[Cincy2]

I recently decided to sell off much of my two channel audio system (Magico M3 speakers and subwoofers, MSB M500 mono block amps) and embrace headphone listening. I have two reasons for this: I'm getting REALLY old and my hearing is degrading noticeably and 2) Headphones and headphone amp technology are totally new terrain for me with the potential for much education and discovery. After dismantling my dedicated listening room, I am now awaiting arrival of a variety of gear I will audition to pick a system (s) that fits my needs.

My primary system will use my two channel source components: Aurender W20SE file server, an MSB Select II DAC and the aforementioned MSB headphone amp with Stax elelctrostatic phones (SR-009S). The amp is pure solid state. I am conditioning the power with a Shunyata Everest 8000 conditioner and their flagship power cords. The balanced cables between DAC and amplifier are Transparent Opus Gen V.

I also want to explore the best available tube amps to compare / contrast them with state of the art solid state. I just placed an order for a Woo WA33 Elite and a more modest McIntosh MHA 200. To straddle the paradigms of tubes and transistors, I also ordered a Pathos amp that uses tube drivers and a Class A amplification stage.

My only other experience with headphones was pleasant but not at the bleeding edge. I still have a pair of Sennheiser HD650's with a Stephan Audio Art balanced cable that will serve as a sort of reference to what I experienced many years ago and still vividly remember.

Speaking of headphones, I chose to purchase one each of Electrostatic phones (Stax), planar magnetic (Abyss 1266) and finally Focal Utopia's to represent the dynamic driver category. It will take six months to receive all this hardware, burn it in, and begin the comparison process. I'll post those impressions on this forum to educate, entertain and hopefully get answers to my questions when I run into unexplainable phenomena. I'm looking forward to the journey.

Cincy

 

[vkenz]

You can add in the new audeze crbn as well.

 

[chinyue]

For headphones, you might also want to try SR1a.

 

[mammal]

I also want to explore the best available tube amps to compare / contrast them with state of the art solid state. I just placed an order for a Woo WA33 Elite

If you want an amp that is as good as WA33 Elite, but does not run as hot, check out Riviera AIC-10.

 

[ThanatosVI]

If you want an amp that is as good as WA33 Elite, but does not run as hot, check out Riviera AIC-10.

Or an Octave V16 Single Ended, that one also does not run hot and plays in the top League.

Actually there are quite a lot of amazing high end tube amps and headphones to Explore

 

[Cincy2]

Thanks for the input folks. I have about ten hours on the Woo. I don't find it runs particularly hot. Having said that I'm used to Class A heaters like Krell used to produce. The sound from the Woo is divine. After thirty years of high end solid state amps, I finally understand the attraction to tubes. I still worry about their fragility but the payback for taking the chance is worth it.

Cincy