[MelvinV]

I heard that the latest in cable technology is a kind of very airy tropical wood infused with natriumchloride-solution, the electrons liquefy causing a very liquid and smooth sounding cable with superior bass.

 

[palmfish]

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Must be nice.  I know my wallet would prefer to spend money on music than gear but everything has a sound sig, though some are very close, and though price isn't tied to results... good amps made by makers in the business of making money don't give them away just because they don't have a high BOM.

 
Everything has a sound signature, yes, but many are so close that the differences are imperceptible. And many more are perceptible, but only with very close, volume matched, eye squinting concentration. The only differences that are worth pursuing, IMO, are the big, obvious differences - and those, more often than not, are a matter of taste rather than superiority.
 
When I was going through my HiFiMAN phase, I remember discussing the "synergy" of finding an amp that helps the HE-500 "scale up." Members wanted to beef up the bass to LCD-2 levels, or increase the micro detail, etc. I couldnt help but think that instead of searching endlessly for upstream components that made the HiFiMAN's "sing," maybe they should just find another headphone that sings all by itself. For me, that headphone is the HD800.
 
So I have no issue with plugging my $1500 headphones into a $400 amplifier. Of course others will disagree, but for me, there's no more pleasure or performance to be had by spending more.

 

[zigy626]

Quote:

 
Everything has a sound signature, yes, but many are so close that the differences are imperceptible. And many more are perceptible, but only with very close, volume matched, eye squinting concentration. The only differences that are worth pursuing, IMO, are the big, obvious differences - and those, more often than not, are a matter of taste rather than superiority.
 
When I was going through my HiFiMAN phase, I remember discussing the "synergy" of finding an amp that helps the HE-500 "scale up." Members wanted to beef up the bass to LCD-2 levels, or increase the micro detail, etc. I couldnt help but think that instead of searching endlessly for upstream components that made the HiFiMAN's "sing," maybe they should just find another headphone that sings all by itself. For me, that headphone is the HD800.
 
So I have no issue with plugging my $1500 headphones into a $400 amplifier. Of course others will disagree, but for me, there's no more pleasure or performance to be had by spending mor

Palmfish what kind of setup are you using with your HD800's?

 

[paradoxper]

Dang! Ya'll just keep leavin' the source out. Poor guy. 
 
 
Solude, go throw the O2 in with the GS-X and HD800 and report back. 

 

[khaine1711]

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Dang! Ya'll just keep leavin' the source out. Poor guy. 
 
 
Solude, go throw the O2 in with the GS-X and HD800 and report back. 

Then the objective crowd will flood in and say any differences are due to the O2 being more transparent than the Gs-X 

 

[Solude]

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Dang! Ya'll just keep leavin' the source out. Poor guy. 
 
 
Solude, go throw the O2 in with the GS-X and HD800 and report back. 

 
There is only one O2 and it's the Stax SR-007 MkI.  I won't sully its good name by calling something else by the same name

 

[paradoxper]

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There is only one O2 and it's the Stax SR-007 MkI.  I won't sully its good name by calling something else by the same name

 

[preproman]

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There is only one O2 and it's the Stax SR-007 MkI.  I won't sully its good name by calling something else by the same name

 

 

[LugBug1]

O2MG! 

 

[paradoxper]

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O2MG! 

Na, we're not talking about Cavalli Audio.

 

[LugBug1]

Oh 2 bad..

 

[kiwikaki]

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Recently I had a conversation with someone who was using the HD800 with Voilectric V200 and Audiolab M-DAC. To my surprise they said that the Headphone out from the M-DAC sounded more or less the same as from V200. This surprised me a lot as he was thinking of selling the V200 and just using the M-DAC. I am having the same experience the output from Corda Jazz is not any different from the M-DAC headphone out.  

you should be happy with the mdac, very good combo. Keep in mind that westlake makes you change the power supply and it also benefits the headphone output .....
for now I am satisfied with my middle ring mdac/Hd800

 

[palmfish]

Quote:

Palmfish what kind of setup are you using with your HD800's?

 
Upstairs, I mostly listen to my Logitech Squeezebox Touch plugged into my Pioneer VSX-1122 via analog RCA. My entire music collection is CD's and DVD-A's ripped to FLAC with dBpoweramp. When I want to spin a disc (I own a lot of SACD's), I use my Pioneer Elite DV-79AVi universal player. It's also hooked up to the VSX-1122 with analog RCA. I also have a turntable and cassette deck in this system.
 
Downstairs I have another Squeezebox Touch hooked up to my Pioneer Elite SC-25 via TOSLINK and an Oppo BDP-83 universal player hooked up to the SC-25 via HDMI.

 

[preproman]

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cassette deck in this system.

 

  Do you still have cassettes as well?  Do they still work

 

[MIKELAP]

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  Do you still have cassettes as well?  Do they still work

Doesnt everybody !