Im close to my end-game with Violectric V222 and V850 + ADX5000/Elite. I mean I want to try headphones like Susvara/ZMF/1266/Solitare out of interest, but no plans to buy. These two(ADX and Elite) compliment each other so well that there is not much to desire more. And by close I mean it is possible for me to want something else, but for the first time during my audio-enthusiast period I have no urge to upgrade basically anything.
Has anyone achieved their end-game setup ?
- Thread starter MrMan
- Start date
joshnor713
Headphoneus Supremus
Yes, OG Utopia and Hugo 2. I've stopped looking, and don't care there's a newer Utopia or TT2. Things just sound "right", engaging, and plentiful detailed. I spend my time now listening rather than wondering if something else could be better or not.
AudioDuck
Headphoneus Supremus
I think I’m close. I’m very happy with the combo of a good OTL tube amp (Woo Audio WA2), an extra set of tubes for my current faves, and three sets of ZMFs.
I need to add some vibration control under the WA2 and see if I can’t afford some end-game power tubes, but other than that an upgrade to one of my ZMF pairs is the only change… and that includes my two-channel setup.
(Same digital front-end as my headphone setup- Bluesound Node 2 -> Schiit Gungnir Multi-Bit- driving a Luminous Audio Axiom II passive pre-amp -> Odyssey Kismet power amp -> Tannoy Precision 6.2 speakers… all with good cabling and powered by a Furman power conditioner. Massive, airy sound with surprisingly good bass grip in our small-to-medium-size living room.)
Buying more headphones made me scared to buy more in the future because it pretty much stopped making big difference after I got BD 1990 pro. After that I got Meze Liric which were different (emphasis on different not better in all use cases and I hated closed back design) and after that I decided to get Audeze mm-500 which I don't want to change, especially for electronic music. Because I occasionally like to listen to live jazz/funk/soul acts I also got Atriums to be complement end game to the Audezes. And that also convinced me that price is not defining how good something sounds.
I was whishing for Meze Elites as end game (based on reviews only) but previous experience has thought me that hps simply cannot transform the music into something which is not originally recorded, so I will probably stop here if I don't get a chance to listen to next hps for free for a week or two.
I was whishing for Meze Elites as end game (based on reviews only) but previous experience has thought me that hps simply cannot transform the music into something which is not originally recorded, so I will probably stop here if I don't get a chance to listen to next hps for free for a week or two.
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
FinHifi == fin Hifi == end Hifi
(Fr.)
paradoxper
Headphoneus Supremus
LOL Yes, they reached endgame with HD700, deserting the form of musical enjoyment altogether.I love this so much. Please teach me your ways! (But please don't say "buy an HD700")
Well my name is abbreviation from Finnish Hifi, but that French does sound fancier, so ill take itFinHifi == fin Hifi == end Hifi
Is it possible to have end-game setup with wireless headphones? Or is the lack of wire always a compromise with quality?
I have hd650, they're about to die after 10+ years... Countless times I forgot I have them on my head and broke stuff by standing up and try to walk away.
I have hd650, they're about to die after 10+ years... Countless times I forgot I have them on my head and broke stuff by standing up and try to walk away.
AudioDuck
Headphoneus Supremus
Violectric makes great gear. Congratulations and enjoy- spend your money on music instead!
SolarCetacean
500+ Head-Fier
Currently, all wireless headphones give up some amount of sound quality compared to their wired counterparts. This is mainly due to the difficulties in fitting a good amp/DAC into the headphone itself and including the batteries. Maybe in the future, those issues can be solved, and some companies now are working their way around those issues by making the wireless functionality part of a compact external unit that you plug into the headphone (e.g. Hifiman's Bluemini).
That said, it's certainly possible to have an endgame setup be wireless. Endgame is a concept for the user; if the user is not concerned about the loss of quality from going wireless and prefer the utility and convenience of wireless, then they can be perfectly fine using a wireless headphone as their endgame. Why should they care if other people think there is better sound when they're already satisfied with their wireless headphones? In this hobby, shills are going to shill, and haters are going to hate. Endgame is more about knowing what you actually want, rather than going for what other people want you to want.
Purchased an OG Utopia today and can really relate to this post atm. They are truly something special.
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
….you could do a lot worse than to get a new HD650….also, “turbo” it with the Custom Cans UK mod (jfunk.org, £35, ~ $44 USD). There is much commentary on this in the HD600 thread and in the HD650 / HD6XX thread.
(I have all three…)
Festive56
100+ Head-Fier
Check out this thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/for...es-are-you-listening-with-now.881631/page-704 . It's really expanded my music library!
Those have the best imaging and layering I've ever heard from any headphone or speaker. An ultra stiff point source will do that for you. I can afford them, I just don't want to spend on something like that after recent house purchase
Users who are viewing this thread
