[DanG]

You can't get any Headroom products or Meier-Audio Corda amps in retail stores. You can find the Creek OBH-11 in some hi-fi shops, as well as the Grado RA-1.

 

[dhwilkin]

The guy won't let you buy something off the internet? Ouch, that's really rough. Try one more time to convince him that Headroom is a great company to buy from. But if that doesn't work, than Dan's suggestion of either the Creek or RA-1 is really good.

 

[lucien]

hey guys - yeah, he's a bit old school like that. never made a web purchase before, and probably isn't going to start now.

but hey man, he's offered to buy me an amp, simply because he knows i want one so much and can't afford it. so it's alright by me.

thanks for all your help.

one last thing... would the grado amp be suitable for the senns?

 

[dhwilkin]

The RA-1 was specifically designed for Grados. However, a few people here have tried it w/ Senns., and thought it was a very good combination.

 

[squirt]

lucien, you can just give Headroom a toll free call and order what ever you want over the phone rather than from their web site.

Headroom 1-800-828-8184

 

[Braver]

lucien, I'd say a Creek amp would be a pretty good pick. the OBH-11 SE has two output jacks and a better PSU, maybe some other upgraded electronics. I'm not sure how they compare otherwise...there were quite some compatisons at Headwize tho

Vertigo has/had (hard to keep track of that guy's setup) the Grado RA-1 paired up with a HD600 and was pretty happy with it IIRC. And at least it's a damn good looking amp and portable to boot.

 

[Matt]

...the cleanliness of the RA-1 on Grado phones. Very nice and pleasing. Also, the bass kicks, even from a crap source, while retaining it's clarity. Snoop Dogg never sounded so good...

- Matt

p.s. has anyone ever noticed how you absolutely cannot listen to stereo Beatles recordings on headphones? Not all, actually, but some is hard-left/right and drives me krazy kat.

 

[coolvij]

Matt: Now's a good time to introduce you to the wonderful world of crossfeed, lol....

 

[dhwilkin]

That's the truth... I forget which one it was, but one of his tracks had super-bright highs in one ear, really hurt. Crossfeed made it tolerable...

 

[Matt]

...crossfeed thingies that go in front of a hpamp or is it better to have it integrated in the amp?

- Matt

 

[Braver]

you can DIY a crossfeed circuit that you put before the amp, but it's probably better to have it integrated. the less connections in the chain the better. will save you on the IC's as well..

 

[thomas]

THe correct way of using the crossfeed is to isolate it within buffer stages inside an amp. That way, it will not interact with other componants in the signal path, and always work the same.

If it is not isolated, the x-feed/delay levels can change depending on the output impedence of the componants before it in the signal path.

Where the x-feed should be placed depends on the design of the x-feed. C.moy's modified linkwitz filter can be placed either before of after the amp, while Jan's circuit will only behave properly if it is before the amp. Of course, putting it inside the amp is the best.

But just because the x-feed is inside the same box as an amp doesn't mean it is INSIDE the amp! For example, if x-feed is used on a stock CHA 47 amp, it is NOT inside the amp. It is exactly the same as putting an external x-feed in front of a seperate CHA 47 amp. (except it saves the degradation of the interconnect, which is nothing compared with distortion caused by impedence mismatch)

 

[lucien]

so... given that it looks like i will have to go with a creek obh11, i'm thinking maybe for the time being I'll get a decent portable cdp as a source, since my current discman is a bit scabby, and four years old.

does anyone have any comment on whether a high(er)-end discman will do the creek and hd600 and justice at all? am i wasting my time completely, or will it do for a year or so until i get around to buying a component cdp?

oh, and the general consensus is the panasonic ct-????, right?

 

[coolvij]

General consensus is Sony's OLD machines (D777, D555, etc.). The best currently available ones are the Panasonic 470s/570s.

 

[lucien]

damn. i have one of sony's old ones. it's the d-8xx something car discman. very good in its days, but a bit ragged after nearly 5 years of use.