[mirumu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll be honest man, every time I look at the pro-biased Stax jack on my Aristaeaus, I go to Yahoo Japan auctions and search for a SR-X MK3 Pro. No joke.

If you're up for a trade count me in.

Edit: Sorry if I got your hopes up, I missed the "Pro" on the end there.

 

[smeggy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll be honest man, every time I look at the pro-biased Stax jack on my Aristaeaus, I go to Yahoo Japan auctions and search for a SR-X MK3 Pro. No joke. Best, -Jason

Haha, I think you'd need to sell the HE-90 to have enough funds to win the humongus bidding war an SR-X Pro would start. There are many who would fight tooth and claw to win one of those... not me though, I'm destitute at this point.

 

[Icarium]

Interesting Wmcmanus. I find that the Qualia epitomizes asofar the sound that I desire... if the R10 and Orpheus can be placed on the opposite... perhaps they aren't really end destinations for me (Is my Journey nearing its end with what I have?).

I mean obviously this isn't conclusive but if Jjcha is pro Qualia and not a huge fan of the Orpheus (How does he like the R10?) and you are pro R10/Orpheus and not as fond of the Qualia...

Meh, personal listening tests must still be completed.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

IME, the Grace DAC is certainly a bottleneck in that system, I can think of quite a few soundcards (let alone DAC's) that perform better.

Anyway, though I've only heard the Qualia and HE90 at meets (though fairly extensively), I tend to agree with your assertions about preferring the Qualia and why. I also found the euphonic tone of the HE90, while very pleasant, to be distracting, compared to the 010's directness. Not surprisingly, I preferred the HE90 from the least colored amp I tried it from (KGSS), and found the HEV90 to be rather over-the-top in terms of making a warm and euphonic sound.

 

[Romanee]

J - just curious - did you get a decent listen to bozebuttons' HE90/HEV90 via his EMM Labs transport+DAC, when it was properly set up with no HEV90 tube issues or other problems interfering?

His HE90 setup, at its best, was the best HE90 I've heard, and it was to my tastes the closest to a live performance illusion I've heard so far with headphones. It also depends on recordings and personal prefs, of course.

I wasn't enthralled by the ES1, though to be fair I didn't have the opportunity to really explore it. I still haven't had a chance to explore the Aristaeus — and I suspect it can do better than your source.

If you're drawn back to the 010, it is possible the HE90 isn't for you — but you should explore more options to be sure (if you're interested…).

 

[Carl]

The HEx0s are diffuse, mellow headphones. Really lovely, but way overpriced and overhyped. Very different take on the music from the Qualias.

An m902 is really not very suited to bringing the HE90 to life. A snappy, extended sounding tube DAC would be a better pick. I imagine it would pair well with the 010 though.

 

[Icarium]

Ha, again interesting Carl. I just acquired my Monarchy M24 and it is a tubed DAC. It is interesting sounding with the Qualias, but I must wonder if it is the best match. I certainly feel it is an improvement (By at least 10-15 percent by rough measure) on my EMU 0404 usb (No surprise here lol).

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romanee /img/forum/go_quote.gif J - just curious - did you get a decent listen to bozebuttons' HE90/HEV90 via his EMM Labs transport+DAC, when it was properly set up with no HEV90 tube issues or other problems interfering? His HE90 setup, at its best, was the best HE90 I've heard, and it was to my tastes the closest to a live performance illusion I've heard so far with headphones. It also depends on recordings and personal prefs, of course. I wasn't enthralled by the ES1, though to be fair I didn't have the opportunity to really explore it. I still haven't had a chance to explore the Aristaeus — and I suspect it can do better than your source. If you're drawn back to the 010, it is possible the HE90 isn't for you — but you should explore more options to be sure (if you're interested…).

Hey Peter,

Yeah, actually I have. Ages and ages ago, Tom invited a bunch of people over for a mini-electrostat meet where the early ES-1 prototype was introduced, and I remember trying the HEV90 out of his source with his Krell SS headphone amp with the 010. The honest truth is that day I was most impressed with the Omega 2 out of the prototype ES-1 than the HE90, though in the direct shootouts, I found the HE90 to be more refined and overall more enjoyable than the 010 out of the Krell. But I guess the EMM + Krell was just too much raw detail overkill for me, eh? Go figure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif IME, the Grace DAC is certainly a bottleneck in that system, I can think of quite a few soundcards (let alone DAC's) that perform better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif An m902 is really not very suited to bringing the HE90 to life. A snappy, extended sounding tube DAC would be a better pick. I imagine it would pair well with the 010 though.

No doubt... the next step is to rotate some sources as well as amps (including the SRD-7 mk2 + some power amps), but I guess the question I'm wondering is which rig is really worth putting the effort into, given my preferences.

Best,

-Jason

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjkurita /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe you should contact Blackie and have him build you something for the Qualia or the HD-600. He will build it with speaker posts as well so you can look forward to that part of the sound.

Believe me, I've considered this on far more than one occasion

We need a spring Astoria mini-meet

Best,

-Jason

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarium /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ha, again interesting Carl. I just acquired my Monarchy M24 and it is a tubed DAC. It is interesting sounding with the Qualias, but I must wonder if it is the best match. I certainly feel it is an improvement (By at least 10-15 percent by rough measure) on my EMU 0404 usb (No surprise here lol).

Probably not with the unforgiving Qualias, but who knows. I can't say 6DJ8s in SRPP would be my pick of curcuit, but it seems the overall sound of the DAC is pretty highly regarded, even by people like Lynn Olson who know good sound.


Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha /img/forum/go_quote.gif but I guess the question I'm wondering is which rig is really worth putting the effort into, given my preferences.

The one you like the sound of best, not the one that costs the most.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

I don't own one, but after listening to it for a while, I'm not a big fan of the HE90, either.

-Matt

 

[jpelg]

A few possible weak links in the chain:

1. Grace 902 - while it is a decent source, not exactly one that "pops", or that makes a graceful headphone like the HE90 lean more toward the side of "edgy", which seems to be your preference. Have you tried the Chord?
2. Aristaeus - I only had a very brief listen to one of the first off the line a few months ago. It did not impress me as much as I though it should. That's not always a bad thing. However, conversely, a pair of Lambda Pros out of the ES-1 sounded awesome at the last NY meet in comparison (from memory, of course). Surely tuberolling can tweak the sound quite a bit though, not to mention some burn-in. But it may not be the end-all e-stat amp for which you waited so long.
3. HE90 - are you leaving them charging all the time?

In the end, I agree with the previous statement that you shouldn't have to try to like such an expensive piece of gear. Imo, it should just click with you.

 

[Blackmore]

Hey Jason,

Yeah, same here... I was so exiting about O2 so the first thing I did at the last meet is jumping on them, but...

The first impressions were exactly the same, nice. But how longer I was listen to them how faster I realized, no they are not my cup of tea. Finally I found them really boring, so don't you worry about that one. I guess dynamics just better for us than electrostatics.

Cheers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay it's been more than three weeks and I don't know. I listen to it, and there's a lot to like about the sound. It's a lot more relaxed than the 010 or K 1000. It has nice presence, images well, has good texture. It's got nice air. Bass is okay, but I'm not particularly impressed -- it's just not that defined or tight. Still, it sounds nice, but when I listen to the HE90, I often find myself wanting to switch to the 010 or the K 1000 (or HP1, if I got that gimble fixed dammit). It doesn't happen in reverse. I find the HE90 to be too euphonic - it's very melodic, but it gets in the way of the music. I find the 010 brings me closer to the sound. The 010 is far leaner and strips away everything away from the sound, leaving only a raw core. The HE90 is far gentler and softer. I can see how many may prefer the HE90, but I'm just used to the raw purity of the 010. Any thoughts guys? Maybe it's just my sound preferences. Right now I'm running the stock Aristaeus configuration sourced by the m902 - I imagine neither is particularly geared towards bringing the HE90 to my sound. It's not like I don't like the HE90. I find it's pretty good in most areas. Just not superlative in any area. For me it's a bit of a jack of all trades, with a very romanticized overlay to it. Given I prefer flawed cans with strong character, and warm and musical ain't my sound... I wonder if a properly driven Omega 2 isn't better for texture. I guess I'm just wondering if this ain't for me... Best, -Jason

 

[Snacks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg /img/forum/go_quote.gif In the end, I agree with the previous statement that you shouldn't have to try to like such an expensive piece of gear. Imo, it should just click with you.

x3.
010 sounds like a good fit, why not build around it?
Or, if neighbors aren't an issue, sell the He90/amp and get a decent speaker rig?

 

[CD44hi]

Jason,

Before you come to a "parting decision," how about some tube rolling? One thing that I have observed in my setup: I like the 010 a lot with straight 6SN7 tube vintage. On the other hand, I love how the HD650 sound using the combination of adapters and 5687 and 6SN7 tubes. I feel that the 010 don't sound good with this combination, the results are variable between cans.

So, what I am trying to convey here is that maybe there is a tube combination for the Aris that would do the trick for your ears. Maybe checking what different tube compliments can be used with the HE90 may help?

How about the DAC64/Blu combo?