[UntilThen]

Hi UT,

Following your sonic travels with interest - trying to digest your impressions. Does Yggy & Rggy sound better than Yggy and Euforia?

Yes affirmative. I've never come across another setup where I can say without hesitating but in Yggy and Rggy I can.

I will expand when I get home.

On my way home now after the HiFi show, where I heard some supposedly high end stuff. I will post my impressions later.

This is the Wilson speaker system with Nagra mono blocs. I am willing to trade my Yggy and Rggy for it.

 

[UntilThen]

Dynaudio flagship Confidence speakers with Moon monoblocs. Power house but the Wilson system sounded more natural and better to my ears.

 

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Another pair of Wilson speakers. I want these.

 

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Yesterday and this morning, I heard things I have not heard before with Yggy and Rggy.

This is more telling considering I have been using Yggy and Euoria for 2 months and I thought it resolves extremely well but with Yggy and Rggy, a new world opens up. I was trying to hear as many songs as I could this morning before I finally shut down the system to go to the show.

Yggy and Rggy will be the subject of my fascinations for a long time.... if the first 2 days are any indications....

 

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A masterclass on turntables session in progress but I didn't stay through... my mind was on head-fi.

 

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This is the first head-fi system that I audition. HiFiMan Susvara and Woo Audio WA33. The full on bass is what hits me first with a Nirvana song, followed by Muse. It's solid, packs a punch and sounds like speakers. It's too textured though but the bass is soooo tight and impactful. Love it. This is a big sound and full on.

 

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2nd setup is Simaudio Moon Neo 430 HAD driving Grado PS2000e. Ross, you are right, the Moon sounded too relaxed and soft. It's piss weak lol. Pardon my french. At $5799, I rather have the Ragnarok anytime. So much for most participants favouring it in the Big Sound 2015. Moral of the story, listen for yourself. The Grado is a saving grace though. It has a nice mid bass punch and sounds clear throughout the frequency spectrum. This is one Grado I could live with. Love the big cushy pads that covers the ears too. It's an expensive Grado at $2695.

 

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Next I tried Foxtex TH900 with the Moon amp. After the Grado, the Fostex is a disappointment. It's like the top end disappeared. Bass is prominent and extends very low but that's about it. So yeah, this headphone is not for me.

 

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That's it. I didn't listened anymore. I had enough for the day. I was eager to get home to listen to my Yggy / Rggy / HD800 setup again and it didn't disappoint. It dawn on me that my setup is as good as any of those I heard, if not better.

I am still amazed this system sounds so natural and musical with no hint of fatigue or sibilance. There's even a trace of very light tube tone but otherwise this is a very revealing system. The song unfolds before your ears. Each chorus is a surprise. Soundstage is exceptionally large. Musical instruments are clearly heard. When the drum sticks hits the tom tom, it is instantaneous and decays to nothing in absolute timing. Listening to Abbey Road recording of the Beatles, I'm transported to the era of the Fab Four. Next the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.

It's a fluke. I almost didn't get Rag but I am sure glad I did. I could live with just Yggdrasil, Ragnarok and HD800 .... and Eikon because I think this headphone will sound phenomenal with it.

.... and I haven't even tried this setup with my speakers and subwoofer yet.

 

[Rossliew]

2nd setup is Simaudio Moon Neo 430 HAD driving Grado PS2000e. Ross, you are right, the Moon sounded too relaxed and soft. It's piss weak lol. Pardon my french. At $5799, I rather have the Ragnarok anytime. So much for most participants favouring it in the Big Sound 2015. Moral of the story, listen for yourself. The Grado is a saving grace though. It has a nice mid bass punch and sounds clear throughout the frequency spectrum. This is one Grado I could live with. Love the big cushy pads that covers the ears too. It's an expensive Grado at $2695.

Hahahaha...smooth Simaudio..

i had bright idea of using my NAD3020 as pre-amp into my Carbon. Carbon volume on max and i control with the NAD's volume. Wow! I get the full bodied sound i was missing so much. Now, this is what my version of Stax should sound like

This also reinforces the fact that NAD's pre-amp section is top notch despite the age of the amp. Every other amp i've tried using the NAD as pre-amp benefits similarly. What else would i need? not the mega-bucks WA33, nope. this is all i need just like you with your Yggy/Rag combo.

 

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i had bright idea of using my NAD3020 as pre-amp into my Carbon.

If you have a NAD3020, it's showing your age. It's a classic though. I have not heard a Liquid Carbon. I heard it's warm, warmer than v281.

I powered on both Euforia and Ragnarok. Both fed by Yggdrasil and put them through a selection of songs. Flipping the headphone jack between them occasionally. I am satisfied that source and amp wise, I'm good. Even headphones, I'm getting there. Don't believe in too many headphones because some will just not be used.

I just realised that for 2 weeks, I did not change my Euforia's tubes and it still sound fresh to me. This is it. I'm done with upgrades. I'm just going to listen to music. It's what I set out to do. To listen to music once I've found my ideal system.

 

[ostewart]

Hahahah..definitely had my listening ears on and it was in a quiet room, only one other guest around then. First, they used the WA6 to drive the Utopia, which i found to be lacking in excitement, soft, without impact. No fun at all. Then i tried it through the Audio Gd HE-9 amp paired with the Master 7 DAC. The Utopia lost the wooly sound off the WA6, bass tightened, everything sounded clearer. That's it. More enjoyable than off the WA6 but too fatiguing. Not sure if its the amp or the DAC.

As for the Susvara, it was definitely a more difficult load to drive compared to the Utopia but driven off the HE-9, it sounded flat and uninspiring. No planar bass impact. Or perhaps its just the flat frequency response that makes it less fun sounding. Definitely no mid-bass bump like the Senns. To me, its sterile. Whats the point to pay so much for a pair of headphones that is touted as the HE-6 successor and not have the bass impact to match or even surpass its predecessor? Write off for me. YMMV.

Guess my ears are too attuned to the high impedance Senn signature sound that it cannot accept other more neutral sounding cans..me and my old ears..

Very interesting, I have the Susvara in at the moment for review and clinical is far from what I would call them, but then again I'm driving them off a Marantz PM-5005 integrated amp. Waiting for a loan Violectric V280/V281 (not sure which) to land and use with them for the full review.

I find the Susvara incredible organic with effortless extension and a smooth but incredibly detailed sound, and excellent soundstage, the bass is really impressive with good slam and layering.

 

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I find the Susvara incredible organic with effortless extension and a smooth but incredibly detailed sound, and excellent soundstage, the bass is really impressive with good slam and layering.

Agree too. Clinical it is certainly not. This is what I say of the pairing and we are in agreement of the bass.

HiFiMan Susvara and Woo Audio WA33. The full on bass is what hits me first with a Nirvana song, followed by Muse. It's solid, packs a punch and sounds like speakers. It's too textured though but the bass is soooo tight and impactful. Love it. This is a big sound and full on.

 

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Yes please share your impressions of the Hifi show. Particularly the Abyss and Lcd4.

Too bad I didn't try out these headphones. I didn't see them or I didn't try looking hard enough. Guess I didn't want to be tempted to buy more expensive headphones.

 

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Speaking of Sennheiser Orpheus, why hasn't somebody mentioned Hi Fi Man ShangriLa?

The ShangriLa is still cheaper than the Orpheus. Besides the Shangrila looks like a design gone terribly wrong. It looks horrible for $50,000.