[AudioDuck]

A moment like this with him would be EVERYTHING, and seeing yours makes me very happy.

I’m very pleased to hear that- thanks for letting me know!

It has been so lovely to see the heartfelt, positive responses to my post. I was taken aback by the amount of likes, to be frank. But when I think about the passion on this forum and how we love to share the joy of music with those we love, I’m not surprised.

My only mistake? Forgetting to ask my father if he minded that I posted the shot of him.

I’ll have to tell him tomorrow when we have our weekly video call. I don’t think he will care, though.

 

[JerseyD]

Tried to get into jazz, might just me listening to the wrong stuff. I feel like I'm missing out on some really top music.

There’s a thread here on HeadFi called Trying to Get Into Jazz (or something like that) and some great albums are posted there but there is one dude who posts a bunch of albums I don’t consider jazz (more like instrumental pop). However, if you can find one artist or track you like, we can point you towards a bunch of other artists you might like.

 

[AudioDuck]

Feliks Audio Echo MK2 is a great entry level tube amp and it blew me away with my HD600, HD6602 and HD800s.

110 percent agree. Feliks makes great amps, and the Echo is a wonderful piece of gear that scales up with better input tubes.

 

[tutetibiimperes]

How do we feel about Chi Fi products? I've been looking into the Topping DX9 as an amp and DAC to feed the WA33/WA22 tube amps, but not sure if I should hold out for a Ferrum stack. This review on the Topping DX9 look very promising, has anyone had experience with this one?

https://soundnews.net/reviews/sourc...eview-unleashing-15-years-of-sonic-expertise/

There are certainly some great Chinese products, the Holo stuff as mentioned above, and I’ve enjoyed Questyle products I’ve demoed.

I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice going with a Topping DAC with something as nice as the WA33 or WA22 though.

Since tube amps are all about euphonic distortion anyway there’s no reason to seek out an objective DAC to pair with them IMO.

Something like the Schiit Yggdrasil would be a great choice, or the Gustard R2R DAC (a Chinese product but one that’s well reviewed), or the Holo May if you’re willing to spend the money.

 

[buke9]

Question for the WC HE thread...
I am going on well deserved vacation soon, which includes LONG flights, and my question is:
For people that are mostly headphones users - what do you take for long flights? Headphones or are you "scaling down" to IEMs?
If headphones - which are your flight companion favorites?
Also, when flying - I am mostly watching TV shows / movies. For me, that helps pass the time faster than music.

When answering, keep in mind I am flying coach... So no 150 sq. ft. luxury for me!

Like you I mostly watch TV and movies on flights and my old Sony WH 1000XM3’s are very comfortable and the ANC is better than my WF XM5’s .

 

[jlbrach]

I could digress on this for hours, but in a nutshell the key to liking/loving jazz is understanding that jazz is all about capturing a moment "in the pocket" where everything jives and everything is in sync and everything JAMS. Keep in mind jazz is always recorded live with the musicians playing off each other to find that perfect "pocket".

Start with Art Blakey "Moanin'", Miles Davis "Kind of Blue", and Dave Brubeck "Time Out". Close your eyes and just get inside the groove. If none of those appeal, jazz just may not be for you.

art blakey free for all for me

 

[Death_Block]

Speaking of that Feliks amp, I'm looking for one now, as I poured some money into some high end DACs (D16 and Hugo2, so far considering
Cayin HA-2a
LTA Velo - 1 vote
Woo WA2 - 1 vote
Woo WA6SE
Feliks echo mk2
Auris HA2-SE
PB5
ZMF Aegis - 2 vote

Think that's it.
At the moment by brain just locks down as I can't decide.

 

[Death_Block]

Or use the money for a headphone upgrade:
Empys
ZMP ( no idea how their models rank with each other
HE1000 stealth

 

[AudioDuck]

Speaking of that Feliks amp, I'm looking for one now, as I poured some money into some high end DACs (D16 and Hugo2, so far considering
Cayin HA-2a
LTA Velo
Woo WA2
Woo WA6SE
Feliks echo mk2
Auris HA2-SE
PB5

Think that's it.
At the moment by brain just locks down as I can't decide.

I upgraded from the Feliks Echo (mk I, but I don’t think there was a big difference in sound quality from mk I to mk II) to a Woo Audio WA2. The difference was NOT subtle. If you can afford the WA2, it’s well worth the added cost.

However, if you go the OTL route you will be a bit limited to high-impedance headphones, but with them, the WA2 is really, really good.

 

[goldwerger]

I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice going with a Topping DAC with something as nice as the WA33 or WA22 though.

 

[s2kphile]

Speaking of that Feliks amp, I'm looking for one now, as I poured some money into some high end DACs (D16 and Hugo2, so far considering
Cayin HA-2a
LTA Velo
Woo WA2
Woo WA6SE
Feliks echo mk2
Auris HA2-SE
PB5

Think that's it.
At the moment by brain just locks down as I can't decide.

I upgraded from the Feliks Echo (mk I, but I don’t think there was a big difference in sound quality from mk I to mk II) to a Woo Audio WA2. The difference was NOT subtle. If you can afford the WA2, it’s well worth the added cost.

However, if you go the OTL route you will be a bit limited to high-impedance headphones, but with them, the WA2 is really, really good.

I would also look at some ZMF Aegis on the 2nd hand market. Currently looking to upgrade my ECHO MK2 but researching takes forever

 

[AudioDuck]

I would also look at some ZMF Aegis on the 2nd hand market. Currently looking to upgrade my ECHO MK2 but researching takes forever

Yeah, and I heard the LTA Velo at CJ SoCal. Really, really nice amp. Recommended as well!

But indeed, the Aegis is MIGHTY. Sounds really good even with stock tubes (!).

 

[michael2v]

If you're curious about jazz, here's something I found to be really interesting. This is a good group of musicians turning a Nirvana classic into a jazz tune. Personally I love it, I hope you fig it too.

This performance kind of melted my brain when I first saw it! The way they blend various styles on the fly is such a joy to see.

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

Or use the money for a headphone upgrade:
Empys
ZMP ( no idea how their models rank with each other
HE1000 stealth

There's quite a big range in presentations among these headphones, and not just within the ZMFs. The HE1k will be fast, light, airy, snappy, bright(ish). The Empy is gloopier, slower, richer in the mids, warmer, thicker (the second one is less warm and syrupy, is closer to neutral, and isn't quite as forward-sounding).

Given the significant differences between the HifiMan and Meze, I'd recommend two things. 1) try out a bunch of used headphones which you can re-sell for less of a loss than new ones, and figure out your preferences; 2) then search for an amp that best pairs with your preferred headphones. Experimenting with shifting amps and headphones simultaneously will lead to confusion and will make it harder for you to keep track of what's what.

With that said, you might find your current amps (according to your signature) could hold back some headphones. Beware of some tube topologies that play poorly with planars; also beware of solid state amps that might not serve some headphones well that love tubes (like ZMFs). I realize it's harder to get Schiit gear in the UK than here in the US, but a Lyr + with a couple of tubes for rolling could serve you well for experimenting: you can go from solid state to tube hybrid modes with each headphone you try, and with a couple of tubes to roll, you can get a sense of how you like various headphones with different setups. It also has plenty of juice for most headphones. Once you land on a pair of headphones you like best then you can go for a bigger amp upgrade.

The ZMFs are mid-forward, more like the Empys than the HifiMan, but they do vary among one another:

• the Auteur Classic is more neutral and balanced, with lovely timbre
• the Vérité is fast, snappy, percussive, tight in the bass, with good tonal richness
• the Atrium is mellower, richer, slower, warmer in the bass, with a bit of upper-mid forwardness that can be tamped down with the solid mesh; it also has spacious staging
• the Caldera has a fuller, richer, more mellifluous sound, with strong, well extended, deep bass, and a lovely sweetness to the treble, but it's not as impactful as the Atrium (which slams hard) or as percussive as the Vérité (I find the Caldera to be a bit compressed/damped).

 

[tutetibiimperes]

Speaking of that Feliks amp, I'm looking for one now, as I poured some money into some high end DACs (D16 and Hugo2, so far considering
Cayin HA-2a
LTA Velo - 1 vote
Woo WA2 - 1 vote
Woo WA6SE
Feliks echo mk2
Auris HA2-SE
PB5
ZMF Aegis - 2 vote

Think that's it.
At the moment by brain just locks down as I can't decide.

The HA-2a is really low output power, I personally wouldn’t consider any of the Cayin amps below the HA-6a