[greenkiwi]

@julz any chance you can try the headphones with other headphone amps? Just to narrow down the problem?

I did find that how good a seal I got really effected the bass.

 

[CasperBxl]

  Hey everyone,
 
Have many people here had experience with MrSpeakers-Europe?
I am planning to order the Alpha Primes next month and it will be a lot cheaper ordering from Europe to the UK as no import fees.
MrSpeakers USA seems to provide the best customer service though, so I am tempted to order direct from the USA even if it will cost me more money.
 
Any opinions on ordering from Europe compared to importing would be greatly appreciated.

 
I live in Belgium and got mine directly from MrSpeakers USA.
(I did not know we had a dealer in EU before)

 

[Julz-]

@julz any chance you can try the headphones with other headphone amps? Just to narrow down the problem?

I did find that how good a seal I got really effected the bass.

This is indeed a good idea and I wanted to listen to them at a friend's place who has a dedicated headphone Hi Fi system this week but unfortunatelly it won't be possible.
 
I'm still waiting for Leben's feedback on the headphone output power  (I've sent another mail today), but I might send them back tomorrow anyway : either it is a problem with this particular unit and I'll be glad to receive a new pair, or the Leben CS600 is underpowered to drive the AP and I'll get a refund.
 
That would be a shame as those Headphone are just gorgeous, and I really don't know where I could go on closed can on the same price range... 

 

[grizzlybeast]

"Upgrades

MrSpeakers is investigating whether or not upgrades are technically viable. Alpha Prime is a very complex product to manufacture and we are concerned upgrades may present too great a risk of fatally damaging key parts. We expect to have a position on upgrades in mid November."
 
Any news on this?

 

[maakheru]

My headphone journey started with Grado 60i, then Ultrasone 780, on to Ultrasone 900, then Grado 325i. That was before I discovered Mad Dogs. I was very close to purchasing Hifiman 400s when I saw a review of the Mad Dogs.  After listening to the Mad Dogs, I could not enjoy listening to the Grado 3251s or the Ultrasone 900s anymore.  Needless to say, I moved up to Alpha Dogs and then did a Prime upgrade.  Although the APs sound good with my portable iFi iCAN Nano Amp, they sound absolutely glorious with my vintage Pioneer SX-650 receiver and DAC WOW.  I discovered with the ADs that I really appreciate a forward and clear midrange; songs that I would have not paid much attention to before the AD s now stay in heavy rotation still with the APs.  Songs like Dot Allison’s Buzzing Round the Honey Pots, Carole King’s So Far Away, and Sia’s Breath Me, really show off how the ADs handle vocals and with the first 2 songs mentioned the clarity of the acoustic guitar is excellent.  This coming from a guy who thinks the greatest music in the world is P-Funk, I never imagined being bowled over by songs in the  singer/songwriter category (Although Fuzzy Haskin’s I’ll Be Loving You probably fits in this category). A synthesizer dominate song like Afterlife’s Breather 2000 proves how lush the ADs sound and present a 3D type presentation (for lack of a better expression).  

I am very pleased with the sound I am getting from my vintage receiver, but of course I am not immune to upgrade-itis.  I am just not convinced from what I have read that I will be able to find a headphone amp that can beat my vintage receiver.  The thing that I like the most is hearing the breathiness of the vocals, the air of the exhalation of female vocals in particular convinces me that I have an audiophile-worthy setup. But since I have not heard the Woo WA3 or any of the Schiits, or any other DAC, I guess I won’t know if I’m missing out on anything until there is a meet in Nashville or something. 

 

 
As an aside, I let a friend hear my setup, playing Adele’s Rumor Has It to showcase the vocals, then playing Electric Relaxation by A Tribe Called Quest . When the music first started, his jaw dropped. When he finished listening, he took them off and said, “This is like sex for your ears.” 

 

[mrspeakers]

 

"Upgrades

MrSpeakers is investigating whether or not upgrades are technically viable. Alpha Prime is a very complex product to manufacture and we are concerned upgrades may present too great a risk of fatally damaging key parts. We expect to have a position on upgrades in mid November."
 
Any news on this?

At this time the program is on indefinite hold.  We had close to a 75% failure rate that caused the program to be too expensive to proceed with. We are still thinking about this and keeping it on mind, but I can't promise we'll ever be able to pull this one off.

 

[drummerben04]

 
At this time the program is on indefinite hold.  We had close to a 75% failure rate that caused the program to be too expensive to proceed with. We are still thinking about this and keeping it on mind, but I can't promise we'll ever be able to pull this one off.

 
Wow. Thanks for the update Dan!

 

[drummerben04]

This question might of already been brought up but too lazy to look through 66 pages. Can anyone recommend a portable amp that would bring out the Prime's full potential. Now the Alpha Primes are in no mean a portable headphone so to speak but I don't care at all. As long as they don't fall off my head I'm fine. Now, the amps I was looking at were these three. The HeadAmp Pico Power, The Emmeline SR-71, and the CEntrance Hifi-M8. I really love the Pico Power but not sure if it would be powerful enough. Size is great but I don't want to suffer in sound quality. It appears the other two amps are fine pieces of machinery. If I decide to go with one of the larger amps I can always holster it to my pants. That's what I'll probably end up doing. 

 

[maricius]

  This question might of already been brought up but too lazy to look through 66 pages. Can anyone recommend a portable amp that would bring out the Prime's full potential. Now the Alpha Primes are in no mean a portable headphone so to speak but I don't care at all. As long as they don't fall off my head I'm fine. Now, the amps I was looking at were these three. The HeadAmp Pico Power, The Emmeline SR-71, and the CEntrance Hifi-M8. I really love the Pico Power but not sure if it would be powerful enough. Size is great but I don't want to suffer in sound quality. It appears the other two amps are fine pieces of machinery. If I decide to go with one of the larger amps I can always holster it to my pants. That's what I'll probably end up doing. 

iFi Micro iDSD? I have good experience with it and the Alpha Dog but haven't heard the Primes yet.

 

[CasperBxl]

  This question might of already been brought up but too lazy to look through 66 pages. Can anyone recommend a portable amp that would bring out the Prime's full potential. Now the Alpha Primes are in no mean a portable headphone so to speak but I don't care at all. As long as they don't fall off my head I'm fine. Now, the amps I was looking at were these three. The HeadAmp Pico Power, The Emmeline SR-71, and the CEntrance Hifi-M8. I really love the Pico Power but not sure if it would be powerful enough. Size is great but I don't want to suffer in sound quality. It appears the other two amps are fine pieces of machinery. If I decide to go with one of the larger amps I can always holster it to my pants. That's what I'll probably end up doing. 

 
I did my review of the Primes (LINK) with multiple options.
My normal Prime setup is the AK100 II + CEntrance M8 (optical connection).
 
The M8 does a GREAT job with the Primes.
More then ample power, controls for Bass and Treble.
 
Greetings,
 
Casperbxl

 

[jbarnhardt]

   
I did my review of the Primes (LINK) with multiple options.
My normal Prime setup is the AK100 II + CEntrance M8 (optical connection).
 
The M8 does a GREAT job with the Primes.
More then ample power, controls for Bass and Treble.
 
Greetings,
 
Casperbxl

One more vote for the CEntrance HiFi M8 - these cans benefit from having plenty of power available, and the M8 delivers in that respect and in overall excellent sound quality in general. I picked one up recently and find it to be a really effective pairing with the Alpha Prime. If I recall correctly, the M8 is also MrSpeakers' choice for portable amp/dac and he uses it with his personal Alpha Primes. FYI M8s are regularly available in the $500 range on this site's classifieds or eBay if you want to save a few $ over a brand new one. Enjoy!
 
-John

 

[longbowbbs]

 

  This question might of already been brought up but too lazy to look through 66 pages. Can anyone recommend a portable amp that would bring out the Prime's full potential. Now the Alpha Primes are in no mean a portable headphone so to speak but I don't care at all. As long as they don't fall off my head I'm fine. Now, the amps I was looking at were these three. The HeadAmp Pico Power, The Emmeline SR-71, and the CEntrance Hifi-M8. I really love the Pico Power but not sure if it would be powerful enough. Size is great but I don't want to suffer in sound quality. It appears the other two amps are fine pieces of machinery. If I decide to go with one of the larger amps I can always holster it to my pants. That's what I'll probably end up doing. 

iFi Micro iDSD? I have good experience with it and the Alpha Dog but haven't heard the Primes yet.

+1..The Micro in Turbo mode throws 4Watts

 

[drummerben04]

Looks like I'm checking the classifieds! The M8 looks like a portable tank!

 

[reddog]

Thanks for your views on the Asgard 2 and oppo Ha-1 amps. I am tempted to get an Asgard 2 for my back porch and your opinion has really tempted me.

 

[mikemercer]

Well...
 
Since I just pulled another all-nighter - I GOTTA hit the rack SOON.
BUT:
 
Before I CRASH for a bit, I gotta say that I'm SO GRATEFUL Dan pushed me to stop slackin' off and get my Primes updated to full-Production cans!!
I had pre-production Primes from my initial review...
 
I was so overwhelmed at the sonic improvements - here's the visual lay-out of my all-night listening sesh (while takin' some notes for my future follow-up
review of the Primes - prob gonna called it somethin' like Re-Primed!) and I had to put the finishing touches on my CES adventure article for ETM..
 
Here's what I put my NU Primes through last night + this morning:
 

 

 

 
Pardon me in advance if this message is fragmented - runnin' on fumes!
 
But - (and thank God for note-taking - though I remember most of this because it was such a captivating sesh):
 
I heard an INSTANT improvement in micro and macro-dynamic detail retrieval, which seemed to help enhance the Primes overall soundstaging,
with regard to width, height, and depth. I also noticed, also instantly, the heavier weight and puddle-like ripple of the sub-bass - though its totally controlled.
 
The mids have more sparkle and dimension, and the highs (which used to be my only issue with the Primes actually - as they would seem rolled-off at times) - 
but the highs were wide-open, airy, and extended. Honestly I told Dan it was as if he sent me entirely new headphones!
 
I'm gonna keep experiencing these with the changes, and a full review coming.
And if I haven't reviewed these here at Head-Fi yet - that's just GOTTA be done!!
 
cuz these are F____IN' FUN!!!!