[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif Headroom plays in these manufacturer's league. The headphone business is evolving and maturing. Headroom is an upscale company now. They cater to top-tier consumers. Lord knows they've figured out how to price their products that way - Headroom gear is some of the most expensive line-by-line. The stuff needs to look that way. Headroom (and Melos) may have invented the business, but they've relied upon Wes Phillips and Stereophile far too long now.

Gregg,

Consider the following elements of Headroom's current amps looking at the following factors.

1. Are the cases functional? My answer would be yes. The Millett Hybrid that I had from them had literally toured the US and seen pretty harsh conditions. Yet at the end of the day all it took was a quick wipe with a damp cloth and it looked as good as new. Shine and polish look good to start but it's amazing how quickly that stuff can start to look cruddy with some use.

2. If you look at one of their amps are you likely to confuse it with any other manufacturers? Their line is wonderfully integrated and unique. They could have easily looked at what was currently popular and bowed to that but instead they chose to go their own way. You don't like that and that's fine, but it doesn't mean that a considerable amount of time and effort wasn't spent with the design.

3. The cases are made entirely by Headroom. They control all aspects of the manufacturing process for 95% of their amps (the exception being the Air/Bithead circuit boards). Most man'f outsource their cases and as such you'll often see them posting delays about stuff not coming back from the silkscreener, etc.

And just so you don't think that I'm 100% on board or drinking the kool-aid I agree that their higher end product lines like the Home and Max should probably be in a more visually impressive case.

Nate

 

[greggf]

Nate,

Yes, you're absolutely correct. Style (and for that matter, sound quality and value!) are subjective. What one person likes, another may dislike.

It would be interesting to know how many head-fiers like the style of Headroom gear vs. how many dislike it. Or like or dislike its sound quality, or its perceived value. Actually, that kind of info would probably be of more than passing interest to Headroom itself, as they make plans going forward.

 

[Thelonious Monk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Gregg, Consider the following elements of Headroom's current amps looking at the following factors. 1. Are the cases functional? My answer would be yes. The Millett Hybrid that I had from them had literally toured the US and seen pretty harsh conditions. Yet at the end of the day all it took was a quick wipe with a damp cloth and it looked as good as new. Shine and polish look good to start but it's amazing how quickly that stuff can start to look cruddy with some use.

that's certainly subjective; i doubt a HeadRoom amp would work out too well in a "tower of power"... i'd rather have somethin' more box-like.

Quote:

2. If you look at one of their amps are you likely to confuse it with any other manufacturers? Their line is wonderfully integrated and unique. They could have easily looked at what was currently popular and bowed to that but instead they chose to go their own way. You don't like that and that's fine, but it doesn't mean that a considerable amount of time and effort wasn't spent with the design.

that's a good point; one of my favorite companies, Clavia, has a very unique, eye-catching style in their keyboards:

bright-red. you're definitely going to catch that from across the room. not saying that Tyll should make his amps pink or anything, but there are different ways to make an eye-catching product without sacrificing ergonomics/style.

Quote:

3. The cases are made entirely by Headroom. They control all aspects of the manufacturing process for 95% of their amps (the exception being the Air/Bithead circuit boards). Most man'f outsource their cases and as such you'll often see them posting delays about stuff not coming back from the silkscreener, etc. And just so you don't think that I'm 100% on board or drinking the kool-aid I agree that their higher end product lines like the Home and Max should probably be in a more visually impressive case. Nate

that's a very good point; i'd rather not have my Bithead backordered for a year because the chassis ain't done (COUGH LaRocco Diablo COUGH)... however, i'm sure many people agree with me that the old-style Headroom amps were pretty visually impressive.

that's a very professional looking amp, very industrial, and it just screams "I am a statement product. Buy me. I sound very good. Would you like to... to stroke my chassis?" as opposed to:

"i sound just as good but i'm kinda pudgy. please, i'm working on it! i have a slow metabolism!"

i'd rather have the equal-performance amplifier with a sexier chassis. that proves that they do have the capacity to make a very nice looking amp with very good components.

edit:

yowza! i'd like to get to know her better over dinner!

 

[RedLeader]

That last pic is awesome! That's one of the coolest looking amps I've ever seen. I have to say, I didn't like the K701 until I heard them recabled out of a balanced desktop. Same with the DT880, thats a great little amp.

 

[Thelonious Monk]

yeah, i'm sure more people would buy the balanced max if it still looked like the BlockHead. that's probably the most beautiful SS design i've seen, rack-friendly... tied with the SFT Dynamight.

 

[mkozlows]

I think the real lesson of this thread is that many people have no taste at all, when it comes to design. The old Headroom stuff is hideous and amateurish, and that gaudy Singlepower picture from earlier in the thread makes me avert my eyes.

The current HeadRoom design is really nice, attractive and subtle and modern. And people complain, wanting something monstrously ugly! Fess up: You all have windows and glowing LEDs in your computers, and spoilers and spinners on your cars, don't you?

 

[PFKMan23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkozlows /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the real lesson of this thread is that many people have no taste at all, when it comes to design. The old Headroom stuff is hideous and amateurish, and that gaudy Singlepower picture from earlier in the thread makes me avert my eyes. The current HeadRoom design is really nice, attractive and subtle and modern. And people complain, wanting something monstrously ugly! Fess up: You all have windows and glowing LEDs in your computers, and spoilers and spinners on your cars, don't you?

Honestly, I really have to disagree. That just shows me that different people have different taste. Some peope love the look of the "toaster" SP amps or the older Headroom amps. I personally don't care for either, but I wouldn't say that their taste is bad or anything of the sort.

 

[greggf]

I want a Headroom headphone amp that sounds like an $700 Lehmann Black Cube Linear or a $900 Graham Slee Solo but costs $600, and I'd like it to have the style and sensibility of a Rotring 600 Newton pen.

I think they can pull it off. I think they'd better, now that mainstream manufacturers are making dedicated headphone amps and have the ability to make them in China.

I wonder if it's time to lose the affectation of crossfeed? Or is that all that distinguishes them from those mass manufacturers? And is that good or bad?

 

[snowball_rx-7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murugesh /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really hate this comment. How knowledgable are you to comment like this?

I do believe that he was talking about the case design. therefore his ability to see makes him knowledgeable enough.

the functional look of the older units is dead sexy.

 

[silverrain]

Nobody has mentioned this here, but I got the impression from some other threads (like the HR module thread) that their entire line is being updated and re-designed with some neat stuff (find the threads and read them).
And this is "straight from the horse's mouth" stuff.
Good stuff on the way.
Yeah, I go way back to when there was pretty much only one choice if you wanted headphone info. and a decent headphone amp, too, which HeadRoom was.
It seems they almost single-handedly created the market for headphones and headphone amps, as far as I can see over the last 10-15 years or so, with their constant (expensive) advertising in Stereophile magazine, which has always beent THE audio mag to read, if none else.
I bought, and still have, the first iteration of their Max amp in my big rig -- still does fine and looks good too.

 

[Hello]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkozlows /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the real lesson of this thread is that many people have no taste at all, when it comes to design. The old Headroom stuff is hideous and amateurish, and that gaudy Singlepower picture from earlier in the thread makes me avert my eyes. The current HeadRoom design is really nice, attractive and subtle and modern. And people complain, wanting something monstrously ugly! Fess up: You all have windows and glowing LEDs in your computers, and spoilers and spinners on your cars, don't you?

I think some people's tastes tend towards the garish. You think that Singlepower picture looks gaudy? Check out the gold-plated version!

IMO, the Headroom amps look 'simple' and 'friendly' and some of the suggestions seem to point towards a more ostentatious or industrious type presentation.

I think one of the reasons Headroom amps do not get the over-the-top excitement that some other amps do is that the many upgrade options makes it hard to feel what you are getting is a 'steal'. I think people like to think that their $400 dollar amp/dac/etc. competes right up with any $1000 amp/dac/etc. But, with Headroom you can spend a little extra money on one of its upgrades, and get something that will in fact sound better. The added choice, which I think is good, allows people to find a better sweet spot of price vs performance, but takes away any illusion what they get is the 'best' --unless they fork over the $5000 for Headroom's top amp.

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hello /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think some people's tastes tend towards the garish. You think that Singlepower picture looks gaudy? Check out the gold-plated version! IMO, the Headroom amps look 'simple' and 'friendly' and some of the suggestions seem to point towards a more ostentatious or industrious type presentation. I think one of the reasons Headroom amps do not get the over-the-top excitement that some other amps do is that the many upgrade options makes it hard to feel what you are getting is a 'steal'. I think people like to think that their $400 dollar amp/dac/etc. competes right up with any $1000 amp/dac/etc. But, with Headroom you can spend a little extra money on one of its upgrades, and get something that will in fact sound better. The added choice, which I think is good, allows people to find a better sweet spot of price vs performance, but takes away any illusion what they get is the 'best' --unless they fork over the $5000 for Headroom's top amp.

Bingo.
I could not agree more (also on the looks), but I would really want to know what this top-of-the-line Headroom sounds like compared to, for instance, the Singlepower or RSA B52. Or a balanced Home (or home-ed desktop) compared to a Rudistor NX-33.

 

[greggf]

"I think some people's tastes tend towards the garish. You think that Singlepower picture looks gaudy? Check out the gold-plated version!

IMO, the Headroom amps look 'simple' and 'friendly' and some of the suggestions seem to point towards a more ostentatious or industrious type presentation."

Kees & Hello,

My current headphone amp is a Naim Headline 2. Look at it at Google Image.

Would you say that my taste runs toward the garish, gaudy, ostentatious, or industrious, hehhehheh?

 

[euclid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken36 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That old pendulum always swings back the other way. SS will rule again.

yes it will, and it weed out all the mediocre headphones currently getting overhyped.

 

[GreatDane]

The only HeadRoom amp that I own in the Micro. I think it looks great and has excellent build quality. My only gripe is the battery performance. My wish is for it to have a built-in rechargable lithium battery, that would be sweet! (50 or so hours run time would make it much more friendly).