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

[betula]

I dislike the limitations of price brackets in any audio recomendations. Don’t box me in….

Haha! I would imagine in most cases financial limitations are not a choice.

 

[goldwerger]

I liked their closed back counterpart more

which model?

 

[theveterans]

My memory might be playing tricks but I believe the term PRaT was very much an analog expression first coined in the 70’s by someone associated with Linn and was in reference to the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable especially when used in conjunction with Naim amplification. The ‘P’ originally referred to ‘Pitch’ as in the pitch stability of the LP12 compared to other turntables from that period but at some point that morphed into ‘Pace’.

Yep! Digital has their own unique quirks (e.g. poorly implemented DACs introducing non-musical sounding distortions not from original recording) but still has the the fundamental issue of analog (timing consistency and noise) hence why PRaT is still used to this day

All I know is the better the perceived PRaT, the more believable the reproduced sound that comes in to our ears

 

[BORUSSIA]

Hello, I recently bought hifiman he1000 stealth and while I like the details I’m missing some low end impact and body.
Any advice for an hp around the same price?
Just for reference something like Annihilator 2023 iem is my taste

I would recommend the 1000SE with ZMF lambskin pads. The bass is really good and the tremble is very detailed and not fatiguing.

 

[balvan]

which model?

ATH-AWKT

 

[Spawn300Z]

If you're after something with more low-end punch and body, you might want to check out the Focal Utopia or the Audeze LCD-X. Both offer great detail like the HE1000 Stealth but with more of that impactful bass you're craving.

I would agree about the U22 being a great option. I believe that the HEKSE and U22 trade blows. I enjoy them both, hard to choose between them, but give a slight edge to the HEKSE. But would definitely choose the U22 over the HEK Stealth all day long. But, I don’t feel the LCD-X is in the same league unless you’re only talking about bass. IMHO

 

[goldwerger]

ATH-AWKT

I had the AWAS 3-4 yrs ago, beautiful mids. Not quite the same sound signature as the AWKT but similar direction. The open ADX5000 is very different, faster and more resolving, perhaps a bit less note weight. Just a different creature. Worth demoing if you ever have a chance.

 

[Monsterzero]

Something I never understood on Head-Fi is when someone asks for gear recommendation in a limited price bracket, why 90% of the replies contain items for two or three times the budget.

This is why the phrase "Welcome to Head-Fi. Sorry about your wallet" was coined.

 

[betula]

This is why the phrase "Welcome to Head-Fi. Sorry about your wallet" was coined.

Of course, entering Head-Fi is like entering a void, infinite vacuum where the individual is being pulled towards the mirage of 'endgame' for eternity, with spendings that exponentially increase by time. At the same time, repeatedly recommending the Utopia 22, which even in used form is more like a £3K headphone, to someone who is after a £1K headphone, is really not much of a help, just a waste of digital ink.

 

[Conan1974]

Hey, digital ink. This is good man. Never heard that before

 

[Exekuhtor]

I want to give a huge shoutout to Schiit, i ordered a Valhalla 2, it came in with a blemish, very likely because of Fedex. They told me to send it back, payed the shipping costs, and immediately send me a new unit, completely without any further costs. Super fast and friendly communication and one of the very best customer supports i've ever experienced. Thank you Schiit! Highly recommended!

Also: My CFA3 arrived and i did a lengthy post about it comparing it to my Envy using my Immanis.

Post in thread 'HeadAmp CFA3 Headphone Amp - The Official Thread'

Feb 10, 2025

1 1/2h of listening time later...

The Imaging is laser focused and there is so much blackness between the instruments. The Speed is so fast it's almost the difference from a planar to a Ribbon when comparing the Envy (with not Elrogs) to the CFA3. The Envy is only somewhat on par in technicalities with the Elrog TM's. Even then i think the CFA3 is faster. Maybe the Brimar CV1988 are also a limiting factor enough, but they are my best sounding tubes, and i don't want to test the Envy with super neutral and boring, but technical capable sounding tubes.
Texture is incredible. The Envy has...

• Exekuhtor

• 

 

[theveterans]

I want to give a huge shoutout to Schiit, i ordered a Valhalla 2, it came in with a blemish, very likely because of Fedex. They told me to send it back, payed the shipping costs, and immediately send me a new unit, completely without any further costs. Super fast and friendly communication and one of the very best customer supports i've ever experienced. Thank you Schiit! Highly recommended!

Schiit’s awesome! Never had issues with their products too

 

[goldwerger]

the mirage of 'endgame'

That’s one term I’m also not a fan of. Nothing in life is permanent, except its end

As I like to say, I’m really not looking to arrive anywhere. I just hope to stay in this fun journey (of life, and of audio) for a long time, experiencing and enjoying what it has to offer..

 

[betula]

That’s one term I’m also not a fan of. Nothing in life is permanent, except its end

As I like to say, I’m really not looking to arrive anywhere. I just hope to stay in this fun journey (of life, and of audio) for a long time, experiencing and enjoying what it has to offer..

I would like to believe that most of us who have been in the hobby for more than a couple of years realised this already.

 

[nephilim32]

Howdy folks! As the weekend is around the corner, I reflect on my musings for the week. I recently watched a tour of Abbey Road Studios.



This video got me in the mood to smoke a lovely cigar (Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Churchill) and listen to The Beatles and whatever else Apple Music could recommend to me. This included Elton John, The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and others. As I listened to such heavenly melodies, I noticed appreciable changes in production quality. Songs from the late 60's early 70s, didn't have the same visceral impact for me as those from the 80's or later. Granted, it only took 15 seconds or so for my brain to adjust, but the difference was noticeable. It seems this issue doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would and I will continue to explore music recorded pre-80s.
When I first got into this hobby, my music tastes stayed firmly within well recorded OST's, electronic, jazz and classical (FLACs only, thank you very much!). I'm not as picky on the quality of the recording now, and am more interested in trying more genres. Perhaps my recent endeavor of collecting and building a physical music library (mostly CDs) has contributed to this change in behavior.

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

Let us know your experiences!

As usual. Always love your posts and questions. For me being an audiophile and someone who appreciates having a physical media library. Over the years, appreciating quality recordings, my tastes have aged in Jazz and World Music. Peter Gabriel’s record label “Real world records” sparked that interest.

Here’s an example. As a 20 something year-old you wouldn’t catch me listening to stuff like this. Not even close. Now? I adore it.