[BournePerfect]

Yep here it is:
 
     i@coolfungadget.com
 
-Daniel

 

[RipcordAFF]

Hm, thats the one I have been using. I have been trying to speak with him regarding a warranty repair issue with my M-Stage....I hope he isn't just ignoring my emails...
Quote:

Yep here it is:
 
     i@coolfungadget.com
 
-Daniel

 

[BournePerfect]

I doubt it. He's really hit and miss on his timing. My first email took 3 days for a reply (during the business week), and the others usually a day or two. Keep in mind the time differential as well.
 
-Daniel

 

[jeff119]

Omg, I am struck at the coupon page.
I cant enter my payment details.
Quote:

http://coolfungadget.com/store/   That's where I got mine and quite a few others here did too.
Quote:

So i am thinking bout buying one of these amps... question is... Where? Any legit online site that sells it?

 

[BournePerfect]

Ripcord: I just got another email back from him 5 minutes ago, FWIW. Hope he's not avoiding your issue!
 
Jeff: I had the same issue when I tried ordering from him a few months ago. And frankly, I can't remember how I resolved it! It may have had something to do with my PayPal account or google checkout or something. If you can't figure it out, just order from hllyaudio.com which is where I got my first m-stage from...
 
-Daniel

 

[jeff119]

I mananged to contact him using the email above and he fixed the issue. thanks.

 

[RipcordAFF]

.......hmmmm

 

[TheMiddleSky]

why I always feel that m-stage is a bit lack of imaging? though they have awesome midrange, full bodied good for vocal.

 

[Mad Max]

 
Quote:

why I always feel that m-stage is a bit lack of imaging? though they have awesome midrange, full bodied good for vocal.

You want ADA4627-1 in the opamp socket. 

Or you want to switch to ATH-A1000X or just flat out upgrade to A2000X. 

 

[BournePerfect]

How well do the Audio Technicas pair with the m-stage? Also, how does the OPA627AP compare to the ADA4627-1, if you've heard both?
 
-Daniel

 
Quote:

 
Quote:

why I always feel that m-stage is a bit lack of imaging? though they have awesome midrange, full bodied good for vocal.

You want ADA4627-1 in the opamp socket. 

Or you want to switch to ATH-A1000X or just flat out upgrade to A2000X. 

 

[igotnojob]

 
Quote:

why I always feel that m-stage is a bit lack of imaging? though they have awesome midrange, full bodied good for vocal.

Lately, I've been getting that same impression. I like the crisp but warm tone that the M-Stage puts out but the imaging is somewhat lacking with my HD800. This is something I would not have noticed without having a WA2 to compare the M-Stage to. The HD800 is widely acknowledged here as having excellent imaging characteristics and I really do agree with that compared to the other phones I own (T1, HD580, K701). It just seems that, compared to my WA2, running the HD800 off the M-Stage sounds more closed in and less expansive. That being said, I prefer the tone of the M-Stage to the WA2 with the HD800 with my current tube setup (RCA 6AS7G power tubes, Amperex Holland Bugle Boy drivers, and Mullard rectifiers - my warm "tubey" setup which I use for the T1). The M-Stage sounds more defined and precise with the HD800 than with the WA2 with that tube complement. I will say that the HD800 sounds its best with the stock WA2 tubes (a more solid state sounding setup) regaining the crisp, laserlike defined tone with the wide-open soundstage. But I hate having to remove and replace 6 tubes every time I want to switch from T1 to HD800 so, for now, the T1 on Woo 2 and HD800 on the M-Stage is the best compromise for me.
 
Back to the imaging, having heard the possibility for improving the soundstage of the HD800 from that of the M-Stage, I'd like to investigate another amp to try. I think I like the solid-state sound for the HD800. I wonder if a DNA Sonett/WA6SE (ss-like tube) or a Meier Corda Concerto/SPL Auditor (ss) is in my future. It just sucks to have to drop a grand every time I feel like I might be able to upgrade a sonic feature.

 

[purrin]

If you want better imaging on the M-Stage, get rid of those input caps - both the 1.5uF boxes and the smaller bypass caps. Solder a wire in the place of the 1.5uF caps or replace with boutique caps (Sonicaps aren't too expensive). This is assuming your source / DAC has no DC offset, which it shouldn't. This mod will make the amp sound leaner with much more air and expansive soundstage. If you want to warm things back up, you'll have to play with the PS caps or op-amp. Also, if you haven't already done so, get rid of the stock OPA2134.

 

[kwang411]

Quote:

Lately, I've been getting that same impression. I like the crisp but warm tone that the M-Stage puts out but the imaging is somewhat lacking with my HD800. This is something I would not have noticed without having a WA2 to compare the M-Stage to. The HD800 is widely acknowledged here as having excellent imaging characteristics and I really do agree with that compared to the other phones I own (T1, HD580, K701). It just seems that, compared to my WA2, running the HD800 off the M-Stage sounds more closed in and less expansive. That being said, I prefer the tone of the M-Stage to the WA2 with the HD800 with my current tube setup (RCA 6AS7G power tubes, Amperex Holland Bugle Boy drivers, and Mullard rectifiers - my warm "tubey" setup which I use for the T1). The M-Stage sounds more defined and precise with the HD800 than with the WA2 with that tube complement. I will say that the HD800 sounds its best with the stock WA2 tubes (a more solid state sounding setup) regaining the crisp, laserlike defined tone with the wide-open soundstage. But I hate having to remove and replace 6 tubes every time I want to switch from T1 to HD800 so, for now, the T1 on Woo 2 and HD800 on the M-Stage is the best compromise for me.
 
Back to the imaging, having heard the possibility for improving the soundstage of the HD800 from that of the M-Stage, I'd like to investigate another amp to try. I think I like the solid-state sound for the HD800. I wonder if a DNA Sonett/WA6SE (ss-like tube) or a Meier Corda Concerto/SPL Auditor (ss) is in my future. It just sucks to have to drop a grand every time I feel like I might be able to upgrade a sonic feature.

I'm interested in getting the matrix for my HD800 as well..looking for a warm and more full-bodied sound.
Are you using the default opa2134? From my experience i find that opamp to have poorer imaging compared to say opa2228. Have you tried using a diff opamp?
 

 

[igotnojob]

 
Quote:

If you want better imaging on the M-Stage, get rid of those input caps - both the 1.5uF boxes and the smaller bypass caps. Solder a wire in the place of the 1.5uF caps or replace with boutique caps (Sonicaps aren't too expensive). This is assuming your source / DAC has no DC offset, which it shouldn't. This mod will make the amp sound leaner with much more air and expansive soundstage. If you want to warm things back up, you'll have to play with the PS caps or op-amp. Also, if you haven't already done so, get rid of the stock OPA2134.

 
Quote:

Are you using the default opa2134? From my experience i find that opamp to have poorer imaging compared to say opa2228. Have you tried using a diff opamp?
 

I am using a Yulong D100 DAC which sounds pretty good to me so far. I'd like to try something like changing out the caps in the M-Stage but my soldering skills are rubbish. I've never used the stock opamps, I've been using OPA627AP biased into Class A from day one. I suppose I could try rolling some different opamps to see how that changes the sound signature.
 
Don't get me wrong; I really like my M-Stage. It was the biggest leap in the amp link of my chain since moving from portable amps. The difference between the M-Stage and the portables was much more significant than the leap in quality from the M-Stage to the WA2 (especially for non-vocal instrumental/classical and acoustic music). I just have a few quibbles with the soundstage when compared with the Woo. It would have been different had I never heard the WA2 but it's hard to unlearn something once it is in your mind. The difference may be considered subtle for some but it is definitely and palpably there. The best analog I can relate the difference in sound quality between the portables to the M-Stage would be when moving up from Monster Beats to the HD580/600/K701. The comparison between the M-Stage to the WA2 would be more like going from the HD580/K701 to the T1/HD800. Like many, I loved the sound of my HD580 and the clarity of the K701. I didn't think it was possible to really improve on that sound. And so it was with a very skeptical attitude that I spent a lot of money getting the T1 and the HD800. But once I heard them, I knew there was a readily apparent difference in the resolution and sound quality of the flagships. It may not have been as dramatic as the previous step up but, in some ways, it was just as profound hearing the heights of sonic purity out of a pair of headphones. Such is how I feel about the graduated steps in the amps I currently own. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss (especially since getting that extra 15% of sound may come at the expense of the M-Stage's price several times over).

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Quote:

 
Quote:

why I always feel that m-stage is a bit lack of imaging? though they have awesome midrange, full bodied good for vocal.

You want ADA4627-1 in the opamp socket. 

Or you want to switch to ATH-A1000X or just flat out upgrade to A2000X. 

 
the problem is more cause by amp, not the headphone. And I doubt I'll like A1000x/2000x, i'm huge fans of open back cans


Quote:

 
Quote:

why I always feel that m-stage is a bit lack of imaging? though they have awesome midrange, full bodied good for vocal.

Lately, I've been getting that same impression. I like the crisp but warm tone that the M-Stage puts out but the imaging is somewhat lacking with my HD800. This is something I would not have noticed without having a WA2 to compare the M-Stage to. The HD800 is widely acknowledged here as having excellent imaging characteristics and I really do agree with that compared to the other phones I own (T1, HD580, K701). It just seems that, compared to my WA2, running the HD800 off the M-Stage sounds more closed in and less expansive. That being said, I prefer the tone of the M-Stage to the WA2 with the HD800 with my current tube setup (RCA 6AS7G power tubes, Amperex Holland Bugle Boy drivers, and Mullard rectifiers - my warm "tubey" setup which I use for the T1). The M-Stage sounds more defined and precise with the HD800 than with the WA2 with that tube complement. I will say that the HD800 sounds its best with the stock WA2 tubes (a more solid state sounding setup) regaining the crisp, laserlike defined tone with the wide-open soundstage. But I hate having to remove and replace 6 tubes every time I want to switch from T1 to HD800 so, for now, the T1 on Woo 2 and HD800 on the M-Stage is the best compromise for me.
 
Back to the imaging, having heard the possibility for improving the soundstage of the HD800 from that of the M-Stage, I'd like to investigate another amp to try. I think I like the solid-state sound for the HD800. I wonder if a DNA Sonett/WA6SE (ss-like tube) or a Meier Corda Concerto/SPL Auditor (ss) is in my future. It just sucks to have to drop a grand every time I feel like I might be able to upgrade a sonic feature.

yeah, the sound is full, but more to "close" side, also I feel m-stage has 2D imaging, and a bit lack of vertical space. Internal amp of uDac2 even has deeper bass than m-stage (tried with some songs from Avril Lavigne). Strange I know, I also never expected this before.
 
it's not that I hate m-stage, because they have really good midrange, warm tone while still retaining good tranparency and not too sterile sounding. But as a really famous budget desktop amp, I think m-stage can be better for imaging wise.
 
 
 
Quote:

If you want better imaging on the M-Stage, get rid of those input caps - both the 1.5uF boxes and the smaller bypass caps. Solder a wire in the place of the 1.5uF caps or replace with boutique caps (Sonicaps aren't too expensive). This is assuming your source / DAC has no DC offset, which it shouldn't. This mod will make the amp sound leaner with much more air and expansive soundstage. If you want to warm things back up, you'll have to play with the PS caps or op-amp. Also, if you haven't already done so, get rid of the stock OPA2134.

I think, I'll just try another amps, modding amps isn't my biggest hobby