billbillw
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2007
- Posts
- 87
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- 10
^ Is this a good combo or are there better matches in the used market for under $220?
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I ran a HeadFive with a HD-650 for awhile. Not a bad combination, but Dr. Meier's amps like a bit of input voltage. Are you going to run it with a traditional stereo component (e.g. CD player, phono preamp) or with an iPod or other DAP? I found that my iPod didn't drive the HeadFive especially well. A CD player, DAC and phono stage, however, were much better. And have you tried crossfeed? If you haven't, the Arietta is a great way to find whether or not you like it. If you go with one of these, give crossfeed a try. It will narrow the soundstage and soften the sound, which you might not like at first. But play a couple of albums at a time through crossfeed and you might come to enjoy it. |
Originally Posted by ninjapixie /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the Arietta-HD580 combo. I don't really think much of the Arietta considering it barely made a difference compared to the headphone out of an old Sony Discman (I actually preferred the sound of the Discman). I'd sell the Arietta but I need it if I'm using my cd player (840c) as a source, which is in another class compared to the Discman. |
Originally Posted by nautikal They were very similar. The meier was a bit warmer and the Gilmore was more crisp. For the money, the Arietta is a much better buy... there's definitely not a $100+ difference and you also have to consider the fact that the Arietta has crossfeed. |
Crossfeed isn't meant to change channel separation, I believe. It's meant to make headphone listening more natural. For accurate info on crossfeed you can visit Meier Audio website. By using the 60's rock example I think you may have misunderstood what the crossfeed design is for. Personally, if I'm given a choice between a free RSA Apache running fully balanced v. Arietta, I'd still have to choose the Arietta because I just have to have crossfeed. |