[bosiemoncrieff]

Good point. Post edited. 

 

[jibzilla]

  I can guarantee that something like that would get very irritating over a long time. The novelty and comfort would wear out over time.
 
Look into a full range solution if your situation allows for it. There are some killer nearfield full range solutions out there, although pricey.

 
Twiceboss I have tried out allot of the best modern headphones out there and Zoom25 is right you want speakers for electronic. Try my adam's that are in my sig. It has to be the particular A7x/Sub8. The a5x/sub7 and a8x/sub10 stink but the a7x/sub8 is amazing and does not take up allot of space or cost an arm and a leg. Factor in a good $500-1k for gik or realtrap bass traps. The hd800's are the king of rock. If you like rock as well then hold on to them.

 

[jibzilla]

  Also, to restate my own quote: The amplifier can only amplify what is there or isn't there in the first place.
 
Yes, this is 100% true. Fact. How is this even challengeable? Am I taking crazy pills having to defend this in 2016 in a high end thread!?

 
Thing is there are some real gems out there source wise. Get a used Yamaha gt2000 or micro bl-91 for $2k tops from yahoojapan or hifido and kind of sky is the limit as far as amplification and driver go. I have even heard a few dacs that can hold their own. My recommendation is to keep things relatively close to each other in price with a bit of emphasis on the driver with speakers and amp and source with headphones.
 
If you were in a high end speaker thread then yes you would have to pop a few crazy pills. Almost no one put's emphasis on the source or amp for that matter. All about the speaker in that field and in my own experience honestly not bad advice.

 

[Zoom25]

   
Thing is there are some real gems out there source wise. Get a used Yamaha gt2000 or micro bl-91 for $2k tops from yahoojapan or hifido and kind of sky is the limit as far as amplification and driver go. I have even heard a few dacs that can hold their own. My recommendation is to keep things relatively close to each other in price with a bit of emphasis on the driver with speakers and amp and source with headphones.
 
If you were in a high end speaker thread then yes you would have to pop a few crazy pills. Almost no one put's emphasis on the source or amp for that matter. All about the speaker in that field and in my own experience honestly not bad advice.

 
Are you saying that in the high end speaker world, the amp is not much of a concern?
 
IMO, there is zero difference in the importance of source and amplification between TOTL headphones and TOTL speakers. It should be the same philosophy.

 

[ubs28]

People who have TOTL speakers have TOTL DAC's and amplifiers. And they cost more than a house.

 

[jibzilla]

   
Are you saying that in the high end speaker world, the amp is not much of a concern?
 
IMO, there is zero difference in the importance of source and amplification between TOTL headphones and TOTL speakers. It should be the same philosophy.

 
Yes the amp and source are not much of a concern in speaker world. I have heard $100 thrift store TT's and receiver's make $2k speakers sing. Headphones are a much different experience for me. Bottleneck is very real for some headphones. The hd800's and 007mk1's are the biggest beneficiaries to having a well built amp and source behind them. Skimp on those 2 headphones and you will not be thrilled with the sound.

 

[jibzilla]

People who have TOTL speakers have TOTL DAC's and amplifiers. And they cost more than a house.

 
Have you been to allot of speaker forums? Not saying that their are not totl dac's and amp's out there but the number of people using them in speaker land is small. Like 5% small in my readings. Got any examples of people using more expensive source's and amp's than speakers?

 

[Zoom25]

   
Yes the amp and source are not much of a concern in speaker world. I have heard $100 thrift store TT's and receiver's make $2k speakers sing. Headphones are a much different experience for me.
 
 
Bottleneck is very real for some headphones. The hd800's and 007mk1's are the biggest beneficiaries to having a well built amp and source behind them. Skimp on those 2 headphones and you will not be thrilled with the sound.

I fully agree with you on the second bolded part.
 
The first italicized part helps me understand in what you were saying previously, so thanks for clarifying that. I have had the same experience like you with some speakers in the 2k range that sound pretty good with almost anything. The example that jumps to my mind is the KEF Q900 off a Marantz amp, like even my PM6004. It's quite hard to make those sound bad IMO. I can feed it with an Apple TV and it will still sound great.
 
Although, start moving up to something more higher end like PMC, ATC, Amphion, and I guarantee you'll approach the situation the same as you would with your HD 800 and SR 007. Everything starts counting and a bottleneck can make or break the system.
 
My Marantz, Emotiva, Denon gear makes the Amphion sound broken.

 

[jibzilla]

  I fully agree with you on the second bolded part.
 
The first italicized part helps me understand in what you were saying previously, so thanks for clarifying that. I have had the same experience like you with some speakers in the 2k range that sound pretty good with almost anything. The example that jumps to my mind is the KEF Q900 off a Marantz amp, like even my PM6004. It's quite hard to make those sound bad IMO. I can feed it with an Apple TV and it will still sound great.
 
Although, start moving up to something more higher end like PMC, ATC, Amphion, and I guarantee you'll approach the situation the same as you would with your HD 800 and SR 007. Everything starts counting and a bottleneck can make or break the system.
 
My Marantz, Emotiva, Denon gear makes the Amphion sound broken.

 
Well trust me when I tell you I have eaten allot of crazy pills myself trying to convince people that headphones and speakers are dramatically different from one another. Both from speaker heads that think budget gear is plenty good and headphone heads that think headphones are just mini speakers. I actually think your crazy pills were not ate in vein. Maybe not regular fi but summit fi it seems more people than not are using more expensive sources and amps than headphones.
 
Save the Tascam and my sources and amps are more expensive than my headphones both $1k, (hd800 was a demo) but include my 4 gik bass traps and the adam's are more expensive and the Tascam gets used for recording way more than listening. I also got a large discount from a friend of mine that works at G.C. on the adam's. I'm also down to admit that the kp-9010 and Walnut V are a bit overkill for the adam's where they are just about right for the hd800 and Elear.
 
I get where your coming from with your speaker example but I argue that it could be the room. People are pretty creative at hiding traps and diffusers etc. I know speaker heads that actually put the room over the speakers and after listening to some budget-totl speakers in an acoustically perfect room I did not think they were completely coo coo for coco puffs. 

 

[ubs28]

Have you been to allot of speaker forums? Not saying that their are not totl dac's and amp's out there but the number of people using them in speaker land is small. Like 5% small in my readings. Got any examples of people using more expensive source's and amp's than speakers?

My boss for example has more expensive DAC + amplifiers + cables + clock than his speakers.

I don't spend alot of time on the speaker forum. But I know a few guys who are in the speaker scene and I heard their setups.

 

[Zoom25]

   
Well trust me when I tell you I have eaten allot of crazy pills myself trying to convince people that headphones and speakers are dramatically different from one another. Both from speaker heads that think budget gear is plenty good and headphone heads that think headphones are just mini speakers. I actually think your crazy pills were not ate in vein. Maybe not regular fi but summit fi it seems more people than not are using more expensive sources and amps than headphones.
 
Save the Tascam and my sources and amps are more expensive than my headphones both $1k, (hd800 was a demo) but include my 4 gik bass traps and the adam's are more expensive and the Tascam gets used for recording way more than listening. I also got a large discount from a friend of mine that works at G.C. on the adam's. I'm also down to admit that the kp-9010 and Walnut V are a bit overkill for the adam's where they are just about right for the hd800 and Elear.
 
I get where your coming from with your speaker example but I argue that it could be the room. People are pretty creative at hiding traps and diffusers etc. I know speaker heads that actually put the room over the speakers and after listening to some budget-totl speakers in an acoustically perfect room I did not think they were completely coo coo for coco puffs. 

 
 
I'll also agree with the room sentiment. Room matters the most. Period. My room is around 18 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The ceiling has 1 feet of solid insulation. The decay times are low. Even my Mackies sound amazing in that room.
 
Regarding the amp, source, speaker budgeting things, it depends on who you ask and what forums you visit. On head-fi, most people aren't putting that much into speakers as they are likely to do in headphones. Go to other forums and they'll have everything maxed out and for headphones they'll use HD 600 or some Denon/Sony/Grado. I've used SCM150 actives along with their passive versions on different amps. You really cannot skimp out on amplification and source on those. Even the pre-amp or monitor controller used in the chain shows up on that. It's the exact same way on the Amphions, but of course on a smaller-nearfield scale.
 
But yeah, at the end of the day, people should do what they're comfortable with. Anyways, back to HD 800. Got sidetracked there.

 

[bigfatpaulie]

These little things are amazing!!!!
 

 
They have literally breathed new life into my HD800's.  I can't sing their praise enough.  Every HD800 owner out owes it to themselves to get a pair.  

 

[FLTWS]

  These little things are amazing!!!!
 
 
 
They have literally breathed new life into my HD800's.  I can't sing their praise enough.  Every HD800 owner out owes it to themselves to get a pair.  

Where can I get these inserts?
Thanks.

 

[bigfatpaulie]

 
Where can I get these inserts?
Thanks.

 
Contact @Sorrodje   
 
He designed it.  It's called the Super Dupont Resonator to me, it is easily by a wide margin the best thing out there for the 800's.  I didn't care for the Anax mod, rug liner, etc. 

 

[apaar123]

How do they compare to ether c flow?