Audio-Omega
Headphoneus Supremus
Chefguru, when do you plan to upgrade ? Pinnacle might not seem so expensive if you plan to keep it for five years or more.
4. The perceived tonality of the headphone (overall balance between low / mids / highs) and extension (low and high frequency limit) significantly change when using various amps, but you can't expect a higher priced amp to remove a (5dB~?) peak which lies at neither of the extremes. The peak in HD800 response that most complain about is probably somewhere between 6-8kHz (low and high), not 17kHz or 100Hz...
Thank you for the response Arnaud. It was quite educational, and it is interesting to hear your thoughts about the differing benefits in high-end dynamic and electrostatic amplification. I appreciate you taking the time to post it.
Do you mind if I ask one more follow-up question? You mentioned that one of the issues many have with the HD800 is a treble peak in the 6k to 8k range. Out of curiosity, could this problem be solved by EQ-ing? Also, as both the pinnacle and the B52 are tubed, could tube rolling possibly cure a treble peak?
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Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge, Arnaud!
Spend half the cash, donate the rest to Japan. You'll have a system that will sound just as good as the Pinnacle, and you'll feel totally good about yourself.
Please note that Innerspace stated that he churned thru many samples of HD800s until he found one that was bass-heavy. (See his fine review of the Pinnacle for details.)
My RSA B52/HD800 combo is quite neutral, even slightly warm sometimes. But still, some recordings excite the Senns' upper midrange and I need to switch to my T1s or PS1000s,
to calm things down. The 800s (at least my pair, # 6320) are usually chllier than these other phones. That's not to say they are not spectacular with the right recording,
but I feel that is the basic character of my pair. My B52 serves them well (Bendix 6900 tubes help a lot, along with Telefunken 12AU7s.)
But I actually feel the other 2 phones above are even better matches, with fullness, impact, tight bass,
great texture and substance, and control. The 800s beat them in soundstage (layering and space), and are my clear choice when the recording permits it.
I say that the Grados and Beyers are better matches because they work well with more recordings, from classical to pop to rock.
So, I wonder what the Pinnacle, which I'm guessing from these reviews does not have the warmish signature of the B52, would do with a different sounding HD800 sample.
[Of course, If one could afford a Pinnacle, I guess they could afford a new pair of 800s . ]
And it sure would be interesting if the Pinnacle could add more soundstaging to the T1s; that would make them really amazing (I'm a big T1 fan).
In my case, although a recable did help reduce sibilance, a more drastic mod was necessary to
significantly reduce the treble. You can search for it on this forum under my name, or Jazz or iPodJ. The idea is to add sound absorbing material inside the earcup to reduce reflections off the frame / increase acoustic dissipation at high frequencies. Sort of a natural way to equalize the response. I am not an adept of digital or electrical equalizer in the signal path, but I assume some nice results may be achieved when applied with moderation...
Nice wallwart psu’s a real quality statement and only $3000
Please note that Innerspace stated that he churned thru many samples of HD800s until he found one that was bass-heavy. (See his fine review of the Pinnacle for details.)
My RSA B52/HD800 combo is quite neutral, even slightly warm sometimes. But still, some recordings excite the Senns' upper midrange and I need to switch to my T1s or PS1000s,
to calm things down. The 800s (at least my pair, # 6320) are usually chllier than these other phones. That's not to say they are not spectacular with the right recording,
but I feel that is the basic character of my pair. My B52 serves them well (Bendix 6900 tubes help a lot, along with Telefunken 12AU7s.)
But I actually feel the other 2 phones above are even better matches, with fullness, impact, tight bass,
great texture and substance, and control. The 800s beat them in soundstage (layering and space), and are my clear choice when the recording permits it.
I say that the Grados and Beyers are better matches because they work well with more recordings, from classical to pop to rock.
So, I wonder what the Pinnacle, which I'm guessing from these reviews does not have the warmish signature of the B52, would do with a different sounding HD800 sample.
[Of course, If one could afford a Pinnacle, I guess they could afford a new pair of 800s . ]
And it sure would be interesting if the Pinnacle could add more soundstaging to the T1s; that would make them really amazing (I'm a big T1 fan).