cheapskateaudio
Aka: sohnx
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2011
- Posts
- 267
- Likes
- 26
And then the hated veil was slain, and was no more.
I just had to post this because it is the holy grail that so many HD650 owners search for. And because I'm going to wait to a do full review of the Objective 2 for when I get my front panel completed and I can show off this sweet DIY setup I stumbled upon.
The system: HD650 <- DIY solid core .65mm silver wire (2 wires per channel) <- DIY Objective 2 headamp <- uDac 2 (will try another DAC soon) <- Foobar
What am I hearing?
For the first time ever, forward voices on the HD650. Properly amped, and yes, the Objective 2 is a proper amp, these cans sing. But, there is still room for improvement, whatever the O2 is doing, it needs to do MORE of that... The reason I say that is because I notice a difference in how the O2 sounds when the volume is at full (and attenuated via the input) vs a high input volume attenuated at the output.
Bob Dylan's voice on "All Along The Watchtower" is coming through loud and clear above the instruments. This is how it is *meant* to sound.
Jello Biafra's weird lyrical contortions are visceral even on relatively flat recordings.
Sting's voice on "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is full and clean with the digital edges from processing easy to hear. During the chorus all the sounds are perfectly rendered in a spacious sea of sound.
The snares on Nirvana's "In Utero" are just TOO DAMN LOUD... As they were mastered.
Speaking of which, the slam and dynamics of this setup are insane, it makes low volume listening a pleasure, and high volume listening a pain. The pay off of cranking the volume is gone, it only results in TOO MUCH SOUND, which is correct. You shouldn't have to crank the volume to enjoy your music.
I've been listening to the O2 set to max volume and controlling the volume with the uDac 2's line out. I think it sounds better this way, rhythm is slightly more cohesive and instruments are a tad better separated when the O2 is unleashed.
This setup is a window into the sound, there is nothing in the way here, you are listening to the recording.
Clearly the O2 took this system to the next level. But the cables helped also, they provided that last bit of clarity that pushed it over the top. Now, time for a DIY USB DAC, with line out volume control, and we'll be good to go.
HD650 owners who complain of "veil" should build this amp, and this cable, you won't be disappointed.
I just had to post this because it is the holy grail that so many HD650 owners search for. And because I'm going to wait to a do full review of the Objective 2 for when I get my front panel completed and I can show off this sweet DIY setup I stumbled upon.
The system: HD650 <- DIY solid core .65mm silver wire (2 wires per channel) <- DIY Objective 2 headamp <- uDac 2 (will try another DAC soon) <- Foobar
What am I hearing?
For the first time ever, forward voices on the HD650. Properly amped, and yes, the Objective 2 is a proper amp, these cans sing. But, there is still room for improvement, whatever the O2 is doing, it needs to do MORE of that... The reason I say that is because I notice a difference in how the O2 sounds when the volume is at full (and attenuated via the input) vs a high input volume attenuated at the output.
Bob Dylan's voice on "All Along The Watchtower" is coming through loud and clear above the instruments. This is how it is *meant* to sound.
Jello Biafra's weird lyrical contortions are visceral even on relatively flat recordings.
Sting's voice on "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is full and clean with the digital edges from processing easy to hear. During the chorus all the sounds are perfectly rendered in a spacious sea of sound.
The snares on Nirvana's "In Utero" are just TOO DAMN LOUD... As they were mastered.
Speaking of which, the slam and dynamics of this setup are insane, it makes low volume listening a pleasure, and high volume listening a pain. The pay off of cranking the volume is gone, it only results in TOO MUCH SOUND, which is correct. You shouldn't have to crank the volume to enjoy your music.
I've been listening to the O2 set to max volume and controlling the volume with the uDac 2's line out. I think it sounds better this way, rhythm is slightly more cohesive and instruments are a tad better separated when the O2 is unleashed.
This setup is a window into the sound, there is nothing in the way here, you are listening to the recording.
Clearly the O2 took this system to the next level. But the cables helped also, they provided that last bit of clarity that pushed it over the top. Now, time for a DIY USB DAC, with line out volume control, and we'll be good to go.
HD650 owners who complain of "veil" should build this amp, and this cable, you won't be disappointed.
