Quote:
Originally posted by AIM9x
pinkfloyd... you claim the chiara bests the sugden headmaster.... could you explain in what aspects it bests the headmaster and how badly it bests it in different categories? Nothing too specific, but a general overview? thanks. |
Hi,
When I originally said I felt the Chiarra sounds better than the Sugden the amp had only 250 hours under its belt. Now that it has had over 500 hours I'll rephrase my statement to "easily betters the sugden".
As a fellow Chiarra owner said in a previous thread "It's as if the headphones don't exist anymore & your listening to loudspeakers." I couldn't agree more. Most of the commercially available head amps I have tried more or less sound the same to a certain degree and they all seem to possess that very restrictive in your head presentation.
The Chiarra is a very hard sound to put into words but it seems to allow the music to flow without assaulting your eardrums in any way. It's portrayal and delivery of the music is just so natural, when I'm listening with this amp it's as if there are no electronic components connected to my headphones. This is more a listen to the music sensation than a listen to the equipment one.
I normally buy a piece of commercial equipment and immediately go under the bonnet in an attempt to make it sound better. Most manufacturers compromise on everything in a design to the degree they forget music is the key and not "cutting the cost to the bone"
The amp has upset me in a way as I usually tweak an amp and then move on to another one to tweak. The Chiarra isn't going anywhere, now or ever, as it sounds perfect in every respect so it looks I'll have to tweak something else.... maybe get to work on the car or something
For £200 including the PSU and a bit of work it's the headphone bargain of the century IMO. I dread to think what it would cost if it was produced commercially with all the marketing BS, the cost of staff, the middlemans cut etc. etc etc. probably along the lines of £1,000 upward.
Make no mistake, John Linsley Hood was one of the UK's top audio engineers and this isn't some el cheapo chinese design. I think the original circuit was designed in 1969 by JLH and the Chiarra circuit was a reworking by him in the early 1990's. I honestly believe this to be a true classic and it really does prove that we are being fed a diet of crap by the Hi-Fi press who rate complete crap components as a "best buy"
My only critisism of the amp is the case that comes supplied with it, it looks bloody awful even painted. Still, I know what I prefer.... a amp that costs £200, looks like it cost £100 but sounds like it cost a thousand or an amp that costs £750 looks like it costs a thousand but sounds like it cost £100. I choose the one that sounds the best
)
Pinkie.
