Xecuter
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Anyone tried the Teton with the Abyss?
The Apex Teton Review and Impressions Thread
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gsr108
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Does anyone know if the brimar 5Z4G will work in the Teton? http://www.ebay.com/itm/5Z4GY-CV1863-KB-FE-STC-BRIMAR-NOS-BOXED-/310653909306
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I personally have not, but in general my Teton is reserved more for Dynamics. I throw the occasional Grado's in there, but Planars- not really.
gsr108
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FYI Pete just sent me this email "Probably not a good idea – it is rated for only 125mA DC output. The Teton draws almost 200mA..."
buffer
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If anyone is interested, I just posted a review of the Apex Teton - http://www.head-fi.org/products/apex-high-fi-audio-teton-headphone-amplifier/reviews/16262
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This is the statement that resonated most strongly with me:
"Instruments on CDs I have heard many times before, popped. The soundstage was rather wide and it felt like each instrument had a spotlight shining on it."
This is exactly right.
"Instruments on CDs I have heard many times before, popped. The soundstage was rather wide and it felt like each instrument had a spotlight shining on it."
This is exactly right.
subtle
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I appreciate the review. I'm always interested in reading more impression about this amplifier, as it has been near the top of my most wanted to sample list for quite some time, but my only criticism is the lack of headphones mentioned. You covered the fact that certain headphones paired much better with the amp than others but you failed to mention any of them.
Which ones did you prefer with the Teton and which did not fare so well?
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Skip planars. Dynamics are generally okay, especially those with higher impedance like hd800, beyer dt880/600. Grados are one case where lower impedance is still okay, but that's very much a matter of preference.
gsr108
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The HE-1000s don't sound bad on the Teton. The biggest issue with them is the soundstage isn't as large as with the Eddie Current Studio or 445 but the tone, speed, and impact are pretty good.
alvin sawdust
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Thanks for your impressions buffer, nicely written. Did you try the HD800 with the Teton?
buffer
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Ok. I will add to the review at some point, but he headphones I tried included: HE-1000, Ether-C, Ether, McIntosh MHP1000, AKG 812, Focal Studio Pro, variations of the Superlux, the Telefunken Hancock, Senn HD800, Beyer Dynamic T1 Gen 1, Audeze LCD-x, Audeze Sine, Grado GH1, Dharma D1000, HE-6, Pioneer HRM-7, Yamaha MT220, Fostex TH600, Audio Zenith, and probably a few I am forgetting. I was disappointed with the HE1000. When I changed to the stock tubes, it was better, but never quite what I hoped for. I thought the HD800 was good, but I must admit, for whatever reason, I wasn't as impressed with the combo as others seem to be. I did not care for the Audeze LCD-x either. But it wasn't the amps fought. The X had a warm and less than crystal clear sound. Not bad, but not my favorite. I thought the Beyer Dynamic T1 really benefited. I think the AKG 812 scaled up extremely well. I liked the Grado, but I sensed a certain opaqueness ....hard to describe. It was good, but not great. The Dharma was pretty darn good, but that's one of my favorite headphones anyway. I also LOVED the Telefunken Hancock with the amp, but it tends to be more midrange centric and not so great on other amps. I thought the McIntosh did not go well. It's a bit bright to start with and I just didn't care for the vocals and brightness it exhibited with the Teton. The Ethers were ok, but didn't really impress me. I did like the Audio Zenith (similar to the Oppo PM1). The Beyer Dynamic DT150 also went pretty good witht he amp. Hope that helps. All in all, the T1 and the AKG 812 really stood out, along with the Telefunken Hancock (but I imagine that choice would be controversial because it isn't a megabuck headphone). I didn't listen too long, but the TH600 also sounded pretty good. I'm not a fan of a "V" shaped sound, but I think the Teton filled the mids in nicely ...still V shaped, but well controlled and pleasant. Grado 325i also sounded better than usual as the vocals were more full bodied. I was also really surprised that the HE-6 sounded respectable. Heck, I was surprised I could even turn it up loud without clipping. The HE-6 was actually a good listen, though I'm pretty sure if you primarily listen to the HE-6 you might want to try more powerful amps. Oh, I almost forgot. The HE400i and the 400s sounded pretty good. The 400s is a little anemic, as was the Audeze Sine in the bass department, but a very nice sound for those headphones, overall.
jibzilla
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Just me but that is kind of strange that you liked the T1 and not the McIntosh. I thought they were the same headphone essentially. The hd800 at least to me stood out from the rest of the pack by a very large margin, save the lcd-X, and from what I listen to similar sounding to the T1 as well. Maybe the tubes and/or source but the hd800 should have WOWed you. Your the first I have seen that has not been wowed by it honestly.
buffer
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Sorry for the delayed response... The McIntosh is voiced a little differently than the T1. While they may share technology they do not sound the same to me. Also, and I have not verified this, somewhere I read the McIntosh is produced by McIntosh, not in a Beyer Dynamic factory, like some have suggested. I don't know, though clearly there is a relationship between the T1 and McIntosh, I'm not sure whether electrical characteristics (i.e. impedance) are the same or not. That could definitely account for why the T1 benefited more than the MHP from the Teton.
With regard to the HD800... It sounded good, but I didn't feel that I was hearing the HD800 in a different light than what I'm used to hearing when plugged into other fine amps. It could be that I'm not sensitive to the same things that other folks are, or I wasn't listening with the best choice of tubes for the HD800. It could also be that I've been spoiled by having an opportunity to hear many fine amps that match well with the HD800. I cannot say. I listened to a lot of headphones with the Teton, but probably didn't give enough time to the HD800-Teton combination to provide any further insight. Remember, I had the Teton for about 3 weeks so I may not have the same perspective as one who has invested countless hours listening to the HD800 with the Teton, rolling tubes for optimal sound with the HD800.
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