[Schopenhauer]

What's the ADP? Alpha Dog Prime? If so, is that just an Alpha Dog that's been upgraded? If that, how would the Alpha Dog Prime be different from the Alpha Prime?

 

[Maelob]

the headphone is call apha dog prime, which is an upgraded version of Alpha Dog. as far as i know people refer to the Alpha dog prime as alpha prime.

 

[SuperU]

  What's the ADP? Alpha Dog Prime? If so, is that just an Alpha Dog that's been upgraded? If that, how would the Alpha Dog Prime be different from the Alpha Prime?

It is an upgraded Mad Dog. You can see it on their website: www.mrspeakers.com. 
 
It is not an Alpha Dog. That is one step up. It is a cross between the Mad Dog and Alpha Dog. The Alpha Prime is their TOTL headphone. The MDP costs $450 and Alpha Prime is $1000. 

 

[PacoTaco]

  You are a classy guy PacoTaco. I like the respect with which you talk about the Alpha Prime's. I think Dan does an awesome job. He told me I'd like the Prime's more but was thinking with a limited mind set so bought the ADP. Wish I had gone with the Prime's but still, I really like what I have from him. Think I will add to my collection with another flavor to have a variety. 

Thank you SuperU. He does a good job. The Alpha Dog and Alpha Prime really do sound like different headphones completely, as the Alpha Prime seems to sound like a upgrade to the Mad Dog more than the Alpha Dog. The oddity is that I like the Mad Dogs, at least in short bursts.
 

  Weird. But isn't the T1 a bright headphone? I know I found the T90 unlistenable in the long run. The TH900 is also supposed to have issues with treble etch, as is the HE-560. And I've heard that some people - over in the Pyrate Republic - find the LCD-XC to have a bright treble.

Yes. I had actually used tubes with the T1, which made it a very nice headphone (since it does better when paired with a mid-centric or warmer amp/tubes.) I modded the HE-560's with the Jerg mods, which made them excellent also, and tamed the treble quite a bit. I more like a smooth FR, which the Alpha Primes don't have towards the higher end. I can see why people would like that, but I dislike sudden transitions like that (as in the dip in the uppermids then the sudden spike at 10k hz.)

 

[Schopenhauer]

Interesting. In what way is the AP similar to the MD? Also, did you ever try the AP with a powerful tube amp? I really like mine with the Dragon IHA-1. 

 

[PacoTaco]

Interesting. In what way is the AP similar to the MD? Also, did you ever try the AP with a powerful tube amp? I really like mine with the Dragon IHA-1. 

 


I tried them with a Lyr 2, but none of the tubes I had sounded very good with them. And they're like the AP in the fact they're more tilted for fun and Audeze-like (but not quite there) sound than the neutral-dark Alpha Dogs.

 

[jk47]

comparison of alpha prime and akg k812.  
 
these are about as different totl phones as you can get.  the k812 is OPEN [not just "open"].  they are as airy a phone as anything i've ever heard.  in comparison, my [former] hd700 was very enclosed.  i was curious about how the primes compared with the k812 on sound and soundstage.
 
although the primes sound very open for a closed phone, they are not as open as the k812 - that was clear.  the soundstage of the primes was limited, although interestingly i would say it was bigger than the soundstage produced by the hd700 [from my memory].
 
i compared the upper bass, midrange and treble on the 2nd movement of schubert's 14th string quartet, death and the maiden, as played by the melos quartet.  trebles and mids on the primes were spot on compared to the 812's. the bass on the primes, which i thought was a little loose when i first tried the phones, has tightened up after about 50-70 hours of burn in.  i compared the 2 listening to the second movement of scubert's 20th piano sonata, which has some quiet deep bass notes underlying its first several minutes.  i think the primes actually had a bit more texture on these notes than the 812's.  i could hear a bit more of the attack, and the notes sounded more like a piano.  with a little less texture those deep notes sounded a little like they were synthesized with the 812's - i couldn't hear the attack as well, nor the sense of piano strings vibrating.  [this was a small difference, very subtle, but i went back and forth several times].  i also compared bass reproduction with charlie hayden and pat methany's "first song (for ruth)" in which hayden goes very deep on his string bass.  this was the song on which the primes sounded a little loose at first.  no more.
 
overall the 812's are more neutral, the primes very slightly, but distinctly warm in comparison.  i had the words "burnished" and "like polished brass" occur to me while listening with the primes compared to the 812's.   i don't think i could have noticed the warmth of the primes except in direct comparison to the 812's.  

 

[reddog]

A good comparison and contrast between the AKG K812 and the Alpha Prime's.

 

[swspiers]

A good comparison and contrast between the AKG K812 and the Alpha Prime's.

Agreed.
 
I finally have my Primes fired up on a Modi/Magni rig.  All I can say is wowza!  Not as refined or full as my Benchmark/Burson rig, but so close, and for a fraction of the money.  With subtle EQ in Jriver, I'd be hard pressed to actually hear a substantial difference.
 
Either way, the Primes are a joy to experience, and as a good friend of ours would say, "They sing like a muse of fire"
 

 

 

[Vangelis]

Selling a pair of Primes. Anyone ideas on what amount  I should post them for sale for?

 

[PacoTaco]

Selling a pair of Primes. Anyone ideas on what amount  I should post them for sale for?

If you're patient, go for 850. If you want a quick sale, http://www.head-fi.org/u/418953/shaunst that gentleman wanted mine for 750, but I got a slightly better offer with no PayPal fees soon after. PM him and see if he's still interested.

 

[aamefford]

Selling a pair of Primes. Anyone ideas on what amount  I should post them for sale for?

$50. I'll take em.

Seriously, not sure. I look for 20% off to 30% off of retail plus tax plus shipping for good to excellent gear when I buy used. Sometimes I find what I want in my price range, sometimes not. Maybe give yourself a little bargaining room from your listed price.

 

[reddog]

Agreed.

I finally have my Primes fired up on a Modi/Magni rig.  All I can say is wowza!  Not as refined or full as my Benchmark/Burson rig, but so close, and for a fraction of the money.  With subtle EQ in Jriver, I'd be hard pressed to actually hear a substantial difference.

Either way, the Primes are a joy to experience, and as a good friend of ours would say, "They sing like a muse of fire"

 

I have been tempted to get the modi 2 Uber, so I have a inexpensive dac to use, till I get the Yggdrasil. I must reward my Alpha Prime's for singing like a muse of fire.

 

[aamefford]

I have been tempted to get the modi 2 Uber, so I have a inexpensive dac to use, till I get the Yggdrasil. I must reward my Alpha Prime's for singing like a muse of fire.

For the record, we are capping on our dear friend who's last name sounds like "Mercer", right? Good naturedly as well. A great guy, if way over the top.

I have been using the Oppo HA-1. It is quite good. My fave was the Bifrost Uber + Asgaard 2. The Schiit stack, when analyzed against the HA-1 by going both DACs into HA-1 amp, then both into A2 amp were really, really close. The amps are both discreet class A, and were essentially indistinguishable. The dacs differed ever so slightly with the HA-1 leaning to bright and detailed, the BF Uber ever so slightly smoother. These differences were near indescernable. In the end I went with the HA-1, as I was a beta tester, it was a gift from Oppo, sounded excellent and was a bit like a child since I helped ever so slightly to hatch it. Plus, the build quality is simply stunning. On sound alone, I'd take the Schiit stack by a red hair. I really want a Lyr2, which I would run from the analog out of the HA-1, at least for now.

 

[wahsmoh]

For the record, we are capping on our dear friend who's last name sounds like "Mercer", right? Good naturedly as well. A great guy, if way over the top.

I have been using the Oppo HA-1. It is quite good. My fave was the Bifrost Uber + Asgaard 2. The Schiit stack, when analyzed against the HA-1 by going both DACs into HA-1 amp, then both into A2 amp were really, really close. The amps are both discreet class A, and were essentially indistinguishable. The dacs differed ever so slightly with the HA-1 leaning to bright and detailed, the BF Uber ever so slightly smoother. These differences were near indescernable. In the end I went with the HA-1, as I was a beta tester, it was a gift from Oppo, sounded excellent and was a bit like a child since I helped ever so slightly to hatch it. Plus, the build quality is simply stunning. On sound alone, I'd take the Schiit stack by a red hair. I really want a Lyr2, which I would run from the analog out of the HA-1, at least for now.

I've been looking at an all-in-one balanced unit and the Oppo HA-1 and Aune S16 are both in the ballpark of what I'm looking for. The difference is that the HA-1 has balanced DAC and amp, while the S16 has balanced DAC and SE headphone. Also the S16 costs $599-$699 retail and the Oppo HA-1 is $1200. The Oppo HA-1 has an ESS Sabre32 9018 and the S16 has the new AKM4495EQ that is capable of DSD as well. I'm hoping someone can come into possession of both units and do a brief comparison because both seem like the Chinese tech advances I've been waiting for. The HA-1 is the much more aesthetically appealing unit but the S16 has a very promising looking DAC section that has never been implemented in any other DACs yet so far.