The Monkey
Monkey See, Monkey DAC
A really sick dud
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Ok, MicroAmp has arrived. Still don't have a #$@% optical cable, but listening impressions coming this weekend.
Just ordered the Micro Stack
- Thread starter ComfyCan
- Start date
Monkey See, Monkey DAC
TheSloth
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
Just get one of the cheaper Monster Cable ones. They make perfectly decent mini-full size cables so you don't have to use an adapter.
Do I have to join team 'monkey eaters'...?
| Originally Posted by The Monkey Ok, MicroAmp has arrived. Still don't have a #$@% optical cable, but listening impressions coming this weekend. |
Just get one of the cheaper Monster Cable ones. They make perfectly decent mini-full size cables so you don't have to use an adapter.
Do I have to join team 'monkey eaters'...?
The Monkey
Monkey See, Monkey DAC
A really sick dud
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Quote:
Stupid RatShack was out of them. But I'll pick one up this weekend.
Quote:
lol.
| Originally Posted by TheSloth Just get one of the cheaper Monster Cable ones. They make perfectly decent mini-full size cables so you don't have to use an adapter. |
Stupid RatShack was out of them. But I'll pick one up this weekend.
Quote:
| Do I have to join team 'monkey eaters'...?
|
lol.
ComfyCan
500+ Head-Fier
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Monkey,
At least you live in NYC; you should be able to find one there if anywhere.
You're going to love the stack.
At least you live in NYC; you should be able to find one there if anywhere.
You're going to love the stack.
The Monkey
Monkey See, Monkey DAC
A really sick dud
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Ok, gang, the UE-10s arrived today!
I'll do some extensive listening this weekend through the MicroStack.
I'll do some extensive listening this weekend through the MicroStack.
blue4n3
100+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
LOL I do the EXACT same thing. I will be ready to go to sleep, but will decide to listen to some music for a little bit. I put my e4c and ipod via Micro (used to use macro, now I have my new Micro
) and set the ipod sleep timer to 60 seconds. I will honestly have to reset the timer like 3 times. In the quiet of my bed I start hearing all this new stuff-its awesome. I wake up without adequate sleep everyday now
jk.
Out of curiousty, what audio improvements did you gain after using the micro with your portable source, and then using it with the MicroDAC? Im waitting a bit to upgrade to the DAC (need som cash first).
| Originally Posted by ComfyCan Ok, add Pratt to the list of acronyms I've picked up over the last 3 months hanging out here. I'm going to need another legal pad. (I can relate to the experience , and now have a nifty label to describe it. Cool) This has resulted in me staying up way...way... to late listening to music every night. I have beeen going to sleep with E4c's in my ears since I bought my first amp a couple of months ago, but since I bought the MicroStack, I stopped falling asleep. I just keep listening. It is so amazing to hear all the separation, the clarity of lyrics... I love it. I keep thinking of all the millions of people out there who love music but have no clue what they could be hearing if they had good equipment. So sad. |
LOL I do the EXACT same thing. I will be ready to go to sleep, but will decide to listen to some music for a little bit. I put my e4c and ipod via Micro (used to use macro, now I have my new Micro
Out of curiousty, what audio improvements did you gain after using the micro with your portable source, and then using it with the MicroDAC? Im waitting a bit to upgrade to the DAC (need som cash first).
RichardCory
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.
dw6928
Headphoneus Supremus
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pretty gutless to post and never return to read the responses. and I heartily take exception to the thrust of your statements. come on back for some healthy
debate.
debate.
Spareribs
Headphoneus Supremus
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Richard:
I agree with you in many ways but to me, it's all about the soundstage and the fine details. The better the soundstage and tighter the bass, the better the sonic experience. If spending more money also means lower noise floor, I think it's worth it because quiet passages in music can be so delicate and any subtle noises can be a distraction after a while. I think it's worth spending the extra couple hundred dollars for these kinds of refinement. I mean you end up living with the equipment and the more you listen, the more you pick up on the nuances. Nuances and subtle details in music can really mean a lot especially for classical music and other types as well.
Money is well spent if the equipment you buy lasts a very long time or a life time and has the right details. Over time, you really appreciate it and it is worth it. I love fine wine too and sometimes will spend $20 on a great bottle but after I drink it, it's gone. With higher quality audio equipment, it lives with you so it is money well spent in many cases, though not all. I still can listen and enjoy while my nice bottle of wine is empty. It's all about the details that you can really appreciate especially after years of listening.
Music is so important to me and I am very comfortable spending the extra couple hundred bucks or even a thousand to get the fine details and really appreciate it for many years. If you are serious about appreciating the arts like music, painting, etc....and it is your passion, the fine details will defintely be a big deal and matter greatly.
If you are casual about music, the fine details will not be a big deal and it will not be wise to spend the extra dollars.
That said, you have an excellent point too and I agree with you in many ways. I find that being too excessive about the details in music can be bad and you are right, the cheaper equipement is all you need for the soul of the music. Sometimes, being excessive about the details can be a distraction to the heart of the music. It's all about the music, not the sound quality and sometimes many audiophiles sadly forget that. I love listening to good quality cheap speakers, headphones, etc... It's all you really need to enjoy. If you are happy with the cheaper equipment, that's great. I'm happy with budget stuff too. I think over spending and upgrading too much is foolish thing if it really is bad your wallet.
But if I can improve the sound a little more for a few extra hundred bucks and my wallet smiles and says ok "let's do it", it's worth it because the equipment lives with me and music is my passion in life.
I agree with you in many ways but to me, it's all about the soundstage and the fine details. The better the soundstage and tighter the bass, the better the sonic experience. If spending more money also means lower noise floor, I think it's worth it because quiet passages in music can be so delicate and any subtle noises can be a distraction after a while. I think it's worth spending the extra couple hundred dollars for these kinds of refinement. I mean you end up living with the equipment and the more you listen, the more you pick up on the nuances. Nuances and subtle details in music can really mean a lot especially for classical music and other types as well.
Money is well spent if the equipment you buy lasts a very long time or a life time and has the right details. Over time, you really appreciate it and it is worth it. I love fine wine too and sometimes will spend $20 on a great bottle but after I drink it, it's gone. With higher quality audio equipment, it lives with you so it is money well spent in many cases, though not all. I still can listen and enjoy while my nice bottle of wine is empty. It's all about the details that you can really appreciate especially after years of listening.
Music is so important to me and I am very comfortable spending the extra couple hundred bucks or even a thousand to get the fine details and really appreciate it for many years. If you are serious about appreciating the arts like music, painting, etc....and it is your passion, the fine details will defintely be a big deal and matter greatly.
If you are casual about music, the fine details will not be a big deal and it will not be wise to spend the extra dollars.
That said, you have an excellent point too and I agree with you in many ways. I find that being too excessive about the details in music can be bad and you are right, the cheaper equipement is all you need for the soul of the music. Sometimes, being excessive about the details can be a distraction to the heart of the music. It's all about the music, not the sound quality and sometimes many audiophiles sadly forget that. I love listening to good quality cheap speakers, headphones, etc... It's all you really need to enjoy. If you are happy with the cheaper equipment, that's great. I'm happy with budget stuff too. I think over spending and upgrading too much is foolish thing if it really is bad your wallet.
But if I can improve the sound a little more for a few extra hundred bucks and my wallet smiles and says ok "let's do it", it's worth it because the equipment lives with me and music is my passion in life.
mkozlows
100+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
I have a lot of sympathy for suspicions of hooey, because a lot of stuff either makes no difference at all (cables, power cords) or differences that are real but subtle (variations between good DACs and amps, high bit-rate MP3 vs. lossless).
But, when you say things like the above, I just have to quietly boggle. The HD580 and the HD650 sound nothing at all the same, and are obviously and totally different in a highly non-subtle fashion. I can see where you might prefer the HD-580, or think that the HD-650 isn't $x better, but not being able to tell them apart is difficult to believe. Are you sure you don't mean the HD-600, which by all accounts is much more similar to the 580?
I will say, though, that if you can't tell vastly different headphones apart, then there's no point spending money on anything else, because there's nothing at all that's going to make such a big difference to the sound as the headphones do. The 650s through an amp sound noticeably different than they do straight out of a normal headphone jack, but not nearly as different as they do from the 580s.
| Originally Posted by RichardCory I've tried the HD650, HD595, HD580, DT880, K701, one of the higher-end Grados whose model number I have forgetten, and they all sound "good" (read: better than EX-51 earbuds), but there was never anything so incredible in any of them. I found the HD650 and HD580 to sound exactly the same, so I bought myself the HD580 for $150. |
I have a lot of sympathy for suspicions of hooey, because a lot of stuff either makes no difference at all (cables, power cords) or differences that are real but subtle (variations between good DACs and amps, high bit-rate MP3 vs. lossless).
But, when you say things like the above, I just have to quietly boggle. The HD580 and the HD650 sound nothing at all the same, and are obviously and totally different in a highly non-subtle fashion. I can see where you might prefer the HD-580, or think that the HD-650 isn't $x better, but not being able to tell them apart is difficult to believe. Are you sure you don't mean the HD-600, which by all accounts is much more similar to the 580?
I will say, though, that if you can't tell vastly different headphones apart, then there's no point spending money on anything else, because there's nothing at all that's going to make such a big difference to the sound as the headphones do. The 650s through an amp sound noticeably different than they do straight out of a normal headphone jack, but not nearly as different as they do from the 580s.
The Monkey
Monkey See, Monkey DAC
A really sick dud
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Sounds like it's time for you to find a new hobby.
| Originally Posted by RichardCory This is a very good website that I felt was worth contributing to, since I've gotten some good information here, but many things I see are just obscene and plain f'ing crazy. Maybe money grows on trees where some of the people on this website live, but I'm going to have to say than a HD580 is plenty good enough to get the soul of the music, and that's all that's really important if you ask me. Okay, that's my rant. I won't be back to read the responses, so...meh. |
Sounds like it's time for you to find a new hobby.
Spareribs
Headphoneus Supremus
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Again, you have some good points. I wish everything would be cheap but it kinda seems like you were born yesterday. Do you play a musical instrument or have you ever studied other hobbies? You can get a great guitar for $300 but for a $1000, you'll get some something more refined. The difference will be more subtle but enough to feel it. I can be happy with a $300 guitar but paying $1000 get's me something more smooth and more refined and people will pay for it if they can afford it. It's the nature of niche hobbies especially when it comes to equipment. Try shopping for a nice crafted violin or look at the prices for saxophones, it may shock you. High end headphones and audio are no different.
Your complaint is really about niche hobbies that deal with equipment. This is how the system is when products are not mass marketed like the stuff at Circuit City or Walmart.
| Originally Posted by RichardCory Maybe money grows on trees where some of the people on this website live, but I'm going to have to say than a HD580 is plenty good enough to get the soul of the music, and that's all that's really important if you ask me. Okay, that's my rant. I won't be back to read the responses, so...meh. |
Again, you have some good points. I wish everything would be cheap but it kinda seems like you were born yesterday. Do you play a musical instrument or have you ever studied other hobbies? You can get a great guitar for $300 but for a $1000, you'll get some something more refined. The difference will be more subtle but enough to feel it. I can be happy with a $300 guitar but paying $1000 get's me something more smooth and more refined and people will pay for it if they can afford it. It's the nature of niche hobbies especially when it comes to equipment. Try shopping for a nice crafted violin or look at the prices for saxophones, it may shock you. High end headphones and audio are no different.
Your complaint is really about niche hobbies that deal with equipment. This is how the system is when products are not mass marketed like the stuff at Circuit City or Walmart.
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