[kelly]

I'm actually starting to believe that they revved the design of the Sugden and didn't tell anyone, the comments on it are so different from each other.

One thing I here consistently is that it has great treble extension. One thing I hear from half the crowd, is tha this treble extension comes at a cost and that the amp is actually pretty bright.

What do you guys think? And what source and interconnect were you using at the time of your audition?

 

[JML]

Not a response, but a detour. It seems awfully hard to see one of these amps! I found this UK dealer site with some pics of the front and back, as well as a link to the other Sugden products (including US prices):

http://www.stoneaudio.co.uk/stoneaud...sp?product=164

 

[lextek]

I beleive Audio Outlet in NY in also a dealer.

Lextek

 

[joelongwood]

Using an AMC CD8B CDP, Cardas Cross cables, and 54 year-old ears, I don't find the Sugden too bright at all, except with Sony CD3000s. For some reason, that combo, for me, is unlistenably bright. With Etys, Grados, Senns, and AKGs, the Sugden simply glides through everything you can throw at it, with an ease and transparency that my other amps have a hard time competing with. I'd have to say it's pretty damned neutral.........and mighty fine looking, as well.

 

[fiddler]

Joe, which amp do you prefer with the HD600, the Earmax Pro or the Headmaster?

 

[Vertigo-1]

Well, the most consistent comment I've seen currently is that the Sugden isn't bright. My opinions are all biased so they don't count for a thread like this.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Originally posted by joelongwood Using an AMC CD8B CDP, Cardas Cross cables, and 54 year-old ears, I don't find the Sugden too bright at all, except with Sony CD3000s. For some reason, that combo, for me, is unlistenably bright. With Etys, Grados, Senns, and AKGs, the Sugden simply glides through everything you can throw at it, with an ease and transparency that my other amps have a hard time competing with. I'd have to say it's pretty damned neutral.........and mighty fine looking, as well.

Hi Joe,
I had exactly the same experience with my CD-3000's when I got the Max. Up to that point, I loved my CD-3000's and when the Max arrived, they alone among all my headphones, became too bright to enjoy any longer. Since all my other headphones came alive with the Max, I have to conclude that it's not the Max that's too bright, (I finally got an amp that has flat response at high frequencies) but that the Sony's are too bright with that amp.

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Joe, which amp do you prefer with the HD600, the Earmax Pro or the Headmaster?

fiddler, I have to be honest and say that the HD-600s are probably my least used pair of headphones. When I first got the earmax Pro, I listened to them quite a bit, because I felt that the EMP really filled out the midrange and lifted the veil that I always felt was there with the Senns. They became a bit more forward in their presentation, which is what I prefer. I've only listened to them rather briefly on the Sugden, and have not done an A/B comparison with the EMP. I'll try and do a brief comparison tonight and post a few impressions.

Quote:

I had exactly the same experience with my CD-3000's when I got the Max. Up to that point, I loved my CD-3000's and when the Max arrived, they alone among all my headphones, became too bright to enjoy any longer. Since all my other headphones came alive with the Max, I have to conclude that it's not the Max that's too bright, (I finally got an amp that has flat response at high frequencies) but that the Sony's are too bright with that amp.

Kevin, maybe it's our old ears?

 

[grinch]

i don't find the sugden to be bright at all.. i think it's very neutral. i'm using dimarzio m-path ics and a rega planet 2000. the neautrality is actually the reason why i picked up the headmaster, i wanted the other side of the spectrum after using the mg head dt.

 

[dcg]

I'm not sure, but if you send me $843.39, I'll be glad to let you know in a couple of weeks.

Seriously though, this is probably the amp I'm most interested in hearing, so I'd like to know as well. The 580s sound laid back at times with the ZOTL, and I like what I'm hearing so far about the headmaster.

I bought the ZOTL hoping that it would cure the upgrade bug, and it's worked so far. MUST.....RESIST....

 

[robert]

from the Stone Audio Site:

The amplifier configuration is pure Class A constructed completely from discreet components

which leads to the question, is it because they're shy? does the Max use promiscuous ones?

tooles,
robert

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by fiddler Joe, which amp do you prefer with the HD600, the Earmax Pro or the Headmaster?

fiddler, I just did a brief comparison of the two amps in question, using the HD600s. I listened to a CD "Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington: The Master Takes," which I believe to be well-recorded. Both amps sounded excellent, but there are differences.To my ears, the differences are as follows:
The Earmax Pro yields deeper, more prominent bass. The vocals are a bit fuller as well. Where the Sugden shines is in the top end......the cymbals have a more realistic, metallic sound. The Sugden also seems to bring me closer to the performance........the sound is more transparent. But I still prefer the vocals on the EMP. There is a richness that it conveys that somehow eludes the Sugden.
I'm sure I could go through my entire CD collection and find selections that sound better using one or the other amp. They are both excellent performers, but they do yield different sound.
I do believe, however, that the Sugden is a more versatile amp, as it tends to yield good results with a greater variety of headphones. But if you like tube sound, the Earmax Pro is a pretty tough act to follow, especially with the HD600s and the Sony CD3000s. All of this is just my opinion, of course.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by joelongwood Where the Sugden shines is in the top end......the cymbals have a more realistic, metallic sound. The Sugden also seems to bring me closer to the performance....

Joe,

This really sounds like to me that you're saying the Sugden is bright. To me, it is difficult to translate "forward" and "extended top" into "neutral." I wonder if the miscommunication is that people are reading cannotation into the word "bright." By "bright", I mean that the trebble is emphasized over the other frequencies. By "bright", I don't at all mean to imply "harsh", "fatiguing" or anything else. Any thoughts on this? I forget, Joe, do you have a Corda? That'd be a good reference for me since it's something I own and am familliar with.

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

This really sounds like to me that you're saying the Sugden is bright.

kelly,
I thought of that when I posted my impressions, but I think that is true only in comparison to the Earmax Pro, which, in contrast could be termed by some as "dark." I think there are several possible explanations:
1. The Sugden has a flatter and more extended top end
2. The EMP, being tubed, is a bit softer in the top end.
3. My ears are shot.
Any, or all, of the above are distinct possibilities.

PS: No Corda and no plans to get one.......I have to stop somewhere.

 

[fiddler]

Jeez Kelly.. you seem to be so convinced that the Sugden is bright without even hearing it!

I believe KurtW posted a while back that he thought the Corda was brighter than the Sugden. And everybody else who's commented on it so far say it's not bright... What makes you think it is?