[jopi]

My two cents:

I think you've got a decent setup. It seems that your amp and your headphones beat your source by a wide margin, so why don't you enjoy your setup for a while.

I myself have about $2,500 invested in my turntable, arm, cartridge and phono stage and still think my Headroom Little and my AKG501 is good enough for this setup.

Also, the earlier you figure out in life how to have fun without blowing all of your disposable income the better. I know I sound like a smartass now, but it's nevertheless true.

 

[andrzejpw]

Quote:

Originally posted by LTUCCI1924 andrzejpw Please forgive me. Most of what I have said was in jest. This is a great hobbie for life and a rewarding one at that. So I am sorry if you took me to seriously. I know little about anything so dont mind me. You are doing fine and good luck with you search for good sound. The members here will help you a lot. Again I am sorry if I misled you. (peace)

No problem. I was just wondering. I hope to keep this around as a hobby for a while.

Like I said, my source is a little out right now. Give me two years.

At most, maybe an art dio.

Right now, I'm thinking mg head. ???

 

[carlo]

andrezjpw,
in all honesty, i'd start up an ira if you didn't already have one. but, this is head-fi so enough of the responsible talk.

i'd hold on to the $500 and search the used marketplace for a good deal on another head amp or source. when people get their tax returns back they usually upgrade and sell old stuff, you should be able to do nicely with about half of your budget. that leaves you approx $250 to buy some music (braver's got the right idea), have fun, get into a little trouble, watch some movies, that sort of thing.

also, late summer/fall is *the* best time to shop for new equipment, since many new models come out for christmas and old stock gets blown out, as well as the need to make room for it all. so anyway, i say hold on and figure it out after the money is actually in your hands.

best,
carlo.

 

[andrzejpw]

The fact that asl has some new products coming out helps.

I'm waiting for some MG heads to show up on the market.

For music, were members of columbia house. Hey, yeah, ok, maybe you guys don't like it, but I say getting 3 cds for 20 bucks shipped is ok.

 

[darkclouds]

I'd say go for the MG Head and you'll definitely see a difference.

 

[Audio-Me]

They'll be a dramatic difference, however it won't exactly "improve" his system that much. A decent amp can't make a so-so source good.

 

[darkclouds]

cmoy is a nice little amp but believe me, when he switches to an MG head, he will hear the difference. It's not like he's playing out of a portable and the Denon 370, in my opinion, is a decent cdp.

Of course, this is all from my personal experience.

 

[andrzejpw]

I'm really a little confused. I bought the denon on the recommendations that I got here. Now its a bad cdp?

 

[wab]

andrzejpw, the Denon is a very nice entry level CDP. Sometimes I don't get these people here either. First the Denon was the super giant killer CDP to get now it's the Sony 333ES that is hyped. I'd say stick with it and upgrade your amp.

 

[fiddler]

I have a similar setup, except I have the HD600 and the Pana 570 portable as my source. I have both the Corda and the stock CMOY that I recently built to compare.
I guarantee you will hear a significant improvement going from the CMOY to the Corda. They are in two totally separate classes altogether. The Corda has better instrument separation, tighter bass, portrays the decay of instruments much better, and most of all, has treble that seems to extend to infinity without ever sounding harsh, while the CMOY sounds clearly rolled off in comparison. It is IMO clearly worth the extra money.

EDIT: Also, you have a better source than me, so the differences will probably be even more pronounced for you.

 

[jopi]

Quote:

Originally posted by andrzejpw I'm really a little confused. I bought the denon on the recommendations that I got here. Now its a bad cdp?

Nobody said, that you've got a bad source.

What most of us are saying is, that your amp is good enough for your source and you probably won't get your money worth when buying something better.

Think of it this way: There aren't any cheapo headphone amps out there. Anybody willing to dish out any cash for a headphone amp is crazy to begin with, so you don't find any at Best Buy for 20 bucks.
Just because your amp is one of the least expensive you can buy, doesn't mean that it isn't a high quality amp. It is still a high quality piece of audio equipment.

I think some of the guys here go overboard when recommending amps. If you don't have more than $5K tied up in your system, everything below $300 should be sufficient.
Better amps may even point out shortcomings of your source. Happened to me with my phono stage: I've listened to two different ones and the better and more expensive one did reveal too much of the shortcomings of my turntable. You just have to overcome your ego and go with less than perfect sometimes.

But hey, if you like to experiment and try something out. Go for it! I won't be a bad investment after all.

 

[andrzejpw]

I sorta see what you're saying. But the problem is, I can NEVER go all out and upgrade. I gotta go a piece at a time. After the MG head, it would be cardas cables, then maybe a diff source(when I'm in college).

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by jopi I think some of the guys here go overboard when recommending amps. If you don't have more than $5K tied up in your system, everything below $300 should be sufficient.

I don't think that's a very accurate assertion. Sure, some of us are "overboard"

but even if your system is a $400 CDP (Sony 333ES) and $220 headphones (HD600), $300 won't do your system justice. It will sound great, but the amp will be the weak link in your chain.

Now, maybe this is an extreme example (getting amazing components for cheap), but a $1000 CDP and $400 cans are still only $1400 total, and I think you'd be cheating yourself with a $300 amp.

 

[pigmode]

andrzejpw,

It's almost a no-brainer. Within your budget the biggest improvement/change should come with the MG Head. Your cdp should keep you happy for at least couple of years.

If you're a student then keep it simple. Most big spenders around here are working full time and can afford to be splitting audiophile hairs.

 

[discoman]

Under $500, how about Corda/PC(24v) + Beyer DT931. Instead of just upgrading, you can also try something new.