[Got Mi|k?]

hoodlum I use to live in Markham but I still live close and will be picking up this amp as soon as it's ready since i'm first in line I will let everyone know when I get it and post some pic's

 

[ferraro25]

If either KICAS amp turns out to work well with the HD800, it'll be the headphone amp I'll buy to power my HD800. Hopefully at least a few head-fiers in the first batch of the HD800 also have a KICAS amp. I'm in the second batch - at best - so I'll likely purchase the amp before I receive the HD800. I'm leaning towards the Caliente because I tend to enjoy a warmer sound sig more than a clinical sound (example: I just about HATE the K701, but very much like the HD595... OTOH, I really like my SR-202, which is not warm by any stretch).

Looking forward to having my first truly quality (dynamic headphone) amp!

edited to add: Actually, I'm just going to go ahead and buy the Caliente once back in stock. It will be interesting to hear what the K701 should sound like.

 

[CompressionalFlagellation]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferraro25 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If either KICAS amp turns out to work well with the HD800, it'll be the headphone amp I'll buy to power my HD800. Hopefully at least a few head-fiers in the first batch of the HD800 also have a KICAS amp. I'm in the second batch - at best - so I'll likely purchase the amp before I receive the HD800. I'm leaning towards the Caliente because I tend to enjoy a warmer sound sig more than a clinical sound (example: I just about HATE the K701, but very much like the HD595... OTOH, I really like my SR-202, which is not warm by any stretch). Looking forward to having my first truly quality (dynamic headphone) amp! edited to add: Actually, I'm just going to go ahead and buy the Caliente once back in stock. It will be interesting to hear what the K701 should sound like.

Thanks for making the "come on, just buy the HD800 -- it's not that expensive...muahaha!

" gears in my head spin even faster.

It's going to be really interesting to read your impressions of the combination, that's for sure. Man, but $1400!! ouch!! I better just stick with my 650s for a few years, maybe the price will drop a few hundred, hopefully.

 

[meusickfrek]

Hi all, I also have a Caliente on order so now i'm looking for a DAC for my hd600's. Any suggestions in the $300 range, should I stay neutral or on the bright side or does that matter? I really would like to preserve the sound quality of the Caliente without making it too dark. I will be running it from my laptop with spdif or usb. Thanks for any help with my first home system.

 

[CompressionalFlagellation]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meusickfrek /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi all, I also have a Caliente on order so now i'm looking for a DAC for my hd600's. Any suggestions in the $300 range, should I stay neutral or on the bright side or does that matter? I really would like to preserve the sound quality of the Caliente without making it too dark. I will be running it from my laptop with spdif or usb. Thanks for any help with my first home system.

The DacMagic is somewhat popular from what I understand -- I may consider it myself in the future.

 

[Taikero]

If you're looking under $300, I'd go EMU 0404 USB or Audio-gd Compass (Has its own amp also, bonus!).

 

[meusickfrek]

Thanks for the suggestions, i'll look into them. I also sent Oriel an e-mail asking a similar question, will post his reply when I get it.

 

[meusickfrek]

Wow! Quick reply from Oriel, don't know if it helps me and my budget but here it is...

"Paul, the only DACs with which I've had contact are the CI audio VDA-1, VDA-2 and the Cambridge Audio 840C. All are beyond the $300-$400 range, however. Used, VDA's can be found for $300-400. I've heard good things about the zhaoulou zapfiltered...

Sorry, the best I can do.

Cheers!

Oriel"

The DAC Magic seems good but I want something semi-portable or am I trying to say simple, I spend a lot of time in the field (motels). Hope this is not off topic...

 

[sidsata86]

I have owned the Caliente for almost a year now with AKG k701's. I've used a variety of DAC's, including those with opamps in the output stage and those without. I really prefer, and now solely use, the Aeolus Audio magiDAC which uses an excellent DAC chip with a transformer coupled output stage. The combination with the three is beautiful sounding to me. The magiDAC is completely uncolored and very neutral sounding, which allows the warmth of the Caliente to come through and not be too exaggerated for a balanced, strong, and extremely detailed sound, especially on the k701s. The opamp output DAC's, such as the Zhoulu 3.0 I use for the speaker setup was too forward and edgy sounding with the Caliente. It may have worked if I listened to bass heavy electronic music, but I listen to almost every genre and the non-opamp output neutral DAC is perfect with the Caliente.

 

[meusickfrek]

Thanks for the input, been reading the compass page (sometimes painfully) and this project seems very intriguing with all the HDAM options...and the price.

 

[CompressionalFlagellation]

As we all know, the Caliente is in the same price range as the M^3, and both are in fact directly competitive with each other performance wise, according to some on this forum. Both are supposedly outstanding performers, but with what I've heard around here, the Caliente coming out ahead in it's performance.

If this is true, then you should check out this review. I'm starting to think that I will be going to a place that I've never been before sonically.

Good lord, this thing is powerful. Pretty much every song's bass is represented more physically and the HD650s are performing more like a closed headphone but with the same soundstage as before. It simply is delivering the bass that weaker amplifiers are leaving out.

I realise this is only one aspect, but a significant one, none the less. If the Caliente performs like this, or better, then someone's cooking with...

EDIT: I see some of you have found the review and commented on it already. Good job.

 

[oqvist]

Great review... How is the Caliente for sibilance? Also what is the better match for it the 650 or 600? I can get both at about the same price but not sure if this amp is good enough to make the 650 better than the 600?

 

[Skylab]

No excessive sibilance AT ALL.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great review... How is the Caliente for sibilance? Also what is the better match for it the 650 or 600? I can get both at about the same price but not sure if this amp is good enough to make the 650 better than the 600?

I have not noticed sibilance - not even from tracks or parts of tracks in which "s"es are really being hissed out prominently by the singer/speaker. The hiss of the s comes out as prominently as the singer/speaker prounounces it, but without any of the detectable harshness of sibilance, to my ears.

".. but not sure if this amp is good enough to make the 650 better than the 600?"

The Caliente is a sufficiently competent amp to bring out the strengths of each of HD600 and HD650 phones. The HD600 bring out the treble range more and the bass range less than the HD650 - yet the HD650 reveal more detail across the acoustic spectrum. Both have a rich, full midrange - the HD650 more rich and full (to my ears) because of the overall lower illumination level of the sound. Yet, both sound great with a Caliente - and which is deemed better will depend on the recording/production qualities of the track and the listener's preferences. As an example, the sounds which define the "ambience" of a live venue are more pronounced on the HD600, as I hear it. Those same "ambient" cues are very much there with the HD650 - in even more subtle detail, to my ears - but not as prominent in the overall mix as with the HD600. For me, the HD650 is what I generally enjoy more for my listening, and the Caliente lets it show its sonic display strengths to an extent which keeps the music lover in me richly satisfied and my ears deeply engaged and happy.

Depending on which flavor of sonic display strengths is more sought to most enjoy a particular track, the Caliente enables either of the HD600 or HD650 to perform according to their respective strengths - being well-supplied from the Caliente with the voltage swings and current-on-demand that each needs to do what each phone does best.

Most of the time, my particular listening preferences and goals are best satisfied using the HD650. Whenever I have used the HD600 with the Caliente, though, what I hear sounds so much better than when I had used the HD600 with any other amp in my past, that, while I listen, I mentally re-evaluate the HD600 relative to the HD650. I still own both, and, while I mainly use the HD650, I have no plans to sell off the HD600 in the foreseeable future - it is a valued member of my collection of musical listening instruments.

I've already posted in this thread the other amps that I've used with the HD600 and HD650. I prefer what I hear from the pairing of these phones with the Caliente a good measure more than with any of the other amps in my past.

 

[oqvist]

thanks I will look into it. I am as most know quite fond of my PRO 900 but the reason I am interesting in senns is for classical, accoustical maybe and perhaps movie watching. Classical because open headphones are more airy which helps with large symphonies. I do actually preferr the 900 to the 701 for classical otherwise in more relaxed classical. Want a bit more body then the AKG 701 gives me though.

Anyone here tried it with any kind of Ultrasones. Or Denon they seem to behave quite similarly in term of sibilance and both being low impedance headphones.