[avo345]

As a new member here, I finally completed my first serious headphone setup

I'll have pictures later hopefully, but for now, I guess I'll just outline what it is ^^

Marantz CD5001 -> (via Zu Oxyfuel) SinglePower PPX3 -> Denon AH-D2000 (had to special order these from a local electronics store, which is why this took so long to finalize)

Already planning on investing in a DAC so I can have a convenient way to listen to music off of my laptop. Right now, my parents just updated their home theatre setup so I took the old receiver and I'm using it as a DAC. I'd like to connect that to the Singlepower, but with only one pair of inputs, I'll have to wait to update that, as well. I COULD use my receiver as a pre-amp for the PPX3, but I'm not sure if that will decrease the quality of the signal, since the receiver isn't really up-to-date (10 years old) but it was quite expensive at the time.


Overall though, everything sounds great

 

[moonboy403]

Congrats on your setup and I'm sure you'll be upgrading in NO TIME! Upgraditis hits you really hard if you keep browsing around head-fi.

 

[scootermafia]

Don't think the Singlepower or the D2ks will be going anywhere anytime soon but get a good DAC for sure...

I have my eye on the MHDT Havana DAC since it's tubed and might smooth out my solid state setup but I like my Moodlab DAC too much to part with it.

 

[Drag0n]

That could even possibly be your last setup. Thats a really nice setup for a first one, or even a 3rd one.
Moving up will mostly give you refinements actually. Youre 90% to the top id say, although i havent heard the 2000's, but from alot of reviews ive read, id say ya got yourself some good stuff there.

 

[krmathis]

Really nice first setup.

May upgradeitis play nice with you for a long time...

 

[Dreadhead]

very nice first setup

Congrats!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Nice setup! I had a PPX3 for awhile and loved it. Do you have the 6SN7 version or the 6CG7? I had the 6CG7, and you can swap those with a 6GU7, which I liked a little more. You can find them for about $5 each, so they're worth trying.

If you want to add more inputs, get a $20 switchbox at Radio Shack. That's what I used and it worked great.

Look into adding a turntable - vinyl sounds amazing on the PPX3!

 

[tintin47]

That is an amazing first set up. Wow. Have fun with it.

 

[avo345]

Thanks for the kind words everyone

I tried to pick out high quality components to start because I am still a bit unfamiliar with this stuff, and before I go upgrading every week, I wanted to have a setup that I would be happy with, but which would let me explore some of the things that I have no clue about (tube rolling, different interconnects, etc.).

I have the 6CG7 version of the PPX3, and Mikhail actually provided it with 6GU7 tubes. He went through quite a bit of trouble on the phone explaining a lot of stuff that I didn't really know about headphone amps...like how to use a locking headphone jack

I hadn't thought about a switchbox, thanks for the tip...I was so concerned about avoiding using the receiver as a pre-amp that I forgot about simpler solutions

Lastly, regarding vinyl...I'm thinking about it. I'm in college at the moment, living in an apartment with my brother. He'd REALLY like a turntable as well, so we're trying to figure out how to split the cost in some way. He's really into speakers and I'm into headphones, so we have plenty of gear in the place to test different turntables with. However, our biggest obstacle is that neither of us really have the money to build a collection of CDs AND vinyl, so it might have to wait a little bit

.

P.S. - Here are some pictures of the setup. I still need to remove the ugly bedsheet underneath the pieces, but it serves to save my headphones from scratches and it stops the rubber feet of the PPX3 from reacting with the finish of the wood below. Also need to get a headphone stand ^^.

 

[Brighten]

Ooh... nice setup! And a first one at that!

 

[apatN]

Nice and welcome to head-fi!