[smokey]

This is a question to those that have actually listened at length to the Sony MDR-R10 headphones.

I am looking for the best amplification available for the R-10 headphones. I am only interested in commercially available units. No more DIYFSO for me. No custom one-offs that take nine months to arrive. At least not this time.

So, given that simple criteria, what would you buy?

The top contenders, from what I've read are the Maestro and the Stealth. Any others I'm forgetting?

For the Stax mafia, I already have a Weebl, so that is covered. For Senn fans, see my current setup listed below. So, no thread bombing about other headphones being better than the Sony. No offense intended, in my system, the missing link is a top quality amp for the R-10, and that is what I'm asking about here.

Thanks in advance!

 

[NightWoundsTime]

I heard the R10/Maestro combination last week and it is damn near perfection. Agile_one said he has has "reached the top of his mountain" in hifi and no longer listens to the minute details of his rig... just enjoys the music. The Stealth doesn't even compare (and just comparing sheer size of the two you can see why. Stealth is a great amp and a handy thing to have because of its preamp, but it's outclassed by the Singlepower).

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWoundsTime I heard the R10/Maestro combination last week and it is damn near perfection. Agile_one said he has has "reached the top of his mountain" in hifi and no longer listens to the minute details of his rig... just enjoys the music. The Stealth doesn't even compare (and just comparing sheer size of the two you can see why. Stealth is a great amp and a handy thing to have because of its preamp, but it's outclassed by the Singlepower).

Isnt the Maestro also a preamp?

 

[john_jcb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWoundsTime The Stealth doesn't even compare (and just comparing sheer size of the two you can see why.

Can you explain how being bigger improves the sound?

 

[ayt999]

nothing about audio-technica headphones? aww....

from the amps I have heard my MDR-R10 with (at length anyways); which include the gilmore balanced reference, sugden headmaster, emmeline HR-2, grace model 901, grado RA-1, and the grado HPA-1... I seem to like the gilmore balanced reference with it the best. I have heard the maestro and supra amps from singlepower at the socal meet and also thought that they were a good match for the MDR-R10 (and Mikhail can tweak it to provide more bass or whatever is needed. after listening to the R10 for a while, I don't find it too lacking in the bass but compared to the L3000 it could be better.) but didn't listen to it at length so cannot tell if it will be better than the gilmore amp, for me at least.

you may want something different from what I look for in an amp but at least consider the gilmore balanced reference. (with a balanced pair of R10's perhaps

) for me, I want a solid bass foundation without too much of the mids or highs emphasized in general, and the gilmore does this the best from what I have heard. Ray's amps are voiced too far from what I want so although they are indeed great amplification, it doesn't suite my needs. what sort of sound are you looking for anyways?

so... getting back to the original topic, why don't you get your LTH-3000 (I assume that is your special codename that corresponds to the Audio-Technica ATH-L3000), pair it with the gilmore balanced reference... and get the greatest system you can have, at least in my opinion.

I guess you can use it with the MDR-R10 too if you want.

 

[lan]

At this stage of the game, don't buy any until you try them out (or just buy them all and compare at home

). You should be matching your tastes/goals with the amps in question and not what other people think. I value people opinions but I know my tastes and goals are different from theirs. Their likes and their "best" is not my likes and "best"

I don't prefer either Stealth nor Maestro. I've concluded I just don't like the R10 since it doesn't do it for me in any setup. Regardless of that fact, the selective process that you go through should be the same for any system, it's personal.

 

[tjkurita]

Used Cary 300 sei. NOS tubes. You won't look back, and you can look forward to speakers.

 

[Nik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smokey This is a question to those that have actually listened at length to the Sony MDR-R10 headphones. I am looking for the best amplification available for the R-10 headphones. I am only interested in commercially available units. No more DIYFSO for me. No custom one-offs that take nine months to arrive. At least not this time. So, given that simple criteria, what would you buy? The top contenders, from what I've read are the Maestro and the Stealth. Any others I'm forgetting? For the Stax mafia, I already have a Weebl, so that is covered. For Senn fans, see my current setup listed below. So, no thread bombing about other headphones being better than the Sony. No offense intended, in my system, the missing link is a top quality amp for the R-10, and that is what I'm asking about here. Thanks in advance!

EAR HP-4 or Rudistor RP5 Reference, these are the best amps I think for the MDR R10!

Thinking to a SS amp I remember the Sugden Headmaster as e nice combo with the R10.

Best!
Nicola

 

[Sovkiller]

Why not giving the new AT amp a try, it is expensive but it should be a hell of an amp, with a lot of combination ot get the best out of it, tone controls, digital EQ, etc....Does anybody had tried it.....????

 

[Wmcmanus]

I'd agree with lan: you've got to hear them for yourself. That being said, it would be the Maestro ZR for me (they seem to be made for each other). I've been enjoying my Single Power SDS with the R10's for some time, but based on recent listening at meets, the Maestro seems to be a notch ahead of its predecessor. Were it not for my Angstrom, I'd probably upgrade.

I've heard the R10's on the Sugden Headmaster (unmodded) and agree with Nik that this is a nice combo, but nowhere near the glory of the SDS. Same goes for the RKV and micro ZOTL; nice but not in the same league. My RP-5 audition with the R10's was very brief, but I suspect it wouldn't get you there either. Likewise, the Stealth is a great amp/preamp, but it doesn't seem to be tuned specifically for the R10's.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus I'd agree with lan: you've got to hear them for yourself. That being said, it would be the Maestro ZR for me (they seem to be made for each other). I've been enjoying my Single Power SDS with the R10's for some time, but based on recent listening at meets, the Maestro seems to be a notch ahead of its predecessor. Were it not for my Angstrom, I'd probably upgrade. I've heard the R10's on the Sugden Headmaster (unmodded) and agree with Nik that this is a nice combo, but nowhere near the glory of the SDS. Same goes for the RKV and micro ZOTL; nice but not in the same league. My RP-5 audition with the R10's was very brief, but I suspect it wouldn't get you there either. Likewise, the Stealth is a great amp/preamp, but it doesn't seem to be tuned specifically for the R10's.

So, do you consider the SDS as a good match for the R-10 (talkind about the Sheldon Strokes amp right???) interesting, this amp always get my attention....if just someone decided to do it as a DIYFSE project....

 

[Hirsch]

The single best amp for the R10 that I've heard was a monster Supra that Mikhail demoed in NY. This one was packed with upgrades. I need to upgrade mine now

The Singlepower Maestro ZR is another good choice, but I'm not as familiar with it as I am with the Supra.

The other amp that really brings out the R10, IIRC, is bozebuttons' modded Cary 300SEI. This has a level of detail that a stock Cary won't touch. I auditioned a stock Cary, and was greatly disappointed, particularly after hearing the modded one.

I don't think the EAR HP4 can bring out the full transparency that the R10 is capable of. It's a great amp, but once you hear the R10 without transformer coloration in the signal path, you don't go back. (Yeah, I know the Cary has transformer coupled outputs, but bozebuttons' amp was still something special).

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller So, do you consider the SDS as a good match for the R-10 (talkind about the Sheldon Strokes amp right???) interesting, this amp always get my attention....if just someone decided to do it as a DIYFSE project....

No, sorry Sov. I'm referring to the Single Power SDS (Supra Dupra Supra) that Mikhail built for me about 18 months ago. Tom Hankins was the first head-fi'er to get one of these after Hirsch's detailed Supra review; it was intended to be a super charged Supra and was labelled SDS my Mikhail. As far as I know, these were the only two made (Tom's and mine) and both were in the old chassis style. I think the SDS label has dropped off in the meantime (thankfully, because of the potential confusion).

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch The single best amp for the R10 that I've heard was a monster Supra that Mikhail demoed in NY. This one was packed with upgrades. I need to upgrade mine now... The other amp that really brings out the R10, IIRC, is bozebuttons' modded Cary 300SEI...

Oh yes, how could I forget these two amps with the R10's.

At the May meet, the hotrodded Supra that Meech bought was right up there with the Maestro ZR using the R10's. They were side be side so it was easy to do comparisons. I suspect others at the May meet may have commented about this on the meet impressions thread, so that may be worth digging up.

Tom's modded Cary also sounded wonderful with the R10's at the October meet. The Maestro was there at the same meet, but it was the very first Maestro ever built and I think the design has been tweeked a little (and, in fact, tuned specifically for the R10's) since then. To me, it was a toss up between these two amps and the R10's (and unfortunately, they were using different sources and interconencts). The Cary definitely was intoxicating.

 

[bozebuttons]

If I didn't own my Modded Cary ( You'd have to pry it out of my dead hands) I would definately be looking at the Singlepower Supra or Maestro set up for the R10s. I heard them in my own system at home before the Nov NY meet.Can't comment how A stock 300sei would sound as I never heard one, mine was modded before I bought it other then the Dact c2 I recently put in.