[Alwayswantmore]

Don't know how many are still subscribed to this thread, but for those who are, I'm now waiting on two major system upgrades -- and venting some of my pent up excitement in this post. So here're my coming attractions...

Silver Dragon V2 Hardwire

After reading all the favorable comments about Voltron's Equinox hardwire at the National meet, I decided once and for all to go hardwire.

In my case, I've had such good luck with the Hudson Silver IC, that I was hoping the new Moon Silver Dragon V2 would get a fair listen at the meet. Unfortunately, the SDv2 hardwire was not represented. So I took a bit of flyer...

Drew from Moon Audio has now hardwired my K1000s with SDv2, and he personally put the phones through a thorough burn-in before forwarded them to Voltron, so the SDv2 and Eguinox hardwires can be compared side-by-side. My phones will arrive on Voltron's doorstep any day now, so naturally I'm hoping my newly upgraded phones will make papa proud.

ACI Force XL sub woofer

I've whittled my wish list down to room treatments for my new listening room, when my home is finished (Sept / Oct), Omega's copper speaker cables, a sub woofer to replace my recently sold Vandersteen 2W, and hopefully a power cord upgrade for my Wadia.

Note: Having owned the Vandersteen 2W, I really miss what deep bass does for piano, acoustic bass, and especially for live music, where reverberating bass makes the room / music hall feel much more alive.

Over the last four months I've been hanging around Audio Circle doing research on room acoustic treatments (like bass traps) and sub woofers.

Well today got a hair up my butt and ordered an ACI sub woofer. This one has more adjustments than the 2W, so I'm hoping to get more seamless integration with the K1000s -- and naturally get dual usage with my Compact Hemps.

Hopefully Voltron can enlighten the K1000 community on how the two hardwires compare, and I plan to do a mini-blog on the sub after it arrives.

God I love this hobby: Cheaper than classic cars, and unlike chasing women, no chance of catching those pesky STDs

 

[Alwayswantmore]

K1000 mega meet impressions here .. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...85#post2988085

My new SDv2 was represented.

 

[tmarshl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmarshl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I finally got my Signature 30 broken in with 100 hours on it. This took a while as, I could only play the Signature 30 during the daytime and recharge it at night - getting about 16 hours per day of play. This is just my first take at this question of Signature 30 versus FirstWatt F1 with the K1000, so I may have additional comments as time goes on. Both of these amplifiers sound fantastic with the K1000s, so you would not go wrong with either of them IMO. I have found Srajan Ebaen's review to be quite accurate: "For the now discontinued AKG K-1000 earspeakers, the Signature 30 shares the stage with the FirstWatt F1 current-source amp as an ideal partner. The latter's otherworldly control in this context is ultimately more resolved and accurate and would thus be the choice for a recording engineer. The 30 is warmer and slightly mellower to perfectly suit endless pleasure listening sessions." For the entire review of the Signature 30, please see the following link: http://6moons.com/audioreviews/redwine4/30.html There is a distinct difference between the two listening experiences of the FirstWatt F1 and the Signature 30. FirstWatt F1 I agree with Sjaran that the F1 is so accurate that it reveals elements in the music that would not be apparent with the Signature 30. Individual instruments are clearly identified across the soundstage. The edges of sound are so clear and crisp, that it makes you sit up and pay attention to the detail. A case in point for me was "Young and Foolish" from the Bill Evans - Tony Bennett album. With the F1, I could really hear the distinctive growl in the lower ranges of his voice. I also have Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" on DVD as well as CD (you can tell I like it!). The presentation of the CD audio is so accurate that I can visualize each instrument that backs her up, while still hearing every nuance of her fantastic voice. Listening to the Emerson Quartet performing Mendelssohn's String Quartets provided a similar experience, where each violin and cello was distinct. Every action on each string was there, both individually and blended with other strings and other instruments. So if you want a "being there" experience which grabs your ears and your gut with unsurpassed presence and detail, then the F1 is for you. A predominant characteristic of the F1 is that it demands your complete attention. Don't expect to even think about anything else except the music you are hearing. This current source amplifier grips the drivers of the K1000s and demands their best. It demands your best as well. It is so compelling, that I have found long listening sessions to be a bit fatiguing. The F1 is big and heavy and runs very hot, so have a top shelf available for it and air conditioning in the summer. Signature 30 By contrast, the Signature 30 is small and light and runs cool. Because it is battery powered, it needs to be charged after 20 hours of continuous listening, but it charges automatically whenever the power switch is turned off, a clever setup. Perhaps due to the lack of AC circuitry in the Signature 30, the background is absolutely black. On a well recorded CD, the music comes out of total silence. The big difference between the F1 and the Signature 30 is presentation. The Signature 30 sounds warm and a little laid back. It lacks some of the extreme detail and presence of the F1, but it counters with a warm and comfortable sound reminiscent of the better tube amplifiers. It is a wonderful complement to the K1000s, and I can listen to it for hours, fatigue free. Conclusions Defining the characteristics of these two amplifiers driving the K1000 was easy, as they are so different - detail and presence versus warmth and effortless listening. Picking which one I like the best with the K1000s was much more difficult, as with so many subjective evaluations, it depends on several factors: how alert or tired I am, what sort of music I want to listen to, how long a listening session I want. If I am feeling fresh, want to listen to a live recording for an hour or so, then the F1 is my choice. However, if I am feeling tired at the end of a busy day, and I want to listen to more soothing music for quite a while, then I definitely prefer the Signature 30. Perhaps a good indication of which one I listen to most, is that the Signature 30 is currently driving my K1000s So, I have decided to keep both the FirstWatt F1 and the Red Wine Audio Signature 30 because they both do wonderful things with my favorite headphones, the AKG K1000s with Stefan Audio Arts hardwired Equinox cabling.

Updated Comments: Although I prefer the sound of the K1000s driven by the First Watt F1, the beast runs very hot.

In the winter this is not too bad, but in the summer it heats up my listening room and I have to turn on the air conditioning which contributes additional fan noise. For me, this is a serious drawback to the F1.

Also, the addition of the EMM Labs CDSA SE source and the Oritek X2 ICs have enhanced the pleasure of listening to the K1000s driven by the RWA Sig 30s making it a serious contender. Did I mention that it runs cool?

 

[tmarshl]

Vinnie Rossi has just announced an upgraded Signature 30 called the 30.2 (with upgrade path from the Sig 30). Sounds interesting!

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/i...1033#msg401033

I wonder how it will handle the K1000s? Any thoughts?

 

[Alwayswantmore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmarshl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Vinnie Rossi has just announced an upgraded Signature 30 called the 30.2 (with upgrade path from the Sig 30). Sounds interesting! http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/i...1033#msg401033 I wonder how it will handle the K1000s? Any thoughts?

I've been watching this development, along with the the new sub from Omega. $500 for the sonic improvments. I'm waiting to read the reports from early adopters.

 

[kugino]

add me to the list of sig 30 owners. with my k1000s arriving any day now i was able to pick up a used sig 30 w/remote at a good price...woohoo!

 

[Alwayswantmore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino /img/forum/go_quote.gif add me to the list of sig 30 owners. with my k1000s arriving any day now i was able to pick up a used sig 30 w/remote at a good price...woohoo!

Congrats Grant. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it.

My Sig 30 typically gets an hour or two a day. Today it's Omega Compact Hemps with ACI Force XL sub. Tomorrow night my wife's home from a couple day trip, so I'll be back to K1000s (so I can listen louder in my modest size rental). Either phones or speakers, I m very pleased with my system. I do however have my eye on the new 30.2 sonic upgrade

P.S. Grant, remember you will need to connect your new phones like a set of speakers, using all four wires [Sig 30 uses balanced out and can not share a ground!]

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alwayswantmore /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congrats Grant. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it. My Sig 30 typically gets an hour or two a day. Today it's Omega Compact Hemps with ACI Force XL sub. Tomorrow night my wife's home from a couple day trip, so I'll be back to K1000s (so I can listen louder in my modest size rental). Either phones or speakers, I m very pleased with my system. I do however have my eye on the new 30.2 sonic upgrade P.S. Grant, remember you will need to connect your new phones like a set of speakers, using all four wires [Sig 30 uses balanced out and can not share a ground!]

thanks! yeah, i think the wiring will be no problem...the 30.2 upgrades look pretty good, but i'll enjoy my stock sig 30 for awhile (as well as the stock k1000) before thinking about the upgrades. that should hopefully last me a long time!

 

[tmarshl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alwayswantmore /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congrats Grant. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it. My Sig 30 typically gets an hour or two a day. Today it's Omega Compact Hemps with ACI Force XL sub. Tomorrow night my wife's home from a couple day trip, so I'll be back to K1000s (so I can listen louder in my modest size rental). Either phones or speakers, I m very pleased with my system. I do however have my eye on the new 30.2 sonic upgrade P.S. Grant, remember you will need to connect your new phones like a set of speakers, using all four wires [Sig 30 uses balanced out and can not share a ground!]

I understand that Saran of Six Moons will be reviewing the 30.2 upgrade. I hope that he looks at the K1000s driven by the 30.2. That will be a good litmus test as to how this upgraded amplifier works with the K1000s.

 

[tmarshl]

Here is a quote from Vinnie Rossi concerning the Signature 30.2 with K1000s:

Quote:

Hi Tom, I believe that I am the only one who has compared the Signature 30 vs Signature 30.2 with the K1000s. The sound of the 30.2 is very noticeably improved over the Sig 30 when driving the K1000s! Right out of the box, the sound of the 30.2 is a lot fuller, richer, and more musically involving. For the K1000s, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better sounding battery-powered, "portable" amp for them! I hope some K1000s owners get to hear the Signature 30.2 soon. I'll try my best to attend the headfi show in NYC on Nov 10th and bring the 30.2 and maybe some other prototype goodies Lots of things are cooking on the RWA stove and I want to make sure everything is cooked to perfection, even if it means taking a little more time. Thanks, Vinnie

and here is the website for the Signature 30.2:

http://www.redwineaudio.com/Signature_30.2.html

Looks interesting!

 

[Smallpie]

Has anyone tried the F1 with other headphones besides the k1000?