[n_maher]

If anyone is interested in reading my thoughts on this amp after spending some quality time with it you can find them here.

 

[Jamey Warren]

Stock Balanced Cable is officially available.

We've also created a pretty nice little package with everything needed for balanced headphone listening, all for under $2,000.

Desktop Balanced Package

Cheers,
Jamey

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Stock Balanced Cable is officially available. We've also created a pretty nice little package with everything needed for balanced headphone listening, all for under $2,000. Desktop Balanced Package Cheers, Jamey

Hi James.. You don't sale female XRL's!! I have a DAC1 & would love to buy your stock XRL cables.. 100.00 can't be beat!!

 

[PFKMan23]

Jamey,

Looks like the link you posted is a bit out of date:

http://www.headphone.com/products/pa...iser-hd650.php

The correct one seems to be as follows: (the original link leads to a page not found listing)

http://www.headphone.com/products/pa...iser-hd650.php

 

[MontanaJustin]

Here's a quick question, which may be EXTREMELY stupid...but I have to ask anyway.

Listening to my keyboard via headphones (Kawai MP8 > Senn 650s), would I be better off using an unbalanced set-up (Headroom 2003 maxed-out Home) or cutting out the amp and relying on the keyboard's built-in amp, but in Balanced mode?

I'm guessing XLR alone doesn't hold a candle to the amp, but wanted to throw the question out there.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MontanaJustin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Listening to my keyboard via headphones (Kawai MP8 > Senn 650s), would I be better off using an unbalanced set-up (Headroom 2003 maxed-out Home) or cutting out the amp and relying on the keyboard's built-in amp, but in Balanced mode?

Hey, do you live in Montana? If so, bring your keyboard on over and we'll set you up to give it a try. Barring that, I'd guess that the keyboard isn't really creating a differentially driven signal and the source in your keyboard starts out single ended. If that's the case, you might as well just leave it single ended and use the unbalanced outs into an unbalanced amp.

I'm not trying to knock you keyboard---and there are lots of great chips out there these days that sound very good that end up in keyboards and the like---but unless it's a top-shelf instrument it's not likely to be creating a really pristine signal, so it may be just overkill to put a balanced amp in the equation. That said, even plugging an iPod into the balanced amp is sweet, so it would sound pretty much as good as your keyboard could possibly sound.

Edit: Oh. Duh. I see your from California. Oh well.

 

[MontanaJustin]

Actually I'm from Montana (lived there until I finished college, a few years ago) and just recently moved to the Bay Area.

As for the Balanced source from the keyboard, I think that you're on the right track. I'll test it out and let people know what I find (I just purchased the amp and headphones, they're still in the mail...)

PS - if I were still in Montana, I'd have driven over to Bozeman the first day I discovered Head-Fi and Headroom, even if there was a blizzard and the temp dropped to -40!

 

[nkoulban]

I have been listening to a Modded Lite Ah DAC, an LD II ++ valve headphone amp and a pair of Alessandro MS Pros. Its very smooth and lush if lacking in a little detail.

I have decided to take the plunge and have ordered the balanced bundle from Headroom plus the DPS. This rig should make for an interesting comparison to my existing one. I expect the balanced rig to beat my exiting setup in terms of detail, soundstage, air and smoothness (and comfort with the HD-650s).

I can't wait to hear a balanced system and to see how the HD-650s go as well.

 

[Jamey Warren]

nkoulban,

Thanks for your order! I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Cheers,
Jamey

 

[schaqfu]

I just bought the Balanced Desktop with Home/Home upgrades and HD 650s. I'm excited to hear it for the first time. I'm curious though -- I just couldn't get myself to shell out an extra $199 for the stepped attenuator. $99 is one thing, twice that is past my blush point. How big a deal do you think this will be if I keep the amp set to the lowest gain setting possible and keep the potentiometer volume dial turned up to the upper half of the scale?

 

[Kees]

My thoughts exactly.
Plus I have two amps with stepped attenuator and I find them to be annoying as hell. The first four or five steps are far too large for my taste. That may not be the case with this amp, but why take the risk for $199 extra? Resale value could possibly be the only consideration...although I suppose you could always add it later if someone wants it.

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kees /img/forum/go_quote.gif My thoughts exactly. Plus I have two amps with stepped attenuator and I find them to be annoying as hell. The first four or five steps are far too large for my taste. That may not be the case with this amp, but why take the risk for $199 extra? Resale value could possibly be the only consideration...although I suppose you could always add it later if someone wants it.

Tyll or Jamey may add something here but I believe the stepped attenuators offer some sonic benefits like passing through a cleaner more accurate signal.

I agree on some amps like my Singlepower amp the steppes are not perfect, you may want just a bit less or a little more volume but the amp in question has very nicely spaced volume steps. In my opinion. They have done the home work.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

I think the steps on our SA is pretty nicely spaced through most of it's range, though a bit rough at both ends----though with the gain switch it's pretty easy to stay away from the limits. SAs are clearly clearer!

But personally I'll take a small hit in sound quality for the continuous control of a pot. I think it's purely a personal descision whether you want a slightly cleaner sound at the expense of a clicking control, or not.

 

[thrice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the steps on our SA is pretty nicely spaced through most of it's range, though a bit rough at both ends----though with the gain switch it's pretty easy to stay away from the limits. SAs are clearly clearer! But personally I'll take a small hit in sound quality for the continuous control of a pot. I think it's purely a personal descision whether you want a slightly cleaner sound at the expense of a clicking control, or not.

Can you guys manage to shoe horn in that Brass balanced ALPS pot (the one you offer with the MAX) into the new balanced amp? That would be one hell of a volume pot

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrice /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can you guys manage to shoe horn in that Brass balanced ALPS pot....That would be one hell of a volume pot

Sheesh! I don't know if we've ever looked at that. I'm doing the mechanicals these days, so I'll take a look. I think it would be a little nuts at the moment though; if we were able to put Max modules in it, it might be worth a serious look. But I'm curious; that's for sure. I might want to build one for myself. 'Course, prying a $900 part out of inventory for a goof is bit extreme, even for me.

For those of you who don't have any idea what we're talking about, take a look at this:

This is, I kid you not, a four stage potentiometer that costs us just shy of $900. Yes, costs us! To our knowledge this is the most expensive, commercially available, pot in the world. (What the heck did I just say!) I'd love to have one in my Desktop gear, but I don't know if I could put it into production with a straight face.