[Br777]

Quote:

I'm not sure any IEM or dynamic headphone can compare to the mids of orthos.

 
Selling my ortho rig to fund my JH3A, I was almost certain this was the one thing I would be giving up - reluctantly!
There is a small part of me that is seriously considering one of these to help satiate my loss.
Its a Decware ZBOX - simply put its a tube output stage.  RCA ins, RCA outs.
Given both my experience with Decware and what i've heard from people i trust here on the Head-fi about Decware, I would say it probably wouldn't dissapoint.
 
what do you think??    Anybody else thought of trying something like this?  only  $450

 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Selling my ortho rig to fund my JH3A, I was almost certain this was the one thing I would be giving up - reluctantly!
There is a small part of me that is seriously considering one of these to help satiate my loss.
Its a Decware ZBOX - simply put its a tube output stage.  RCA ins, RCA outs.
Given both my experience with Decware and what i've heard from people i trust here on the Head-fi about Decware, I would say it probably wouldn't dissapoint.
 
what do you think??    Anybody else thought of trying something like this?  only  $450

 

They do have a money back guarantee.  I have been somewhat intrigued by Decware as well but comparisons are a bit sparse.
 

 

[Maxvla]

 
You are quite right about that.  IEMs do have certain distinct advantages when done properly.  3D imaging and detail presentation among them.  I know AJ feels the same and his LCD2 is kind of just hanging around lately.  All depends what you want.  
  
 

AJ as in AverageJoe? At least I'm not alone, heh.

 

[Anaxilus]

Correct.

 

[monsieurguzel]

So it's basically a $450 EQ and distortion box?  Sounds like a really bad idea....
 
Quote:

 
Selling my ortho rig to fund my JH3A, I was almost certain this was the one thing I would be giving up - reluctantly!
There is a small part of me that is seriously considering one of these to help satiate my loss.
Its a Decware ZBOX - simply put its a tube output stage.  RCA ins, RCA outs.
Given both my experience with Decware and what i've heard from people i trust here on the Head-fi about Decware, I would say it probably wouldn't dissapoint.
 
what do you think??    Anybody else thought of trying something like this?  only  $450

 

 

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

I'll have to listen to the LCD-2 when I go to RMAF, because so far listening to dozens of high quality headphones (HE-6, O2, HE-60, K1000, HD-800, etc), I've yet to find anything even remotely 3D except IEMs. Maybe I'm just built differently.

I think what it comes down to for me is that IEMs give me the sound at my eardrums as if it were in my brain. With speakers and headphones on the outside of my ears there is room for the sound to do things as they enter my ear and it doesn't sound right. It sounds reproduced. When I hear IEMs it feels like I'm there because the sound is literally in my head instead of coming at my head from fake sources. I'm not sure how to explain it any better than that.

An IEM with great sub-bass can make my body imitate the vibration of a subwoofer active in the room in my foot. I know my sub isn't on, but I feel it anyways because it sounds real. My body is expecting that bass to come from a subwoofer or real source so it makes my foot feel the vibration. Psycho-acoustics are funny things.

i feel entirely the same way, ever since i got my 13's i havent yet found a full size that i think compares. Till i heard the LCD-2 at canjam last year. but then i went upstairs and heard the 3A demo, and that IMO blew the lcd-2's away, for the same reasons you said. but alas, all is not well in 3A land, so now im waiting, potentially for a second revision. and im also hunting down a new amp for the 13's since i sold my protector after canjam :/
 

 

[Br777]

Quote:

So it's basically a $450 EQ and distortion box?  Sounds like a really bad idea....

 

given your extensive gear listing in your profile, I am genuinely curious as to what makes you say that?
I've owned a couple tube amps and a tube dac and I had excellent experiences, but I really dont know much about this sort of thing.
you cant make a comment like that without some kind of explaination.. 

 
thanks
 
 

 

[monsieurguzel]

Well I just feel like inserting a tube stage between a dac / cd player and a preamp or headphone amp would only make degrade the sound and possibly introduce some distortion based on the tube circuitry used in the box.  I'm all about using amps and preamps that are as neutral as possible so that you control the tone of the sound with the source you use.  

 

[Br777]

given my limited understanding, i see your point, and I also still remain curious about the potential of the ZBOX.  Since there is seemingly such a potential for extreme neutrality (that being a good thing) with the 3A, and the right source, the tube buffer may end up as simply more of a lushness enhancer rather than radically altering the signature.  Of course on that same principal, it could have a stronger effect than usual and "backfire" i suppose.
 
I owned a $800 eastern electric dac that had an optional tube output stage.  in other words you pushed a button and it went from true solid state, to tube output stage (sorry thats about as technical as i can get).  I used it with a cavalli CTH amp and smeggy thunderpants orthos, and there was no contest, the optional tube output stage sounded better every time.  thats part of the reason i'm curious here.. and again of course i just love the fantasy of bringing a bit of that tube/ortho'ey lushness to my femal vocal music!!

 

[Br777]

by the way, I lost track - can whomever received either their order or tracking info last, or close to last please comment on what your order # was?  I am hoping we are closing in on mine!!!! (33ish)

 

[blessingx]

Last I heard I was 22 and just got a shipping notice.

 

[customNuts]

Quote:

I find the in your head super wide 3D soundstage of IEMs a benefit over normal headphones rather than a limitation.

x2, although I enjoy both for their individual merits.

 

[customNuts]

Quote:

I'll have to listen to the LCD-2 when I go to RMAF, because so far listening to dozens of high quality headphones (HE-6, O2, HE-60, K1000, HD-800, etc), I've yet to find anything even remotely 3D except IEMs. Maybe I'm just built differently.

I think what it comes down to for me is that IEMs give me the sound at my eardrums as if it were in my brain. With speakers and headphones on the outside of my ears there is room for the sound to do things as they enter my ear and it doesn't sound right. It sounds reproduced. When I hear IEMs it feels like I'm there because the sound is literally in my head instead of coming at my head from fake sources. I'm not sure how to explain it any better than that.

An IEM with great sub-bass can make my body imitate the vibration of a subwoofer active in the room in my foot. I know my sub isn't on, but I feel it anyways because it sounds real. My body is expecting that bass to come from a subwoofer or real source so it makes my foot feel the vibration. Psycho-acoustics are funny things.

x2, again!
 

 

[customNuts]

Quote:

I'm imagining the 3a with downloadable EQ/profiles such as flat/neutral/warm/tubey/hi gain/low gain/etc. that can be user flashed to the unit as desired. Will that ever happen?
 


 

I really hope this happens. I think the more interest in this that Jerry hears, the better.
 

 

[customNuts]

I was #17 and got my notice 3 days ago so it looks like there moving through them.