[immtbiker]

...Problem is, I recently switched from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook (the latest one in gold color), and the MacBook only has one USB-C port. I guess Firewire is out of the question, so I can't connect it to the Weiss, and I will have to settle for the a USB-C to USB convertor issued by Apple if I want to use the Zodiac Gold. Would that deteriorate the sound quality or should I just use the old Macbook Pro as a dedicated music player for the setup? I am asking all these because I want to get the best out of the HE1000. Thanks guys.

 
Dear Louis. First I want to ask what it was like to share the stage with Ella Fitzgerald. Must have been surreal. 

 
Secondly, I too have the new Macbook. love it for writing and surfing. I also use it with HI-rez thru Audirvana Plus.
There are currently two adapters available that you can use. Both the USB-C Digital AV multiport adapter and the USB-C VGA Multipart adapter.
 
I can't see any reason why the digital transfer would be deteriorated through USB-C, especially with it's speed capabilities.

 

[jamato8]

I have the Macbook Pro and can run iTunes and Audirvana Plus at the same time using the two USB ports and I have my external HD with firewire going to an adapter to the other port, whatever it is called. Too many different names for ports now. 

 

[musicman59]

  I have the Macbook Pro and can run iTunes and Audirvana Plus at the same time using the two USB ports and I have my external HD with firewire going to an adapter to the other port, whatever it is called. Too many different names for ports now. 

What do you mean with iTunes and AP at the same time? I would recommend to use AP with the exclusive mode which means it will disable iTunes.
Using a different output adapter for your player and your hard drive is the right way to go.

 

[calaf]

The point is there. I like my music as I ilke Single malt Whisky. Be able to savor all different subtle nuances improves my enjoyment. it does not disturb me. it it's blended or watered down (  I mean severly watered down.. i don't talk about the litlle pure water we add to help savors to eclose... ) , even slightly... the music is dead for me.  If I just want a fresh water down drink to relax after work, I don"t drink an expensive and rare single malt.

I am sure you know that most master blenders dilute whisky down to 20% proof when crafting their malts. Too much (alcohol, detail) is not always a good thing.

 

[saidentary]

  Do not run your Headphone amp from your preamp. That's 2 attenuators in the path and that makes things muddy (regardless of the position of the volume control). Even high-price preamps won't cure this. I experimented with this a lot and it never worked well. You will lose resolution and all sorts of other cues that make music sound natural. And you also have an extra set of interconnect cables in the way too, which further screws up the sound.

rgs9200m,
Would this still be true if using the preamp's tape loop output?

 

[Trogdor]

The HD800 cannot compete with the HE on bass.  The HD800 cannot compete with the HE on imaging.  But the HD is better through the midrange.  The HD has a wider soundstage.  The HD is slightly better with female vocals and percussion impact in the upper frequencies.  The HE is better with male vocals and delivers body to its sound-- outstanding with anything recorded with a close microphone.  Both are world-class headphones, and that is a good thing.  For now, my personal selection is the HE, but that's likely because it's new and it has me pulling up every piece of music I own (another good thing).  Seriously-- I would be perfectly happy with either headphone.

The HD800 has a wider soundstage? Surely you jest?

 

[wuwhere]

  rgs9200m,
Would this still be true if using the preamp's tape loop output?

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/141205/loop-out-vs-preamp-out

 

[rgs9200m]

Avoiding the 2nd attenuator is the main thing to avoid, and a tape output loop should be OK then. But I believe it's still better to go direct, but a high quality preamp should pass the signal on pretty much intact. I have not tried this much though, so I can't offer to much experience. The only reason I hesitate is that when I tried to extend a high-quality interconnect cable with a little joiner thing to the same type of cable, things did not sound as good.

 

[rgs9200m]

 
Help me out here - do you mean any amp or specifically a headphone amp? 
 
Reason I ask - as an owner of a Pioneer Spec 1 preamp and Spec 2 power amp, they are meant to be paired together. 

A headphone amp is an integrated amp, just one at lower power (most often). This means it consists of a preamp and a power amp in one box. You don't want to put 2 preamps in the chain. When you take the output of a preamp and feed it into a headphone amp, you now have a preamp feeding a second preamp. This is bad because each preamp has its own volume control. A volume control introduces distortion as it attenuates the signal. 2 of these in series sounds bad, at least to my ears every time I tried it.
 
(I wanted the convenience of remote controlled volume from my preamp  to feed my headphone amps, but gave up on the idea after trying it many times with several good preamps I used to have. I also tried to do this to add finer adjustments to headphone amps with stepped attenuators, but still found the sound was compromised a lot. I even tried passive preamps like a Placette and simple passive attenuators, and still things sounded bad. I gave up.)
 
It sounds like you are either driving headphones from the Pioneer Spec 1 preamp's headphone jack, or somehow directly from the Spec 2 power amp (but that would be out of the ordinary). That's OK. I would not send the output of either of these components to a headphone amp, even if it's convenient. Drive the headphone amp from the source. (I looked at the Spec 2 power amp on the web, and it has L/R level controls; I guess I don't understand what these do on a power amp. I'm curious what these controls do.)

 

[moodyrn]

They are variable gain controls for each channel and not volume controls. The spec 2 is a stand alone power amp and has no preamp built in. If I'm not mistaken, I think he's using the spec 2 power amp speaker taps for his he6. If that's the case he's fine in what he's doing. Actually better because you are separating the preamp from the power amp which is different from headphone amps that has both in one chasis. For most cans the spec 1 has it's own headphone out, and in that configuration, the spec 2 isn't used at all. But be careful with the spec 2 speaker taps. That thing is "conservatively" rated at 250wpc rms. But the spec 1 is an awesome preamp along with the spec 2.

 

[Sorrodje]

  I am sure you know that most master blenders dilute whisky down to 20% proof when crafting their malts. Too much (alcohol, detail) is not always a good thing.

 
20% .. only for "cask strength" that are around 60°. Otherwise, A few drops of water are  enough  

 

[preproman]

Can someone who heard both, give a comparisons between the Ether and the HE 1000?  
 
Thanks

 

 

[ruthieandjohn]

There was a question (translation... I wondered) about the ability of the Schiit Lyr 2 vs. the HiFiMAN EF-6 to drive the HE1000.  The Lyr 2 was used in at least two of the earliest, most complete reviews on this thread, and they were quite positive.  On the other hand, the HiFiMAN EF-6 is HiFiMANs current top-of-the-line amp (at least until their EF-1000 is released), costing about 2-1/2x the cost of the Lyr 2.  The Lyr 2 places 6 W into 32 ohms; the EF-6 places 5 W into 50 ohms.  There have been statements that the Lyr 2 is better suited for driving the HE-560 than the HiFiMAN EF-6, and HiFIMAN has said that the drive requirements of the HE1000 are similar to the drive requirements for the HE-560, suggesting that perhaps the Lyr2 would also be better than the EF-6 for driving the HE1000.
 
I used the same test methods as described in this thread earlier, and these results are integrated into that original review, here.
 
In short, the HiFiMAN EF-6 performs better in driving my HE1000 Beta than does the Schiit Lyr 2.  For all three amplifiers, differences between first, second, and third place on an acoustic test were small... even the lowest scoring HPA-1 sounds very, very good.  The Schiit Lyr 2 volume knob (and for that matter, the HPA-1 knob) were placed near 90%; the EF-6 was at 50% of full.  The following chart compares the three amplifiers driving the HE1000 on 10 acoustic features, using a "first prize" (blue, 3 points), "second prize" (red, 2), "third prize" (yellow, 1) method.  Ties for first place are in purple at 2.5 points; ties for third place are in orange at 1.5 points.
 

 
 
 
HifiMAN EF-6 (right column) excels over Schiit Lyr 2 and Joseph Grado HPA1 in driving the HiFiMAN HE1000.
 
As a result, I plan to purchase a HifiMAN EF-6 as the amplifier for my HE1000 headphones.

 

[maeveth]

  There was a question (translation... I wondered) about the ability of the Schiit Lyr 2 vs. the HiFiMAN EF-6 to drive the HE1000.  The Lyr 2 was used in at least two of the earliest, most complete reviews on this thread, and they were quite positive.  On the other hand, the HiFiMAN EF-6 is HiFiMANs current top-of-the-line amp (at least until their EF-1000 is released), costing about 2-1/2x the cost of the Lyr 2.  The Lyr 2 places 6 W into 32 ohms; the EF-6 places 5 W into 50 ohms.  There have been statements that the Lyr 2 is better suited for driving the HE-560 than the HiFiMAN EF-6, and HiFIMAN has said that the drive requirements of the HE1000 are similar to the drive requirements for the HE-560, suggesting that perhaps the Lyr2 would also be better than the EF-6 for driving the HE1000.
 
I used the same test methods as described in this thread earlier, and these results are integrated into that original review, here.
 
In short, the HiFiMAN EF-6 performs significantly better in driving my HE1000 Beta than does the Schiit Lyr 2.  The following chart compares the three amplifiers driving the HE1000 on 10 acoustic features, using a "first prize" (blue, 3 points), "second prize" (red, 2), "third prize" (yellow, 1) method.  Ties for first place are in purple at 2.5 points; ties for third place are in orange at 1.5 points.
 

 
HifiMAN EF-6 (right column) excels over Schiit Lyr 2 and Joseph Grado HPA1 in driving the HiFiMAN HE1000.
 
As a result, I plan to purchase a HifiMAN EF-6 as the amplifier for my HE1000 headphones.

 
 
What tubes did you use on your Lyr 2?

 

[ruthieandjohn]

   
 
What tubes did you use on your Lyr 2?

Tubes were the stock tubes that came with it... 6ZB7.