[eric521]

Looking for recommendations for a complete system all the way from the source to the phones.

Primarily listen to jazz, rock, and classical (in that order).

Looking for recommendation for a complete system from source to amp to phones and connections, and trying to keep the cost of the system under $1200.

Open/Closed non-earplug phones. I have ER6s and ER4s, and I like their sound, but I'd like a system that is not canalphone based, but if it works well with Ety's, all the better.

Thanks in advance!

 

[usc goose]

vinyl, cd, sacd, dvd-a, computer based, or what?

 

[eric521]

sorry, cd-based

 

[usc goose]

http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=65287
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~headphile/page3.html
http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=64638
http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=64216

nad 541 -> headphile standard -> ppa -> hd600 for $835

edit: i don't know the sellers nor am i involved with any of those deals btw. except larry at headphile. i've done business with him and can recommend him highly.

edit#2: also, i've never actually heard a nad 541 but there is a philips 963sa on the for sale forum too which is what i'm listening to at the moment and which i love. also i've not heard the ppa but i do enjoy the hd600s with my meta42 and by all accounts, the ppa is superior.

 

[Ticky]

USC goose,

how did you get the total to come out to $895? I thought the NAD 541 cost around $400.


Eric,

Todd does sell the HD600 refurbished for around $240, if you are impartial to B stocks. I got mine refurbished and frankly couldn't tell that it was not brand new. You still get the full warranty. This way you save a few bucks.

 

[usc goose]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ticky USC goose, how did you get the total to come out to $895? I thought the NAD 541 cost around $400.

well if you clicked my links, it's mostly stuff from the for sale forum.

 

[Ticky]

Arh! Wow, those are some good stuff. Especially the NAD CDP.

No I don't know the sellers.

But if Eric prefers some new gears, I would also suggest checking out the Corda HA-2 ($660) from Jan Meiers. Very nice sounding amp.

 

[tortie]

My advise is to look for good used gear from trusted head-fi members here. Your cost will really be a lot lower if your just patient in looking for good deals here. With that said, If I were in your place I would get:

Philips 963SA
HD600 w/ replacement cable
Magwire Nakeds
Emmiline HR-2 (I havent heard this personally, but there are a lot of positive reviews about this amp from respected head-fi members here)

If your patient/lucky all could be had used for about your $1200 budget.

 

[wallijonn]

Philips 963SA
nOrh SE9
K1000
fiy magnetic oxide coated copper cables

 

[Ticky]

Eric,

I should have mentioned this earlier on. Regardless of the recommendations given, you should, if possible, personally audition the equipments before making the purchase. This is the only way to really determine what set-up is best for you.

At $1,200, your budget is quite significant and you deserve to get a system that sounds best to YOU. Auditioning takes time, and it could easily be a month before you finally settle down for the system you want. But it is time well spent.

Admittedly if you are looking at used gears, you probably wouldn't be able to audition the items before making the purchase. Thus, while you might get a good deal by buying used gears, there is a trade off.


Most audio dealers probably wouldn't carry headphone amps because it is a rather niche market. However, they should carry CD players. So, I would suggest auditioning a few CDP from the dealers in your area.

If there are no good dealers near you, your next option would be using an e-tailer. For CDPs, you could check out AudioAdvisor (they don't carry NAD though). For amps and headphones, Headroom and Toddthevinyljunkie, two of this forum's sponsors, are very reliable e-tailers. They both have generous return policies. You could thus, audition their gears before deciding whether you want to keep them. (I would also mention Meier audio, another forum sponsor. However, Meier is located in Europe and his amps are available from Todd here in the US).

I would recommend spending around $400 for a CDP, $500 - $600 for an amp, $200 - $300 for a headphone and some $20-40 for cables.

If you don't already know, there are a few posted reviews in the amps forum for amps like the HA-2, XP-7, PPA, etc., which are in your price range. You should start by reading what the reviewers have to say about those amps.

Keep in mind that the fun in this hobby is also in the research and purchasing part! Savor it when the opporunity arises!

good luck!

 

[tom hankins]

I've got a friend who has a music hall CD25 for sale for 300.00. Pair this with a Singlepower PPX3 amp, (500.00) and a pr. of HD650's (450.00) and you will have a sweet system for 1250.00.
This system also gives you alot of room to grow. You can add mods to the CD25, cable upgrade to the 650's, and get the RCA cleartop tubes for the PPX3. As you save up some cash this system can grow from very good to excellent. (and still not cost you an arm and a leg)

 

[lini]

eric521: One often reads that the Beyerdynamic DT880 and the Etymotics sound resemble each other quite a bit. So that might be a model to try... Another route you could go would be Grado... Or maybe an AKG K401 or K501. Hmhmhm... You don't have some more examples of headphones or loudspeakers you've already heard and liked/disliked (and why) at hand? Could be helpful...

Personally, I'd probably try the new Cambridge Azur 640C, combined with a Corda HA 1 MkII and a... well, in my case an AKG K240S; in your case a yet to be discovered headphone that suits your sonic tastes up to US$ 200. Together with the Corda and maybe also the headphone, if Jan carries that too, one could also order that Tech+Link line interconnect, which is fairly nice for the price, and get a good package deal on everything... If I were in the US, I would also include HeadRoom and several DIY amp builders in my considerations, btw...

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[wallijonn]

and Eric, don't forget that just like eyeglasses your hearing will change and get trained according to what is fed into them.

You may be jumping into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim. You may be missing out on wonderous discoveries (and their attendent frustrations). But, I must say, it is a good place to start the journey. Just heed Ticky's advice. You wouldn't buy a race car without first trying it, would you?

 

[eric343]

Whoa... it's like me, but with a higher number in the nickname...

I'd recommend a system, but I'd be blowing $800 of your money in the source alone, plus $1k for the amp... but you've already got the headphones

 

[eric521]

Thanks everyone for the responses. This forum definitely has a more positive feel than pretty much anywhere else I've ever been online.


Finally found a store a few days ago where I live (Audio Concepts) in Dallas. I went to give some headphones there a spin. They've got the Grado line from the SR60s to the RS-1, and Stax Basic, Classic, and Signature (hooked up to a Linn Ikemi CD player).

There's no doubt that I am "jumping into the deep end of the pool", but I figure upgraditis will cost me more in the long-run. I listened mainly to the RS-1s and the Classic/Signature system.

I started with the two Stax systems, listened to two tracks (Interpol's Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down and a Los Lobos Will The Wolf Survive live track, only CDs I had with me at the time).

Stax system definitely sounded cleaner and basically felt like Ety's with more bass (and a lot more comfortable to wear). RS-1s sounded a bit muddy in comparison (I'm probably alienating countless RS-1 fans here, so I'll caveat that by saying I am a newbie). The Stax Classic sounded very different from the Stax Signature, the latter had a tube driver. The tube one was warmer and had fewer sharp treble moments, but it also seemed less detailed, which may or may not be a good thing. On the Stax Classic (and on Etys), I find myself less able to read and listen to music at the same time, whereas on some of my other headsets, I find I can passively listen and read/multitask better. I don't know if thats what people mean by "detailed headphones can be fatiguing", but if it is, I can relate.

Specific to the music, for those not familiar with the Interpol track, the recurring theme is a short crescendo with the guitar and the drums stop, and all you have left is a high sustained note on the electric guitar. That moment felt a lot more like music on the Stax, and a little more like a screech on the RS1. Just my newbie opinion.

In any case, that test made me head in the Stax direction. And I picked up a SR404/SRM313 combination off of the FS/FT forum. I ordered some interconnects from Headphile, and I'm going to wait a bit for a really good source (maybe one of those toshiba's everyone's talking about or the pioneer for now, maybe NAD/Azur in a couple months).