THE WATERCOOLER HEADPHONE EDITION – Headphones, Amps, DACs, and desktop/home audio related – a freewheeling discussion of gear, impressions, music, and musings.

[DenverW]

Sorry to jump back in the conversation @goldwerger & @DenverW but just wanted to do a quick follow-up to this brief preamp discussion around the OTL.

I had experimented with the gain & volume combinations without much success, however I've just swapped out the rectifier (now using a Brimar 5r4gy) and the difference when preamping is now noticeable on the V550. A bit more euphonic, warm and the presentation is pushed wider. Even dead centered vocal tracks now stretch out to the sides a bit. Need to do some more listening to see if anything else but pretty interesting changes and excited to see how various tubes will affect that pairing.

Awesome, at least some results that show there might be more benefit to be found!

 

[michael2v]

If there was an album that defined my college years, it would be K&D Sessions. The late 90s/early 00s in Eugene, Oregon, were f*cking glorious!

I must have had this album on near-constant repeat for 2 years straight. You guys are really going to send me down a memory lane rabbit hole today…my afternoon at work is officially shot!

 

[Thomasr]

I must have had this album on near-constant repeat for 2 years straight. You guys are really going to send me down a memory lane rabbit hole today…my afternoon at work is officially shot!

Shame there aren't more (current) artists filling this particular niche

 

[JerseyD]

New to me in 2024, but not from 2024 (I've been sleeping on a lot of great artists...)

 

[G8torbyte]

Sorry to jump back in the conversation @goldwerger & @DenverW but just wanted to do a quick follow-up to this brief preamp discussion around the OTL.

I had experimented with the gain & volume combinations without much success, however I've just swapped out the rectifier (now using a Brimar 5r4gy) and the difference when preamping is now noticeable on the V550. A bit more euphonic, warm and the presentation is pushed wider. Even dead centered vocal tracks now stretch out to the sides a bit. Need to do some more listening to see if anything else but pretty interesting changes and excited to see how various tubes will affect that pairing.

Nice, glad to hear you are noticing some results
It was the guide I was using from Decware that explained "voicing" the amp: "To voice with tubes, we recommend starting with rectifiers. Get yourself three or four different compatible rectifiers to try and settle on a favorite. After the rectifier tube you can then experiment with different input tubes, which is the single 9 pin tube in the front."

 

[Monsterzero]

I meant to do this last week, but got distracted with some work. but we're only a week into the new year, so I think we can still take one final moment for year-end reflections and summaries. So, a final one..

I'm forgetting a ton of stuff I discovered in 2024, but here are a few standouts that Roon was kind enough to remind me of.

I don't really know how to categorize Valerie June...a mix of too many genres to count, but I find her eclectic style to be very easy to listen to.

Iris Dement has this real folksy, easy going southern drawl to her delivery. The type that some will adore and others won't, of which the same can be said of her political commentary. Regardless, I really enjoy her style and music.

This release flew under the radar on me. I have Lowen's debut release from many years ago but i just realized they released a new album a few days before 2025 arrived.
A mix of doom, prog and death metal, the vocals of Nina Saeidi are worth the price of admission alone. What a range!

The fact that i'm just now discovering a song entitled 'Never Surrender' by a band called She, which was from the early 1980s tells you all you need to know.
I lived and breathed NWOBHM back in the day, and while I had read about them here and there, it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I finally heard their music.

I'm not gonna lie, this song is quite dated sounding, and is mucho queso, but what boggles my mind is how this band and this track specifically didn't go farther. It had everything you'd expect from a poppy hard rock song. should've been huge. Sounds like Pat Benetar fronting Quiet Riot.

Lupin somehow always failed to grab my attention. No longer.

I don't recall how I heard about this duo, but i'm glad I finally did. Laid back and quirky.

The TV show Californication turned me onto Lissie...Absolutely love her.

 

[bifford]

Iris Dement has this real folksy, easy going southern drawl to her delivery. The type that some will adore and others won't, of which the same can be said of her political commentary. Regardless, I really enjoy her style and music.

I love the duet “In spite of ourselves” Iris did with John Prine (RIP):

 

[G8torbyte]

The TV show Californication turned me onto Lissie...Absolutely love her.

Nice, thanks for the mention of Lissie. I meant to look up more of her music earlier after I heard this release from her some years ago.
Sorry Lissie, I didn't mean to give up on you.

 

[TheAbyss2022]

Big or small update from me depending on how you look at it!

I have decided to sell my Audeze LCD 4, CRBN & Stax 009, keeping 009S.

Since I got the Stax 007 MK1 last week, I have been listening to this headphone for endless hours of the night and excitement for when I am able to listen to it again. I have never had a headphone that can really do it all. The bass on this headphone hits hard! The timbre and overall tonality is one of the best I have ever heard in a headphone. All the instruments sound so natural and richer than the 009 series. Midrange detail and overall technical performance is amazing with the help of the Carbon CC. Sparkly treble but not overdone keeping listening sessions ongoing and non fatiguing.

Another big plus is that this headphone works for every genre and no genre sounds bad on this headphone. The bass is there for electronic and hip hop music, naturalness is there for acoustic guitars and classical instruments, vocals are sublime, punch/dynamics and detail is there for rock, metal. The soundstage is slightly smaller than the 009 series but still sounds very spacious and open especially compared to the CRBN. Soundstage is perfectly fine to be honest and I have never felt I needed more space. Don't also get me started how light and comfortable this headphone is as well. All I wanted is a richer, warmer and bassier Stax house sound and this headphone is exactly what I was looking for since I got into this hobby.

I think this is endgame listening for me now and I found "my sound" lol. I will probably try to get another MK1 007 soon just to have a backup and people say they all sound slightly different.

If you are thinking why am I keeping the 009S is because its an endgame gaming headphone and I want another headphone with a different sound signature to switch it up sometimes and I am still keeping my HESKE.

 

[chrisnyc75]

The intersection of music and art transports me to a different place. When I see amazing art it inspires me to imagine its soundtrack. When I hear music, my mind is filled with imagery, no mushrooms need.

Sitting here with my Purple Burst/14kt Gold ZMF Atrium open-backs just rolling pads. I’m immersed in Mammal Hands’ “Boreal Forest.” The way this track flows feels like a perfect match for the Atriums—layered, textured, and alive. Given the unplanned downtime, this inspired me to finish art I started a while ago as I could not imagine its ending.

The song’s meditative rhythm, with its subtle saxophone and shifting piano lines, pulled me into this dreamlike state where the painting’s finish came to life. The swirling, vibrant colors of the sky? That’s the ebb and flow of the melodies. The leaning, surreal houses? They capture the tension between structure and nature that’s so present in the music.

“Boreal Forest” inspired the path in the painting too—winding and mysterious, like the introspective journey this song takes me on. The Atriums let me feel every detail, every moment of stillness, and every surge of energy in the track, making the creative process feel even more connected.

This pairing—ZMF Atrium, Aegis Tube Amp, and Mammal Hands—is pure inspiration. I landed on the suede pads which offered a sweeter mid range, elevated vocals and smoothed the bass.

It’s like the music paints the scene for me. Art and music. Peace on earth.

Love those Atriums, and Mammal Hands, and your art! Thanks for sharing

 

[chrisnyc75]

I meant to do this last week, but got distracted with some work. but we're only a week into the new year, so I think we can still take one final moment for year-end reflections and summaries. So, a final one..

In our last poll, we got everyone's recommendations for your best new music released in 2024. But, now, I wanted to now ask you...

What is the best music you have disocvered in 2024 (whether a new or old the recording, as long as it was new to you)?​

---

After sorting my Roon albums based on the date I added music to my library and taking looking back at this amazing year of music revelations, these were my own disocvery highlights:

This entire album is one of the most beautiful recordings of Brazilian music I've ever heard. It's become a desert island album for me, and I think will be a favorite for years to come..



Whether you are into opera singing or not, this collection of operatic songs (including many famous ones) will draw you in from its very first note. I've listend to this entire album many times in a single sitting. Just, superb!



Jo Harrop is a wonderful English jazz singer. I loved her album "The Heart Wants" (my recommendation for intro to the singer) and, in January, I got to see her perform live at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC. In the course of doing some pre-show listening, I came across this album of hers, a pristine singer/acoustic guitar duo. Highly recommended:



The track "Goldberg" by French singer Camille Bertault is a really cool jazz vocal rendition of Bach:



For an acoustic guitar celeberation, check this amazing guitar duo album by Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo:



This track features Maria Coman, a Romanian singer. It showcases one of the most pristine female vocals I've heard this year. "Imnul Lubirii" means "Hymn of Love"..



This album by classical pianist Yuja Wang (who may be so famous, she may not need any introduction) is unique. It doesn't feature her playing typical classical composition, but a recently composed concerto that's a homage for Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (starts on track #2; first track is also interesting). Yuja plays off the sheet music but in a jazzy style, a departure from her typical genre. A very interesting listen:



Beautiful harp playing on this track (recommended to me by my good friend @RTodd):



This duet between Spanish singer Pitingo and Jordanian singer Farah Siraj (both singing in Arabic) has some magic to it. I don't understand what they are singing about, but I long for it..



I don't have too much pop music in rotatation, but this is an incredible cover of "The Power of Love" by Indonesian singer Vanny Vabiola. What a beautiful voice:



Grace Kelly is a very talented singer, sax player, and composer. This song has been high in my rotation this year on account of all three..

My Roon database is all sorts of jumbled up as I switched my core recently and it made my Albums view all FUBAR, but thinking back I think it was this. This is admittedly some serious "audiophile bull****", but I have to admit I LOVE it. I found this watching streaming content from one of the big audio shows and promptly Shazam'd it. This is one of those songs that once I start listening to it, I usually just play it over and over again because I can't quite figure out anything else that organically flows next in a similar vein. It's kinda weird & unique like that. "Weird & unique" is 100% my favorite color. In any case, I've played this for a couple of friends that have eclectic taste in music but are not at all into the audiophile thing and they agreed that this is a really interesting track & artist.

it’s been an amazing year of new discoveries

We have very similar tastes.

 

[jsabini1]

The intersection of music and art transports me to a different place. When I see amazing art it inspires me to imagine its soundtrack. When I hear music, my mind is filled with imagery, no mushrooms need.

Sitting here with my Purple Burst/14kt Gold ZMF Atrium open-backs just rolling pads. I’m immersed in Mammal Hands’ “Boreal Forest.” The way this track flows feels like a perfect match for the Atriums—layered, textured, and alive. Given the unplanned downtime, this inspired me to finish art I started a while ago as I could not imagine its ending.

The song’s meditative rhythm, with its subtle saxophone and shifting piano lines, pulled me into this dreamlike state where the painting’s finish came to life. The swirling, vibrant colors of the sky? That’s the ebb and flow of the melodies. The leaning, surreal houses? They capture the tension between structure and nature that’s so present in the music.

“Boreal Forest” inspired the path in the painting too—winding and mysterious, like the introspective journey this song takes me on. The Atriums let me feel every detail, every moment of stillness, and every surge of energy in the track, making the creative process feel even more connected.

This pairing—ZMF Atrium, Aegis Tube Amp, and Mammal Hands—is pure inspiration. I landed on the suede pads which offered a sweeter mid range, elevated vocals and smoothed the bass.

It’s like the music paints the scene for me. Art and music. Peace on earth.

Mammal Hands is a great recommendation, excellent trio! Listening to Boreal Forest on Tungsten, sounds pretty great with these also.

 

[Blindranger]

My Roon database is all sorts of jumbled up as I switched my core recently and it made my Albums view all FUBAR, but thinking back I think it was this. This is admittedly some serious "audiophile bull****", but I have to admit I LOVE it. I found this watching streaming content from one of the big audio shows and promptly Shazam'd it. This is one of those songs that once I start listening to it, I usually just play it over and over again because I can't quite figure out anything else that organically flows next in a similar vein. It's kinda weird & unique like that. "Weird & unique" is 100% my favorite color. In any case, I've played this for a couple of friends that have eclectic taste in music but are not at all into the audiophile thing and they agreed that this is a really interesting track & artist.




We have very similar tastes.

Agreed! My queue is now over 26 hours long, and I'm excited for this section to hit.

 

[Rollnrock]

I meant to do this last week, but got distracted with some work. but we're only a week into the new year, so I think we can still take one final moment for year-end reflections and summaries. So, a final one..

In our last poll, we got everyone's recommendations for your best new music released in 2024. But, now, I wanted to now ask you...

What is the best music you have disocvered in 2024 (whether a new or old the recording, as long as it was new to you)?​

Well, first I must say that many of my fav albums have come from your recs, so excuse me if any of these albums have been posted here before (for sure there will be more than one )



A bit of blues & rock



I recently discovered Taj Mahal and it was through this album. I've listened to other albums by him but this is still my favorite. It's a mix of blues and acoustic guitar music, with the cool and fun Taj Mahal leading the performance.

This one is an album from the great ZZ Top that I recently discovered digging in Qobuz. I don't know if it's rock or blues, but it sounds awesome with those dirty guitar growls

The following was shared a few months ago by @AudioDuck. It instantly became one of my favorite blues albums of all time and I think it deserves a spot here. It's an old-time blues album from Muddy Waters but with an unusually good mastering job.

I discovered this group recently. This album is just what it shows in the picture, some guys playing some quiet rock/pop songs and enjoying life. Very well mastered, a joy to listen to

Some Jazz..

Very good live performance from the great American pianist Chick Corea. Not just the piano, but also the drums and bass are top here

I recently discovered Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio and I think it was due to an album shared by @goldwerger. Searching in Qobuz I found this album, that is fantastic. Very good music...

Female voices…



Laufey was a recent discovery for me. She has such a beautiful voice that it's hard not to fall in love with her. This is a live concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. I listened to it last night with my Atrium Closed and I was in heaven

Chie Ayado is another little gem that I’ve discovered in 2024. Her voice is different but lovely as well. This album is so special. Track #14 (live “Let it be” is awesome)

And just 2 more



A fantastic guitar player, Max Ananyev (acoustic music). Love all his albums. This is a good example

The last one. When I first listened to these two young guys playing baroque music, I just said wow. This album deserves a try, not only is the mastering work very good, the guys are very good. It's like being at a costume party in 17th century Venice at Casanova's house.

God save the music!

 

[Kiats]

Big or small update from me depending on how you look at it!

I have decided to sell my Audeze LCD 4, CRBN & Stax 009, keeping 009S.

Since I got the Stax 007 MK1 last week, I have been listening to this headphone for endless hours of the night and excitement for when I am able to listen to it again. I have never had a headphone that can really do it all. The bass on this headphone hits hard! The timbre and overall tonality is one of the best I have ever heard in a headphone. All the instruments sound so natural and richer than the 009 series. Midrange detail and overall technical performance is amazing with the help of the Carbon CC. Sparkly treble but not overdone keeping listening sessions ongoing and non fatiguing.

Another big plus is that this headphone works for every genre and no genre sounds bad on this headphone. The bass is there for electronic and hip hop music, naturalness is there for acoustic guitars and classical instruments, vocals are sublime, punch/dynamics and detail is there for rock, metal. The soundstage is slightly smaller than the 009 series but still sounds very spacious and open especially compared to the CRBN. Soundstage is perfectly fine to be honest and I have never felt I needed more space. Don't also get me started how light and comfortable this headphone is as well. All I wanted is a richer, warmer and bassier Stax house sound and this headphone is exactly what I was looking for since I got into this hobby.

I think this is endgame listening for me now and I found "my sound" lol. I will probably try to get another MK1 007 soon just to have a backup and people say they all sound slightly different.

If you are thinking why am I keeping the 009S is because its an endgame gaming headphone and I want another headphone with a different sound signature to switch it up sometimes and I am still keeping my HESKE.

Congrats! Happy place to be in. One of the few HPs I am happy to have redundancy and have a few pairs of.