[DanBa]

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So recently I had a need to buy a great pair of IEMs ...
 

 
What are your IEMs?
Thanks.

 

[downsize]

Vsonic GR07s .....  Love at first listen

 
Quote:

 
What are your IEMs?
Thanks.

 
 

 

[Grev]

Better buy this then!

 

[badmod]

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Oh yeah ... by all means bud.  The MSII is a superior DAC in the same line, so it will be even better. If Kevin would put the HS's amp in a MSII+, I would be ALL over it !!!

 
According to HRT quote in this thread http://www.head-fi.org/t/582460/hrt-headstreamer-vs-hrt-music-streamer-ii, the DAC section are the same in both MS and MSII. The only difference is the isolation stage in MSII which is is replaced by analog attenuator and an OCL amplifier in MS.

 

[Ragno7]

I've had the musicstreamer ii for some time... Great sound.

I just bought the ibasso d7 though, the sound blew my mind. It has one of the best Wolfson dac chips. It's also asynchronous usb and achieves 192khz without hesitating. The amp is class A and sounds great with my beyer dt880 (250 ohm version). I think you should check it out if you have a chance... For only 40 or 50 bucks more than the musicstreamer ii it sounds in another league to me.

 

[129207]

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I'm sorry sir ... but having been working in the high end audio industry for 28 years, I did not have to listen closely even. It was not really close.
 
So once again, this statement should pretty much cover why it is so much better....  

 
The fact that you've had the same hobby for 28 years doesn't tell me anything about why I should consider the Headstreamer over the other options out there. While I appreciate your enthusiasm about this product I'm afraid this is hardly a review. Experiencing sound is so subjective and personal that just declaring "it is great because I tell you so" isnt't of much worth. Even on Head-Fi. 

 You could improve your review, if you want, by describing the differences you noticed between the DACs and explaining why these differences made you choose one over the others.

 

[estreeter]

I'm with Negakinu - this is more sales pitch than review, and Kevin and the folk at HRT don't need anyone else to plug their kit. As a self-described industry veteran, I feel the OP should be more balanced in his view of the Headstreamer - there are enough FOTMs on Head-Fi. 

 

[ScuderiaHeadFi]

Looks like we have some kids who never learned to play nice in grade school.
 
To be fair to the OP, he titled this thread "comparison," not "review."  While not a particularly thorough example of either, he did, in fact, compare the 4 to the 1.  And the 1 won.  How many times have people on this forum, possibly including you critics above, and definitely including some of the demigods who rule over Head-Fi, been so excited about a product as to simply declare it out and out "a winner"?  People of audiophile expertise levels all the way up to Jude's or even Robert Harley's are entitled to, and often do, come to a definitive conclusion on a certain product when, indeed, they feel like the conclusion can be clear.  That is all the OP has done here.
 
There is no reason at all to expect the OP to be more "balanced" - which could be a silly idea, since if one product is clearly superior to another, as a Weiss DAC is clearly superior to a laptop's soundcard, then obviously achieving a "balance" will still fall to a clear and decisive judgment in favor of the one.  The OP was plenty balanced.  "Balance" is not helpful.  "Thoroughness" and "explanation" however, would be a great benefit to our community.  I for one still want further details, as someone interested in a portable DAC/amp for my laptop who is considering the Headstreamer (among others).  So now, I need to move on to finding other information from a different poster.
 
But the criticism and haranguing are uncalled for - if you want more detail, ask a question, and if you get an answer, be grateful for it.  Don't assert your superiority in judgment or professionalism - invite whatever further discussion the OP is willing to share.

 

[downsize]

Wow guys .....  I am the OP here.  And this thread has went waaay whack.
 
Let me start off by saying this :  I NEVER intended for my thread to be a complete review. I run two separate businesses, and work 12 or more hours every day. I do not have time to write an extremely thorough review always. And also consider, I am NOT a writer in the first place.
 
My intent was to simply BE VERY KIND to you ..... Fellow enthusiasts and Headfiers, and tell you of a very inexpensive and unassuming product that reaches leagues above it's price point.  For only $139, I figured you could pick one up and test it for your own self, and simply return it if you did not like it ( Amazon ).
 
But let me go ahead and try to give up a bit more insight, especially since ALL of you are paying me so much as a reviewer and writer LOL.
 
Some products are really easy to get a handle on and put your thoughts on it's sound into written words. Those products have very simple colorations or traits that immediately make a verifiable and definitive impression.  They are either warm, musical, and full bodied ....... OR they are more lean, thin bodied, and anylytical sounding.   They may sound slowish or fast the way they handle percieved pace and rythem. They may roll off highs or miss out on lows.
 
BUT when a product just sounds lifelike, with almost ZERO sound of it's own, it is VERY difficult to describe. Because it just sounds right.  It is essentially TRANSPARENT to the original recording .. Without editorializing anything. Without ANY readily apparent weaknesses, or traits of it;s own.  Then it is VERY difficult to describe.  This usually is reserved for very, very expensive equipment that is properly designed.  AND THIS IS HOW THE HEADSTREAMER SOUNDS ..... or doesn't sound LOL.
It just gets out of the way and lets the rest of your system dictate the end result,
 
I did not test the HS with a lot of different headphones .... so I do not know how it behaves across the board.  BUT I did test it with what is a studio/stage monitor type IEM that is famous and respected for being VERY, VERY neutral and transparent. The GR07's are a great evaluation tool. And combined with the HS they presented music simply lifelike and honest.
 
THAT makes the Headstreamer a raging steal at $139 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   And that is all I was ever trying to say.
 
Now if you look really hard at everything I just wrote, you will see there is basically ZERO more info than my thread starting post.  It is simply a great product that DOES NOT color or alter the sound like the other amps I tested did to some extent.
 
If you want to post here and ask me VERY direct and pointed questions, i will do my best to answer them for you.  But I can not say anything else to describe a sound quality that is simply life like.   HTH

 

[M3NTAL]

I would be in 100% on this amp if it had some way to remotely control the volume. Sometimes I set my laptop far off to the side and shut it and stream an album while in bed. I would have to open everything back up to make volume changes.

 

[downsize]

Quote:

I would be in 100% on this amp if it had some way to remotely control the volume. Sometimes I set my laptop far off to the side and shut it and stream an album while in bed. I would have to open everything back up to make volume changes.

 
Way simple solution for you .....   $29 gets you a wireless remote control that controls your laptop. Volume changes from your bed   
 

 

[Robn13]

"But the criticism and haranguing are uncalled for - if you want more detail, ask a question, and if you get an answer, be grateful for it.  Don't assert your superiority in judgment or professionalism - invite whatever further discussion the OP is willing to share."
 
Good points, but what are you, his advocate/father/attorney? 

 
Downsize, I thank you for your "comparison," but I too found your first post obtuse, like you wanted to make us guess what your conclusion was and why. I came on this thread seeking education and because of a great title, not to play games or suffer a moral admonition and lecture from Scuderia. An OP like the one just above would have been a lot better and avoided any snarky feedback.
 
However great the unit may be (and I would LOVE to believe you and WOULD try it out for myself), the absence of a volume control and battery power is a TOTAL deal breaker for me. If you are sitting at your desktop, fine. But for portable use, no way! It is however a "portable" size unit and another dac or dac/amp could very easily outperform it in the desktop environment. Same with the Centrance Dacport, a great unit by report but strictly for use with a desktop/laptop and severely limited for PORTABLE use with a laptop, i.e. laptop in my backpack, dac/amp in my hand. I am trying to decide between a Pico and Predator and besides clouding the issue for me, because of the HUGE deficiency of a volume control and self contained power supply, I don't believe the units are in ANY way comparable. Apples to oranges.
 
Disappointed expectations but thanks anyway. Best regards.

 

[downsize]

Quote:

"But the criticism and haranguing are uncalled for - if you want more detail, ask a question, and if you get an answer, be grateful for it.  Don't assert your superiority in judgment or professionalism - invite whatever further discussion the OP is willing to share."
 
Good points, but what are you, his advocate/father/attorney? 

 
Downsize, I thank you for your "comparison," but I too found your first post obtuse, like you wanted to make us guess what your conclusion was and why. I came on this thread seeking education and because of a great title, not to play games or suffer a moral admonition and lecture from Scuderia. An OP like the one just above would have been a lot better and avoided any snarky feedback.
 
However great the unit may be (and I would LOVE to believe you and WOULD try it out for myself), the absence of a volume control and battery power is a TOTAL deal breaker for me. If you are sitting at your desktop, fine. But for portable use, no way! It is however a "portable" size unit and another dac or dac/amp could very easily outperform it in the desktop environment. Same with the Centrance Dacport, a great unit by report but strictly for use with a desktop/laptop and severely limited for PORTABLE use with a laptop, i.e. laptop in my backpack, dac/amp in my hand. I am trying to decide between a Pico and Predator and besides clouding the issue for me, because of the HUGE deficiency of a volume control and self contained power supply, I don't believe the units are in ANY way comparable. Apples to oranges.
 
Disappointed expectations but thanks anyway. Best regards.

Man .... I am so very sorry.  But you are completely mistaken in assuming my post was in any way meant for you to read.  Your obnoxious and arrogant attitude means i would not give you the time of day. You obviously already know it all, so no need to read any more threads at all.  Junior Headfier 

 

 

[estreeter]

downsize, I find it interesting that 3 different Head-Fiers have questioned your approach in writing this 'comparison' and you see the problem lying purely with your critics. I would strongly advise you to read any of project86's reviews then revisit this thread. I don't have a problem with evangelism or purchase justification, but it needs to be a little more subtle than your efforts here. 

 

[Il Mostro]

Quote:

 
 
The idea was to do a very comprehensive review that compared all of the intricate attributes, and tell about all of the differences. The issue is that one of these devices just stomped down all of the others with simply MUCH better sound, and there was simply ZERO comparison..... and in my mind at least, no longer a need to do the comparison in depth.  

 
As soon a read this, I knew this was a train wreck in the making.  More like ZERO credibility than "ZERO comparison".  And limiting the comparison to that "great pair of IEM's" is pretty laughable. One would think that an industry vet would know better and have a better sense of breadth, depth and objectivity.  No knock on HRT, they do make extremely nice gear.