[millerdog]

At Pigmodes place there were:
Beyer 831, 931
AKG501
AT W100<Piano Black's
AT A9X<mine
Grado SR325<mine
Ety 4b?<Verts

Sugden
Melos

Marantz source - I didn't get the model.

All I can say is: I am a sad excuse for an audiophile.
The etys rocked. I will be getting some 4Ps.
Pigmode, Vert, and (I know his name, just didn't get his handle cause I was in bliss listening to the etys; you know who you are) are cool guys.
I thought I knew some esoteric **** about music; but now I am just a lame listener.
Then again, all I got to worry about is how to finance my ety purchase.
Aloha guys!
md

 

[Vertigo-1]

A big thank you to pigmode for providing the meeting place for this Headfi meet. I had a great time...but again, it was more fun for me to yap with you dudes then the actual listening.

Side notes: yes, the Etymotics were the 4Bs. The source was a Ah! Njoeb 2000.

The major things I concentrated on at this meet was seeing how the Grado SR-325s and AKG K501s reacted with the Sugden, and in finally checking out the famed Melos SHA-1.

Simply put, the 325s sounded nice with the Sugden. On the other hand they became quite fatiguing out of the Melos. The Sugden sucks at driving the AKG K501s...just not much bass down there at all. The Melos did a better job, but still nowhere near as satisfying as when I heard the 501s with the RKV.

Now, the Sugden vs. the Melos...the first thing that surprised me was how much treble the Melos had. It has more treble then the Sugden. It's more forward, and it's also got a harder focus to it. The Sugden's treble sounded airier, smoother, more soft up on top. Both had great extension. The midrange is about equal on both, with the Sugden's midrange being maybe a bit flatter. On bass, the Melos had a tuby sounding bass...it had a soft, rounded feel to it. It's that sensation that the bass notes weren't reaching down as deep as they could. On the other hand, it did have more bass impact in the upper bass. The Sugden's bass went deeper, but it's more lean...not as much upper bass impact. The soundstage was close, with the Melos maybe having a slight upper hand. Imaging though was better on the Sugden.

What's interesting is if I had to impose a frequency response curve to the Melos, it'd literally be exactly like the Grado HP-1's. This leads me to believe even further that Melos did originally design this amp around the HP-1000s. One thing's for sure though...if you never told me the Melos had tubes, I would never know it to contain tubes. It certainly doesn't sound much overall like a tube amp, except for the bass. The bass was the only thing that clued me in that there were tubes in there at all.

Bottom line...they're both fine amps. I'd be hard pressed to choose between either one.

Again it was great finally meeting millerdog, and getting together with pigmode again. Likewise with miller, I didn't quite get the 4th dude's handle, if he hangs out on Headfi, but it was nice meeting him too. Hopefully we can do this again in the future!

 

[pigmode]

Well it wasn't quite an offical meet but it was great talking about stuff and getting a chance to compare the Melos to the Sugden, as well as listening to the W100.

Unlike Vert, I thought the Melos had a more forward midrange than the Sugden, as well as that liquid tube quality that I have come to expect in my audio equipment. Oh well, I guess that's why I'm a glasshead and vert's an SS guy.

After having auditioned the highly regarded Sugden, I am now extra happy to have the Melos as my primary power unit.

I'll post comments on the W100 in the HP forum...

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode Oh well, I guess that's why I'm a glasshead and vert's an SS guy.

That's why I keep saying you need an EMP with some fine tubes, piggy. It's such a simple rig...and if configured correctly, it will leave you speechless...

 

[markl]

What tubes were in the Melos? The stock Sovteks are awful with an absolutely screechy top-end.

markl

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickG That's why I keep saying you need an EMP with some fine tubes, piggy. It's such a simple rig...and if configured correctly, it will leave you speechless...

Can't you tell that I'm trying to play the satisfied audiophile here?

Let me know when you sell yours.

Quote:

What tubes were in the Melos? The stock Sovteks are awful with an absolutely screechy top-end.

6922 JAN Phillips. Now that I am back with team Melos, I will roll some tubes. The JAN Phillips are a bit forward on the top end, but I have a pair of NOS 7308 Seimens steel pins on hand. Whaddayathink? Any other suggestions?

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode Let me know when you sell yours.

LOL...fat chance! My EMP w/Cambridge CDP is incorporated into my nightstand with the HD-600/Equinox. This is my "sweetdreams" rig. No sale...maybe I'll include you in my will. Oh, but JMT is first in line! (ummm, no murder for hire, dudes...

 

[JMT]

Quote:

Oh, but JMT is first in line! (ummm, no murder for hire, dudes...

Heh, heh, heh.

 

[millerdog]

One last thing:
Pigmode's home system deflated me. His monitors and sub...damn! I didn't want to go home.
Let me just say....Pigmode is an audiophile.
Now I have inspiration on how to set up my own system.

I agree with Vert. I had much more fun talking **** than talking music or tech. I am from Kalihi..sorry.
Hey guys! Let's do it again.
md

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode 6922 JAN Phillips. Now that I am back with team Melos, I will roll some tubes. The JAN Phillips are a bit forward on the top end, but I have a pair of NOS 7308 Seimens steel pins on hand. Whaddayathink? Any other suggestions?

The JAN Phillips explains the low end Vertigo-1 heard. The Melos is usually very strong at the bottom end, but the JAN Phillips 6922 is not. The Siemens tubes should be good to excellent, depending on year on production.

My Melos has actually been doing very well with Sylvania 7308's. Not one of the glamor brands, but I have absolutely no objection to using an inexpensive tube that sounds good