[dannyandelyse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pak For what it's worth Danny (dannyandelise) had a really awesome gold tube amp driving the HD650 that made them sound really good.

PS....You were spending a lot of time with that combo! The Stax 02 and Orpheus HE90 was within arms reach and your arm stayed at your side!

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyandelyse PS....You were spending a lot of time with that combo! The Stax 02 and Orpheus HE90 was within arms reach and your arm stayed at your side!

Talk about regret

 

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyandelyse PS....You were spending a lot of time with that combo! The Stax 02 and Orpheus HE90 was within arms reach and your arm stayed at your side!

Danny it was an amazing setup, definitely one of the best amps that I have heard the HD650 with (better than some balanced amps). I've never heard of the amp, it was visually appealing and really heated up the tubes giving them a beautiful glow even with the lights on. Do you know where this amp is available (if it's still made)?

I actually spent more time switching between the Omega 2 and Qualia 010 because I was interested in getting one or the other. I've decided on the O2.

 

[Duggeh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pak I actually spent more time switching between the Omega 2 and Qualia 010 because I was interested in getting one or the other. I've decided on the O2.

A comparison I would also very much like to hear.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh Quote: Originally Posted by J-Pak I actually spent more time switching between the Omega 2 and Qualia 010 because I was interested in getting one or the other. I've decided on the O2. A comparison I would also very much like to hear.

Me too!
I would really like to hear how the Omega II stand up to the other high-end phones out there. Like the Qualia 010.

 

[Meyvn]

Qualia 010's brighter; both are very detailed. It also has great bass, a bit more than the OII, and more impactful, but seemingly a bit raw for some kinds of music (i.e. classical). The soundstage and overall feel/size of the sound's a bit weird on the Qualia to me, though; it doesn't feel as 3D or enveloping as the SR-007.

 

[Konig]

O2 is better for jazz (the piano is erriely real)
HD 650 better for ochestra

 

[dannyandelyse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pak Danny it was an amazing setup, definitely one of the best amps that I have heard the HD650 with (better than some balanced amps). I've never heard of the amp, it was visually appealing and really heated up the tubes giving them a beautiful glow even with the lights on. Do you know where this amp is available (if it's still made)? I actually spent more time switching between the Omega 2 and Qualia 010 because I was interested in getting one or the other. I've decided on the O2.

Wish I could help. I posted two want to buy ads for a 2nd Radii Hap2-mk3 and all I get is PMs asking for help finding one to buy also! You will be happy with Omegas for E-stats, they are only bested by The Senn Orpheus System in my opinion.

 

[nikongod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konig O2 is better for jazz (the piano is erriely real) HD 650 better for ochestra

i find that the hd650 being better for orchestra is a totally recording dependent thing.

if the recording has ANY veil on it, its all about the o2. i still like the o2's ability to place things quite well. the "stax brand" binoural cd's do quite well with the staxes, giving both height and front/back&left/right cues. height is the real killer.

 

[Snacks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikongod /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...the "stax brand" binoural cd's do quite well with the staxes, giving both height and front/back&left/right cues. height is the real killer.

Nikongod - Any idea where I can find these CDs?

 

[E.B.M.Head]

You usually find them on german ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.de/STAX-Kunstkopf-Kl...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/STAX-Kunstkopf-Kl...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/STAX-Warschauer-B...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/STAX-Opernfantasi...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/STAX-Freiheit-und...QQcmdZViewItem

I have the first 3 and they are indeed great binaural recordings

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyandelyse /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, That is the Radii Hap2, same as Moretto...every damn person that hears this combo tells me it is the Best Senn 650 they have ever heard....Stevio turned me onto this amazing synergy!

Actually, it is the HAP-03. Moretto was the US agent for Radii's Hong Kong distributor. The HAP-02 is a different amp entirely, and uses EL84's instead of 6922's. The latest version of the HAP-03 has a tube rectified power supply. Bolder Cables was distributing Radii products in the US for a bit, but I never saw the HAP-03 there, and there are no Radii products on their site anymore.

The manufacturer's site is:

http://www.radaudio.com.

It's poorly organized, but if you try you can find this:

http://www.radaudio.com/hap-03II.html

There were a number of issues with some of the earlier units that have hopefully been resolved (there are several of them out there that have been operating for years without issues now). Access to someone with soldering skills would still be considered a plus until your unit is fully tested.

Also note that minumum headphone impedance to use this amp is about 100 ohms. To use headphones with lower impedances, you would also need the HAP-04 impedance converter (also on the site).

Radii used to sell directly to US customers, so it might be worth an email.

 

[Ruppin]

I have recently acquired O2s with the Stax 727. I also use 650s, 600s, 701s and GS-1000s, with a maxxed out HeadRoom Home (balanced on the Senns) and on a Raptor. I have comments and a question.

1) The O2s sound closer to the 701s than they do to 650s( as an earlier poster has pointed out). They also sound closer to the 600s. The 650s seem to me more viscerally base heavy than the O2s (or the other dynamics). The two phones are just different. The O2s are crystal clear, nothing else has come close but sometimes I find myself needing higher volume on the Stax, to feet the music in the sternum. I don't know the right word for it, but I suspect it is the difference between electrostatic and dynamic output.

2)Amping makes a huge diference on the dynamic phones. Balanced with Equinox cables on the HeadRoom, the Senns sound awsome, the 650s are a little warm with the Raptor (I prefer 600s there), and do well direct from a Benchmark DAC1 (they cut some brightness).

3) Given price and amp differences, it really is hard to set up a fair comparison, or to answer the question as asked.

Question: I love the O2s with the 727 Stax SS amp. How much better will they get with another amp, how much, and which one. (I also hope to find a pair of HE90s someday).

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif He compare the HD650 powered by a $9,000 amp to the O2 powered by a $2,500 amp. I wonder what happens if he change the KGSS to a maxed out ES-1 ($10,899)?

Try comparing the HD-650 out of the Radii HAP-03 (above) or a Wheatfield HA-2 (roughly $600 used if you can find one). I have not heard the Singlepower Extreme, but based on its tube complement, it should be a superb driver for Senns. Also, try listening to the Stax OII out of a Stax amp, such as the SRM-007t. Nice amp, but won't get the OII to maximal performance much of the time (and I never did figure out why it sometimes worked perfectly with OII, and other times left the OII dead and lifeless). The Stax 007t (I've never heard the solid state Stax amps) are at their best with the Lambda series (SR-404 and older as well as other vintage Stax, and, oddly enough, the Sennheiser HE60. So, to start getting at the potential of the OII, you're likely going to have to go to aftermarket builders. The $$ climb...

If your budget is at all limited, you will get better sound out of a carefully put together HD-650 rig than a basic Omega II rig. Including cables and source, I'd estimate that you can put together a great-sounding HD-650 rig for under $2000, which would just buy you the Omega II, and leave you starting to search for an amp.

Comparing headphones is fruitless enough when they are the same technology. However, going across technologies require different amps, so you have to keep in mind that you're comparing systems not headphones. If you call Singlepower and tell Mikhail to max out an ES1, you can put together a system for the OII that will outperform any HD-650 rig, IMO. So? Stick an HE90 into the same amp...or ask for a maxed out SDS-XLR for the Sony R10...at that point it all comes down to personal preference.

And sooner or later, we'll see Omega III or HD-700, and this can start all over again...

 

[edisonwu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikongod /img/forum/go_quote.gif wow, a crap headphone with a $9000 amp sounds better than a great headphone with the crap oem amp offerings. something intersting about the hd-650 is that people comment on its "amp dependancy" not for the simple act of driving this odd load, but the simple act of sounding good. something intersting about the o2 is that people comment on its "amp dependency" not for the simple act of sounding good, but for the diference between excelent and great. edit: people who know me know that i am biased. +580V is good.

How do you define a headphone is crap? The driver? design? build quality? enclosure? or just how much the manufacturers ask for? For me, I have no doubt to believe that Sennheiser builds high qualiy headphones with low cost and low price. This is very different from speaker's cases.