oopsydaisy
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
- Posts
- 158
- Likes
- 15
I wasn't sure where to start this thread, but since the only thing I'm 100% certain of in this setup is my mini, someone suggested starting here. I am pretty much set with my portable rig, so I'd like to start gathering info for my Mini based home rig. I've read quite a bit on this site regarding headphones, amps, dacs, and software alternatives to iTunes. Sadly, that's all I'm able to do at this point because it turns out it's pretty hard to find a shop to audition gear in NYC. Go figure.
Anyway, let's start with what I want to achieve and what I have to work with. I want to play ALAC(in the process of re-ripping all my CDs
) files from my mini to a transparent DAC that will feed into a tube amp, which will feed my headphone of choice. How do I know I want tube vs SS when I haven't been able to audition anything? As I said, I've read probably way more than I should have on this site and from what has been described of tube amps paired with the music I prefer, I'm pretty sure it's the way to go for me. Besides, I like the ability to tailor the sound to your liking via tube rolling, although I'd like to keep that aspect as simple as possible(more later). Because of the inherent "color" that will be introduced by the tube amp, I want to keep the signal as transparent as possible when it gets to that stage, hence my DAC preference.
The headphones I am leaning towards, again from my extensive reading, are the LCD-2. They sound like they have all the characteristics I want out of a set of phones for home. Specifically, range and accuracy. I definitely want open cans as a counter to my Ed8s, which are primarily for portable use, but could see use at home when I feel the need for isolation. This should probably be kept in mind regarding my choices of equipment as I'd like it to be versatile enough to support both.
Again, nothing is decided. Like should I go balanced vs single-ended? I just have things in mind, so please suggest away. To help you help me narrow down my choices, here are some details, including the all-important budget. If there is anymore info you need, ask away. I would like to have all of this by end of year, but if I can pull it off by the Summer, that would be a bonus. BTW, I'd love to hear from Skylab as I find him to be very knowledgeable and his posts have taught me quite a bit in the short time I've been pursuing this hobby. This in no way diminishes my opinion of the other great minds on this site
•Music will be mostly ALAC ripped from CD. Remainder will be 320 mp3
•Genres range from Rock to Pop, R&B to Bluegrass and almost everything in between, with an emphasis on female vocals(think Alison Krauss)
•Mac mini with USB/Optical will be primary source
•Tube amp is preference for ability to tune sound, but want to be able to do this without scouring the net for numerous exotic models-See Apex Peak as good example of what I'm after
•DAC with crossfeed capability would be a plus, ala Meier Stage
•Headphones should be versatile, open and upgradeable(balanced?)
•Would like to keep budget for all 3 components, cables, etc. to no more than $4000-4500, but anything that could lower the cost would be much aprreciated. This would have to be a sick setup, so wow me. BTW, I prefer black, but looks are not my primary concern.
Anyway, let's start with what I want to achieve and what I have to work with. I want to play ALAC(in the process of re-ripping all my CDs
The headphones I am leaning towards, again from my extensive reading, are the LCD-2. They sound like they have all the characteristics I want out of a set of phones for home. Specifically, range and accuracy. I definitely want open cans as a counter to my Ed8s, which are primarily for portable use, but could see use at home when I feel the need for isolation. This should probably be kept in mind regarding my choices of equipment as I'd like it to be versatile enough to support both.
Again, nothing is decided. Like should I go balanced vs single-ended? I just have things in mind, so please suggest away. To help you help me narrow down my choices, here are some details, including the all-important budget. If there is anymore info you need, ask away. I would like to have all of this by end of year, but if I can pull it off by the Summer, that would be a bonus. BTW, I'd love to hear from Skylab as I find him to be very knowledgeable and his posts have taught me quite a bit in the short time I've been pursuing this hobby. This in no way diminishes my opinion of the other great minds on this site
•Music will be mostly ALAC ripped from CD. Remainder will be 320 mp3
•Genres range from Rock to Pop, R&B to Bluegrass and almost everything in between, with an emphasis on female vocals(think Alison Krauss)
•Mac mini with USB/Optical will be primary source
•Tube amp is preference for ability to tune sound, but want to be able to do this without scouring the net for numerous exotic models-See Apex Peak as good example of what I'm after
•DAC with crossfeed capability would be a plus, ala Meier Stage
•Headphones should be versatile, open and upgradeable(balanced?)
•Would like to keep budget for all 3 components, cables, etc. to no more than $4000-4500, but anything that could lower the cost would be much aprreciated. This would have to be a sick setup, so wow me. BTW, I prefer black, but looks are not my primary concern.
I'm going the nearfield monitor route first though (probably Focals) and in future I'll think about a headphone amp. Intend on getting the Synology DS411J NAS as an iTunes server, filling it with four 2-3TB drives and like you, ripping all my CDs to ALAC and then the Syn will offer some data redundancy as well as future expansion.
