[Josquin]

Good day Head-Fi community,
I spend half my time in the States (where I have a mid-range audio system) and the other half in Northern Europe.  I recently bought a pair of Play 5 Sonos speakers for my apartment in Europe.  These are certainly not the best but on account of ease of setup and cost (I will leave them here when I return full time to the states) they are proving a decent solution.  I am concerned by the volume at which I must play classical music through them to achieve depth in rich symphonies such as those of Mahler.  I also spend my work day in a variety of conference rooms and cafés with other people in earshot.  I would like to spend up to $3000 on a head-fi experience that will provide me the richest classic music experience possible without bothering those around me.  Basically I sit for long periods of time reading, writing or just listening in home and office. 
 
It may be blasphemy but, as my collection of recordings resides in America, I have been listening a great deal to Deezer premium and even YouTube through my laptop with a pair of Bose earbuds.  Basically, I want to upgrade as much as possible.  I would like A) a pair of great closed headphones B) some portable option for when I am not at home (a minidac converter for the connection to the laptop ?) C) a nicer doc/amplifier to leave at home, also plugged in to my computer.  I am not sure on terminology here between amplifier and dac.  I've been looking at the Audeze LCD 2 and 3. Their strong reviews and beautiful looks attract me.
 
Is there some kind of small, portable converter that would work with this set up?  I have half a mind to just use this for now and then invest in the at home component later (I'm still willing to go up to $3000 in this option).  Am I completely mixed up here with using my computer as a source even with such a converter? Is there another option?  I have read some on Stax products and realize that this would be an only-at-home, more expensive option. Perhaps these would better compliment my US system too.  Am I losing a lot by going closed?  I sense it's what is best for a man who travels as much as I do.
 
I apologize for the number of questions. As you can probably tell, I'm a bit lost and appreciate any help I can get; please feel free to answer any part.  I'm not much of a hardware collector so I'd like to get as few and as high end components for my budget in a kind of once for a decade type of scenario.
 
Thank you.   

 

[billybob_jcv]

I'm a little confused. You said you are looking for a great pair of closed headphones, then you say you are looking at the LCD-2 & LCD-3. Those are both open headphones. Shouldn't you be looking at the LCD-XC and the Fostex TH900?

 

[Josquin]

Well, that's a bit embarrassing! I had a phone conversation with a dealer about noise in conference rooms and such and was led to believe the LCD 2 and 3 didn't give any off. I stand corrected. Reading about the XC hasn't been promising. Is it not advisable to spend the money on a closed pair? Should I perhaps buy a very nice open one for at home use and something less expensive when in areas with other people around?

 

[Claritas]

It does sound as if you'd be better off with closed headphones. Unfortunately, there aren't many good, relatively neutral ones for classical. Two that stand out are custom jobs:

Enigmatic Audio Paradox (or Slant)
ZMF Blackwood

IEMs are well-worth considering too. Look into UERM and Stagedivers (I haven't been fortunate enough to hear the latter, but measurements and reviews are very encouraging).

Best luck!

 

[Josquin]

Thank you for the prompt reply. I'm still considering open too, especially if the sound is better. Perhaps one solution is a highly portable pair when on the move and a nice open setup when at home. I want to get that concert hall sense I keep reading about. What is the best open pair for classical?

 

[Claritas]

What is the best open pair for classical?

There are a lot of good choices so it really comes down to your preferences.

HD800 has an immense soundstage. Unfortunately, it can sound bright and fatiguing without modding and smooth gear backing it up.

Based on your original post, it makes sense to me to recommend something more conservative such as HD650 or HD600. Both are very good and not especially picky regarding DACs and amps (no more picky than your preferences would be anyway) and will scale well.

If you don't want to amp, you might enjoy the Oppos though I find them too rolled off in the treble.

 

[Josquin]

Well, I know it's not the easiest set if questions. If I went home/open only I'd really be interested in what is the absolute best set up with the fewest components. Is a company like stax not recommended (if I get the right other other components)? What is going to give me the best sound out there?

 

[Josquin]

I should clarify that the "bright" sound in the HD800's is something I shied away from in my speakers.  I listen to a great deal of piano literature from very old mono recordings to recent stuff.  I could never get over how the bright effect alters the piano's sound.  I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense; my vocabulary with audio is, as you can tell, limited.
 
With respect to the topic of diminishing returns in high end components, I am willing to pay more for such.  As far as I can tell, one of the benefits of a head-fi setup is the relative value when compared to high end sound systems.  With that said, I assume there are components that range in the very expensive range ($5000+) and I would not want to take a plunge like that at first.  I ask about Stax because they seem highly acclaimed.  I'd be lost when pairing such a pair of headphones with a dac or amp though.

 

[Claritas]

There is no best sound. In each tier of quality, personal preference will be decisive.

I, too, listen to a lot of old piano records. I have the complete Hofmann, except volume 9 which has been delayed for years and years, and I agree with you that certain takes on hi-fi don't do that music any favors. It's one reason I was never sold on HD800.

Regarding Stax, look very carefully into the warranty: I've heard some horror stories.

A good source doesn't have to cost that much. I have a preference for Wolfson DACs which tend to have a warmish tilt. The Mousai is a good deal, especially on massdrop. I'm also reading a lot of good things about very cheap set ups made by Schiit Audio.

Try to demo HD600 and HD650 (and also HE560) to get a first sense of what you might find satisfying.

 

[Josquin]

Thank you very much, claritas. I have read some since on stax. It would be a serious investment, I sense. I agree that there must be more affordable sources that would satisfy my needs. I will check out the HD's.

Hoffmann is magnificent, and rare, indeed!