[captian73]

Do you think i should sell everything and go for a high end can the likes of the Ultrasone ED 8's, HD800 or maybe the new Beyer T1's. I only have an 'm' series RSA amp, will it cope? actually scrap that question i know what the answers going to be.

i've heard comments that the Ultrasone Pro900's do 90% of the ED 9's, so should I buy a pair of 900's and get them modded later.

Go for broke or what?

 

[AmanGeorge]

If you're willing to sell everything and go for broke, then go for it - it's a decision for you to make based on your own budget and priorities.

If you're planning on buying a top-tier headphone without investing in a good source and amp, though, you're probably in trouble. My "go for broke" suggestion would be to buy a HiFiMan HE-5 or Audez'e LCD-2 when they are available later this month and put the money you have left over towards better back-end equipment. This is probably a wiser move than an HD800 if you've gotten used to Ultrasone bass.

 

[captian73]

Yum

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/hif...s-cans-449115/

 

[Uncle Erik]

Not unless you're willing to buy (or build) an amp that will deliver the full promise of the HD-800 or T1. Otherwise, it's like buying a $300 bottle of champagne and drinking it at room temperature. It might be the best champagne in the world, but you're not going to enjoy it unless you serve it correctly.

If you're willing to go all the way with a high-end setup, you should. All the mid-fi stuff will become irrelevant and you'll spend 95% of your time listening to the good equipment.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Out of curiosity more than anything else, I just pressed "buy" on a HRT Music Streamer + which is reputed to be a phenomenally good DAC for $300 (although I don't know if you use your computer as your main source). Something like this plus an HE-5 and the upcoming EF-5 amp would probably make a killer system for the cost of the HD 800 alone.

 

[3X0]

Go for it baby! Skip the bulldung and head straight to the top.

I noticed I wasn't getting enough from incremental improvements, so I decided to go all-in (and am currently in the process of picking out a source and amp). In the end it's a personal decision based on the kind of reward you get from trudging slowly along the dreary sound quality ramp. If you enjoy marginal improvement, reconsider. Otherwise, go.

 

[MD1032]

Be careful. The HD800's can really sound like crap when plugged into the wrong thing, no joke. I say, work your way up slowly like everyone else. Get the Sennheiser HD600's or the Grado SR-225's and be happy. The headphones you have right now, in my opinion, are vastly inferior to the aforementioned cans. Then again, I've never liked any Ultrasone.

If you really want to go straight to the top, try to aim for a low-end STAX system. It would blow your mind with the type of music you listen to.

 

[captian73]

so these high end headphones really justify the investment, or is it manufacturers ... posing?

i have to say that for convenience sake most of my music is on my Mac. i've got an old but got sony CD player, but it hasn't seen the light of day fro nearly 5 years. when i split up from the trouble and strife (wife) i stored all my CD's in my uncles garage, so all I have is what i put on my Mac.

 

[captian73]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3X0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Go for it baby! Skip the bulldung and head straight to the top. I noticed I wasn't getting enough from incremental improvements, so I decided to go all-in (and am currently in the process of picking out a source and amp). In the end it's a personal decision based on the kind of reward you get from trudging slowly along the dreary sound quality ramp. If you enjoy marginal improvement, reconsider. Otherwise, go.

i;ve got the HD650's and they never really came to life until i got the RSA. I did have the Stax SR-001 system and to be honest I miss them dreadfully.

In truth one would need a great deal of money, not only for the headphones but for the source and amp as well. that's why I asked about the modded Pro 900's.

 

[Shike]

First answer me this:

What is actually wrong with your current system?

Unless you can definitively answer this then what's the point of upgrading? You need to know what you absolutely want or it makes little to no sense to blow your money on something that may or may not solve your problems.

Beyond this . . . you must put money into your source and amp. There's no way around this. The source you might be able to get buy at around $300, maybe a bit more. The amp though may be a killer depending on what it is you want to drive. Then include the cost of the headphones . . . you see where this is going.

 

[captian73]

i guess right now i don't have the option of having my CD set up on hand. A lot of my gear is at my uncles, so i'm having to make do with my 'make do' set up. the computer is going to have to be my main source. for the time being there's no way around that.

i do miss the Stax. they were small, uncomfortable at first, balanced, good bass regardless of reviews saying otherwise, i really miss them. i guess the answer is; the next step will probably need to be a stax step, if i miss the SR-001's so much, rather than another dynamic set up. anyway i've still got 40 odd headphones left, it's not as though i'm going to miss the odd one here and there. still keep the classics, Grado Sr, Hd25-1 & 650, keep a few of my 7 ultrasone's ... it's not a hardship really to let a few go.

I guess it's all about the source and amp, but it's something i've tried to avoid facing up to.

 

[Kernmac]

Ditch everything and go for broke?

This concept assumes several things.
1. That HD800, ED8, T1, etc are night and day "better" alternatives to all other headphones.
2. That higher priced headphones are not affected by the science of diminishing returns.
3. That spending money on headphone "upgrades" will give you a better result than upgrading source or amp.
4. That if you do not change your source or amp but you spend crap loads on a pair of headphones you will still find nirvana.
5. That all expensive headphones will give you the same satisfying result.
6. That an expensive headphone can not produce a sound signature that you don't like.
7. That one headphone is right for everything.
8. That I will never get sick of my great headphones sound signature.

I am sure that HD800, ED8, T1 are all great headphones, but synergy with other equipment, personal taste and bang for your buck (diminishing returns, little improvement for a lot of cash) all form part of the headphone journey, and jumping to a so call ultimate destination will still not answer the question- I wonder what xyz headphone sounds like, particularly with my gear?

 

[cravenz]

yeouch...40 odd headphones?! lol. i'm jealous.

 

[jjsoviet]

I think I have to agree with most people here. Before stepping into high-end territory, consider upgrading your source and amps first. Headphones won't sound great unless the equipment chain is correct.

BTW, I've got $250 to burn. Any suggestions for upgrades? An amp perhaps? Or a Cowon S9 to replace my iPod's?

 

[estreeter]

Its weird, when you finally get the money together for a good DAC, you start noticing posts where folk with mountains of kit are saying that the difference between onboard and a good DAC is night-and-day, but any subsequent upgrade sees a much more subtle difference. I wont even start on the differences of opinion re amps on Head-Fi : its a minefield. We all want to avoid 50 intermediate purchases before reaching 'nirvana', but the recommendations change so much over the course of, say, 6 months, that I find myself going back to older posts for recommendations. Its the kit that people hang onto after new toy joy and FOTM has worn off that interests me.