[AgentXXL]

  I'd trust that impulse.  The geek hype train seems to derive from a highly flawed premise that just because a company can build a well regarded "cost is no object" product, then obviously they'll make a great $300 - $1k dac too, subject to the elective upgrades.  Er...wait....that actually doesn't follow.  Moreover, for all its bells and whistles, the pulse doesn't appear to include the sort of power regulation and independent supplies for the dac board and output stage that you find in a diy twisted pear kit for $700.  Throw in an $80 amanero board, and I wonder which will sound better

 
 
If you want something that is almost certainly worth waiting for, the bottlehead/john swenson fpga based dac is due to be formally announced in the next month or so.  After several years of careful design and redesign work, and multiple prototypes, this is the source I'm saving my money for.  Check out Swenson's various posts in this thread about jitter, usb isolation and input design (several of which are on the page I'm linking): http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,4086.210.html .  Note that contrary to the title of the linked thread, they are not yet taking orders.  Also, although this is a bottlehead product, I understand that they no longer intend to include a tube in the output stage because it simply isn't necessary.    

 
Not to get defensive (because I have contributed), but it's funny that you mention the power regulation and the amanero board. They do offer an optional linear power supply with separate power for both the USB front end and the rest of the amp (the LPS or LPS4). The lead engineer is also looking at the amanero board and comparing it to his own XMOS design - he said he's willing to use the amanero if it offers an improvement over his own implementation. You're definitely living up to your username. Reading through the comments section on the campaign home page, the LH Labs forum and even the thread here on Head-fi would have revealed this information, but to each their own. If you're not willing to read about the project, then I definitely don't recommend contributing towards it. I just mentioned it as an option and certainly the HD800 inspires a LOT of different component choices.
 
Dale

 

[MickeyVee]

My HD800 song of the day.. just downloaded Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know (Tiësto Remix) from the iTunes store.. even at 256kbps.. WOW.. this is one remix that deserves to be cranked. I'm on my 5th play and still going EOF

 

[palmfish]

My HD800 song of the day.. just downloaded Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know (Tiësto Remix) from the iTunes store.. even at 256kbps.. WOW.. this is one remix that deserves to be cranked. I'm on my 5th play and still going EOF

Thanks for the recommendation. Listening to it now on MOG (at 320 kbps ). It sounds good on my speakers too!

 

[BournePerfect]

The Gungnir's problem is actually that it is not very dynamic, everything is loud and louder. It is a relentless, tiring driving sensation.

 
Yep-'loud' and pretty weak with the low-level details imo. Sounded terrible paired with my Bryston/HD800-which I loved with various other dacs mind you.
 
-Daniel

 

[macbob713]

Anyone compared the hd800 on the Schitt Mjolinor and the hdvd800 or 600?
I have the Mjolinor now, and 2 weeks away from possibly replacing it with the Sennheiser amp. Am I chasing a self delusional fantasy or will the HDVd800 be that much better than the Schitt?
I would love to hear from anyone who has compared these amps with the hd800.

 

[Chinafbi]

I tried the Vali + Bifrost VS Lyr (Orange Globe) + Bifrost.   The Vali's sound is not clear.   The sound on the Lyr is very clear.  It is night and day different.  I'm sending my Vali back to Amazon.   

 

[62ohm]

  I tried the Vali + Bifrost VS Lyr (Orange Globe) + Bifrost.   The Vali's sound is not clear.   The sound on the Lyr is very clear.  It is night and day different.  I'm sending my Vali back to Amazon.   

 
What about the Valhalla/HD800 pairing? Any thoughts on that? thanks

 

[skeptic]

   
Not to get defensive (because I have contributed), but it's funny that you mention the power regulation and the amanero board. They do offer an optional linear power supply with separate power for both the USB front end and the rest of the amp (the LPS or LPS4). The lead engineer is also looking at the amanero board and comparing it to his own XMOS design - he said he's willing to use the amanero if it offers an improvement over his own implementation. You're definitely living up to your username. Reading through the comments section on the campaign home page, the LH Labs forum and even the thread here on Head-fi would have revealed this information, but to each their own. If you're not willing to read about the project, then I definitely don't recommend contributing towards it. I just mentioned it as an option and certainly the HD800 inspires a LOT of different component choices.
 
Dale

 
Dale - a couple of points of clarification.  First, I have been following the geek pulse thread actively for a while now and have even posted in it on a couple of occasions.  You must have missed that despite your focus on who is or is not doing their reading carefully.  In any event, I'm well aware of the LPS/4, the blue, the ir sensor, the x, the femto, the instant 1m, the active component upgrade, etc.  LH's marketing is intriguing, seductive and obviously very successful.  In fact, they've succeeded in making you a financially interested part of their team, based on potential perks, for a product that does not yet exist.  What's more, your post 5 hours ago, no.6994, recommends this product in the hd800 thread without disclosing your personal financial interest in the funding hitting $1m.  That violates forum rules and, if memory serves, the laws of some countries.  As you candidly acknowledged in the pulse thread:
 

 
Me too... I'm sharing it with everyone that I think might have the slightest interest, and a lot who simply don't care. But I'll admit it's for the mostly selfish reason that I too would like to have the best possible unit with the best sound as determined by Larry Ho - come on $1M mark and those 'active component' upgrades!
 
Dale

 
Setting conflicts of interest aside, the tech specs are what I'm really interested in here.  I'm sure LH can design a solid LPS for a $400 msrp, but unless they are performing some miracle, beyond the reach of the engineers at TPA, one power supply in a small fancy box is still not the equal of two independent supplies, each with their own torroidal transformer, respectively driving the es9018 dac board and output stages of a buffalo 3, plus three additional ultra low noise local shunt regulators (the tridents: http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/power/trident.aspx), which area required for buffalo 3 builds.  Which dac do you honestly think has more highly regulated power?  
 
I'm glad that LH is willing to consider implementing the amanero board as its usb input and intends to test it, but this is 18 month old news on diyaudio.  If a well known, $80 outsourced board, popular with diy enthusiasts, is arguably better than LH's own usb solution, what does that say?  Again, I follow the threads, and that is precisely why I mentioned the amanero board above.  
 
You will also note that LH generalizes about how, for example, the LPS uses "the notoriously good power supply technology inside Da Vinci DAC."  But then they go on to offer cap upgrades, active component upgrades etc.  So I guess it wasn't the same technology after all?  I'd truly love to know how similar these power supplies really are and what exactly they mean by "technology"...  I'm sure the pulse will sound very good at the end of the day, but the hype and claims of giant slaying, when the product doesn't physically exist, and when its tech details are still largely unknown, is a total fiction, at least for the time being.  That said, I'm actually rooting for you on the end result and truly do hope it turns out to be unparalleled at its price point - in which case, I will gladly eat my skepticism, and buy one.   

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  I tried the Vali + Bifrost VS Lyr (Orange Globe) + Bifrost.   The Vali's sound is not clear.   The sound on the Lyr is very clear.  It is night and day different.  I'm sending my Vali back to Amazon.   

 
ah thanks for the comparison. I would figure the same thing. good thing I decided not to buy one 

 

[MickeyVee]

Vali vs Lyr.. interesting, from memory, I thought the Vali was just as good with the HD800 but not having them side by side, it's hard to tell.  On the other hand, when I had the WA7 and Lyr, I found the WA7 a little smoother.  With the WA7 and Vali side by side, I found the Vali to be close with a smaller sound stage and a little less impact but would probably fail a side by side comparison.  Ergo, the Vali can play with the bigger boys at 1/4 to 1/8 of the cost. I'm keeping mine for around the house use. YMMV.

 

[DutchGFX]

I find the HD800 a bit bass light on my Burson FWIW in regards to this discussion. Just my $.02

 

[maxipad]

I love my set of Sennheiser HD800 headphones.  I have them hooked up to a little dot Mkiii with a gamma 2 DAC built by MisterX… I'm absolutely in love with them.  I didn't really like my K702, so this pair is what really got my excited about nice headphones.  I also have a beater pair of sony mdr-sa5000 but they don't compare.  I've been enjoying some tube rolling and I can say that the vostok, the tung sol, and the JHY-Hytrons are all great tubes for this pairing.  Mullard EF92s are alright, but kind of airy for my preference.

 

[AgentXXL]

That said, I'm actually rooting for you on the end result and truly do hope it turns out to be unparalleled at its price point - in which case, I will gladly eat my skepticism, and buy one.   

 
I responded by PM as I don't want this thread going off-track and getting closed, like it did once before. If I have inadvertently violated forum rules, the moderators are welcome to ban me. It was not my intention. I just wanted to offer an option that was similar to the OPs discussion - even if they weren't interested. I firmly believe that the Pulse will become a well respected product once it leaves the prototype stage it's currently at, but it won't be for everybody. Nor is the current funding model that LH Labs has chosen.
 
As for the technical details you mentioned (and/or lack of them on LH's part), I've discussed most of that in my PM. I'd be happy to post questions to the lead engineer on your behalf if you have any. As for me, I'll happily continue to use the DACs and amps that I currently own until the Pulse and LPS arrive. And then, if they don't meet my needs or work well with the HD800 in my listening environment, I'll be happy to share that result.
 
Regardless, have a safe and happy holiday season for all! Drive safe!
 
Dale

 

[62ohm]

Hi guys, can you HD800 gurus help me out on the polling here http://www.head-fi.org/t/696721/which-of-these-tube-amps-would-be-best-to-pair-hd800

 
 
Cheers

 

[thegunner100]

I'm having a mini meet at my house next weekend and someone is bringing a Concero, so I will see how it is paired with the hd800 and vali. There will also be a dna stratus and M7 in the house as well