[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin Uthadude /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love this thread. I believe it exemplifies the essence of Head-Fi. As a newbie, it is a great learning experience. It helps me to better get a grasp on ‘what can I expect to hear?’ I have a pair of Grado SR60’s. I have listened to them plugged directly into my Sansa Clip, powered with a mini3, and driven by a Millet Hybrid. I have some small basis of reference for ‘better’. In no case did I find them unlistenable. I just got a pair of K501’s. The story is much different. Forget the clip and mini3, but the Millet is nice. That particular set of phones versus amp requires that matching some people are talking about. (light goes on). This is an important lesson to know if I’m considering a pair of hp’s that are generally acknowledged to be hard to power. On the other hand, Uncle Erik has a Zana Deux. Whether he tells me my Millet is ‘unlistenable’ or ‘ok, but could be much better’, what am I to think much better sounds like? Going from regular gas to premium in your Porsche? Going from 6 cylinder to V8 in your Mustang? Or going from VW to Viper? This is where a newbie like me needs to look at Erik’s past and present equipment, what music he listens to, and my impression of to what value do I attach to his opinion based on his past posts. (for the record-high) Truthfully, I hope for VW to Viper, expect 6cyl to V8, and pray that the regular to premium diminishing returns haven’t already started at the respectable but not respected Millet Hybrid. I enjoy the journey. I hope for many more ‘Holy crap Batman’s , now I know what they’re talking abouts along the way. In two of my other hobbies (astronomy & golf), which are subjective, gear/toy heavy pursuits like audio, much of the fun went away once I had everything I wanted and not much left to buy/try except out of curiosity. I’m still lurking and evaluating my next experiment: HD600 or DT880. Keep up the posting y’all, I’m a mental sponge. Isn’t this a great time in history to be listening to music?

It pains me no end that you've read or heard enough to include this phrase, Justin. You and I know different, but there is an entire group out there that knows nothing but Millett-hating. I'm thankful that you were allowed the experience before succumbing to the rhetoric as many others do.

Sorry for the digression, folks.

P.S. Note that Uncle Erik is above the rhetoric as well.

 

[gbacic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Like Boomana pointed out, amplification is not about power. If we want to go with a car analogy, a 500HP car might sound impressive. But if it has cable-operated brakes and not much suspension, it isn't going to be much fun to drive. An amp is also the equivalent of the brakes and suspension of a car. Personally, I'm into handling. My last car was a dead stock RX-7. Its braking and handling let me demolish cars with much more horsepower. The current car is a stock tC with TRD suspension. Again, the brakes and handling let me outrun a SUV with twice the horsepower.

If you had dropped a corvette engine in it you could have destroyed the other cars with even less effort

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif It pains me no end that you've read or heard enough to include this phrase, Justin. You and I know different, but there is an entire group out there that knows nothing but Millett-hating. I'm thankful that you were allowed the experience before succumbing to the rhetoric as many others do. Sorry for the digression, folks. P.S. Note that Uncle Erik is above the rhetoric as well.

What?! People hate the Millett?! I have heard several wonderful executions of that amp. It's one of my consistent favorites at meets.

 

[Happy Camper]

I love the portable hybrid with Grados. Every Millett I've heard sounds very good.

 

[Justin Uthadude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif It pains me no end that you've read or heard enough to include this phrase, Justin. You and I know different, but there is an entire group out there that knows nothing but Millett-hating. I'm thankful that you were allowed the experience before succumbing to the rhetoric as many others do.

Tom-
This was kinda my whole point. One of my delights in this community is that with some judiciousness, us newbies can shorten the learning cycle, hopefully avoid some of the more common pitfalls, and just maybe stumble onto something tasty that isn't overhyped and therefore overvalued (read: price inflated). I have learned the point of the OP.

The hard part for me is to determine in the various threads if someone is posting with a viewpoint from the bottom, like me saying the Millet Hybrid is awesome sounding, which it is to me, but I've not heard many others, or someone posting from the top, like if Boomana says it's 'ok', but that's because she's heard so many others. (She may have at one time rated it higher before she heard ones that are superb). You know, where is this guy coming from who's trying to tell me his K701's sound awesome from his ipod or Turtle Beach soundcard? Am I going to say OMG or What?

P.S. Thanks for all your help.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin Uthadude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Am I going to say OMG or What?

Heh, I like this sentence and agree with the sentiment.

 

[AcousticDreams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love the portable hybrid with Grados. Every Millett I've heard sounds very good.

Oh yes, ... and if the Millett sounds good for you, is it good enough for the rest of mankind, isn't it!?

 

[CrackBerry9000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there any way we can keep the cable nonsense out of this thread? I'm betting we can't.

It isn't abot cables, its about building a system with no weak links in the audio chain. Like when the OP mentioned people using high end headphones with low end amps and sources. My advice to everyone is to spend time "system matching", so you don't have one part of your system holding back the rest of your equipment. Isn't that what this thread is about Monkey? No weak links?

It's money that people refuse to leave out of the conversation. Even though lots of these people are wasting money on 650,701 headphones when they could be buying a portable ibasso amp/dac and some PX100 or Koss or Yuin headphones, or even some midrange AT headphones all for the price of some 701s. Lots of options and solutions exist, we just need to shed some light on them instead of kicking the same can back and fourth.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrackBerry9000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It isn't abot cables, its about building a system with no weak links in the audio chain. Like when the OP mentioned people using high end headphones with low end amps and sources. My advice to everyone is to spend time "system matching", so you don't have one part of your system holding back the rest of your equipment. Isn't that what this thread about Monkey?

I thought it was about mismatching and then promoting it as no such thing. No one cares if you're happy with your setup.... actually we're happy that you're happy.

If you wish to share that you're happy with it despite being far from optimised, the great. However, claiming that your matchup is terrific and brings out the most in your new cans when it really doesn't, is another proposition entirely.

 

[CrackBerry9000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aimlink /img/forum/go_quote.gif I thought it was about mismatching and then promoting it as no such thing. No one cares if you're happy with your setup.... actually we're happy that you're happy. If you wish to share that you're happy with it despite being far from optimised, the great. However, claiming that your matchup is terrific and brings out the most in your new cans when it really doesn't, is another proposition entirely.

I'm aware of the problem. I thought I'd take it one step forward and speak of better ways to approach the whole thing and try and come up with some solutions.

I thought everyone being happy with their gear was the goal? Was I wrong?

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrackBerry9000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm aware of the problem. I thought I'd take it one step forward and speak of better ways to approach the whole thing and try and come up with some solutions. I thought everyone being happy with their gear was the goal? Was I wrong?

Absolutely not wrong CrackBerry9000. Absolutely not.

I don't know if my cans would sound better to me with a tube amp out there. I really don't, and at the moment, I really don't care since I'm so happy with what I'm using now. So I'd heartily recommend my setup to anyone who asks.

OTOH, if they ask me if it's the best, I'd have to say, very likely NO. If they ask me if it's close to the best, I'd have to again reserve judgement, since I really don't know. All I know is that I'm having a wail of a time. IF and When I start thirsting for more, I'll go looking further. I'm still thirsting since I'm impatiently waiting for these K702's to arrive, but in terms of amps/dacs, I'm content and will likely be for a while.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrackBerry9000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It isn't abot cables, its about building a system with no weak links in the audio chain. Like when the OP mentioned people using high end headphones with low end amps and sources. My advice to everyone is to spend time "system matching", so you don't have one part of your system holding back the rest of your equipment. Isn't that what this thread is about Monkey? No weak links? It's money that people refuse to leave out of the conversation. Even though lots of these people are wasting money on 650,701 headphones when they could be buying a portable ibasso amp/dac and some PX100 or Koss or Yuin headphones, or even some midrange AT headphones all for the price of some 701s. Lots of options and solutions exist, we just need to shed some light on them instead of kicking the same can back and fourth.

After a few years of "improving" the sound of my portable systems, I realized that such high performance could not be realistically achieved even with a great (trans)portable amp. Furthermore, even the greatest of amps do not quite make even the best portable setup high-end home audiophile grade. Home mid-fi grade, maybe, but never high-end. As a result, I stopped at the HD600--and even I don't use the HD600 very often any more. I now use some "lesser" but still good quality headphones with my portables (and often with no amp).

That said, one must be very careful when choosing some less expensive headphones for use with either a mediocre amp or no amp. After all, there are still a lot of headphones that are available new on the market that are just plain junk, making everything sound bad regardless of the amp used. In fact, some such headphones can easily make even the very best high-end headphone amp sound worse than a cheap $10 clock radio.

In other words, it's much easier to make an ultra-expensive, huge-sized setup sound horrible than it is to make inexpensive portable equipment sound great.

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AcousticDreams /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh yes, ... and if the Millett sounds good for you, is it good enough for the rest of mankind, isn't it!?

Just an observation.

 

[CrackBerry9000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle_Driver /img/forum/go_quote.gif After a few years of "improving" the sound of my portable systems, I realized that such high performance could not be realistically achieved even with a great (trans)portable amp. Furthermore, even the greatest of amps do not quite make even the best portable setup high-end home audiophile grade. Home mid-fi grade, maybe, but never high-end. As a result, I stopped at the HD600--and even I don't use the HD600 very often any more. I now use some "lesser" but still good quality headphones with my portables (and often with no amp). That said, one must be very careful when choosing some less expensive headphones for use with either a mediocre amp or no amp. After all, there are still a lot of headphones that are available new on the market that are just plain junk, making everything sound bad regardless of the amp used. In fact, some such headphones can easily make even the very best high-end headphone amp sound worse than a cheap $10 clock radio. In other words, it's much easier to make an ultra-expensive, huge-sized setup sound horrible than it is to make inexpensive portable equipment sound great.

Huh?

 

[swaffleman]

This is why I stay away from the super expensive headphones. I do most of my music listening on the go, which means using a cd player or ipod. No way I'll be able to amp it up (portable amps...come on, let's be practical. I exercise a lot while listening).

I'm pretty content with my $50 Sennheisers and Audio Technicas.