Greggo
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2008
- Posts
- 373
- Likes
- 105
After thinking about upgrading my Gustard stack with their new DAC and someday balanced amp, looking at DAPs, the Ayre Codex, Woo WA8.... basically all over the map, I have decided I want a simple, small footprint, high performance all in one that is close enough to end game for me to stay with it for 3 or 4 years before upgrading again but very reasonable in price so I can put most of my money towards the headphones, which is what I feel makes the biggest difference nowadays...
I have decided to jump on the Mojo train
I am also selling off a bunch of low to upper mid fi cans and want to have just 3 full size headphones that get the best the mojo has to offer while providing me with the comfort and signature I prefer. Looking at headphones in the $500 to $1,999 range, what 3 would you pick for the ultimate desktop listening studio?
I currently have HD700 and EL-8 Open and have decided to sell both of them, I am thinking about the following:
1) Audioquest Nighthawk (once well broken in, this is the signature I like best and the comfort is awesome, but a little more resolution may be in order, not sure....)
2) Mr. Speakers Ether C 1.1 (concerned just a little about bass slam, but reports on comfort are awesome, and also concerned about signature, but 1.1 seems to matter and pairing with mojo seems to add some warmth and body to keep things from becoming too lean, but also still a little concerned the resolution may not quite live up to the price)
3) Hifiman Edition X (I have big ears and a somewhat small head, so a little concerned they might just barely stay put, but comfort and signature and resolution and technicalities all seem to be up there with other top tier headphones, and again, reports seem to indicate it also pairs very well with mojo)
I will mostly use JRMC on my iMac to drive the mojo and then drive any one of 3 really good headphones, but I will also do some travel with a DAP TBD and listen to movies and other browser based media so having something that works well with lower quality sources is also important and that is where I think the Nighthawk is very versatile, at least for me (don't own it yet, just a few session and a bunch of reading and assumptions). I like having just a little bit of variety in case my ears get tired of one type of fit or signature and I can then find some relief by switching over... but I want the very best the mojo has to offer. Seems like the HD800S comes close but not quite at home on the mojo??? Saw a youtube review where a guy really liked the AKG K812 with mojo and also offered up that the PM-3 pairs well also. I would consider these as well as many others, but I am looking for :
a) bass that is full and textured, not a basshead so neutral bass is acceptable, but a little bit of emphasis is welcome.
b) mids that are slight warm or lush, not too recessed, and the forward mids of some planars are very appealing to me so long as the smoothness and texture are there.
c) highs that are spike free and do not come close to sibilance or harshness... this is a big problem for me as most headphones sound tizzy to me and I probably have a little tinnitus that makes me even more sensitive... but in the world of hi fi speakers and in the world of headphones I tend to be very obsessed with most audiophile values but find the vast majority of products to be artificially bright to my ears.
Any Suggestions?
I have decided to jump on the Mojo train
I am also selling off a bunch of low to upper mid fi cans and want to have just 3 full size headphones that get the best the mojo has to offer while providing me with the comfort and signature I prefer. Looking at headphones in the $500 to $1,999 range, what 3 would you pick for the ultimate desktop listening studio?
I currently have HD700 and EL-8 Open and have decided to sell both of them, I am thinking about the following:
1) Audioquest Nighthawk (once well broken in, this is the signature I like best and the comfort is awesome, but a little more resolution may be in order, not sure....)
2) Mr. Speakers Ether C 1.1 (concerned just a little about bass slam, but reports on comfort are awesome, and also concerned about signature, but 1.1 seems to matter and pairing with mojo seems to add some warmth and body to keep things from becoming too lean, but also still a little concerned the resolution may not quite live up to the price)
3) Hifiman Edition X (I have big ears and a somewhat small head, so a little concerned they might just barely stay put, but comfort and signature and resolution and technicalities all seem to be up there with other top tier headphones, and again, reports seem to indicate it also pairs very well with mojo)
I will mostly use JRMC on my iMac to drive the mojo and then drive any one of 3 really good headphones, but I will also do some travel with a DAP TBD and listen to movies and other browser based media so having something that works well with lower quality sources is also important and that is where I think the Nighthawk is very versatile, at least for me (don't own it yet, just a few session and a bunch of reading and assumptions). I like having just a little bit of variety in case my ears get tired of one type of fit or signature and I can then find some relief by switching over... but I want the very best the mojo has to offer. Seems like the HD800S comes close but not quite at home on the mojo??? Saw a youtube review where a guy really liked the AKG K812 with mojo and also offered up that the PM-3 pairs well also. I would consider these as well as many others, but I am looking for :
a) bass that is full and textured, not a basshead so neutral bass is acceptable, but a little bit of emphasis is welcome.
b) mids that are slight warm or lush, not too recessed, and the forward mids of some planars are very appealing to me so long as the smoothness and texture are there.
c) highs that are spike free and do not come close to sibilance or harshness... this is a big problem for me as most headphones sound tizzy to me and I probably have a little tinnitus that makes me even more sensitive... but in the world of hi fi speakers and in the world of headphones I tend to be very obsessed with most audiophile values but find the vast majority of products to be artificially bright to my ears.
Any Suggestions?
