[rreynolds]

Endgame is when you've built a system and gotten it to a point where upgrading further doesn't make financial sense. I've heard a couple amps top my Burson Soloist GT, but never blow it out of the water. There's enough transparency and detail coming through the music that spending another $6-$8k for 5% better performance isn't ideal.

 

[Faitoq]

Endgame is when you've built a system and gotten it to a point where upgrading further doesn't make financial sense. I've heard a couple amps top my Burson Soloist GT, but never blow it out of the water. There's enough transparency and detail coming through the music that spending another $6-$8k for 5% better performance isn't ideal.

Agreed There's no endgame generally, I think. There's going to be a better DAC better AMP in the future but you have to look for it, of course. It's really up to you if you are contented or satisfied in your setup and decided not to look for a better one. In that case, that will be the endgame. Your "endgame". Maybe we can leave it at that?

Hello! I'm new here btw but been reading hundreds of pages lately . Just wanted to get some inputs/thoughts on Bifrost 2/64, Headamp GS-X Mini and HekSE setup. Although I read that the GS-X Mini is not so good with soundstage which makes me think twice on getting this amp since I really like grand soundstage so to speak. Will I be better off with Violectric V280/1 or Burson Soloist 3XP( if yes which of the two is better for HekSE? ).

Would also love to hear any DAC/Amp recommendations that's around 2-2.5k range or maybe a bit more for the Hifiman HekSE.

Thank you!

Anyway, came here for help about my post above . Any DAC amp suggestions? From what I've read/scoured so far the Violectric v280/1 seems to be the best match for HekSE(aside from tubes).

 

[Patlezinc]

Endgame or not is a mind game. So you decide when it is.

 

[DarginMahkum]

Endgame or not is a mind game. So you decide when it is.

That is a reasonable and logical way to look at it, though often our actions are emotional. Being an informed buyer often would tell us where to stop and what an endgame is but that would take the "shopping therapy" fun away from us. We all know the hearing limits of people, especially when they are 50+ years old but many will claim to have bat ears at those ages.

Socialising and shopping therapy is what many of us are after. Being an audiophile is just one of the side effects - when the conditions are met.

OK, this was really my last post on the subject. I am sorry for the off topic.

---

Now to my question: When I search for "HE1000 Stealth", in the EU shops I keep finding "HE1000 v2 Stealth". What is going on? Who is who? Anywhere in the EU where I can buy the "HE1000 stealth"?

 

[Patlezinc]

From my experience if you are happy with your stuff, then all is good and you have your endgame. But! some things can push to find something better : a bad listening experience, or, and it is the start of the quest, the idea that you can (or you must) have something better. And you can. Because troubles comes when you compare. I had that quest for my Homecinema. 15 years later and 15000€ spent , I decided that better would cost too much money. And I was tired to be under the tyranny of my mind.
Now I investigate headphones and stuff and demons are coming back. But I am older and my quest will be shorter. If I was a millionaire, maybe I would go further, so money is a part of the endgame process on my side.

 

[davehutch]

Now to my question: When I search for "HE1000 Stealth", in the EU shops I keep finding "HE1000 v2 Stealth". What is going on? Who is who? Anywhere in the EU where I can buy the "HE1000 stealth"?

The HE1000 Stealth IS the V2 Stealth.
The original HE1000 had the 2.5mm connectors, then the V2 had some pad mods and the 3.5mm connectors.
The addition of the Stealth Magnets was simply another 'upgrade' of the same model but HiFiMan didn't want to release a brand new name, for example V3 because it would affect their ratings and reviews etc on places like Amazon, so they stuck with the HE1000 name (albeit now a version 2) and added Stealth magnets to them.

 

[davehutch]

regarding end-game...consider this. It's an interesting watch. How good is your hearing? Is it better than the equipment you plan to upgrade?

 

[DarginMahkum]

regarding end-game...consider this. It's an interesting watch. How good is your hearing? Is it better than the equipment you plan to upgrade?

Excellent video and thanks for the reply.

 

[tradyblix]

regarding end-game...consider this. It's an interesting watch. How good is your hearing? Is it better than the equipment you plan to upgrade?

Well I get where he's coming from and it seems to be logical but it doesn't actually tally with the real world. It somewhat reminds me of the arguments people used to make saying that red book audio is the best anyone could ever hear for technical reasons and limit of human hearing, and you can't hear any higher quality audio than that. You don't really hear that anymore now that people have high res audio experience.

I mean especially when he starts getting into talking about Dacs. He tries to make the argument that all dacs are the same these days, and use the same off the shelf chips and sound the same. and we just all know from experience here that that isn't the case, and there are Dacs that we prefer. Anyone with a Chord product can easily testify to that.

I can agree that at the high end it just becomes about what you like better, and I maybe even partially agree with him about tube amps as well...and certainly there's no perfect loudspeaker (or headphone)

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Now to my question: When I search for "HE1000 Stealth", in the EU shops I keep finding "HE1000 v2 Stealth". What is going on? Who is who? Anywhere in the EU where I can buy the "HE1000 stealth"?

There is no HE1000 Stealth. If what you are looking for is the best version of HE1000, you are in the right thread. HE1000 Special Edition (HE1000SE) it is.

HE1000 Stealth is kind of HE1000 V3 actually, as it is the third iteration of HE1000. People usually called them HE1000 V2 Stealth though.

 

[tradyblix]

There is no HE1000 Stealth

There is, Hifiman themselves call it that on their own website, lol. Don't confuse anyone.

The real problem is people call it the V2 Stealth. Which it isn't because it's not a V2 anymore.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

There is, Hifiman themselves call it that on their own website, lol. Don't confuse anyone.

The real problem is people call it the V2 Stealth. Which it isn't because it's not a V2 anymore.

I understand your point of view. I just tried explain to him, why so hard to search info about "HE1000 Stealth"

There is zero reason for me to make people confuse. If you active in HE1000 thread you clearly see the "name progress" there.

 

[tradyblix]

Well, sorry, but if you say "There is no HE1000 Stealth" then that's confusing.

Also, the "best" version of HE1000 is really a matter of taste. I can understand why some would prefer HE1000 stealth over the se.

Anyway it's hifiman's fault for confusing the market. you got 4 versions of Arya too. It's nutty. Nobody knows what to get as they are all slightly different sounding.

 

[DarginMahkum]

There is no HE1000 Stealth. If what you are looking for is the best version of HE1000, you are in the right thread. HE1000 Special Edition (HE1000SE) it is.

HE1000 Stealth is kind of HE1000 V3 actually, as it is the third iteration of HE1000. People usually called them HE1000 V2 Stealth though.

I had the HEKse and sold it after receiving the Susvara in a trade deal. I kind of regretted selling the HEKse instead of the Susvara, as it was very easy to drive. Although I still believe that DCA Stealth is the HP for me, I want to buy something that is both easy to drive and completely open, so that I can still hear what is happening around me. My candidates are the HEKv2S and Arya Organic. SE is somewhat bright for me.

I mean especially when he starts getting into talking about Dacs. He tries to make the argument that all dacs are the same these days, and use the same off the shelf chips and sound the same. and we just all know from experience here that that isn't the case, and there are Dacs that we prefer. Anyone with a Chord product can easily testify to that.

This is a very controversial subject, as it needs more "detailed" discussion about the process itself (the signal processing part), its physical implementation, the components around it, the package it is served in etc. I think it is better to keep the DAC discussion out if we want to keep the temperature low in this thread.

HE1000 thread

Oh, OK! There is a HE1000 thread. Maybe I should head to there. Sorry for keeping the wrong trade busy.

 

[rreynolds]

Well I get where he's coming from and it seems to be logical but it doesn't actually tally with the real world. It somewhat reminds me of the arguments people used to make saying that red book audio is the best anyone could ever hear for technical reasons and limit of human hearing, and you can't hear any higher quality audio than that. You don't really hear that anymore now that people have high res audio experience.

I mean especially when he starts getting into talking about Dacs. He tries to make the argument that all dacs are the same these days, and use the same off the shelf chips and sound the same. and we just all know from experience here that that isn't the case, and there are Dacs that we prefer. Anyone with a Chord product can easily testify to that.

I can agree that at the high end it just becomes about what you like better, and I maybe even partially agree with him about tube amps as well...and certainly there's no perfect loudspeaker (or headphone)

A couple years ago I was browsing at Bjorns (a local audio store in the San Antonio area), and a older gentleman tried to explain how a Topping D90 was basically the ceiling for seeking Hi-Res audio. Saw him a few times in the passing months and eventually got together to A/B a D90 aganist a Denafrips Venus II. He got off the soap box pretty quickly after haha.