[Billheiser]

Good point. The Grace m9xx may be the answer. At the mini-mini meet I did not take enough time to get a good sense of it

 

[Psalmanazar]

The problem iwth the Grace M9XX is Michael Grace voiced it around the HD 800 hence the bloom (to fatten up the diffuse sound) and delicate treble (to counter the HD 800s bumped up upper treble). For everything else, you can build a better rig yourself rather than go the combo route. Modi 2U + Asgard 2 beats it easily for every other headphone that's not a thin treble cannon. The LH Labs Geek Out V2 series sounds better with the HD 600/650 too.

 

[Billheiser]

The problem iwth the Grace M9XX is Michael Grace voiced it around the HD 800 hence the bloom (to fatten up the diffuse sound) and delicate treble (to counter the HD 800s bumped up upper treble). For everything else, you can build a better rig yourself rather than go the combo route. Modi 2U + Asgard 2 beats it easily for every other headphone that's not a thin treble cannon. The LH Labs Geek Out V2 series sounds better with the HD 600/650 too.

Thanks. I run away from treble emphasized gear generally, but find that th-x00 seems to thrive on good crisp solid state. Modi/Asgard would probably be excellent. For my x00 desktop system, I lean towards a combo DAC/amp for space reasons (replacing Aune X1S)

 

[sheldaze]

  The problem iwth the Grace M9XX is Michael Grace voiced it around the HD 800 hence the bloom (to fatten up the diffuse sound) and delicate treble (to counter the HD 800s bumped up upper treble). For everything else, you can build a better rig yourself rather than go the combo route. Modi 2U + Asgard 2 beats it easily for every other headphone that's not a thin treble cannon. The LH Labs Geek Out V2 series sounds better with the HD 600/650 too.

If you can make the meet next weekend, my Schiit stack is complete. I'd like to compare my Modi 2U versus yours 

 
 

 

[Psalmanazar]

  If you can make the meet next weekend, my Schiit stack is complete. I'd like to compare my Modi 2U versus yours 

 
 

You jumped on the AK4490 M2U? That will be a fun comparison. Hopefully the Modi implementation will sound better than the Bifrost, DacPort Slim, and M9XX which was sadly the best implementation of the chip I've heard so far

 

[sheldaze]

  You jumped on the AK4490 M2U? That will be a fun comparison. Hopefully the Modi implementation will sound better than the Bifrost, DacPort Slim, and M9XX which was sadly the best implementation of the chip I've heard so far

Yes sir!
Despite what I'm sure will look different when stacked, it makes the most sense for mix-and-match portability to complete the stack:
 

1. Magni (a solid state)
2. Vali (a tube)
3. Sys (an input splitter)
4. Wyrd (a USB fix)
5. Modi 2 Uber (The Source)

 
I'm also curious about the USB implementation, which apparently changed on the Modi. I am wondering if my iDevice could not feed into the USB on your Modi, while it could feed into the new implementation. We'll see!

 

[Billheiser]

@sheldaze, thank you for arranging today's meet.  Good room, good equipment.  I wanted to spend time with Smitty's Theta/Yggy/Eddie Current, but had to bail.  Mostly I wanted to hear the Moon Neo 230HAD again, and was happy to have good sessions with that.  Today confirmed It really is a good match for my TH-X00.  @yage's Ayre QB-9 DAC & HeadAmp GS-1 was equally good.  The Ayre Codex fell short of the Neo 230; although I understand that the Codex is better when running balanced.
Am curious if TTVJ would consider the "bulk" discount you suggested.

 

[sheldaze]

@sheldaze, thank you for arranging today's meet.  Good room, good equipment.  I wanted to spend time with Smitty's Theta/Yggy/Eddie Current, but had to bail.  Mostly I wanted to hear the Moon Neo 230HAD again, and was happy to have good sessions with that.  Today confirmed It really is a good match for my TH-X00.  @yage's Ayre QB-9 DAC & HeadAmp GS-1 was equally good.  The Ayre Codex fell short of the Neo 230; although I understand that the Codex is better when running balanced.
Am curious if TTVJ would consider the "bulk" discount you suggested.

Yes!
 
I completely, sadly, agree with that. The Ayre Codex bogs down or just generally loses all of its flavor via the single-ended headphone output. If it did better via the single-ended, I might not consider the purchase of the Moon Neo 230HAD. But in quick, pre-review summary, I think the Moon is clean, produces a wide open soundstage, and is articulate in a way I've not experienced in a neutral solid state amplifier before. And though I'm fighting with myself, I also think it is closer to neutral than my current Meridian Prime. That is the Meridian Prime is what I associate with neutral today, but perhaps my association is wrong. Because in no sense do I find myself hearing less via the Moon than I've heard via the Prime. In fact, I always hear more.
 
In comparing the Moon and the HeadAmp products, the only difference I heard was along those same lines of how each defines neutral. The HeadAmp is leaning in the direction of what I previously associated with neutral, and I'm currently undecided. I need to spend some more time with just the Moon this week. Hopefully Todd will let me spend the week. And I'll be sure to mention too our group interest in this.