[dngl]

After saving money and selling almost all of my personal possessions that aren't books, clothes, or my favorite CDs, I am looking at buying a new audio rig (look at my profile: i need it!

)

Here's what I am eyeing:
BP Jr sig w/mods ($350)
Sony 333ES ($400)
DIY Shark ICs ($130)
Melos SHA ($450)
and I will audition Sennheiser HD580s, beyer 770s, Grado RS1s, and Sony CD3ks with this system.

Are there any weaknesses in the system? Any recommended surrogate components?

Secondly, will the aforementioned rig sound better enough to justify the price compared to:
DIYCable.com power filter ($150)
Denon DCM370 ($110)
DIY magnet wire ICs ($10)
DBSE amp ($100)

I've heard the components of the high end system (not together), and I've heard real hi-fi. Basically what I am asking is:

Is the expensive system really worth the money?

I will listen for at least five hours per weekday (hooray for advanced placemnt classes giving ludicrous amounts of homework!), and more on weekends.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[dhwilkin]

Looks pretty solid to me. My only concern would be the Melos, and that's only because if it ever broke, getting it repaired might be difficult.

 

[dngl]

thanks. There's always Melos Audio Restoration. Anyway, my main question is whether or not it is worth the 4x increase in price. That's a tricky question. Maybe only I can answer it. On one hand, the higher end components do breathe life into the music. On the other hand I feel greedy...

 

[mcbiff]

If you've sold everything else, there's no point in not spending the money.

 

[DanG]

If you mean by "DBSE amp" a CMOY with the Apheared47 mod, the Melos is definitely a huge step beyond that. There's really no point in even comparing -- I'd call it a 200% improvement.

 

[Audio Addict]

Something to consider would be picking up a used TDS Passive Audiophile unit or possibly and HRS unit to go between the Sony SCD-C333ES and the amplifier. I have two of the TDS units, one I use with my HeadRoom Little and the other with my HeadRoom Home. I really like what they do for the resolution going into the headphones. If you can find a use TDS, they tend to go for around $200.

I am not familar with the Melo amp but a used HeadRoom Home goes for between $300 to $400 usually.

 

[dngl]

The Melos amp is a stereophile class a headphone amp. Some people say it sounds better than the max.

I'm familiar with the TDS products, but I'm holding out because they licensed their technology to Acoustic Research who will be releasing a TDS Passive Audiophile equivalent under the AR name for $100 in nov/dec. Further, I'd have to get another metre of Shark ICs and those aren't too cheap.

Thanks for the responses. I'm coming to terms that I am an audiophile and that if I got the cheaper system I'd just wish I'd gotten the better one. Note to others: hifi shops are dangerous because they let you know what you are missing.