[michnix]

[edit] with "slightly laid back" I don't mean slow for my Spendors deliver very good PRAT - but not as up-front as maybe some horn speakers ...

 

[R Giskard]

Quote:

 

Basically, you're saying that with the Bryston being so neutral you can remove the amp from the equation (in a way) and just have to find the right cans...

That is exactly what I am saying. If Spendor is anything like Harbeth, then you should take a look at the HD800. I cannot be more specific for Spendor is unknown to me as there is no dealer here as far as I know. The Karan amplifier isn't exactly the equivalent of a Bryston I'm afraid, at least not the ones I have experience with.

 

[michnix]

nice, thank you!

I will give the HD800 a try...

I also need a good closed can alternative for madam's TV evenings...

 

[R Giskard]

If it's for the madam and looks matter, then I think she'd love the Ultrasone edition series. Pricey but then again, women deserve it! I think they make them with a rose-red lacquer. Buy her these, white roses and a bottle of fine red wine and she'll never leave you.

 

[michnix]

Well, the cans were actually ment for me for when the madam is watching TV

we have a kind of silent agreement tha it's music time when there' s nothing good on tv and actually with this crappy tv program these days there's quite a lot music playing in the evenings (even though we have both German and Norwegian satellite channels, but there's usually crap on all of them- problem is , once the stupid box is running it's kinda hard to get it switched off...)

 

[R Giskard]

Ah, well then, something with good isolation could do the trick. Try the AKG K550. I think these are very friendly towqrds all kinds of things, including TV and radio broadcasts. 

 

[Chris J]

Well, the cans were actually ment for me for when the madam is watching TV

we have a kind of silent agreement tha it's music time when there' s nothing good on tv and actually with this crappy tv program these days there's quite a lot music playing in the evenings (even though we have both German and Norwegian satellite channels, but there's usually crap on all of them- problem is , once the stupid box is running it's kinda hard to get it switched off...)

Once the stupid box is running it's kinda hard to turn it off..........so true, so very true.
It's surprising how much crap my wife watches!

 

[R Giskard]

I have to ask the Bryston team something. I read on another forum that Bryston is looking into building a separate add-on disc drive for the BDP series of digital players. Is there any development on that front? Since the discontinuation of the BCD-1 CD player, Bryston has been left with no CD spinners in it's portfolio.
 
Thanks!
Antun

 

[Lappy27]

Quote:

Thank you for your answer!

for me it is actually the other way round- I am looking for suitable headphones for this amp and not an amp for my cans

I am new to this game, so I have no real experience with headphones.

Basically, you're saying that with the Bryston being so neutral you can remove the amp from the equation (in a way) and just have to find the right cans...

preferably the cans should match or mirror the rest of my system which is a pair of Spendor A9 driven by a Karan KA-I 180 integrated. I don't want a total different presentation from my main rig. (yet

)

I would describe the sound as neutral with a small hint of warmth and slightly laid back.

any recommemdations for cans with that signature? I am looking for both halv-/open and closed cans.

thanks for your help!

I often wrote it and will do it again. Audeze LCD-2r2 and BHA-1 are a match made in heaven! Absolutely fantastic synergy and stellar performance. 
 
In fact, I never, ever read a comment from other users that didn't been impressed by this duo. It's like they have been built to work together. Chocolate cake and milk. No joke. 
 
I had the chance to compare with HD-800 (too bright), T1 (not bad) and LCD-3 (really good) but the LCD-2r2 remains the best headphones for the BHA-1 so far. Some headfiers (ie. dleblanc343) who tends to prefer the HD-800 over the LCD-2r2, agreed that the Bryston is more suited for the Audeze cans. Even James Tanner from Bryston, told me at the Montreal show in late march that his favorite headphones with the BHA-1 are the LCD-2r2. And he tried alot of pairs with it.
 
The keyword here is synergy. LCD-2r2 and BHA-1 really complement each other with their own strenghts and weaknesses. The warm and kind of dark nature of LCD2r2 with the slightly bright, open and energic sound of the BHA-1 make a perfect tonal balance IMHO.
 
Do some search and you will see. There are alot of extremely positive feedback from this combination. And if possible, do yourself a favor, try at least to listen to this combination before buying anything else.

 

[Lappy27]

Quote:

Thank you for your answer!

for me it is actually the other way round- I am looking for suitable headphones for this amp and not an amp for my cans

I am new to this game, so I have no real experience with headphones.

Basically, you're saying that with the Bryston being so neutral you can remove the amp from the equation (in a way) and just have to find the right cans...

preferably the cans should match or mirror the rest of my system which is a pair of Spendor A9 driven by a Karan KA-I 180 integrated. I don't want a total different presentation from my main rig. (yet

)

I would describe the sound as neutral with a small hint of warmth and slightly laid back.

any recommemdations for cans with that signature? I am looking for both halv-/open and closed cans.

thanks for your help!

I often wrote it and will do it again. Audeze LCD-2r2 and BHA-1 are a match made in heaven! Absolutely fantastic synergy and stellar performance. 
 
In fact, I never, ever read a comment from other users that didn't been impressed by this duo. It's like they have been built to work together. Chocolate cake and milk. No joke. 
 
I had the chance to compare with HD-800 (too bright), T1 (not bad) and LCD-3 (really good) but the LCD-2r2 remains the best headphones for the BHA-1 so far. Some headfiers (ie. dleblanc343) who tends to prefer the HD-800 over the LCD-2r2, agreed that the Bryston is more suited for the Audeze cans. Even James Tanner from Bryston, told me at the Montreal show in late march that his favorite headphones with the BHA-1 are the LCD-2r2. And he tried alot of pairs with it.
 
The keyword here is synergy. LCD-2r2 and BHA-1 really complement each other with their own strenghts and weaknesses. The warm and kind of dark nature of LCD2r2 with the slightly bright, open and energic sound of the BHA-1 make a perfect tonal balance IMHO.
 
Do some search and you will see. There are alot of extremely positive feedback from this combination. And if possible, do yourself a favor, try at least to listen to this combination before buying anything else.

 

[R Giskard]

Quote:

I often wrote it and will do it again. Audeze LCD-2r2 and BHA-1 are a match made in heaven! Absolutely fantastic synergy and stellar performance. 
 
In fact, I never, ever read a comment from other users that didn't been impressed by this duo. It's like they have been built to work together. Chocolate cake and milk. No joke. 
 
I had the chance to compare with HD-800 (too bright), T1 (not bad) and LCD-3 (really good) but the LCD-2r2 remains the best headphones for the BHA-1 so far. Some headfiers (ie. dleblanc343) who tends to prefer the HD-800 over the LCD-2r2, agreed that the Bryston is more suited for the Audeze cans. Even James Tanner from Bryston, told me at the Montreal show in late march that his favorite headphones with the BHA-1 are the LCD-2r2. And he tried alot of pairs with it.
 
The keyword here is synergy. LCD-2r2 and BHA-1 really complement each other with their own strenghts and weaknesses. The warm and kind of dark nature of LCD2r2 with the slightly bright, open and energic sound of the BHA-1 make a perfect tonal balance IMHO.
 
Do some search and you will see. There are alot of extremely positive feedback from this combination. And if possible, do yourself a favor, try at least to listen to this combination before buying anything else.

So, you think the HD800 is too bright and the T1 is not bad? There is a first time for everything. I completely disagree.
 
I also completely disagree on the use of the keyword in your post. If you think one component of the system is flawed in one way or another, or as you put it, has a weakness, and then you try to correct this weakness by adding a different component to the mix that has the oppiste characteristic, then you are missing the point of synergy completely. If you bought something that, in your opinion, has a weakness that needs to be corrected, then you've made a mistake by buying it in the first place. You've certainly made another by buying something that will correct it. 
 
Let me put it this way - if the amplifier is too bright for you, then why did you buy it? How certain can you be that by adding the headphones you are getting it just right? It is equalization you are talking about here, not synergy and for that, there are better and more precise ways to define the sound character you want.
 
While the Audez'e offerings are good, I would never consider them for serious work and I wouldn certainly not consider the T1. Hence all three pairs that I had ended up on eBay and one of them went literally for a pack of crisps because that is how good the Beyerdynamic servic is. 

 

[Lappy27]

Quote:

So, you think the HD800 is too bright and the T1 is not bad? There is a first time for everything. I completely disagree.
 
I also completely disagree on the use of the keyword in your post. If you think one component of the system is flawed in one way or another, or as you put it, has a weakness, and then you try to correct this weakness by adding a different component to the mix that has the oppiste characteristic, then you are missing the point of synergy completely. If you bought something that, in your opinion, has a weakness that needs to be corrected, then you've made a mistake by buying it in the first place. You've certainly made another by buying something that will correct it. 
 
Let me put it this way - if the amplifier is too bright for you, then why did you buy it? How certain can you be that by adding the headphones you are getting it just right? It is equalization you are talking about here, not synergy and for that, there are better and more precise ways to define the sound character you want.
 
While the Audez'e offerings are good, I would never consider them for serious work and I wouldn certainly not consider the T1. Hence all three pairs that I had ended up on eBay and one of them went literally for a pack of crisps because that is how good the Beyerdynamic servic is. 

Yep, if find the HD-800 too bright for my taste. Not only with Bryston but with other amps I heard (Grace902, Mjolnir, B22). I find them thin sounding and too edgy FOR MY TASTE.
 
Now about your comment about synergy. I disagree too. If somebody is seeking for a slightly tilt (warm of bright) sound like michnix or for a neutral sound, you have to build your set up this way. That for me, it's call synergy. A lot of people around here agreed that LCD-2r1, LCD-2r2 and even LCD-3 are dark and warm headphones. It's Audeze signature sound and it may not please everybody as it could lack sizzle and resolution in comparaison of other offerings (ie. HD-800, T1). That's why a general consensus here and elsewhere is that you better match Audeze with good SS amp instead of Tubes amp. Samething apply to BHA-1. The consensus is that it has a slightly bright tilt over neutral. So for me it is a perfect match with Audeze IF you are seekink for balance in your sound. It brings more sizzle and resolution to warm headphones. The result is a perfect balanced sound FOR MY TASTE. Just a bit tilt on the warm side. Sound that Michnix is looking for if I'm not mistaken. Hence my suggestion.
 
But like I wrote before, there are lots of comments from other posters how good synergy the LCD-2 and BHA-1 is. Even dleblanc343 who much prefer HD-800 to LCD-2 agreed that LCD-2 and Bryston is a much better natural and sounding match than HD-800 and BHA-1. I think dleblanc343 could say the samething if you substitute the BHA-1 by the Mjolnir, another amp tilt on the bright side. And he is considering hiself as a treble head. 
 
I think we have all our own definition of synergy. For me, synergy is matching components togheter to achieve the sound I am looking for. And for that matter, I am happy to report that I succeeded (but the quest of perfection is endless) with my actual set-up...FOR MY TASTE.
 
Finally, regarding your comment about why I bought the amp if I find it to bright and turning around the way I intend to use the word weaknesses. Let me just say this. Starting from the point that nothing is absolutly perfect,nearly every components at any prices have strenghts and weaknesses. Of course, some of them have way more plus than minus. especially when you're going up  in price (not always but a general rule of thumb) and quality. But still nearly everybody agreed that no component is perfect. My comment was directed to general consensus about sound signature (strenght for you could be weaknesses for me). That being said I bought the Bryston because I immediatly felt in love with his sound WITH my LCD-2r2. I didn't found it too bright Just perfect. BUT later on when I had the chance to try the BHA-1 with HD-800, I found it to be too bright. Is it the fault of the amp or the headphones? Both of them. Because the end result is an addition. FOR MY TASTE there was no SYNERGY!
 
To each is owns.

 

[R Giskard]

Hi!
 
Again, you are talking about equalization and since you are, I will refer to that a bit later on.
 
You are also referring to some comments of the people I don't know and whose preferences I am not familiar with so pardon me if I say this but it means very little to me. As for general consensus in the community, people and yourself included can really make their own pick and who am I to disagree with that. I am speaking from my professional standpoint as my opinion is shared by those that use this equipment to make music for the rest of you.
 
If you think your synegergy has worked for you, then fine. I never recommend such a process to my customers nor is it a way to achieve anything but greater expense for the customer. Often I get asked how to improve upon someone's original audio system and sometimes the answer is rather simply and sometimes it isn't.
 
What I will tell you is this - like most people here and everywhere else, you cannot possibly evaluate whether something is neutral or not neutral. No matter what some would like to believe, this isn't given by birth or has to do with sense of musicality or talent. It is experience in live and studio recording, nothing more. Experience! So when you say something sounds too bright for you or too dark for you, then I can understand that from your own point of view. That does not mean your assesment is correct. One other thing is neutrality. People wave with this terms like a kid that's found it's daddy's gun. The truth is, it has little to do with linearity of the frequency response and a lot more with how certain instruments sound. That cannot be put on paper and this is where people usually don't know what they are talking about. It is also the hardest thing for manufacturers to achieve. It is relatively easy to achieve a flat response in the audio band, a lot harder to achieve linearity in the power bandwidth and almost impossible to achieve a neutral tone.
 
Cheers!

 

[Lappy27]

Quote:

Hi!
 
Again, you are talking about equalization and since you are, I will refer to that a bit later on.
 
You are also referring to some comments of the people I don't know and whose preferences I am not familiar with so pardon me if I say this but it means very little to me. As for general consensus in the community, people and yourself included can really make their own pick and who am I to disagree with that. I am speaking from my professional standpoint as my opinion is shared by those that use this equipment to make music for the rest of you.
 
If you think your synegergy has worked for you, then fine. I never recommend such a process to my customers nor is it a way to achieve anything but greater expense for the customer. Often I get asked how to improve upon someone's original audio system and sometimes the answer is rather simply and sometimes it isn't.
 
What I will tell you is this - like most people here and everywhere else, you cannot possibly evaluate whether something is neutral or not neutral. No matter what some would like to believe, this isn't given by birth or has to do with sense of musicality or talent. It is experience in live and studio recording, nothing more. Experience! So when you say something sounds too bright for you or too dark for you, then I can understand that from your own point of view. That does not mean your assesment is correct. One other thing is neutrality. People wave with this terms like a kid that's found it's daddy's gun. The truth is, it has little to do with linearity of the frequency response and a lot more with how certain instruments sound. That cannot be put on paper and this is where people usually don't know what they are talking about. It is also the hardest thing for manufacturers to achieve. It is relatively easy to achieve a flat response in the audio band, a lot harder to achieve linearity in the power bandwidth and almost impossible to achieve a neutral tone.
 
Cheers!

I agree with you about neutrality. How can you be certain that what you hear is neutral without actually heard the actual performance live (and even that, concert are often amplified by amplifiers - are they neutral?)?. I was speaking considering general consensus. michnix is looking for a somewhat warm and laid-back sound. For me (that's why I put some FOR MY TASTE in caps in my previous post), the combination of BHA-1 and LCD-2r2 is much closer to that goal than BHA-1 and HD-800. Can you say otherwise in all honesty?
 
If I use other headfier in reference of my findings is simply to let know I am not the only one to think this way. But like I said, it's just my opinion in consideration of my taste in sound. Myself and michnix seems to have similar taste. Hence my suggestion to him. I am sensitive to treble and prefer smooth highs and meaty bass foundation with lush mids but that's just me. dleblanc343, The other headfier I refered to in my last post is the opposite. He favorize really high extension and details over bass. Despite the fact we have completly different taste, I have a lot of respect for his knowledge, dedication in this hobby and hearing capacity. We simply both agree that we looking for something different in this never ending quest of sonic bliss. But he knows when he heard something I would like and samething for me. He owns HD-800 and HE-6, I own LCD-2r and plan on getting LCD-3 soon. In the end everybody is happy and that should be the only thing that matter!

 

[R Giskard]

Quote:

I agree with you about neutrality. How can you be certain that what you hear is neutral without actually heard the actual performance live (and even that, concert are often amplified by amplifiers - are they neutral?)?
 
 In the end everybody is happy and that should be the only thing that matter!

What I was really referring to was the live sound from the engineer's pojnt of view. It is just isn't often the case that organizers have the money or understand for things that should matter. What they understand is money and they usually want to spend less and earn more so from someone sitting in the auditorium (or wherever the event is held) it might not come out as it should. Still, even if mixing was done well, someone sitting in a particular place wouldn't be able to hear everything well but unfortunately, one cannot please everyone.
 
But you are right, if you are happy with it and it sounds good to you, then that is all that matters.
 
Cheers!