[Tantra]

I'm a happy owner of the Meier Audio Move, and would like to step up with a stationary headphone amplifier. I pretty much like everything the Move does to my beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO and Sennheiser HD 600, both with line in and USB.

The Opera is withing reach financially, but the Cantate seems to be the sweet spot in the Meier Audio range, to me.

How is the SQ of the Cantate vs the Move?

How is the SQ of the Opera vs the Cantate?

I hope these questions isn't to specialized...

 

[Zorander]

Just go for the high-end, never look back and be plagued by 'what if's.

 

[Hardwired]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just go for the high-end, never look back and be plagued by 'what if's.

I agree. I started out with Jan's HA-2 MKII and ended up getting the Opera a couple of months later anyway. Might as well save yourself a few bucks and just get it now.

 

[Drag0n]

Ive heard that the Move sounds awesome on what it can drive,but doesnt drive large hard to drive phones well. Anyone else hear this,cuz i want a Move,but if it wont drive hard to drive cans,then ill get an SR71 maybe??

 

[spunkmeyer]

On high voltage, high gain setting, my 650s never sound too loud. At max volume sound is high, but not so loud that I've got to back it down (using line out from an ipod). I can't overdrive the cans. Definitely more volume using it as a DAC because there's more signal to the amp from computer. The amp sounds good, but if you're looking for lots of volume as a portable, this is perhaps not your best combo.

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drag0n /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ive heard that the Move sounds awesome on what it can drive,but doesnt drive large hard to drive phones well. Anyone else hear this,cuz i want a Move,but if it wont drive hard to drive cans,then ill get an SR71 maybe??

What phones do you have in mind? AFAIK portable amps won't ever match desktop amps in terms of potential in driving power simply because their inherent limitations in board size and power source (battery vs mains). That said, I like both Microshar and Meier portable amps with either the HD-600 & K601. From my short test of it, the HD-650 ran off the Move nicely too.

 

[lerio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tantra /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm a happy owner of the Meier Audio Move, and would like to step up with a stationary headphone amplifier. I pretty much like everything the Move does to my beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO and Sennheiser HD 600, both with line in and USB. The Opera is withing reach financially, but the Cantate seems to be the sweet spot in the Meier Audio range, to me. How is the SQ of the Cantate vs the Move? How is the SQ of the Opera vs the Cantate? I hope these questions isn't to specialized...

I agree that go further as you wallet can, but if you want more info before buy the only person who will be able to compare Meier Amp is Skylab, Jan gonna loan him a Cantate and Arietta, and as he have all others Meier Amp he'll give us a good comparaison of Meier amp serie

, look post 11 here

 

[Tantra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just go for the high-end, never look back and be plagued by 'what if's.

Well, I thought (still think) the Cantate is pretty high end?

 

[Tantra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lerio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree that go further as you wallet can, but if you want more info before buy the only person who will be able to compare Meier Amp is Skylab, Jan gonna loan him a Cantate and Arietta, and as he have all others Meier Amp he'll give us a good comparaison of Meier amp serie , look post 11 here

Thanks for the info. I think I will see what the Guru finds out before I make any move, from my Move.

 

[ManAtWork]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drag0n /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ive heard that the Move sounds awesome on what it can drive,but doesnt drive large hard to drive phones well. Anyone else hear this,cuz i want a Move,but if it wont drive hard to drive cans,then ill get an SR71 maybe??

Even the Move has similar sound signature as Meier's new desktop products, it does have differences in sound quality. In my experience, Move can drive all those big cans well in high gain mode, but it also shows the limitation of the Move when driving high class headphones - which need to have high quality desktop amplifiers to push reaching the limit. But this doesn't mean it sounds bad when driving the big cans.

 

[orkney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardwired /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree. I started out with Jan's HA-2 MKII and ended up getting the Opera a couple of months later anyway. Might as well save yourself a few bucks and just get it now.

I'm with Hardwired on this. I crept up the Meier ladder, from Porta-Corda to Aria to Opera, and though they're all very good and do indeed share a sound signature I would have saved time and $ by going to the Opera directly. I think the Opera is a special amp. It is amazingly even-handed, in that it has never sounded less than excellent with all the phones I've played through it but also has the ability to astonish with synergistic phones (D5000s, DT-880s, IMO). It has tremendous musical involvement and listenability; never fatiguing, consistently interesting and revealing. It's a great first date that sticks around, settles in just a little, and soon becomes indispensable.

And its true quality is a little stealthy, I think, since it becomes apparent only perhaps when returning to it from other good amps -- it's so clear, so quick, so musical. In fact, it's the one component I own that (barring a move to Stax-only) I can no longer imagine being without. If the Cantate has the Opera sound with a more meagre feature count it's a steal (I went for the Analog version since I don't need a DAC).

Having said all that, there's no point buying beyond what you need unless you plan to upgrade your system/phones further. If the Cantate works for you, all the better. If I had willpower, I wouldn't be here...

best,

o

 

[strangelove]

Can anyone comment on the Cantate vs Opera? I'm surprised by the lack of information on this. This amp is priced at such a sweet spot, I'd think everyone would be interested in it.

I need an amp and DAC and I'm trying to decide if I should go Opera or Cantate + seperate DAC.

 

[lerio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by strangelove /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can anyone comment on the Cantate vs Opera? I'm surprised by the lack of information on this. This amp is priced at such a sweet spot, I'd think everyone would be interested in it. I need an amp and DAC and I'm trying to decide if I should go Opera or Cantate + seperate DAC.

Hopefully we'll have Skylab review/comparaison between Cantate, Opera (and all other Meier Amp) soon, as Jan loan him a Cantate and a Arietta

It's not surprising we don't have yet a comparaison between Cantate and Opera because who gonna have both ? someone who downgrade ?

We'll have more Aria vs Cantate soon as people we'll upgrade for sure

If you want just a Cantate review i made one here

 

[Tantra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by orkney /img/forum/go_quote.gif If the Cantate works for you, all the better. If I had willpower, I wouldn't be here...

At least I listen to some great music while spending too much time here