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Originally Posted by Quint /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Mine are balanced with Jena Labs wire. Some have said that balancing the '9s doesn't result in a big improvement, but that definitely was not my experience. I noticed significant gains in overall resolution and dynamics, and low-end punch. Just choose your wire carefully. All of it is not created equal.
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Not cheap, but well worth it - seems to be your assessment of the Jena Labs E9 recable job. Definitely something to consider for the future.
Hey, this is a cool thread. I'm still on the fence about the Edition 9, but mostly because my headphone listening time seems to have dwindled away quite a bit this year. I don't want to get them and then just let them sit there like so many of my cans have been doing of late.
This could simply be a function of a number of factors that will prove to be only temporary restraints from my enjoyment of the headphone aspect of the hobby:
1. I've been off-Island more than I've been here this year, and that will only get worse as the year wears on,
2. My 2 channel system is now exceptionally well dialed in and leaves me 100% satisfied no matter what music I throw at it, and this is especially so with vinyl,
3. I don't, at present, have a 2nd vinyl rig (hint hint, one day soon perhaps) that I could set up with my headphone gear,
4. I've been waiting forever and a day to recieve my SDS-XRL and ES-1 and know that when they arrive (whenever that might be) I'll once again feel revitalized for headphone listening,
5. I now have an amazing young lady in my life and I enjoy spending time with her (with music flowing from the speakers) rather than by myself (in headphone nirvana) and this gives us a chance to talk and catch up with each other's day,
6. I'm starting to develop some other hobby-like interests (digital photography and soon digital videography, plus the whole excitement about my Ariel Atom build process this year and all sorts of gadgets that will go along with it), and
7. My work (mostly computer based) simply requires more concentration than 'serious' headphone listening would allow for.
What that all translates to is a situation whereby it doesn't make sense to be buying more headphone gear for now! Finally, I've found solid reasons to stop the madness! Ok, not stop the madness, just temporarily pause it for a while. I suspect that the SDS-XLR will get me pretty excited about all the "balanced this and balanced that" stuff which will lead to some recable jobs and the like.
I'd love to start getting my girlfriend into the headphones hobby because she's a real music lover and I firmly believe that headphone listening brings on an entire new world to the ears and soul of the average music lover! It's good training for a budding audiophile in the sense that it builds such wonderful listening skills and opens the mind to layers and layers of the possibilities that music provides in terms of life enrichment.
When the time comes (as we settle into things relationship-wise and don't need as much dedicated one on one time to learn more about each other), I'd like for her to start going through the paces with me such that she can begin to hear what I hear and truly "get it" in terms of the hobby. That way, when she eventually takes up residence, it will feel like a mutual hobby to her rather than just my thing (as other girlfriends have viewed it in the past).
Trust me, it won't be a matter of pulling teeth because she loves music of all kinds very much. It's just that we're not there yet and she tends to be quite tired in the evenings when she would have time for some listening. I know it would be good for her, and for me, and thus for us, if she gets into it at least enough to really understand what it's all about and why it's such a passion to me. Otherwise, something will suffer in the end, and I don't want that to be my listening time! Oh, I suppose it might suffer a little, but it will always be a huge part of my lifestyle.
Ok, moving on... randerson3024, you've got some excellent gear there! As others have said, you've got wonderful taste. What I'm most curious about, however, is your "ship" rig and the "...but I travel worldwide all year" thing! Sounds yummy, tell us more please (if you don't mind)!
