[thomasfdo]

My last post to the M1 is quite a while ago.
 
In the meanwhile I listened quite a lot to the M1, first also using the Pioneer U-05 dac and the balanced cable, what was quite an improvement compared to use it directly with my AK240 player and what was not a surprise.
 
At the beginning the M1 was sounding very boomy (as reported by many others before) and it took quite a while til this changed. From my experience the M1 definitely needs quite some burn in.
 
As the sound signature was described several times before, I will not repeat it again (as I fully agree).
 
For 2 weeks now I use the Audio Technica AT-HA5050H dac and headphone amp. Also using a Macbook Pro and Audirvana Plus and Aqvox usb audio cable. Compared to using the M1 with the Pioneer dac, the sound of the M1 improved in every aspect, and not just a slight improvement, but really a big improvement.
 
As I have experienced the importence of cables with my HiFi (I'm into HiFi for about 30 years now), I replaced a standard usb cable with the Aqvox usb audio cable. As there is always a discussion, if a digital cable can matter to the sound, I experienced: it does matter a lot and one should find out him or herself.
 
I also replaced the stock power cable of the HA5050 with a (probably the best available) power cable (by Schnerzinger), what improved the sound of the M1 again and very much.
 
Conclusion: the Pioneer SE Master 1 are great headphones which need quite some burn in. And if you really want to know what they can sound like, use them on a really good dac and amp and don't use any standard/stock cables, but high end cables (they also will improve the sound a lot). 
 
Now, I'm really happy with the M1 (what I was not always at the beginning) !!!

 

[AppleheadMay]

  My last post to the M1 is quite a while ago.
 
In the meanwhile I listened quite a lot to the M1, first also using the Pioneer U-05 dac and the balanced cable, what was quite an improvement compared to use it directly with my AK240 player and what was not a surprise.
 
At the beginning the M1 was sounding very boomy (as reported by many others before) and it took quite a while til this changed. From my experience the M1 definitely needs quite some burn in.
 
As the sound signature was described several times before, I will not repeat it again (as I fully agree).
 
For 2 weeks now I use the Audio Technica AT-HA5050H dac and headphone amp. Also using a Macbook Pro and Audirvana Plus and Aqvox usb audio cable. Compared to using the M1 with the Pioneer dac, the sound of the M1 improved in every aspect, and not just a slight improvement, but really a big improvement.
 
As I have experienced the importence of cables with my HiFi (I'm into HiFi for about 30 years now), I replaced a standard usb cable with the Aqvox usb audio cable. As there is always a discussion, if a digital cable can matter to the sound, I experienced: it does matter a lot and one should find out him or herself.
 
I also replaced the stock power cable of the HA5050 with a (probably the best available) power cable (by Schnerzinger), what improved the sound of the M1 again and very much.
 
Conclusion: the Pioneer SE Master 1 are great headphones which need quite some burn in. And if you really want to know what they can sound like, use them on a really good dac and amp and don't use any standard/stock cables, but high end cables (they also will improve the sound a lot). 
 
Now, I'm really happy with the M1 (what I was not always at the beginning) !!!

 
Do you use different headphone cables for the M1? If so, which please?
Or anybody else?

 

[thomasfdo]

So far, I use the stock cable of the M1; unfortunately, one can not use the balanced cable on the HA5050.

 

[AppleheadMay]

 
So far, I use the stock cable of the M1; unfortunately, one can not use the balanced cable on the HA5050.

 
 
Ah, you have the AT amp? Lovely!
I don't care for balanced headphones myself. Did enough tests when I had the GS-X Mk II and never heard a difference even going fully balanced from source to phones.
I'm using a Marantz NA-11 S1 with either a Zana or Black Widow for the moment. Drives everything as good as it gets for me even when compared to more expensive amps I used to have.
Also some wonderful vintage receivers.
So for me everything is SE.

 

[Benny-x]

 
So far, I use the stock cable of the M1; unfortunately, one can not use the balanced cable on the HA5050.

Not true,
 
if you switch the HA-5050 over to balanced you can use balanced TRS! It's a cool function and the first thing I wondered when I used it 2 weeks ago
 
You need a very odd, or very studio, balanced 2x TRS connector. So for most folks around here that'd be 1x balanced TRS->1x balanced 3pin XLR for the left, and 1x balanced TRS->1x balanced 3pin XLR for the right. Or more recently, 1x balanced TRS left and 1x balanced TRS right into 1x balanced 4pin XLR, then those would go on up to the SEM1.
 
That's why there's 2 sets of headphone outs for each impedance type on the HA-5050. When used in single ended they're just 2 outputs and you can share with a friend with another set of headphones. But when used in "balanced" mode it really is balanced. 
 
You can also feed the HA-5050 with a different DAC. The DAC section of the HA-5050 is alright, but it's the amp section that all the money goes into. Feeding it with a better DAC really makes the amazing work that rig already does, even BETTER. I tired.

 

[thomasfdo]

  Not true,
 
if you switch the HA-5050 over to balanced you can use balanced TRS! It's a cool function and the first thing I wondered when I used it 2 weeks ago
 
You need a very odd, or very studio, balanced 2x TRS connector. So for most folks around here that'd be 1x balanced TRS->1x balanced 3pin XLR for the left, and 1x balanced TRS->1x balanced 3pin XLR for the right. Or more recently, 1x balanced TRS left and 1x balanced TRS right into 1x balanced 4pin XLR, then those would go on up to the SEM1.
 
That's why there's 2 sets of headphone outs for each impedance type on the HA-5050. When used in single ended they're just 2 outputs and you can share with a friend with another set of headphones. But when used in "balanced" mode it really is balanced. 
 
You can also feed the HA-5050 with a different DAC. The DAC section of the HA-5050 is alright, but it's the amp section that all the money goes into. Feeding it with a better DAC really makes the amazing work that rig already does, even BETTER. I tired.

many thanks; that's good to know and I will try it

 

[Duncan]

I'm quite happy with the U05 and Fidelizer & HQPlayer, would be interesting to try again with the Hugo, with these software tweaks, maybe on the weekend

 

[Benny-x]

many thanks; that's good to know and I will try it

You're very welcome. It's a pretty sweet DAC-amp, and a very sweet amp. I wish I had the funds to get one, but it's not an option right now. Haha, I also don't have a place for it :-/  or maybe a new bedside rig...

 

[gurus]

  I find the HD650, unless balanced, dull and veiled in comparison to the Pioneer. I have also found that the Pioneer need a lot of burn in. They were a disappointment at first and I thought I had made a mistake so I let them just sit and put them in the closet with a dap running for days. They evened out and sound much better and more balanced from lows to highs. I am using the micro Zotl 2 (7062 and 6SN7W tubes) as the amp with the Chord Hugo for the dac. 

I hope you are using the GE 5 star BP triple mica for the 6072 from the 50s. You should try the Raytheon 6414. Might work better if it is not too bright a system. Most detailed holographic dynamic sound in my system out of all the 12AU7 and 12AT7s and I have tried/own quite a few variants. And they cost 1/10th the price of 6072s.

 

[TokenGesture]

OK so they have arrived
Fresh out of the box, and I can say these are special. Listening to Steven Isserlis' new recording of the Elgar Cello Concerto in 24/96 on Hyperion, the sense of dynamics and space/imaging is wonderful.  A real sense of a musical performance, not just a playback of a recording.

 

[Duncan]

OK so they have arrived
Fresh out of the box, and I can say these are special. Listening to Steven Isserlis' new recording of the Elgar Cello Concerto in 24/96 on Hyperion, the sense of dynamics and space/imaging is wonderful.  A real sense of a musical performance, not just a playback of a recording.

congrats

They will sound better yet after a few hours on the clock

As matter of interest, being the newest owner, is your serial number still under 1000?

 

[Benny-x]

As matter of interest, being the newest owner, is your serial number still under 1000?

good question. We don't know if he got them newly used, open box, or any other combination of secondhand/not hot off the presses, though. I only mention this because a guy was selling some HD800 recently and when I asked about the serial number he said "new in box, just opened to confirm. SN ~31xxx", but current HD800s are in the 45-50xxx series now. So, you never know.

 

[TokenGesture]

Brand new, sealed, and serial number in the late 500s

 

[Duncan]

Brand new, sealed, and serial number in the late 500s

mine are late 300s...

Glad that you're happy off the bat, looking forward to more impressions

(as an aside, my month trial of HQPlayer runs out in a couple of days, never thought I'd say this, but think I'm going to pay for the full version... It is crazy what some filtering can do!)

 

[AppleheadMay]

SN 289 here.