[goldendarko]

Jeez I'm jealous of that work space ! That is so much cool stuff u lucky dog. I'll have to try the LAu at some point I suppose. Gotta look up retailers and make travel plans though, sigh

 

[mikemercer]

Jeez I'm jealous of that work space ! That is so much cool stuff u lucky dog. I'll have to try the LAu at some point I suppose. Gotta look up retailers and make travel plans though, sigh

well, you KNOW if ever you're in Northern Cali you're always welcome at the Sonic Satori Personal Audio Lab!!
Yeah - spent the last two years trying all sorts of stuff - and I'm finally in a place where I'm SO psyched listening, A/Bing, reviewing.and all that every-day. And I'm grateful everyday too of course!
 
Won't take up the space here - but I'd love to tell you about my specific mission here (gonna write a column about it for The High Fidelity Report).
 
But, I will say this: As you know how much Hp's Place in Sea Cliff (former headquarters for The Absolute Sound for others here - and the home where all of Harry Pearson's listening rooms LIVED)  - how much that home meant to me, as that was my job! Playing with all that gear... Anyway - he always had 3 rooms (a 4th upstairs, but that was multi-channel) and all 3 served different purposes - so I wanted to create the same environment, but for high end personal audio!
 
So that story's coming...
 
Had a WICKED listening sesh with the new LCD-3s and the Studio Six  today - then switched back-n-forth with the LCD-X for this progress report for you good sir!!
 
It's FUN, and I'm happy to do this for ya! But I think, thus far, you've got the right idea in terms of the LCD-3 (w/ Fazor, and even my OG pair, which I had to keep, much to my wifes dismay - but I took on a job just to pay for things and not get a tongue-lashing 

) - in terms of thee LCD-3s synergy with the Studio Six!! After all, hearing my own LCD-3s at Newport last year with the S6 was the experience that left me with no choice!

Though I was lucky enough that Ken said I could take the black one home!!
 
Anyway - off to do more listening, and I have to put the finishing touches on our McIntosh MHA100 DAC/amp review for 360!!
That was an amazing time and I was sad to see it go!!!! Going through all my notes and shaping it up...

 

[Silent One]

Love it when you weigh-in on head-fi, MM! 

 

[mikemercer]

Thanks @Silent One  I really needed to hear that right now
 
 
Mr. @goldendarko - Here are my findings w/ regard to the Audeze LCD-3 w/ Fazor and LCD-X on the Studio Six, and what I prefer, and what I THINK you may dig as well (per our FB Messenger chats):
 
Now - I'm rockin' the following tubes and cables on my S6:
Tubes: NOS RCA 6SN7, TUNG SOL 6V6s, Raytheon OB2 gas regs, Mullard 5AR4

 
Cables: Nordost Heimdall 2 RCA interconnects, and power cord
Sources: MacBook Pro SSD w/ Amarra 3.0 (yeah, its DOPE) & VPI Traveler deck w/ Unison Research Simply tube phonostage
the digital lead is also Nordost Heimdall 2, and the turntable leads are Black Cat Cables
Amp mechanically grounded via Nordost Sort Kones - the McIntosh D100 DAC via Red Point (damn, forget the name of em, LOL)
 
SO: Using everything from Tori Amos' latest record, Unrepentant Geraldines to classic Radiohead, like The Bends and OK Computer, Hecq's latest remix comp, Conversions, and Eno & Hyde's High Life (reviewed HERE at Positive Feedback) I found the LCD-X to be far more excitable and dynamically charged across the board than the LCD-3 - most likely due to its far greater efficiency - but there's a reason I often call the LCD-X my favorite headphone for recreational and studio-monitoring: While my LCD-3 w/ Fazor is NO SLOUCH (as I'm sure you can testify to that as well)  the LCD-X seems to have more immediacy when it comes to transient attack, as well as micro and macro-dynamic detail retrieval. This is why I prefer it in the studio - its lightning speed!!!! It's also got some gorgeous timbre when the recordings choc full of colorful sounds like Teeb's Estarac  - and the X is as transparent as any headphone I've experienced. The mating with the Studio Six was sublime actually - and I thought I'd be saying that about the LCD-3!!! So I think that's my pick for you sir.
 
The LCD-3 w/ Fazor is also a wonderful pairing with the Studio Six, but a great deal more silky and textural - warm like a sweater - though without veiling or smearing anything. It's just got an overall more soothing playback then the X. If that's what you want, but I don't think that's what you're looking for based on our earlier messages.
 
So, I say - GO FOR THE LCD-X! I can't imagine you getting sick of that wicked sound anytime SOON!!

 

[Rayzilla]

Any updates to report on this amp?

I am looking for my endgame amp. I would pair it up with my Line Magnetic LM502CA dac and HD-800. And if I go for another HP too, which has greatest synergy With this amp?

Thanks.

 

[goldendarko]

What kind of updates are you looking for? Don't think they've changed anything about it and there are plenty of reviews out there - it's pretty much a known quantity at this point.

That being said I am also, and have been for a while, on the fence about this amp. Like you im also looking for an endgame amp too, though I've also been looking at the LAu as well though I would prefer a reference tube amp.

 

[Rayzilla]

No particular updates. I am just starting to read the reviews of this amp so I have a long way to go. But since Mike has done such a great review here and he is so helpful, I thought I see if he has had a chance to listen to it with the HD-800 some more. The other thing that got me interested was its synergy with the LCD-XC. I never thought I like the LCD sound, (although I believe the XC is a little different from their usual house sound?) but I tried it the other day with the Questyle CMA800i and I liked it in the short time that I head them. So that got me into thinking about a second primary headphone.
 
The other amp that I was considering is the Bryston BHA1, the Schitt Ragnarok, and stretching it quite a bit more would be the McIntosh MHA100. I like everything that I am hearing in this thread about this amp though.
 
But like you, I was originally leaning towards a tube amp as well but I don't know where to start. And I am living in Hong Kong now so shipping a big honking tube amp or any amp from non-Asia to here would make it too expensive for my budget. So if I can buy it locally that would be ideal.

 

[goldendarko]

I owned the Ragnarok and believe it's an incredible amp for the price. Especially considering the fact it drives speakers too. Obviously I can't compare it with the studio six as I haven't heard it yet but I'm very close to pulling the trigger on it. Right now I'm just trying to find out what the deal is with the $200 upgrade Teflon foil capacitors and whether the are worth the extra dough. They don't seem to say anything about them on their site

 

[Currawong]

I'm not entirely sure there would be a lot of difference between the Ragnarok and the Studio Six. The Studio Six isn't "tubey" sounding. If anything, the solid-state Aurorasound HEADA sounded more "tubey". You could probably find some more "warm" sounding tubes for it though, eg: Put all RCA/Sylvanias in it. I grabbed a pair of Brimar 6V6s off of eBay out of curiosity to see how they go in changing the sound. 

 

[Rayzilla]

I owned the Ragnarok and believe it's an incredible amp for the price. Especially considering the fact it drives speakers too...

May I ask why you sold your Ragnarok? The Six definitely has a lot of power compared to the Questyle. I didn't have to turn up the Six much to power up the HD-800 like I did on the Questyle. And the volume control on the Six is very nice.

 

[goldendarko]

May I ask why you sold your Ragnarok? The Six definitely has a lot of power compared to the Questyle. I didn't have to turn up the Six much to power up the HD-800 like I did on the Questyle. And the volume control on the Six is very nice.

 


Just wanted to try a tube amp next is all, nothing wrong with it, in fact I think it was an excellent amp for the price, especially considering it drove my speakers. But, I have been eyeballing the Studio Six for a while and I really can't justify having two huge amps to my wife, so one of them has to go if I get a new one.