[cravenz]

Quote:

Haha - No - I have actually made a concerted effort to listen to my music at lower levels so I can still listen when I get "up there" in years. Sometimes I have a craving to juice it up a bit - I just resist the urge now. Obviously depends on the actual phones I'm using...

hahahaha...quite a smart choice. maybe I should do that as well lol. I'm so screwed

 

[francisdemarte]

Quote:

Get someone to build you a Gamma2?

Check out the Dr. DAC2 DX, suppose to be pretty close to the Gamma2. 
 
http://www.headfonia.com/?p=4224
 

 

[daisangen]

Still no comparision between the two versions? I just pulled the trigger and am hoping for the best. At least the MK2 looks very nice and refined inside.

 

[BlackstoneJD]

<redacted>

 

[sainthoodx]

Not quite the DT880 - 600ohms, but today I just received my new DT990 - 600ohms - after about 3-4 hours of some burn-in I am listening through the M-Stage for the first time. I wasn't sure how it would handle the 600ohm phones - have my gain at 10 for my k701s and D2000s - and would like to keep a common gain and not have to switch for each phone unless I have to. My initial first impression is that I am incredibly impressed. Volume wise I just need to bump it up to 1:30-ish - my Denon and AKGs are at 10 o'clock with the Matrix on 10 gain. Controlled, quiet, smooth and really a beautiful soundstage - I do not notice any recessed mids some talk about with these phones.
 
I've always wanted some Beyers - chose the 990s over the 880s because I wanted a little more on the low end - with strong highs and thought the 880s may be too similar to my k701s. It's early early but I think I'm gonna really love these - they seem to be a combo of what I love about both the Denons and the AKGs - really beautiful detail (esp. on the high end) while some great thump on the low end. Hopefully I'm not being redundant owning these 3 - if so - I'll just sell the one that gets the least head time.
 
In summary after a first listen - the M-Stage handles these 600ohm Beyers just like I thought it would - this should be a superb match!   

Thanks, this is hopeful! Any word from the DT880 / 600ohmz crowd??

 

[project86]

 
Nevermind, figured it out.

 

[BlackstoneJD]

nevermind.

 

[sh00t4par]

I just wanted to say I got the new M Stage today and so far it sounds great. All my HP's sound great even the DT880 600 Ohm. Although I prefer the sound I get with my tube amp with the DT880 but that isn't shocking as the Beyers pair well with tubes. I got great service from Jeffrey and the amp shipped last Friday so I'd say that is pretty fast service. Tomorrow I will be receiving a Grado RS1i that I purchased from a seller on these boards. I am really looking forward to how those sound with this amp!
 

 

[Sid-Fi]

Gratz on the new gear. I've heard a lot of positive feedback on the RS1i and look forward to your impressions on how it goes with your new M-Stage. I'd also love to hear if/how the sound of your M-Stage changes over time.

 

[purrin]

Ordered my M-Stage (the newer version with the encapsulated toroid) last Thursday, item got shipped on Friday, and I received it yesterday! There's definitely a reason why coolfungadget has 100% feedback.
 
The amp sounds nice with the PS1000. Right now, I actually prefer this amp to the Melos with the PS1000. Bass and treble are extended, there is no hint of treble harshness, and instrument separation is very good. There is no hint of congestion. And oh ya, the amp has very good control and is fast! The driver stage is also very transparent and neutral - you can easily make out the differences when rolling opamps.  After playing around with a few I had on hand, I finally settled on the stock OPA2134 with the PS1000 (there is probably a reason why the OPA2134 is so ubiquitous, but your mileage may vary according to your setup.) 
 
Here is a summary:
 

• OPA2107 - Some consider it a baby 2 channel OPA627. One of my favorites overall but didn't work well in this setu[. Very clear and clean sounding.  Too airy - typically, I like to pair up the OPA2107 up with grungy sounding driver stages. This opamp didn't work well because of the combination of the PS1000's inherent U curve (treble bump) and cleanliness of the driver stage. But I'm thinking the OPA2107 would work well with Denons and Senn 650s.
• JRC4556 - Actually not bad in terms of sound balance - warm with attenuated treble. There is a reason why Grado uses this cheap chip in the RA1. Ultimately not as fast or clear as the others.
• OPA2604 - Dark sounding - a little bit nasal. This didn't work at all.
• OPA2111 - Very similar to stock OPA2134. I think the bass is a tad less tubby compared to OPA2134, but less in volume.

 
Hoping to get some OPA627s mounted on an adapter. This would probably be the sound I would be looking for. In closing, I think this amp belongs more on the "musical" (I hate using this term) side than the "straight wire with gain" side.

 

[ConGrUenCy]

Quote:

Gratz on the new gear. I've heard a lot of positive feedback on the RS1i and look forward to your impressions on how it goes with your new M-Stage. I'd also love to hear if/how the sound of your M-Stage changes over time.

Could you please post your impressions with the Grado phones, since I currently own the Grado Sr225i and am considering buying this amp, since it seems to be an all rounder, unlike certain amps that are nly good for certain impedences (like the LD 1+).

 

[purrin]

^ Listening to my HF2s from the M-Stage right now and I can confirm that these work well very with Grado's. GnR and Scorpions guitar work sound just as crunchy as ever. BTW, this was also a question of mine because I couldn't find a lot information of how this amp (or the BCL) would perform with Grado's. To me, this amp wasn't that expensive, so I just pulled to trigger to find out. Well to my relief this amp does indeed work well with Grado's.
 
I don't have my SR-80s and RS2s anymore, but I do know (from experience) that you have to be careful with certain solid state amps in regards to Grado's. A bad match can result in awful headaches because the high-mid / low-treble emphasis of these 'phones. My post above regarding the M-Stage with PS1000s also apply to the HF2 (after all, being Grado's they both share similar driver technology). 
 
This amp is smooth, very smooth - you will not get an ear splitting headache from prolonged listening with Grado's. Without proper amping, the lower end Grado's can have problems (comparatively) with muddy bass and congestion in loud passages. The M-Stage controls these aspects very well. The sound signature is a wee tiny bit side of warm (probably from the OPA2132) - not overly warm - but it's a bit deceptive because the midrange and treble are very smooth, yet still very evident. Bass and treble sounded a bit more extended on the HF2.
 
Finally, the dip switches on the bottom allow you to have a gain of 1. This is really really nice for high sensitivity 'phones like Grado's because you can have your volume knob set at the 12 - 2 o'clock position, instead of the usual 8-9 o'clock position of many other amps. This was another reason I wanted to at least try this amp out. I had considered the Audio-gd C2, but I think that amp's got an insane amount of gain built-in. I know this sounds like a stupid consideration, but if you've got little kids running around the house who like to turn knobs all the way clockwise, it's an important one.
 
In regards to the SR225i, it's not nearly as bassy as the HF2, but I feel you will still get good results with this amp. You can always swap opamps to tweak the sound a bit.
 
As an aside, I've got this amp on for at least 36 hours straight now. It sounds smoother and more detailed now than when it first arrived. I am rather amazed at how good it is considering its price. It does everything solidly well with no weaknesses in any one area. This is one of those amps that does really well in bringing out the best (or worst) aspects of the source - digging out the tiniest details, etc. You open up the amp and you are dumbfounded how a cheap (but good sounding) opamp followed by two pairs of transistors can sound so good. It's probably in the details of the implementation - PCB layout, component selection and quality, and those big ass Nichicon caps in the power supply.

 

[francisdemarte]

Just received my "Lovely Cube" clone of the LBC. I'll be posting my impressions this weekend, probably in a separate thread to keep this one on topic.

 

[ConGrUenCy]

Thanks for the reply purrin. Atm, the main contenders are this one and the Schiit Asgard, since they are both within the same price range.

 

[purrin]

LOL, I might pick up the Schiit too.