The Composer actually sounds real good off the WA24. I might buy a pair
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Do it, dude! I doubt anyone has played heavy metal through it before... and we need to know how that sounds.Dinner was good! Endless supplies of good meat are always good. I'm gonna be at the Danacables table for a bit today after I hear some sh!t. I gotta hear the Immanis and the Aperio. I have a HE-1 appointment at 1:15, but we'll see if I go. It's nice to meet fellow audiophiles
leylandi
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I now have an Atrium Open. I will use it with Gustard R26 and Cayin HA-3A. Can anyone recommend a different dac or amp that would be good for the atrium? I am also open to cable suggestions.
The Aperio Golden Sound sounds better than the original. Better bass. The OG was not really to my liking, but the golden sound lived up to the hype. Is it better than the 1266 TCs or Immanis? That’s debatable, but it’s a good pair of headphones. If I had unlimited money, I’d buy a pair. They are good
Well, I've listened to everything I wanted to; I shoulda just got a one day ticket and left tonight
I'm gonna do some day drinking and then listen to the HE-1 in an hour. I've listened to it before, but only for 5 minutes. I tried metal, hip-hop, and indie before. I think I'll do the same. I only have 5 minutes so it's gonna be rapid fire
I'm gonna do some day drinking and then listen to the HE-1 in an hour. I've listened to it before, but only for 5 minutes. I tried metal, hip-hop, and indie before. I think I'll do the same. I only have 5 minutes so it's gonna be rapid fire
The biggest surprise of the show for me was just how good the Composer sounded off the WA24. For the price of the Composer, I think I might have to buy me a pair. Then the Aperio GS edition was nice of course. I just really didn't expect the Composer to sound so good. I dunno if it's the headphones, the WA24 or the combo, but I was impressed.
Yeah, I've only heard the Composer off a Questyle M15 dongle DAC, but I thought it sounded really excellent. Too bad I don't really have a use case for it. BTW, did you check the HIFIMAN booth to see if they're showing off any of their newly announced models? I'm kinda curious about the Isvarna, specifically, although expectations are pretty low based on their track record with previous closed-backs.
I’ll check out the Hifiman booth. I have low expectations too. We’ll see
So, I just listened to the HE-1 for the 2nd time. It was good, but didn't blow my mind. The Aperio GS Edition was just as good, for cheaper. At one point in time I thought about buying the HE-1, but now that it is discontinued and the Aperio GS is just as good, I can't think of a reason to buy it, other than as a status symbol.
Metal and hip-hop sound good off the HE-1, though it wasn't absolutely amazing. I really don't know if they are better than a good 1266 TC setup. If I had to buy an all in one system, I'd probably go with the Aperio GS edition. I'm gonna try and listen to it again later or tomorrow.
Metal and hip-hop sound good off the HE-1, though it wasn't absolutely amazing. I really don't know if they are better than a good 1266 TC setup. If I had to buy an all in one system, I'd probably go with the Aperio GS edition. I'm gonna try and listen to it again later or tomorrow.
R26 and HA-3A is pretty decent already. Is there anything you don't like in this combo? What would you like to improve? Or you are just after a similar tonality with better resolve etc? What's your budget? IMO if you want anything significantly better, you will have to at least double your budget.I now have an Atrium Open. I will use it with Gustard R26 and Cayin HA-3A. Can anyone recommend a different dac or amp that would be good for the atrium? I am also open to cable suggestions.
Tchoupitoulas
500+ Head-Fier
I'm with @betula about a meaningful upgrade being pricey. I'd give it some time to get used to your Atrium and see what you'd like to improve.
FWIW, I loved my Atrium from an Yggy A2 DAC and my v3 DNA Stratus - lovely tonality and great textures, with a big, open soundstage. There's a v4 Stratus in the classifieds now, I believe.
With regards to cable choices for the Atrium, I’d strongly recommend fusion cables (ie copper/silver combination). With biocellulose-driver models from ZMF (Auteur, Eikon, Atrium Closed) I’ve found the fusion cables to be incredible.I now have an Atrium Open. I will use it with Gustard R26 and Cayin HA-3A. Can anyone recommend a different dac or amp that would be good for the atrium? I am also open to cable suggestions.
I am a big fan of Norne Audio’s cables, but there are other good options like Forza Audioworks out there as well, of course.
I had not heard that the HE-1 was discontinued. Is this true? Are they replacing it?
Yeah, the are discontinuing it. I asked about a replacement and they gave no clear answer. I also asked about an HD900, and they gave no clear answer. I'm not sure the Senn reps really know what is going on, or there's nothing
SolarCetacean
500+ Head-Fier
Following up on this post from a few months back. I performed the feedback mod on the 727 (made a post on it in the Stax Thread) and compared it vs the modded 006tS again. The two amps are now more similar than different. The softness and bloominess of the 727 are gone with the feedback mod and so is the treble/bass emphasis for the most part. The 727 still has a bit more bass presence and impact, but it's not that different vs the 006t. The vocals and midrange on the 006t are a bit more forward and a bit "sweeter" than on the 727, which is comparatively a bit further back and a bit raspier (I guess "drier"?).
Apologies for interrupting the chair and pet pictures. This past week, I received a Stax SRM-727 purchased from a fellow Head-Fier. It's an entirely stock unit from Japan and needs a step-down transformer.
Today, I decided to compare the 727 against a CCS-modded SRM-006tS. The mod was performed by spritzer at Mjolnir Audio. Above is the picture of my testing setup, which is taking place at my desktop. After I finish the comparisons, one of the amps will move back down to the living room. The 727 on the left, the FiiO K9 Pro DAC in the middle, and the 006t on the right. On the far left at the edge of the desk is my miniDSP EARS that I'm using for volume matching.
The 727 has more bass and treble extension and those parts of the FR are more prominent. The problem is that the bass is bloomier and softer in attack due to the lack of global feedback (the output stage is running outside of the feedback loop). The 006t has less perceived bass and treble quantity, but the midrange is more pronounced and is "sweeter" in character, like vocals are more emotive and slightly breathier. Bass, despite being lower in quantity, is tighter and snappier. I'll perform the feedback mod on the 727 which puts the output stage back into the feedback loop and I'll see what the changes are.
One example of this is in the track "Bloom" by Dabin and Dia Frampton. The bass beats from 1:30 to 2:00 are heavier, with more bass heft, on the 727 while those same beats on the 006t have a lighter "snap". The vocals from 1:59 to 2:11 (when Dia goes "bloooo-ooooo-oom") on the 727 have a raspy emphasis on the throat frequencies, like a bit of hoarseness with the sound of air being forced through the vocal cords being slightly emphasized and "etched". That part of the track is still rendered on the 006t, but not as "etched", with a bit more sweetness/breathiness and less raspiness. The word that comes to mind is "dry" for describing the 727's sound, but I'm not sure if that's the right term for it.
Curiously, on another of my test tracks, "Love Is A Highway" by Nurko, the 727 smooths over the vocals at 0:27, when there is a vocal rumble, so that the lyric sounds like "somethiiiing" rather than the more textured "somethi-i-i-ing" that is rendered on the 006t. For all the vocal raspiness of the 727, it doesn't quite capture that particular moment as cleanly as the 006t.
In other news, I've placed an order for the TEAC UD-507 which will act as my DAC/amp for my living room setup. I'll be eager to compare it vs my two current DACs, the Erco gen 2 and the K9 Pro AKM, as well as exploring all of its adjustment options. There will be a shuffling of DACs and estat amps around the house as I figure out which synergies work best and which setups are most practical. The first user reviews of the 507 from Japan are pretty middling and some of the reviews were disappointed in the value proposition of the 507 vs the higher-tier UD-701n, but I note that the 701n is much cheaper in Japan (+25% vs the 507) vs in the US (+100%). It will be my first discrete DAC, so it will be an adventure regardless!
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