[jude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdipisReks ....the big winners in my opinion were Mikey01's Moth and his DT990's. the Moth is amazingly seductive sounding, with great speed, detail and extension....

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodcans ....While I of course enjoyed the 'Tower of Singlepower', my best of show award goes to the Moth Audio amplifier coupled to the custom recabled Beyer 990 combo....

I'm not surprised that Mikey01's Moth Audio amp went over so well with you guys. At last week's Detroit Mini-Meet, Nightfall brought his Moth Audio Si2A3H, which Moth Audio's Craig Uthus (also of Eddie Current) told me is one of the best headphone amps he's ever made. It was phenomenal, and one of my two favorite amps at last week's Detroit Mini-Meet (which I still have to post more about).

Glad you guys had a nice Mini-Meet!

 

[acs236]

Ahh, finally... some impressions!!

A few quick words about the SA5000. The fit for them is a bit unintuitive, but once you start wearing them correctly, they're actually very comfortable. The secret is that the head band touches your head tangentially around where your bald spot is... I mean, would be.

Also, I think they grow on you more than other headphones, typically. My initial impression of them was a lot different than my current feelings.

Sounds like I need to hear the 990s.

 

[Mikey01]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acs236 Ahh, finally... some impressions!! Sounds like I need to hear the 990s.

[size=large]YEP! Pretty sweet.[/size]Twenty feet of Mogami cable, modded, repacked into 10 feet, with a DT 990 headphone added. Wish you could have made it.

 

[go_vtec]

It was great to meet some of our fellow headfiers in person! Too bad that I had to leave little bit early... but it was definitely worth the drive (240 miles). I will upload some pictures and post my impressions from the meeting in details. Meanwhile, I was totally blown away by both Moth Audio and MPX3 Slam. As a matter of fact, there were too many Senn HD650s, I tripped and stepped on couple of them

 

[go_vtec]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acs236 Ahh, finally... some impressions!! A few quick words about the SA5000. The fit for them is a bit unintuitive, but once you start wearing them correctly, they're actually very comfortable. The secret is that the head band touches your head tangentially around where your bald spot is... I mean, would be. Also, I think they grow on you more than other headphones, typically. My initial impression of them was a lot different than my current feelings. Sounds like I need to hear the 990s.

Overall fit and comfort of SA5K weren't as good as I expected. May be I have an odd-shaped head?

Anyways, it took little while to learn how to wear SA5K properly.

BTW, you gotta try 990... I couldn't believe how good 990 was.

 

[EdipisReks]

yeah, the 990's were pretty great.

 

[some1x]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover . However, I couldnt believe how uncomfortable the sa 5000 was. After having used the cd3000 which is like two pillows on your ears the sa5000 feels cheap

Just curious, did you check to see whether you put it on correctly. I think the SA5000 are very uncomfortable when worn backwords

 

[EdipisReks]

i had them on correctly, and i thought they were somewhat uncomfortable. i do have a big head, however, which probably didn't help.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by some1x Just curious, did you check to see whether you put it on correctly. I think the SA5000 are very uncomfortable when worn backwords

And they do feel awkward if the headband is not at the right angle, though I can hardly see calling them cheap or Gradoesque, but to each his own.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by some1x Just curious, did you check to see whether you put it on correctly. I think the SA5000 are very uncomfortable when worn backwords

Yea I think so... I was listening to Santana and the music was coming out of the usual channels and not reversed.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer And they do feel awkward if the headband is not at the right angle, though I can hardly see calling them cheap or Gradoesque, but to each his own.

The headband didnt bother me at all. But the earpads lack of comfort reminded me of wearing the grado 225's.... they squish my ears the same way. I didnt call them cheap, I said they feel cheap... which is not the same to me. I didnt like the earpad material it was to plasticky. Comfort aside, from my impression I could live with these while I cant deal with the cd3000's.

 

[Rempert]

Thanks again, sacd lover, for hosting this meet. It was another great experience.

If you like Singlepower amps and HD650 headphones (and I do

), this was the place to be. I think we had about one of each for everyone at the meet! But there was plenty of other great equipment to keep everyone busy listening for a long time.

I really liked the MPX3/HD650 combo when I heard it at the last meet in Cincy, and that is still one of my favorite combos. It seems to be very enjoyable with whatever music happens to be playing (with the right tubes and tweaks, anyway). This time, I also tried my own A900 with the MPX3, which I didn't get around to doing at the last meet. I imagine most people with an amp of this calibre would move past the A900 to the better ATs or Sonys, if they wanted this flavor of sound. It was a fun listen, though. The thing that really stands out with this combo is the depth of the soundstage and imaging. It could be very fun for techno or something like Dark Side of the Moon.

I heard the PPX3 for the first time at this meet, and it is a very enjoyable amp. I see now why EdipisReks likes Bjork so much... his equipment makes her sound very good.

It's not quite on the same level as some of the other tube amps at the meet, but still pretty nice.

Mikey's Moth amp...full-bodied monster of a sound. I tried a lot of phones on this amp in Cincy and tried a few more this time. It really sounds nice with the Beyers (880 or 990). I tried the W1000, which I had never heard before, on this amp, and that was a pretty sweet sound. To me, I still feel like this combining this amp with the HD650 takes too much edge off the music and leaves it sounding a bit dull.

I only listened to the Slam models briefly. When I listened to the MPX3 version, I was using the woody-modded HD650, and I wasn't quite sure which differences were from the headphone enclosures and which were from the amp. My impression, though, was that it was a slightly different flavor from the normal (upgraded) MPX3s, but not necessarily better or worse. The Slam version of the PPX3 had good impact, but to me it is still not as good of an amp overall as the MPX3 amps that were present.

Sacd lover's tube rectified amp sounded very good to me for the few minutes I listened to it. Kind of halfway in between the characteristic sound of the other Singlepower amps there and the rich sound of the Moth amp.

 

[kmcdonou]

Did anyone have the chance to compare Earl's MPX3 with Solen I and Jensen PIO caps to Woodcans MPX3 with Solen III and Black Gates?

I just sent in my MPX3 (Solen I, Jensen PIO caps, goldpoint attenuator) for upgrades to 12v and black gates. I thought the Solen III would be too bassy or overly warm. Now after hearing Earl's initial thoughts, I am wondering if that wouldn't be the case after all.

Mikhail described the differences as follows: The Solen Stage I is more neutral and the current sound will change with the Stage III upgrade. The amplifier will become more open and airy, and tone will change toward softer and warmer side. If you desire a warmer amplifier in addition to these other qualities, then this upgrade is for you.


I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts. I need to let Mikhail know if I should add another upgrade while he has my amp.

 

[Mikey01]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmcdonou I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts. I need to let Mikhail know if I should add another upgrade while he has my amp.

[size=large]I would juice it out all the way. It sounded great.[/size]

 

[bg4533]

SA5000- I came to the meet expecting to hate these. I only had the chance to listen for about 10 minutes, but I was impressed. I tried them with my PPA first and they sounded pretty bad. I listened next with my Dynalo. They seemed well balanced, very clear and had very nice bass.I really wish I had a chance to listen longer. The SA5000 seemed to fit me fairly well. The top of the headband felt a little wierd, but not bad. I would like to buy a set to try out, but I can't unless I sell my HD650s and a few minute listen isn't enough to make me do so. These also look cooler in person than in the pictures.

CD3000-When I first heard them a few months ago I could barely listen. I listened for a little bit this time, but still do not like them. There seems to be a disconnection between the bass/mids and highs. The bass and midrange is nice, but the highs sound like they are coming from a different headphone. They also just don't seem to fit me right. They feel like they are going to fall off my head. They also slide down a bit and put pressure on the top of my ears.

W1000-I only listened to these for a few minutes and was not impressed. I think they look very cool though. I might actually prefer the A900.

DT990- I am going to go againt the crowd and say I didn't really like them. They weren't bad, just not my style. They seemed to have a bit to much highs for my taste.

SR71- I listened to this at the last Cinci meet and did not like it at all. I listened again and still was not impressed. My Ipod Mini with Sik Ram was the source. This amp seems to have very rolled off highs. I listened first with my Shure E5. The E5 has a weak high end to begin with. With the SR71 there was no trace of a high end. Excellent midrange and bass though. I listened next with my HD650. Things just sounded wrong. There seems to be a trailing edge to all the vocals. I have never heard it with any other amp. I will say that I really like the case and aesthetics of this amp. That is about it though.

Moth- When I listened a few months ago I thought it was ok, but a bit slow I listened to a variety of music with my HD650 woody. The woody has a bit more high end and is slightly punchier than the regular HD650 and I think it paired well with the amp. I was very impressed this time. Everything about it just seemed to be right this time.

PPX3 Slam- Similar to the regular PPX3, but a little bassier. I found it to be a little harsh in the high end. The PPX3s are nice amps, but if I was in the market I might have to splurge and go for the MPX3.

MPX3- I really like the regular MPX3. It is one of my favorite amps. I wanted to buy one the first time I heard it. I don't think I got to hear the Slam, but the amps look almost the same so maybe I did. Woodcans maxed MPX3 sounded excellent. Very well balanced and transparent.

GS-1-I got a chance to compare this to my DIY Dynalo. The GS-1 is a cool looking amp and seems well designed. If you are looking for a solid state amp I think it would be a good choice. It isn't quite warm but is full sounding and well balanced. My Dynalo sounded a bit sterile in comparison.