[ayt999]

moon audio 010 replacement cable impressions please.

 

[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch I tried the optical out on mine once, using a Monarchy DIP as an optical to coax convertor to feed an ART DI/O. Once was enough

Anybody want to buy a D-303?

 

[meech]

3 things happened for me as a result of the mini-meet.


1st I gave the Qualia 010's another try,,,,,,,,,,and guess what,,,,,,,,,,,I still don't like them. Don't get me wrong, they offer extreme resolution and seperation but I guess I kinda prefer a slight degree of color added to the sound. They weren't bright by any means but to my ears they seemed cold and sterile. I heard no warmth. Is was like hearing a lecture from a master speaker who doesn't really want to be there. Great detail, it just never sucked me in to the emotion of the music. Mind you this was through a vinyl rig being powered by a Maestro. What I think the Qualia does do right is disect the music. It's like every sound has it's own driver. I was really impressed with this level of seperation but at the end of the day, that's not enough for me.

2nd I confirmed the fact that I'm in LOVE with the K1000's. I put those things on with the Dared Monoblocks and I am in heaven. I even gave them a listen with the Sonic T amp that everyone's been going nuts over. The Sonic T amp actually gave the K1000s more bass than I've ever heard before from the k1000's but that's about it. I never thought that there was an amp that could make the K1000's lose their AIR but guess what,,,,,I found it. The sonic had a pretty smooth midrange and way more bass than you should get for $20. This is certainly an incredible value and as Hirsch said,,,,,,,I think the price point for achieving decent sound from an amp has just dropped !! Truly a steal for the price !

3rd My most significant realization of the entire meet was that the R10s are the best headphones I have ever heard. PERIOD !!! I said something to myself as I was listining to these that I never thought I'd say,,,,,"I can't find anything that they don't do well". NOw this isn't the first time I've heard a pair of R10's but like Canman, I too had only heard some of the earlier models which need to by driven by a Mack Truck to draw the bass out of them. I'm glad I never opened my big mouth last year about how much I didn't like them. I listend to them on the Tom's modded Cary and I was finally able to say " I GET IT ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and I soon as I find the money and a seller I WILL GET IT ! They were so smooth but still detailed it was orgasmic.
My vote for best cans ever !!!

Thanks again to everyone made this meet happen. The hosts and the guests made this a really nice time. Special thanks to Stevieo for the lift there and back. I did appreciate it. Look forward to seeing all of you guys again soon.

D.

 

[bozebuttons]

I was the first one at the meet got there around 11:30am to setup,left after 9pm and don't know what happenned to the day it just flew by.

I had a couple of things I wanted to hear at this meet ,the 010s again heard them 2 times before at the qualia store,Aarons vinyl setups,Hirschs K1000s with the hardwired equinox cable & the famed sonic t amp.
Also the elusive Rudistar amps,unfortunatey Sovkiller didn't make the meet due to car trouble,so I have yet to hear the rudistar amps.

Stevios small 010s had the black Dragon cable & Aarons meduim 010s had the stock cable.Stevios 010s fit perfect Aarons was too loose on my head so take this into consideration on my comments & these are meet impressions.
The 010s are world class headphones but system matching is critical
with them as they are ultra reveiling, good defination,& yes they can produce bass that is well defined. If you are not willing to build a system around the 010s you better look elsewhere.

I tried a few systems at the meet with the 010s & they worked well (forgot to try Meeches single power maestro hooked up to Aarons Vpi turntable in the living room) The 2 systems that showed what the 010s can do where tubed
My metnier/Cary combo & Aarons bedroom vinyl system & single power
maestro with tungsol round plate in the driver position.Sylvania VT231s in the outputs.
Some complained about thinness in the midrange on the 010s,I found in these 2 systems from top to bottom everypart of the frequency was well balanced nothing stood as being more promenent.
The 010s with the stock cable had more air around instruments & vocals then the Black Dragon but the 010s sounded more cavenouse with everything
more distant in the back of your head,you are sitting further in the hall.

The Black Dragon cable is stiffer then the stock cable,not as flexible I really didn't notice any microphonics in either cable I was to engrossed in the music.The Black Dragon Moves everything more foward in the 010s,Gives everything more body,you are closer to the stage but you lose some of the air that the stock cable provides , this may improve with more burn in as these cables where fairly new.
Unfortunately we didn't try the silver dragon or cardas cable with the 010s(Sorry Drew) but its tough at a meet due to much going on,
Stevio took all three back with him mybe he can give more insight at a later date on the differances but he seemed set on the Black Dragon.
The 010s shined in both systems ,I have to set up my Scout setup thats been sitting in the box for the last 3 months time to get back into vinyl the 010s loved it.My next headphone purchase will be the 010s,it will not displace any of my other headphones but will compliment them.

I listened to Hirsch's K1000s hardwired with the equinox cable hooked up to the sonic t amp driven by a zen portable, this system had no right to sound as good as it did for the price.
More impressions later Gotta go

 

[Jahn]

Ditto on Bozebutton's R10. I think I was spoiled, since the very first meet I went to, they were there, and they kicked the unburned Qualia's butt. It was so funny- Jpelg and I both kept switching them off saying "(r10)Bass, (qualia)No Bass. Bass, No Bass." And not just for club music - Santana had a dark evil tone through the R10 that was a perfect atmosphere for some black magic. So I never knew the R10 Couldnt do bass. I didn't listen to the R10 too much during the meet, because after listening to them through the Solo, it was like staring at the forbidden fruit, so i had to walk away.

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn ...I didn't listen to the R10 too much during the meet, because after listening to them through the Solo, it was like staring at the forbidden fruit, so i had to walk away.

You are a smart, smart man. I am so screwed

 

[meech]

Ditto

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canman You are a smart, smart man. I am so screwed

 

[ayt999]

thanks for the 010 cable comparisons bozebuttons. I guess I'll wait for Stevio to post a detailed comparison later on.

 

[stevieo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 thanks for the 010 cable comparisons bozebuttons. I guess I'll wait for Stevio to post a detailed comparison later on.

sorry, you won't get a detailed cable comparison from me. i gave up after the BLACK DRAGON & did not make it as far as the Moon Cardas or Moon Silver Dragon cables.



the qualia 011 took a few weeks of 24/7 burn-in. it went through all kinds of changes & i had a lot of problems with various parts at various times & then i let the burn-in proess complete without further listening. i still had an unsatisfactory listening experience after complete burn-in. first off, it had a cord rubbing microphonics without even being plugged in. then there was just always something about the qualia that left me cold & disoriented even though it was as detailed as any headphone i have heard. i attribute my dissatisfaction with the stock cable. i can not articulate what my hearing problem really was but i just never had a completely satisfying listening experience. the qualia stock cable seemed somewhat unnatural to me. that all changed immediately upon replacing the stock cables with the Moon Audio Black Dragons. The change eliminated whatever it was that was bothering me about the qualia. there was an immediate & dramatic change to my listening satisfaction & there is no going back. instantaneously i had forgotten that i had issues with the qualia. maybe it smoothed out the highs & put a little more emphasis on bass or perhaps just made the frequency spectrum sound more natural to me. i have not yet tried the Moon Silver Dragon cable nor the Moon Cardas Cable. the Black Dragon did the trick for me. i have the time to swap cable but not the inclination to unplug the cables if i don’t have to. the Black Dragon took the qualia from an “i don’t know about this” headphone to a positive keeper. it is one of the great headphones for clarity, detail & evenness of frequency spectrum. it is not sweet & warm like desert wine but it is a beautiful headphone since switching to the Black Dragon. it is downright killer on bozebuttons cary/meitner rig. i kind of wish i did not hear how good they can get.

the qualia is a contender. it is not a replacement headphone but it is defiantly an equally important & permanent part of my headphone line up. i like the qualia with a portable system & i absolutely love it with a matched system. i have it sounding superb with a meridian g08 & a ppx3-6sn7 using a tube set that i would not normally associate with high end cans.

some listeners expressed thinness in the midrange. i would say that it may seem thin because the qualia is pretty even across the frequency & listening spectrum. nothing dominates & therefore the mid-range is not as prominent based on a lack of fullness in bass or treble as can be the case with other cans. bass, mid-range & treble seem to be very well balanced & blend well.

if i dare make an analogy with wine, some people have a preference for bordeaux or burgundy wine. i love both. i would put the qualias in the burgundy region. lighter in style but detailed & complex & not as obvious at first or as in you face as a bordeaux.

 

[erikzen]

Did both Qualias have replacement cables on them? Jahn, do you know which set of Qualias we were listening to when you played me your Carpenters CD, Aaron's or Steve's?

For what it's worth, I found the Qualias to be very lush, especailly with the Carpenters vocals. The mids were almost dripping out of my ears. I also found them very full and detailed with the United Artists of Messidor from Aaron's Aires 2. The electric guitar was to die for. To me, the big difference between the 010 and SA5000 was how much better the midrange was with the 010. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[stevieo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen Did both Qualias have replacement cables on them? Jahn, do you know which set of Qualias we were listening to when you played me your Carpenters CD, Aaron's or Steve's?

i had a small size qualia 010 wtih the Moon Black Dragon replacement cables & immtbiker had a medium size qualia 010 with stock cables. both pair of qualias had red earpads if that helps you any.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen Did both Qualias have replacement cables on them? Jahn, do you know which set of Qualias we were listening to when you played me your Carpenters CD, Aaron's or Steve's?

Argh I have no Idea!

Edit - Hold on we have it caught on tape!

Those are definitely the aftermarkets on there - going to the vinyl rig thru the maestro there, but for the Carpenters it was to Solo, to the Pioneer! Why oh why didn't I plug it into the Esoteric? But as it was those vinnie mods did the trick and the Solo brought all the current the Qualias needed. You are right about Karen Carpenter - with the Qualias she wasn't dry at all, it was all honeysuckle rose.

 

[erikzen]

United Artists of Messidor strikes again!

Good catch, Jahn.

So now, if I ever get the Qualias, I have to spluge on the replacement cables, as well.

 

[Romanee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen Did both Qualias have replacement cables on them? Jahn, do you know which set of Qualias we were listening to when you played me your Carpenters CD, Aaron's or Steve's? For what it's worth, I found the Qualias to be very lush, especailly with the Carpenters vocals. The mids were almost dripping out of my ears. I also found them very full and detailed with the United Artists of Messidor from Aaron's Aires 2. The electric guitar was to die for. To me, the big difference between the 010 and SA5000 was how much better the midrange was with the 010. Take it with a grain of salt.

My 2centsplain -- Although the Black Dragon re-cables were warm and lush, they really need a lot more burn in for me to get a better picture of what they can do. At the meet I preferred the stock cables. I'd love to hear the Black Dragons, Silver Dragons and Cardas cables on the 010s when they're all burned in (doubt I'll get that chance...).

I found the SA5000 to be ideal for power music. They are aggressive and muscular! Man, did they kick with AD/DC!!! When I win my next Lotto jackpot I'll buy Baby and Papa Qualias ... and Omega II ... and R10 ... and Orpheus ... and K1000 ... and KGSS ... and Philips/Meitner/Cary ... and probably most of what was at Aaron's ... and ... and ...

 

[lan]

I'm going to enter the jpelg mode now.

Man the Qualias sucked

But really, that day I felt that was the worst I've ever heard them. I much more preferred R10 and SA5000. I found this very strange since I usually think R10 is just ok and like Qualia and Orpheus more.