[Roasty]

received the Apollon Audio 1et7040sa purifi amp yesterday. I still have the NAD M23 purifi amp. just wanted something with an all black colour scheme. am likely going to regret going with piano black finishing due to potential swirl marks and fingerprints.

took a few weeks from ordering to delivery. email correspondence is sketchy at best (good before ordering, but goes somewhat downhill after payment..). amp came wrapped in clingfilm, with usual foam padding, single-boxed; a nice cloth cover and double boxing would have been better.

The amp itself is quite heavy and feels very solid and thankfully no rattling or loose pieces. opening the box, immediate whiff of fresh spray paint. chassis finish is quite good, not perfect as there are already some very faint swirl marks. not too bothered as the marks don't show when on the rack.

I like that there is adjustable gain as standard on all their amps now. I'm running it on lowest gain and there is more than enough power for Abyss and Sr1b (via the ti1b adaptor box). the binding posts used are very nice too. front logo lights up on turning on and the brightness can be turned off/dimmed via a switch below the chassis.

out of the box it didn't remind me of any other purifi amps I've tried before; it was very very warm sounding with a lot of low end. that seems to have cleared up pretty fast and it is now more reminiscent of the sound I am accustomed to. all in all not that much different from the nad M23 (if any different at all). it does have a nice form factor and looks really sexy on the rack. I will most likely keep it with these components in the pic, and then use the nad M23 together with the Zähl HM1 as pre.

 

[newworld666]

My free to move home combo...

And garden free to move combo

 

[shampoosuicide]

I started my Head-Fi journey in 2007 and made my first 'serious' purchase with the HD 650. At the time, I paired it with the then-flavours of the month Zero Dac and Darkvoice 332i. I still recall vividly the sound produced by that combination: thick, dark, lush, and intimate. It didn't fit my tastes however, setting off a 16 year search for 'the one'; that one headphone which just sounded right to my ears. Over the past year and a half, I've worked my way through both the classic and contemporary mid-fi Head-Fi staples, and compiled my ranking and notes here. During that journey, I revisited the HD 650 seven more times. There was no denying its tone and timbre were sublime. But out of every amplifier I tried it with and even KISS-modded, its bass lacked definition and texture. Technicalities were just average to my ears, and purely from memory seemed to fall short of the Elex or DT 1990 Pro and even the Sundara 2020 in terms of clarity, detail retrieval, and separation. Most egregiously of all, it would quickly break up during complex, bass-heavy passages. In a direct comparison with the HD 560S, I noted that the latter displayed better clarity, separation, soundstage, and imaging. Yet, posts from more seasoned Head-Fiers consistently carried the same message: with good upstream equipment the HD 650 scales exponentially.

Much has also already been written about the similarities and differences between the HD 600 and HD 650, with the consensus being roughly that the HD 600 has a reduced upper-bass emphasis and a slightly more energetic treble. These differences seem subtle enough on paper, but for me, they make the HD 600 sound like a 'corrected' HD 650. Everything simply sounds right. Up to this point I had only heard the HD 650 / HD 600 through entry-level and mid-fi amplifiers: the FiiO K7, Darkvoice 332i, Little Dot MKIV, iFi ZEN CAN, Gustard H10, and the Drop + THX AAA 789. Then the Monolith Liquid Platinum entered the picture... Now I was absolutely not prepared to hear the HD 600 scale like that. The HD 600 is already a phenomenal headphone tonally: the MLP takes it from a just decent mid-fi headphone technically to something quite superlative. Rarely have I heard such dramatic differences between amplifiers, with the only other occasion that comes to mind being the DT 880 600 ohm paired with an OTL amp.

There is a surprising and remarkable degree of power, precision, and control on display. Bass is tight and well-defined. Treble is crisp, delicate, with air for days. Soundstage takes on a scale of an entirely new dimension. Separation, imaging, and layering easily surpass the Elex and DT 1990 Pro from memory, and whilst not quite at the level of the Edition XS, they're not far off either. For me, the HD 600 sits at that threshold where a headphone is so adequately competent technically that its tonal characteristics begin to take precedence.

TL;DR: If you own an HD 600 / HD 650, you deserve to hear them through the best amplifier you can invest in.

 

[judomaniak57]

I started my Head-Fi journey in 2007 and made my first 'serious' purchase with the HD 650. At the time, I paired it with the then-flavours of the month Zero Dac and Darkvoice 332i. I still recall vividly the sound produced by that combination: thick, dark, lush, and intimate. It didn't fit my tastes however, sparking a 16 year search for 'the one'; that one headphone which just sounded right to my ears. Over the past year and a half, I've worked my way through both the classic and contemporary mid-fi Head-Fi staples, and compiled my ranking and notes here. During that journey, I revisited the HD 650 seven more times. There was no denying its tone and timbre were sublime. But out of every amplifier I tried it with and even KISS-modded, its bass lacked definition and texture. Technicalities were just average to my ears, and purely from memory seemed to fall short of the Elex or DT 1990 Pro and even the Sundara 2020, in terms of clarity, detail retrieval, and separation. Most egregiously of all, it would quickly break up during complex, bass-heavy passages. In a direct comparison with the HD 560S, I noted that the latter displayed better clarity, separation, soundstage, and imaging. Yet, posts from more seasoned Head-Fiers consistently carried the same message: with good upstream equipment the HD 650 scales exponentially.

Much has also already been written about the similarities and differences between the HD 600 and HD 650, with the consensus being roufhly that the HD 600 has a reduced upper-bass emphasis and a slightly more energetic treble. These differences seem subtle enough on paper, but for me, they make the HD 600 sound like a 'corrected' HD 650. Everything simply sounds right. Now this is a headphone worth investing in, I thought. At this point I had only experienced the HD 650 / HD 600 through largely entry-level amplifiers: the FiiO K7, Darkvoice 332i, Little Dot MKIV, iFi ZEN CAN, Gustard H10, and the Drop + THX AAA 789. Enter the Monolith Liquid Platinum... Now I was absolutely not prepared to hear the HD 600 scale like that. The HD 600 is already a phenomenal headphone tonally: the MLP takes it from a just decent mid-fi headphone technically to something quite superlative. Rarely have I heard such dramatic differences between amplifiers, the only other occasion that comes to mind being the DT 880 600 ohm paired with an OTL amp.

There is a surprisingly remarkable degree of power, precision, and control on display. Bass is tight and well-defined. Treble is crisp, delicate, with air for days. Soundstage takes on a scale of an entirely new dimension. Separation, imaging, and layering easily surpass the Elex and DT 1990 Pro from memory, and whilst not quite at the level of the Edition XS, they're not far off either, and easily sit at that threshold for me where a headphone is so adequately competent technically, that its tonal characteristics begin to take precedence.

TL;DR: If you own an HD 600 / HD 650, you deserve to hear them through the best amplifier you can invest in.

completely agree with you on playing the hd600 thru the best amp you can, played mine thru a cheapo tube amps for years, then got my bryston ss amp and played them thru the balanced out. wow a great headphone . 2 watts of class A power do wonders for this headphone, not bass shy at all and a midrange to die for

 

[PixelSquish]

It's possible the edge of sanity has already been breached when a manufacturer's entry level speaker is $26.5k.

It's a marketing gimmick. Perceived value by high dollar signs. At some point you are just purchasing bragging rights. I think that is definitely where it starts.

 

[GoldenOne]

Just moved my main setup into the other room. Got the rack looking quite pretty!

 

[DropTekRoon]

 

[gimmeheadroom]

What, no lava lamp?!

 

[Chastity]

I started my Head-Fi journey in 2007 and made my first 'serious' purchase with the HD 650. At the time, I paired it with the then-flavours of the month Zero Dac and Darkvoice 332i. I still recall vividly the sound produced by that combination: thick, dark, lush, and intimate. It didn't fit my tastes however, setting off a 16 year search for 'the one'; that one headphone which just sounded right to my ears. Over the past year and a half, I've worked my way through both the classic and contemporary mid-fi Head-Fi staples, and compiled my ranking and notes here. During that journey, I revisited the HD 650 seven more times. There was no denying its tone and timbre were sublime. But out of every amplifier I tried it with and even KISS-modded, its bass lacked definition and texture. Technicalities were just average to my ears, and purely from memory seemed to fall short of the Elex or DT 1990 Pro and even the Sundara 2020 in terms of clarity, detail retrieval, and separation. Most egregiously of all, it would quickly break up during complex, bass-heavy passages. In a direct comparison with the HD 560S, I noted that the latter displayed better clarity, separation, soundstage, and imaging. Yet, posts from more seasoned Head-Fiers consistently carried the same message: with good upstream equipment the HD 650 scales exponentially.

Much has also already been written about the similarities and differences between the HD 600 and HD 650, with the consensus being roughly that the HD 600 has a reduced upper-bass emphasis and a slightly more energetic treble. These differences seem subtle enough on paper, but for me, they make the HD 600 sound like a 'corrected' HD 650. Everything simply sounds right. Up to this point I had only heard the HD 650 / HD 600 through entry-level and mid-fi amplifiers: the FiiO K7, Darkvoice 332i, Little Dot MKIV, iFi ZEN CAN, Gustard H10, and the Drop + THX AAA 789. Then the Monolith Liquid Platinum entered the picture... Now I was absolutely not prepared to hear the HD 600 scale like that. The HD 600 is already a phenomenal headphone tonally: the MLP takes it from a just decent mid-fi headphone technically to something quite superlative. Rarely have I heard such dramatic differences between amplifiers, with the only other occasion that comes to mind being the DT 880 600 ohm paired with an OTL amp.

There is a surprising and remarkable degree of power, precision, and control on display. Bass is tight and well-defined. Treble is crisp, delicate, with air for days. Soundstage takes on a scale of an entirely new dimension. Separation, imaging, and layering easily surpass the Elex and DT 1990 Pro from memory, and whilst not quite at the level of the Edition XS, they're not far off either. For me, the HD 600 sits at that threshold where a headphone is so adequately competent technically that its tonal characteristics begin to take precedence.

TL;DR: If you own an HD 600 / HD 650, you deserve to hear them through the best amplifier you can invest in.

I've been looking for a good hybrid balanced amp to upgrade my system from an Asgard 3 + tube preamp, and the Liquid Platinum is one of the amps on my radar, along with the Little Dot Mark III SE. Today I noticed the MLP on sale for $339, so I ordered one. Thank you Paypal and Pay-In-4 for making this possible, and ty Monoprice for discounting it by 58%. I'll update with pics when it arrives. My DAC is a SMSL M300 MkII with AK4497, and supports balanced out. Will be testing the amp on HD580 Precisions, DT-1990, M1570, and my old favs the Sony MDR-SA5000.

 

[DropTekRoon]

What, no lava lamp?!

That would fit the vibe for sure. I'm on it!

 

[ZAXX40]

Just moved my main setup into the other room. Got the rack looking quite pretty!

Hello Sir

Is it possible to get your perspective of your May Dac to the 2 flavours of Schiit Yaggys I see on the bottom of your stack.

I current own a LIm, OG and OG plus because of NOS


I am looking for something new. Possible A Pontus 2 or a Springs 3 KTE NOS

Would really value your opinion.

I move my Dacs around between different systems so listing my other equipment might not be a worthwhile venture.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I've never been a fan of Grado headphones, but was a huge fan of his cartridges...also had a Grado arm for the TT at one time (a pretty thing).

 

[kibot]

Just bought new sheepskin pads and balanced cable for my Meze 99 Neo

 

[DropTekRoon]

I've never been a fan of Grado headphones, but was a huge fan of his cartridges...also had a Grado arm for the TT at one time (a pretty thing).

They aren't for everyone for sure. I'm a big fan personally as I like their sound signature.There isn't another pair of headphones out there like them. Also, they are insanely customizable if you are into that. Their cartridges seem really good from what I've read.

 

[Pharmaboy]

They aren't for everyone for sure. I'm a big fan personally as I like their sound signature.There isn't another pair of headphones out there like them. Also, they are insanely customizable if you are into that. Their cartridges seem really good from what I've read.

In the turntable/vinyl world, there's a big sonic divide between moving coil cartridges, which typically have more "presence" in the upper mids and treble; and moving magnet & moving iron cartridges, which often have a more foundational, earthy/organic tone. A lot of system-matching goes on to adapt to those sound signatures.

I had a number of MCs; that stopped on a dime when I got my first Grado MM. Damn, what a great sound! Kind of like the difference between high-end silver cables (MC) and high-end copper cables (MM/MI).

Grado was and still is THE BRAND for moving magnet cartridges...