[roos]

havent seen this posted yet...

http://onhifi.com/product.shtml

 

[andrzejpw]

WOW! Thanks!

 

[MooGoesTheCow]

thanks for the link, roos! that was an awesome read! i sooooo want a blockhead. (the amp, not tyll)

 

[markjia]

Thanks for nothing!

I used to be happy with my simple DIY tube amp...but now I crave for the Blockhead.

 

[Neruda]

congrats on the review, headroom!

 

[Audio Addict]

Thanks for the link. Great write up on the Blockhead. Now we can dream more $$$$

 

[kelly]

That was exceptionally well written. I especially liked that the reviewer had experience with other headphones and amplifiers and could speak to their differences. That is often what I find to be lacking in mainstream audio reviews (I often literally wonder if the reviewer has ever listened to ANY other equipment; but then usually just assume they're too afraid to say anything negative about anything even in comparison).

But then there are those of us on HeadFi who take to the other extreme. We compare item by item of minutia about different products but often overlook that which is valuable to the inexperienced.

It's hard to strive to be both and still strive to be brief, but it's always nice to read those who inspire. I'll have to track down some other reviews from Wes Phillips. I'm seriously impressed.

The fanboy in me still wishes he'd stumbled into that detail, though. You see, I agree with the bulk of his review. And yet... the BlockHead to me shares a fatal flaw with the Max. Oh, no, not really fatal. Let's just say despite them both being excellent products there's something that keeps me from owning either one. I keep mentioning it waiting for the Max fans to come out and debate with me. That is (again): I feel the OPA627 and the HeadRoom sound lack texture/ambient detail. The BlockHead has more of it than the Max but not as much as say, the Sugden Headmaster or any number of tube amps. I know this is a major component of why some people go with the Sugden or microZOTL over the Max--I wish qualities like that could be addressed without losing the mainstream audience. He did mention the low noise floor and dynamics, which I appreciated. Maybe it's just the same old perogative of not mentioning negatives in a review. I dunno.

 

[AC1]

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly That is (again): I feel the OPA627 and the HeadRoom sound lack texture/ambient detail. The BlockHead has more of it than the Max but not as much as say, the Sugden Headmaster or any number of tube amps. I know this is a major component of why some people go with the Sugden or microZOTL over the Max--I wish qualities like that could be addressed without losing the mainstream audience. He did mention the low noise floor and dynamics, which I appreciated. Maybe it's just the same old perogative of not mentioning negatives in a review. I dunno.

That is the reason I have been staying away from headroom amps is the lack of texture and ambient detail which contributes to the dryness of the sound... I even think the headmaster is a bit dry, of course that's coming off an mghead, where I was able to get a lot of body and midrange texture but lacked the ambient detail... That's what really bothers me about using headphones, is the lack of body or texture to the sound... I can hear everything but there is nothing behind it.

 

[kelly]

AC1
The MG Head definitely has some hard to beat qualities. To me the RKV does what it does and does it a little better--as does the TwinHead and both with less sacrifices (except in wallet of course). From what I'm told the microZOTL does it too. My problem is digging what these amps do right but still craving the high points of the Headroom Max-family amps. Gotta be a way to have my cake and eat it too.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Kelly writes:
"I keep mentioning it waiting for the Max fans to come out and debate with me. That is (again): I feel the OPA627 and the HeadRoom sound lack texture/ambient detail. The BlockHead has more of it than the Max but not as much as say, the Sugden Headmaster or any number of tube amps."

No debate here. I totally agree with you. In comparison to other amps the Max does lack texture, and ambient detail.
I also think the hump at 100 hertz on the HD-600s is still there no matter what amp you throw at it. But, I will admit, the Max does a damn good job of controlling it.
Now, I am done bashing my equipment!

 

[Ken]

Wow !!

You dont often read reviews dripping with praise like that.


Good on you Headroom

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Kelly, my problem with solid-state amps that produce this ambience, and detail you describe is the electronic hash that comes with it. For some reason, or another I just can't listen to solid-state amps like that more than 5 minutes. Now tube amps, that's another story!

 

[kelly]

Crescendopower
I've definitely heard the hash you're talking about in low end equipment but I just don't hear it on the Headmaster, Corda Blue and META42 (with AD8620).

I'm sure it was more common when the OPA627 first hit the market, though.

 

[Tomcat]

Quote:

That's what really bothers me about using headphones, is the lack of body or texture to the sound... I can hear everything but there is nothing behind it.

AC1,
that's my complaint about most headphones as well. Have you ever considered trying some closed ones? In my experinece, the better closed ones convey more body and weight while offering superior low-level resolution at the same time.

 

[AC1]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tomcat that's my complaint about most headphones as well. Have you ever considered trying some closed ones? In my experinece, the better closed ones convey more body and weight while offering superior low-level resolution at the same time.

Interesting, I have never even considered it since there was never talk of a closed headphones with high quality sound compared to say the 600s... But, the mg head had body to the sound that was decent and I was fairly pleased with, the headmaster is slimmer and only sometimes bothers me... But I am hoping to remedy the mids by chaging IC's since I find the silver ref II's to be a bit cold, very analytical (which is fantastic for tube systems)... I will be going back to copper based IC's.