[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally posted by eric521 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.

You're very wise

If you need headphones to use while reading/multitasking, it might be worthwhile to pick up a cheap, mellow pair of headphones. I've noticed the same thing as you -- it's hard to concentrate on something else while listening to Etys. The AKG K240S that Lini suggested are pretty good for this, and cheap (usually $65 on eBay).

 

[Ticky]

Quote:

Originally posted by eric521 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). *** 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. ****

Awesome! Glad to see that you are got down "dirty" and played around with the equipments before making your decision. If I had done the same when I first started out in this hobby I would have saved tons of money on needless gears changing.

Wow, your first system is a Stax. Mine was some overpriced mass market Sonys.

Do keep us updated on what you think about the 404s.

 

[eric521]

thats not a bad idea. any of the Grado's meet that criteria pretty well? (relatively inexpensive, mellow headphones)

i'm bought the used stax system. Since i'm not going to buy a stax system from that local vendor where i test drove em, i would like to buy a pair of Grado's or something just to show my appreciation for the existence of the local shop.

or, if someone wants to send $3-4k my way, i'll pick up that Linn Ikemi player.

e

 

[Wodgy]

Grados aren't mellow, but SR-60s with the comfy pads are as far laid back as Grados go.

 

[sbulack]

I can recommend, from experience, the rig in my sig. I bought the whole rig, new, for $1085.00. I'm waiting for an AOS Piccolo DAC to complete the Computer rig (to get a DAC chip that I really like and to take the DAC out of the electrical environment of the PC) for $180.00 for a grand total of $1265.00. It's not what you'd call a high end system, for sure, but each of the components is at least decent, and the overall system sound delights-to-amazes me on a daily basis. This was reinforced to me at a meet last week when I heard rigs that cost 10 times as much. The costlier rigs definitely sounded better, but were well out on the diminishing returns plateau of the benefits/cost curve. It was really nice to know that, for what I'd paid for my system, that my system (as a system) is as high up on the benefits/cost curve as it is.

To list the components explicitly, they are (prices I paid in parentheses, YPMV):

Pioneer DV563A ($160), Headsave PPA ($420), Bose Mediamate Speakers($100), AKG K240S phones($100), Headphile CPU (Shielded) IC's($55/ea), Terratec EWX 2496 soundcard($100), AOS Piccolo DAC($180), Sonicwave glass TOSlink cable($40).