[shivohum]

Thanks for the impressions, guys! I'm glad I've found some people who agree with me that the cable changes on the HD600 create only subtle differences.

 

[RunsWithScissors]

Could one of the MODs or anyone else for that matter, please help me post some pix?

As I mentioned in my earlier post in this thread, I tried unsuccessfully to link internet posted pix using the IMG tags and it appears that the web server I use to post on-line pix denies direct linking. I've reduced the size of the original pix so that a zip file contains 5 pix totaling 157Kb. Individual pix are approx 30kb.

Any help posting pix would be appreciated. If anyone else can host these pix, I can easily email the 157Kb zip.

Thanks

 

[andrzejpw]

I always enjoy reading about head-fi meets. I really want to host one in Pittsburgh. It just seems that there not that much interest. . .

 

[Hirsch]

 

[RunsWithScissors]

I just wanted to thank Hirsch for helping me to post these pix

you 'da man, Hirsch

 

[pigmode]

Who owns the RKV?

 

[RunsWithScissors]

I just realized that it might not be easy for everyone to identify the gear from my pix so here's the rundown of what's what:

pix from top to bottom -

Top most picture:
Marantz CD player (top) and Melos (bottom) w/ HD600s (you can see part of the CIAudio DAC stacked on top of the Marantz)

RKV with HD600 and Beyer DT250-80

corda HA-1 (top left) Sony NS755V (bottom left) Headroom Max (right)

corda HA-1 (top left) Sony NS755V (bottom left) Headroom Max (middle) RKV (right) HD600 and Beyer (stacked on top of RKV)

Bottom most picture: left to right
Max, RKV, Melos (bottom) Marantz CDP (top) CIAudio DAC (stacked on top of Marantz) HD600s

Too bad we didn't get pix of Angus' gear before he left.

I'll make pix a higher priority next meeting. I was too eager to play with all the toys.

Cheers

 

[edwinaviles]

Hello guys. Sorry I couldn't write until now. My computer at home is temporarily out of service.

It was a pleasure meeting the guys at the meet and I thank Zin_ramu for hosting the event. It was really fun.


To answer a few questions, it's Edwin the silent lurker in Boston, not the Edwin who flew to the Texas headfi meet with the R10s.
And if you couldn't tell from the pictures , it's a 2001 MAX.

Now on to impressions.
I was pleasantly surprised with what I heard. The META was very cool. It sounded the most neutral to me, putting aside the MAX. I may consider getting one for the office at work.
As for the different ICs between the Corda and the META, I promise to bring my other pair of Cardas Golden REF ICs with me to the next meet. We can do a better test then. I forgot to take the ICs off my MF DAC. I was in a rush all morning and forgot about them as I rushed downstairs to the cab to get to the meet.
Sorry guys.

The MAX-MELOS standoff was fun.
I had on my hd600s with the Cardas cable and DVR with his Etys. I pretty much agreed with what DVR thought. Natalie Merchant's voice is one of the most pleasant sounding voices with bad diction that I have ever heard. Thus she made a great test case. The MAX made the vocals easier to understand what she was actually singing sometimes but the MELOS made her voice sound more pleasant though not unclear. It was just easier to undertand with the MAX. Also, for the last minute of that song in which Natalie wasn't singing and the Eric Clapton acoustic song, the MAX seemed more vivid with better instrument separation.
So, if I cared for nothing but vocals on a particular day, I wouldn't mind haveing a MELOS as a second amp at all. I may have to consider it in the future or at least another amp just as good.

The RKV was interesting but not as pleasant sounding to me as the MELOS. I feel that the RKV has too much bass at times almost drowning out the voices with the hd600s with both the CARDAS and the CLOU reds. The Clou cable almost helped to make the RKV sound better with its more peeky top end. RunWithScissors' Beyer's also sounded better than my hd600s with the Cardas on the RKV, also due to its top end.
However, using those three headphones on the MELOS, I preffered my HD600s with the Cardas over the Clou cable and the Beyers.
Also, the difference between the cables for the hd600 were less apparent on the MELOS than on the RKV. They were still there but more subtle on the MELOS than the RKV for some reason.

That's all I remember this morning without haveing my morning coffee. If I remember anymore I'll update it.

 

[kelly]

*confused* Was the Corda HA-1 stock or "Blued"? From my memories, I'd expect to like the META42 more than the stock Corda HA-1 and the Corda Blue more than the META42 with the same sorts of differences. The Sugden I'd rank another step above the Corda Blue.

Corda HA-1 (stock) < META42 (8610/1 deep EL2001s) < Corda Blue < Sugden Headmaster

About evenly spaced apart. I think my preferences there echo KurtW's and his opinion is probably worth more than mine here.

You guys had a lot of my favorite amps at this meeting, regardless. Thanks for posting impressions.

 

[RunsWithScissors]

kelly,

the corda was stock - no mods to blue.

If you look earlier in this thread, you'll see that we had a big mismatch in interconnects so our A/B comparisons with the meta42, Max and corda did not isolate the amps as the only variable in the test. This probably influenced the outcome of the tests.

I believe AngusMcToon also stated that his Tangent-built meta42 has the AD843 op amp too.

hope that helps

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by RunsWithScissors kelly, the corda was stock - no mods to blue. If you look earlier in this thread, you'll see that we had a big mismatch in interconnects so our A/B comparisons with the meta42, Max and corda did not isolate the amps as the only variable in the test. This probably influenced the outcome of the tests. I believe AngusMcToon also stated that his Tangent-built meta42 has the AD843 op amp too. hope that helps

I saw the discussion about the cables but overlooked the mention of the opamp. I didn't like the AD843 as much as the AD8610 so if your tastes are similar to mine there's even more to be had out of that META.

I would expect that such a large discrepency in cables could make a big difference too but I haven't heard that Cardas cable and don't know if the difference would outweigh the differences between the amps. I reckon it would depend on the acuity of the listeners and the quality and their familiarity with the associated equipment. Lots of variables, I suppose. Thanks for clarifying.