[MusicLover]

I have an HD600 + Headroom Supreme + Audigy 2 Platinum. How much better will the Music Hall be than the Audigy 2? How noticeable will the difference be?

Thanks for any comments.

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

It will sound way better.

Biggie.

 

[MusicLover]

BuMp-bUmP

 

[akar]

It will sound way way better.

 

[MusicLover]

double post

 

[MusicLover]

Well, that's definitely good news.

I guess I should buy it then. But details would be good too.

 

[Solude]

Better? Yes. More enjoyable? Depends on your tastes. I'd define what you're looking for in a change from the A2 before jumping on something. For me the jump from Sony to Music Hall was a dissappointment. For a while the Revo bumped the MH onto my dust-shelf but my new Arcam is magic. So define what you're looking for, then pick a player.

 

[TimSchirmer]

It will sound more dynamic, and have much more energy than your sound card.

 

[Solude]

Relative to the A2. Compared to the Arcam it'll be dry, uninvolving with poor dynamics and bottom end seperation. It's all about where you want to go. The MH is an easy going fundamental detail player, if thats where you want to land, go nuts. It'll be an improvement over the A2 but another player in the same $ range maybe more to your liking.

 

[MusicLover]

How is the Arcam with classical music and would it work good with the type of sound that the HD600 has (ie laid back and other unique characteristics of these phones)?

Another VERY important thing, would it be more musical and not very analytic?

Thanks.

 

[Solude]

The Arcam is none of those things. For that, yes the Music Hall is a better choice. The Arcam is a high energy player, lots of dynamics and bit retrieval, incredible prat but laid back, never. It's a very engaging player and I have no classical music so couldn't tell you. Jazz, blues and rock diet for me

Reviews seem to be pleased with the A2 sound overall for the price. It's not an M-Audio but it's not crap like the A1 so I'm not sure the MH will be a night and day difference. Like I said between the Revo and MH, the Revo was the better one for soundstage and laid back easy going bit retrieval. But being better in that way for me was still the wrong direction.

I use my Arcam for music now 24/7, heck even deleted my lossless collection off the PC

Maybe you could buy the MH and a Revo, compare and keep your fave.

Hmm actually another idea would be to keep using your PC as a transport and use a Bel Canto DAC1 on an optical connection. Be about the same price as the MH but betters it in the ways you are looking for. The MH is dry and laid back, the BC is liquid but still laid back. So it would be more involving without slamming you over the head with it.

Oh about musicality, to me dry players like the Music Hall and M-Audio aren't very musical since they don't engage me. I tend to place them in the 'background music during dinner party' variety. They are there but don't draw attention to themselves. Something I can't live with longterm. I never really found myself forgetting my main task and starting to tap my foot or bob my head with the MH or Revo.

For laid back, musical and not brute analysis but full bit retrieval I'd look into the Bel Canto DAC1. I think it would best suit your goal. The Arcam is too dynamic, the Music Hall too dry to be musical when compared to other players/DACs, the Revo has more or less the same faults as the MH but also shares its strengths and comes with a low gain amp in the same quality range as a wall powered Meta42. So the Revo has a high value rating but like I said I think the Bel Canto is your bliss.

Anyway good luck, and remember to buy used if you can. Beauty of the used market is turn around. If the player doesn't suit, you sell it and lose nothing but shipping cost (~$10) which makes trying a few then deciding quite attractive.

 

[tom hankins]

MusicLover, If you can find a used modified CD25, they are not dry sounding at all, very musical. Also the used Planet 2K is a very musical cdp in the same price range. I've used both Regas and CD25's(modified) with headroom amps and HD600/cardas and stock cable and both are very good combos.

 

[radrd]

I found the Arcam too harsh for my tastes. If I had to choose between the Music Hall and the Arcam, I'd pick the Music Hall because I found it to be smoother and more musical. Just my $.02, and that's retrospective comparison, so perhaps side-by-side, I would prefer the Arcam? I dunno.

They are different sounding players, and if possible, you should audition them both, as well as consider other options like the NAD C541i and Philips DVD963SA.