over the wonky, colored, but yet euphonic and oh so sublime to listen to cans.The remastered Beatles catalog, especially Lennon's voice, sounds gorgeous listening through the Audio Technicas. In this case, I prefer the pairing of these phones with the EAR. "Different strokes for different folks."

 

[jacal01]

Nah, nah.  Synergy and euphonics trump all other considerations for session listening enjoyment.  Technical virtuosity comparsons notwithstanding, it utimately comes down to your own personal toe tapping enthralled pleasure.  I'm sure music genre has a lot to do with it, too.  Most of my music tends to be of the midrange/vocal variety, myself, but I do thoroughly enjoy an occasional deep dive into the nether regions, just to let me know that my phones are still alive and kicking.
 
BTW, I lost track...  which cans were you describing as "wonky, colored, but yet euphonic and oh so sublime to listen to"?  By colored, are you referring to the lacquered Urushi finish? 

    

 

[Dr. Roberts]

Quote:

Nah, nah.  Synergy and euphonics trump all other considerations for session listening enjoyment.  Technical virtuosity comparsons notwithstanding, it utimately comes down to your own personal toe tapping enthralled pleasure.  I'm sure music genre has a lot to do with it, too.  Most of my music tends to be of the midrange/vocal variety, myself, but I do thoroughly enjoy an occasional deep dive into the nether regions, just to let me know that my phones are still alive and kicking.
 
BTW, I lost track...  which cans were you describing as "wonky, colored, but yet euphonic and oh so sublime to listen to"?  By colored, are you referring to the lacquered Urushi finish? 

    

 
I'm referring to the AT W3000ANV and my description of them is that the sound is" colored" as opposed to being" neutral", although the finish is beautiful. In other words, the HD800 they are not!

 

[jacal01]

Yeah, I know.  I'm just funnin' with you. 

  I have the same issue with my T5ps (as the HD800).  I also have a friend who swears by his W3000ANVs, altho I don't believe that he has any others to compare them to, so that would be a whole saltlick block...

 

[CanDude]

Quote:

Or I can just wait. Like Radio_head said this amp will eventually make its way around- and more reviews will come out. From what I've seen some more experienced reviewers hesitate to call something "one of the best", and instead state its flaws and then go on to explain what a headphone amp does well and what they like about it.
 

 
Any reviewer is of course entitled to say that a product is "one of the best" since it always is the reviewer’s own subjective opinion! The reviewer may be the only one in the world having that opinion, but it is still his or hers personal opinion. Hopefully the reviewer manages to describe the sound so that you can decide if you want to check out the product or not. To just rattle off a lot of records and say how great the bass is etc. is useless since it does not provide the reader with any useful reference. Maybe the bass isn’t great on that recording?
 
I hope Tyll or someone will do some independent measurements on HPA-21. If it is correct as Bakoon claims that HPA-21 does not have any slew rate, then HPA-21 objectively really has the best slew rate in the world (as some other amps also may have!). It would also be very interesting to measure the output signal, then measure the corresponding output from various headphones and compare those measurements. Repeat for some other high-end amps. Then we will see if HPA-21 really provides better control of the headphones’ diaphragms than other amps, and how it differs for different headphones. But even if HPA-21 should obtain one of the best measurement results in the world it may mean nothing to you if you prefer another sound signature.

 

[CanDude]

Quote:

Mpingo discs are one of the best additions to a system money can buy. I can't believe how these have changed my system! Wire with gain! PRAT! Naturalness! Toe-tappin' Hands-a-clappin' MUSIC! Do I exaggerate? Heck no! I don't think anything can top these discs (unless you pile more on top of course HYUK HYUK HYUK HYUK). They roll with the top dogs like the Hallograph and ASI Resonators. Don't believe me? Well go buy one and get back to me and my buddy Austin

 
Vintage model cars on top of HPA-21 is my "secret" weapon...

 

[Funklezen]

For what it's worth, I have one of these in house for review on Innerfidelity next month.

 
Hi Skylab, will you compare it to your Leben, would be very interesting

 

[Skylab]

Yes, that will definitely be part of the review.

 

[sawindra]

I will hopefully audition it soon, will it drive my k1000?