[ruffneckxx]

I know, I know. I have read several of these threads here (shoot me, I'm new...lol) and I know to truly get the sound you're looking for, you need to audition a variety. However, I work too many hours and live in the hours most others are asleep. This inhibits such activities and I live my life by mail-order. So let me try to tell you about me and maybe someone can point me in the right direction.

I am a 25 y/o Quality supervisor (don't think that's really relevant but it might help) and I enjoy music immensely. At one point, I was pretty deep into music theory classes (chord structures, tonality, ear training and whatnot) but not in a long time. I listen to all genres of music but where I'm really looking for clarity and life-like characteristics is in percussive instruments such as guitar and piano, quite possibly because those were the instruments I could never learn how to play. When someone keys a principle, I want to hear the overtones kind of thing... When I listen to Audioslave or Beastie Boys, clarity and separation aren't quite as important as when I'm listening to various acoustic guitar solos or Wagner or something but I still want a snare drum to sound like a snare.


Anyway, I was looking at the HR Desktop if for no other reason than I didn't know any other manufacturers. Having read a little bit here, I probably should have just bought it and never came here because I probably would have been happy. But I am here so I suppose there's no going back.

My original plan was to get the amp w/DAC and use my computer as transport via USB. I do that now with my TBH and HD580s. I don't NEED to go that route. If I would be closer to reaching my SQ goals, I'd go for anything. Solid state or tubes? I haven't got a clue. An amp with a built-in DAC and run off my pc or something in a transport/player? I have HD580s and am also looking for a variety of headphones. I know that some amps go better with some headphones. Is there an amp that would be sort of a jack of all trades for headphone brands?

This is all for a Christmas present for myself since I was a good boy this year. Budget is around 2k but not firm (for transport, amp, 'phones and/or recabling).


I'm all over the place

 

[pageman99]

Welcome to headfi. Sorry about your wallet.

Now that that's out of the way, I'll throw in my 2 cents. Which will be followed by many other opinions.

Then you'll be totally confused.

1st, $2,000 is a nice budget but you'll have to decide how to split it up before you do anything.

HD580's are nice phones. You can do better but IMO, you don't need to get other phones to get the effect/sound you want.

To me to get that percussive sound you'll need speed. This can be done with tubes, but IMO and IME only at a price a bit high for your budget. So that leaves SS.

I myself went with a Beta22 which another headfier built for me. Single ended these can be had (with careful shopping) for around $1k. But it will take time and be a bit of a hassle. OTOH, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck.

I'll leave others to recommend off the shelf SS.

For a transport, I'd pick up a used CD player here or off of audiogon. Excellent ones are available for $1k or less. I bought a discontinued Sony 9100ES and had sacdmods do his magic.

My system excels at percussion and slam. Plus it works well with other genres.

Voila, you're done. But that's just one mans opinion. There will be others.

Good luck.

 

[ruffneckxx]

Thanks for the great start. I also wanted to add that I don't listen at a particularly loud volume. Probably 75-85% of the time, I could carry on a regular volume conversation with someone while listening to my 580's (if I had people to talk to besides the voices in my head, of course). In the end, I think I'll still probably go with some DAC to amp setup but I certainly want to reach my goal with the least wallet pain possible.

So I'm listening

 

[ruffneckxx]

Now I'm leaning towards the Corda Opera and new cables for my 580's with 650's on the horizon and maybe another 'phone. I shall continue updating the good headfiers with my internal struggle

 

[F107plus5]

It's good to hear that you listen at reasonable levels. You may also have reasonably good hearing when you reach my age!

A lot of folks find that Grados or Alessandros are great complements to their Senns. I know that I for one am very satisfied with HD600 and MS2i. Very similar in SQ and materials and build Quality levels.

Another amp that may be worth looking at just for fun that is very well made and capable of covering the full range of music is the Gilmore Lite. It is of comparable quality to the HD600/650, MS2i range of phones, and being of very neutral nature would let the sounds of your source and phones come through.