[lescanard]

Quote:

The Sheer audio ha-006 isn't  "too powerful" for grados, but the default gain is too high. If you get one with a lower gain it would be fine for sensitive headphones like grados as well.

I'm not sure that's the point. I strongly considered the Sheer Audio, finally decided on the Matrix. My opinion is the Matrix is an amazing amp IMO, I've of course never heard the Sheer and suspect it's fantastic as well. My problem with it is it's missing adjustable gain...I would have had to have ordered a 3 gain on the Sheer with my phones and in the event I ever decided to buy a Beyer DT880 600ohm down the road (which I may), I would have been disappointed and probably had to buy another amp for those phones. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm reading on the Sheer thread about having to solder stuff to change gain...I just don't have the capability. 

 

[Pariah1]

Very seriously thinking of trying one of these.
 
I currently have an Head Direct EF-1, and it is nice sounding amp.
 
But I bought it for my Grado 225i's and then I got the AKG 702's which I prefer overall more. But it just seems the 702's want more power, so I'd like to go all SS and try an amp like this with them, and see if my EF-1 really isn't driving them as well as I suspect they can be.
 
It would be nice to have an adjustable gain so my 225i's as well as my 702's will sound great off of one amp, as well as any cans I might get in the future.
 
(Thanks to Frank I for bringing my attention to this amp over in the Heed thread; something tells me the Heed is over hyped and too colored).

 

[buz]

Loving this more and more (I don't think the sound changed much at all though) - I think amp wise, I really am covered now
 
Isn't the EF1 supposed to deliver oodles of power and actually able to drive the notorious HE5 properly?
 
Just listening to Prodigy's Their Law. Always impressive, but even more impressive with the speed the M-Stage pushes it towards you. I also feel it is really transparent (wire with gain if you want), does not seem to color any of the sources I throw at it (right now using the Clip to feed it )

 

[Frank I]

Quote:

Very seriously thinking of trying one of these.
 
I currently have an Head Direct EF-1, and it is nice sounding amp.
 
But I bought it for my Grado 225i's and then I got the AKG 702's which I prefer overall more. But it just seems the 702's want more power, so I'd like to go all SS and try an amp like this with them, and see if my EF-1 really isn't driving them as well as I suspect they can be.
 
It would be nice to have an adjustable gain so my 225i's as well as my 702's will sound great off of one amp, as well as any cans I might get in the future.
 
(Thanks to Frank I for bringing my attention to this amp over in the Heed thread; something tells me the Heed is over hyped and too colored).

Your welcome as you can see there hasn't been one negative mentioned on thhe Matrix and it is IMHO everything I need to power the 701 and anything else I throw at it. The gain switches are a plus and easy. The amp in my two weeks was more than expected. Very satisfied

 

[Frank I]

Quote:

Loving this more and more (I don't think the sound changed much at all though) - I think amp wise, I really am covered now
 
Isn't the EF1 supposed to deliver oodles of power and actually able to drive the notorious HE5 properly?
 
Just listening to Prodigy's Their Law. Always impressive, but even more impressive with the speed the M-Stage pushes it towards you. I also feel it is really transparent (wire with gain if you want), does not seem to color any of the sources I throw at it (right now using the Clip to feed it )

I agree that the sound did not change much and I have over 150 hrs on it. It opened  up slightly. Now I am thinking of getting the AT 1000X as another can. Been busy selling off some vinyl to fund next purchase.

 

[buz]

Hehe, looking at a K701 myself but I'm afraid it would be too bass light

 

[Frank I]

Quote:

Hehe, looking at a K701 myself but I'm afraid it would be too bass light

People say that but I will tell you no way is it bass light. Playing the patricia barber Companion which has the best acoustic bass I ever heard recorded and with the matrix and the 701 the bass notes are all defined and you can clearly hear the drum set and inner bongo sound verly clearly. The bass on the 701is both accurate and deep not tipped  or boosted its the way it sounds live.

 

[lescanard]

Quote:

Hehe, looking at a K701 myself but I'm afraid it would be too bass light

I very much enjoy the bass from my D2000s (which many think is too much) - however I can honestly say that the k701s have outstanding bass presentation even in comparison. There's no doubt that the Denons and AKGs are different in that area - however I really like the contrast. That's obviously just my opinion - but the bass in my k701s (esp. when driven from the M-Stage) is so spot on for me. Perhaps if you crave/need that bass thumping sound all the time it may not appeal to you - but I don't find them light at all. Plus they really shine with this amp! Just my 2 cents. 

 

[lescanard]

I'm interested if anyone has (or considered) rolling in some different op-amps into the M-Stage. I haven't even cracked it open - but have a accumulated a few for my LD I+ (LT1364, LM4562, OPA2107). I'm not sure if there is a list or someone knows op-amps that may be compatible (or not)? I'm not even sure if I need to do this - but you know how it goes always wanting to tweak. Any thoughts? 

 

[Frank I]

Quote:

I'm interested if anyone has (or considered) rolling in some different op-amps into the M-Stage. I haven't even cracked it open - but have a accumulated a few for my LD I+ (LT1364, LM4562, OPA2107). I'm not sure if there is a list or someone knows op-amps that may be compatible (or not)? I'm not even sure if I need to do this - but you know how it goes always wanting to tweak. Any thoughts? 

The is a huge op-amp thread posted on head Fi. I like the sound of it now and don't know how much better it can get but it may interesting.

 

[spookygonk]

Hm, thinking about one of these amps or a Little Dot MkV (or the cheaper Audio-GD Sparrow) for my first desktop SS amp. I have Senn HD580/600 & AKG K701 headphones. The M-Stage reads to handle these HP very well.
 
edit The Matrix Mini-i is only £40 more expensive than the M-Stage. Is it a better choice being an amp & dac rather than just the amp of the M-Stage?

 

[Pariah1]

 
Quote:

Isn't the EF1 supposed to deliver oodles of power and actually able to drive the notorious HE5 properly?
 

That's the EF-5 I think, the successor to the EF-1.
 
I really should compare the specs of the EF-1 to this and other amps I'm considering, to see if they are really more powerful or not.

 
Quote:

Your welcome as you can see there hasn't been one negative mentioned on thhe Matrix and it is IMHO everything I need to power the 701 and anything else I throw at it. The gain switches are a plus and easy. The amp in my two weeks was more than expected. Very satisfied

I actually haven't read all through this thread yet (but I plan to shortly). One reason I'm tempted to get it is because it's cheap enough that if for some reason I didn't like it or it didn't seem much more powerful than my EF-1, I could resell it. Or I could resell my EF-1 and get most of the money back I spent on the Matrix.

 
Quote:

Hehe, looking at a K701 myself but I'm afraid it would be too bass light

No way, as others have said. It has very deep and powerful bass when called for, so much so in fact that there have been numerous times I thought that I had my sub on even though I knew I didn't. It just doesn't have bloated, muddy low mid range posing as bass as some people seem to like.

The bass it has is very articulate and textured as well, and tight/taut. Love it, perfect for me.

 
Quote:

Hm, thinking about one of these amps or a Little Dot MkV (or the cheaper Audio-GD Sparrow) for my first desktop SS amp. I have Senn HD580/600 & AKG K701 headphones. The M-Stage reads to handle these HP very well.

I don't think you could go wrong with any of those really. IMO almost any amp compared to no amp will be a plus, and one of quality like those will be more like a revelation.

 

[sLaYDeMOn]

d7000's

 

[sLaYDeMOn]

anyone use the m-stage with the d7000's?

 

[Frank I]

I was wondering id they would drive the Planar Head Direct. I am down to three can for upgrade and love Planars. Any opinioons as i am looking at the Denon d7000,ATW1000X and the new Head Direct.