Ruahrc
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2002
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Looking at the amp packages on the HR website I am interested by the following 2 options. Considering that I am set on getting K701s these packages are attractive to me:
One is the "Serious Audiophile Package" which has the fully maxed out Desktop Amp, DPS, and AKG K701s. These seem like a good value considering the bundle price and maxed out amp+DAC.
But then right next to it is the balanced desktop package. It's actually $130 less than the above package, but has the supposedly higher quality balanced setup? But the difference is that it does not have the highest end "max" modules, nor does it have the DPS. In theory, if you take off about $120 for the astrodyne power supply, and add $400 for the DPS, it still comes out to within a couple hundred dollars as the single ended setup- albeit with lower electronics.
So my question is, which is likely to be better? The unbalanced amp with the higher quality "max" electronics? Or the superior balanced design but with slightly lower electronics+DAC? Does not having the DPS limit the system performance of the balanced setup further? Is running the balanced amp in single-ended mode identical to listening to an unbalanced desktop amp with the home-level electronics? How good are the home electronics modules?
And why is there no Desktop balanced amp with max electronics+ max DAC? Is it because power or space requirements (because it requires 2 Max modules and 2 DACs) make it too difficult to fit in that size of amp?
I guess it comes down to whether or not one should spend the money on the max modules or the balanced amp design. Which do you think is the better choice? Keep in mind that my current setup is very humble compared to either of thse, consisting of ER4Ps being driven direct off a laptop or iPod
. Possible sources that are going to match this new amp setup is going to either be an airport express/optical or AppleTV optical. I kind of feel like amps at this level really need to be driven digital, as matching these amps to a crummy DAC a-la a laptop or iPod LOD is not matching components properly... would you say that I'm right in this regard?
Ruahrc
One is the "Serious Audiophile Package" which has the fully maxed out Desktop Amp, DPS, and AKG K701s. These seem like a good value considering the bundle price and maxed out amp+DAC.
But then right next to it is the balanced desktop package. It's actually $130 less than the above package, but has the supposedly higher quality balanced setup? But the difference is that it does not have the highest end "max" modules, nor does it have the DPS. In theory, if you take off about $120 for the astrodyne power supply, and add $400 for the DPS, it still comes out to within a couple hundred dollars as the single ended setup- albeit with lower electronics.
So my question is, which is likely to be better? The unbalanced amp with the higher quality "max" electronics? Or the superior balanced design but with slightly lower electronics+DAC? Does not having the DPS limit the system performance of the balanced setup further? Is running the balanced amp in single-ended mode identical to listening to an unbalanced desktop amp with the home-level electronics? How good are the home electronics modules?
And why is there no Desktop balanced amp with max electronics+ max DAC? Is it because power or space requirements (because it requires 2 Max modules and 2 DACs) make it too difficult to fit in that size of amp?
I guess it comes down to whether or not one should spend the money on the max modules or the balanced amp design. Which do you think is the better choice? Keep in mind that my current setup is very humble compared to either of thse, consisting of ER4Ps being driven direct off a laptop or iPod
Ruahrc