[daltonlanny]

Vcoheda,
You are probably correct.
Maybe the GS-X is "too neutral" for my tastes. I am beginning to think that I prefer the slightly warm side of neutral anyway.
Sure, there are better sources than the 840c, but I like how it sounds overall, and it did not cost me an arm and a leg.
I just hooked it into my main home rig this evening, using the balanced outputs, and it just SMOKES!
This player is EXTREMELY impressive hooked into my main home rig, quite a bit more impressive than when using it in my headphone system!
I don't regret purchasing it at all.
Maybe I will try out another balanced headphone amp in the near future.
Thanks.

 

[vcoheda]

i was on Steve Hoffman's forum the other day and some people were raving about the 840C. it seems like a great player for the price.

 

[SK138]

840C is a stunning sounding source and input / output flexibility gives it added value competition ignores.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcoheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif i was on Steve Hoffman's forum the other day and some people were raving about the 840C. it seems like a great player for the price.

 

[pianomav]

Well I just have to resurrect this thread to post my impression on the GS-X. Like what I mentioned before, daltonlanny offered to pass his GS-X on to me and I took the opportunity and I'm glad I did!

Here's my setup:

Iriver Optical out (Lossless FLAC) -> DAC1 xlr -> SignalAudio Silver Reference xlr -> GS-X -> equinox xlr -> HD650

I've been through 2 different hi-end amps (GCHA, Corda Opera) which are both excellent amps but I believe that the balanced sound of the GS-X surpasses these 2 amps by quite a margin. I think my quest for the ultimate sound signature has come to an end with both the gs-x and my dac1.

I'm not sure if anyone has tried the DAC1/GS-X combo but the detail on this combo is unbelievable. In my opinion, GS-X is making the dac1 shine to its fullest potential. The soundstage reminds me of my AKG-K701 which I could never get with my hd650 and my single-ended amps but with the gs-x/dac1 it's as if the k701 has merged with my hd650. This even reinforces my belief that the hd650 is truely a remarkable 'cans', even so balanced.

I've now sold all my SE rig, balanced is here to stay.

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianomav /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've now sold all my SE rig, balanced is here to stay.

i still enjoy my RS1 SE, but in general i doubt i'll ever be that interested in any SE amps - at least in terms of purchasing. balanced is just better. and i don't really consider that to be a subjective statement.

day 1 without my apache. in for mods/repair. i feel so alone.

 

[SK138]

I am there too. Balanced is here to stay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianomav /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I just have to resurrect this thread to post my impression on the GS-X. Like what I mentioned before, daltonlanny offered to pass his GS-X on to me and I took the opportunity and I'm glad I did! Here's my setup: Iriver Optical out (Lossless FLAC) -> DAC1 xlr -> SignalAudio Silver Reference xlr -> GS-X -> equinox xlr -> HD650 I've been through 2 different hi-end amps (GCHA, Corda Opera) which are both excellent amps but I believe that the balanced sound of the GS-X surpasses these 2 amps by quite a margin. I think my quest for the ultimate sound signature has come to an end with both the gs-x and my dac1. I'm not sure if anyone has tried the DAC1/GS-X combo but the detail on this combo is unbelievable. In my opinion, GS-X is making the dac1 shine to its fullest potential. The soundstage reminds me of my AKG-K701 which I could never get with my hd650 and my single-ended amps but with the gs-x/dac1 it's as if the k701 has merged with my hd650. This even reinforces my belief that the hd650 is truely a remarkable 'cans', even so balanced. I've now sold all my SE rig, balanced is here to stay.

 

[Tbln]

Balanced is the way to go!

At least from my experience with Sennheisers.

 

[euclid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianomav /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not sure if anyone has tried the DAC1/GS-X combo but the detail on this combo is unbelievable. In my opinion, GS-X is making the dac1 shine to its fullest potential. The soundstage reminds me of my AKG-K701 which I could never get with my hd650 and my single-ended amps but with the gs-x/dac1 it's as if the k701 has merged with my hd650. This even reinforces my belief that the hd650 is truely a remarkable 'cans', even so balanced. I've now sold all my SE rig, balanced is here to stay.

yes i have this combo too, the DAC1 detail retreaval is captured nicely by the GS-X, it doesnt seem slurred or artifically boosted at all. i really think the GS-X transparancy needs to be respected, that purity cant be simulated.

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tbln /img/forum/go_quote.gif Balanced is the way to go! At least from my experience with Sennheisers.

quite an impressive display of Senns. i took this from your profile

HD580/Cardas XLR
HD600/Cardas XLR
HD600/SAA Equinox XLR
HD650/SAA Equinox XLR

mind giving your opinion on these phones, how they compare to one another, which is your favorite.

 

[twsmith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianomav /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not sure if anyone has tried the DAC1/GS-X combo but the detail on this combo is unbelievable. In my opinion, GS-X is making the dac1 shine to its fullest potential. The soundstage reminds me of my AKG-K701 which I could never get with my hd650 and my single-ended amps but with the gs-x/dac1 it's as if the k701 has merged with my hd650.

This is pretty much exactly what I experienced with the DAC1 and GS-1 combo as well. The transparency of this combo is awesome and seems to underscore the great synergy that these two Headamps seem to have with the DAC1.

It's interesting that you should mention that the balanced GS-X makes your hd650s sound like the K701s, soundstage-wise. Since I'm using K701s with my combo, this makes me wonder what benefit, if any, there would be to balanced over SE with these particular cans. I would be especially concerned that the soundstaging of the K701s could be over-exaggerated and made to seem unreal. To me, the K701s seem to sound just about ideal in single-ended mode, especially with the DAC1/GS-1.

 

[Tbln]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcoheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif quite an impressive display of Senns. i took this from your profile HD580/Cardas XLR HD600/Cardas XLR HD600/SAA Equinox XLR HD650/SAA Equinox XLR mind giving your opinion on these phones, how they compare to one another, which is your favorite.

In general, I have found that balancing brings a wider soundstage and greater transparency to the sonic picture. This applies most to the HD650 although the HD600s also benefit from going balanced.

I have to qualify that my only experience with a balanced set-up is with the Apache and it is quite an improvement, in my opinion.

As expected, the HD580 and HD600 with Cardas are quite similar to each other, with the HD600 having a wider soundstage by comparison.

The HD600/Equinox is airer sounding and has slightly greater detail than the HD600/Cardas pairing. That is, the Cardas cable brings a slightly warmer perspective to the sound. The Equinox cable outlines the sounds, making them more well defined than the Cardas.

The jury is still out on the HD650 although the addition of the Equinox and balancing does seem to cut through the 'veil' and increase transparency. At the same time, it tightens up the bass. Unfortunately, it is just that the bass (or quantity of it) seems to intrude into the whole presentation. Will need to listen more to it before passing judgement. Have found them to be the perfect can for relaxing and enjoying the music, as opposed to listening critically.

As it stands, my favourite at the moment is the HD600/Equinox.

If you are interested, I will post my impressions of the RAL balanced as I should be receiving it soon. Will be pairing it together with my last SE HD650.

 

[vcoheda]

yes. please do post impressions of the RAL cable. and thanks for the above. very helpful. i am very interested in trying out other XLR cables for my HD650 - just not sure which one.

 

[Tbln]

Having had some time to listen to the RAL balanced Senn cable (with the recent downtime

), here are my impressions.

Of all the balanced aftermarket cables I have tried, this has had the greatest impact on the sound. It really changes the HD650 totally.

For better or for worse, read on to decide. Any comparisons made are in relation to the HD650/Equinox XLR.

Transparency has been taken up quite a few notches. As it stands, it is the current champion among all my Sennheiser aftermarket cables, offering a clean, grain free sonic picture.

Soundstaging remains about par for the course.

Vocals are set just a little bit further back in the soundstage compared to the HD650/Equinox pairing.

It is in the bass where the biggest difference is felt. The bass with the RAL, though very tight and low, appears to be reduced compared to the 650/Equinox. The 650/Equinox pairing provided more warmth and body to the sound and provides a more tactile bass impact.

What I found surprising was how much the cable changed the sound of the HD650 sonic signature. Anyone who does not like the original darker and warmer presentation of the HD650 should give the RAL cables a listen. The RAL gave took away the 'veil' and tightened the bass quite a bit.

Family shot:

 

[vcoheda]

very interesting. your impressions on various senn cables have been very informative and much appreciated. i almost purchased a bal equinox a few weeks ago. i passed and then it sold. it was a good price too. i am still thinking about trying out an equinox or an RAL. however, i just purchased some gear recently, including an HD600 with blue cardas cable, so additional cables will have to wait until i sell a few unused items.

also, do you detect any differences between the blue and grey cardas cables. i know that the blue is an older version, but i'm not sure what, if any, differences there are between the two in terms of sound. either way, i take it that the cardas is your least favorite for the 600 or 650.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Sweet. I'm getting my Beyers balanced.. I feel so naked going SE..