[redshifter]

can someone show me or do a comparison between these two amps?

 

[30241]

It seems like people are jumping all over the Hornet, even previous SR-71 owners.

I sold my SR-71 to jump on the Hornet wagon.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sennheiser It seems like people are jumping all over the Hornet, even previous SR-71 owners. I sold my SR-71 to jump on the Hornet wagon.

why would you do that? the sr-71 and hornet have quite opposite sound characteristics. Best I can summarize it:

sr-71: classical music, accoustic music, jazz, live
hornet: rock, hip hop, metal, trance, drum n bass, electronica

soundstage: sr-71 is wider, hornet is collapsed and seems to reside in the center, very much gradolike.
speed: hornet is faster and less forgiving of source and recording quality than the sr-71
general sound characteristic: sr-71 seems flatter (some may say that the mids are recessed), hornet is very mid freq forward.

sr-71 synergizes in general with hd 580/600/650, DT880, ER4P/S
hornet synergizes with HD580/600/650, grado headphones. I don't like how it sounds with the DT880 and ER4P/S.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT why would you do that? the sr-71 and hornet have quite opposite sound characteristics. Best I can summarize it: sr-71: classical music, accoustic music, jazz, live hornet: rock, hip hop, metal, trance, drum n bass, electronica soundstage: sr-71 is wider, hornet is collapsed and seems to reside in the center, very much gradolike. speed: hornet is faster and less forgiving of source and recording quality than the sr-71 general sound characteristic: sr-71 seems flatter (some may say that the mids are recessed), hornet is very mid freq forward. sr-71 synergizes in general with hd 580/600/650, DT880, ER4P/S hornet synergizes with HD580/600/650, grado headphones. I don't like how it sounds with the DT880 and ER4P/S.

I had an opportunity to listen to both today. For the type of music I listen to I prefer the SR-71. The Hornet sounded to compressed and the bass was to predominant in my opinion. Not that it sounded bad is just that I prefer the SR-71.

Now, what would it take to talk Ray to add a charger and a gain switch to the SR-71. If he does I will be the first on the list

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo I had an opportunity to listen to both today. For the type of music I listen to I prefer the SR-71. The Hornet sounded to compressed and the bass was to predominant in my opinion. Not that it sounded bad is just that I prefer the SR-71. Now, what would it take to talk Ray to add a charger and a gain switch to the SR-71. If he does I will be the first on the list

I prefer the sr-71 overall. But my HF-1 have never sounded better with my hornet. It is incredible how this combo sounds.

 

[redshifter]

thanks for the comparison. i haven't heard the hornet but the sr-71 still amazes me every day. if the hornet had improved on it i might have jumped on the bandwagon. as it is, the sr-71 isn't going anywhere in my setup.

 

[Jahn]

Yep the SR71 and the Hornet sound completely different. The SR71 to me is more of a home amp in terms of its sound, while the Hornet straddles that with qualities that work well with high ambient noise as well as the quiet of home.

 

[ProleArtThreat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT I prefer the sr-71 overall. But my HF-1 have never sounded better with my hornet. It is incredible how this combo sounds.

I might be in the minority, but I actually find the HF-1 to be a tad bit too bright with the Hornet. I prefer my SR-71 with it. Now the Sensas, on the other hand, sound absolutely amazing out the Hornet. As it stands now, I'm inclined to keep both amps since they both provide a different enough listening experience. I only have about 30-40 hours or so on the Hornet, so perhaps the sound will loosen up and mellow out a bit after a few more more hours. Just wish the SR-71 had a recharging AC power unit and a gain switch.

How many hours does your Hornet have on it?

 

[DJGeorgeT]

hehe, well how many hours...

serial 9020: 30 hours
serial 9004: 2 hours
serial 9104: 50 hours

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProleArtThreat Just wish the SR-71 had a recharging AC power unit and a gain switch. How many hours does your Hornet have on it?

actually if Ray would release a version with charger, ac, and gain switch, I would buy it right away without second thought.

 

[raisin]

I think Ray is twice shy on the SR-71 charging circuit. With the XP-7, and it's optional power supply, there was a low adoption rate. Now that there's the lower priced Hornet with re-charging capabilities, there's not a lot of incentive to re-vamp the Blackbird.

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raisin I think Ray is twice shy on the SR-71 charging circuit. With the XP-7, and it's optional power supply, there was a low adoption rate. Now that there's the lower priced Hornet with re-charging capabilities, there's not a lot of incentive to re-vamp the Blackbird.

The XP-7 came out first. One of the reasons why Ray made the SR-71 is because not many people bought the XP-7 dedicated PSU. IE. people just wanted a battery-powered amp.

Also, it looks like it would be hard to squeeze in the charging circuit and the DC jack on the already-compact SR-71....

 

[brianknewbie]

I love the SR-71 -- and am returning the Hornet to stay with SR-71 as my portable amp, even though it's less convenient than the Hornet (no recharge capability built-in, no DC jack in case you dont want to wait for the batteries to recharge).

SR-71 has wider soundstage, voices are much richer, decay seems more natural.

It may just be my system though (MicroDAC, UE10s) though I noticed similar with MicroDAC + PS-1s, MicroDAC + Mobius 650s.

 

[halcyon]

Any other contenders for SR-71, but with better portability, dimensions, rechargability, etc?

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT sr-71: classical music, accoustic music, jazz, live hornet: rock, hip hop, metal, trance, drum n bass, electronica sr-71 synergizes in general with hd 580/600/650, DT880, ER4P/S hornet synergizes with HD580/600/650, grado headphones.

Not disagreeing with these statements as I've never heard a Hornet....but don't you think this is a little over-generalization?

I use my SR71 with Grados all the time and feel it does an excellent job. Just because an amp is a little more laid back than another doesn't mean it can't synergize with forward phones. Maybe the synergy occurs in different ways (such as pleasant smoothness, or lifelike female voices, etc......who knows).

Also, I don't believe there's a "rule" out there that says that stuff only synergizes because it all sounds "the same". Synergy can be found to the ears of the beholder with any combination of hardware, irrespective whether they come from the same sonic camp or not.

Just some thoughts....thanks for your impressions.