[ufospls2]

I used the SR a bunch on my headinclouds KGSSHV Carbon, it worked very well. Not sure about the regular KGSSHV or KGST however. I would guess it would sound great on them also.

 

[number1sixerfan]

The Ca-1a has been amazing since having it here. And it and the Expanse are going blow for blow. I think it might be worth an in detail head to head.

Right now, the Expanse is a bit ahead resolution wise. Just simply amazing in the mids and highs. And the CA-1a nearly as impressive in both regards, while clearly having better bass impact and response. The difference in bass matters here for sure.

More to come...

 

[number1sixerfan]

The Ca-1a has been amazing since having it here. And it and the Expanse are going blow for blow. I think it might be worth an in detail head to head.

Right now, the Expanse is a bit ahead resolution wise. Just simply amazing in the mids and highs. And the CA-1a nearly as impressive in both regards, while clearly having better bass impact and response. The difference in bass matters here for sure.

More to come...

Gotta update this. And this is why I try to be careful in the early stages, as although I always have a decent handle up front, the tiny nuances start to become much more apparent over time.

So I would scrap that the Expanse is a bit ahead resolution wise. They are both phenomenal at resolution and all of the detail in each, with each song, is apparent. What I am finding rather, is that the Expanse is a just a bit more forward--just a bit. And so the midrange, and particularly vocals, are a bit more in your face. In addition to that, the Expanse is definitely less spacious and more in your face in a "Utopia kind of way", although to be clear nowhere near the level of the Utopia. So at times, this more in your face sound can make details feel more apparent. For perspective, the CA-1a's positioning feels just about neutral, not recessed at all (more forward in comparison say to the x9000 or TC I.E.), but overall a bit spaced out and not as up close in your face.

However, the tradeoff here is the spacing. The single thing that is blowing my mind just a bit right now is the soundstage of the CA-1a. It is one of the best I've heard. It feels so spacious, so natural, and the imaging within it is just insane. From what I have heard, only the x9000 (admittedly can feel a bit artificial in doing so), Sr1a and SGL Sr (This is also a wow factor for the R10, but being closed it simply is a slight step behind all of these). do this at this kind of level, at least to my ears. So although things aren't as in your face or condensed like with the Expanse, you can very clearly pick out where every sound, instrument, etc is coming from as if you could reach out and touch it, in a way that the Expanse cannot compete with.

This and the better bass impact would put the CA-1a ahead of the Expanse overall to me, but I do find them to be close, and there are times I prefer the Expanse's presentation, especially with vocal heavy music. The bass is only a bit stronger, both with a smidge more impact and perceived quantity, but it matters a lot imo. You can listen to genres like rock, hip hop, etc. and not feel a deficiency. That is not the case with the Expanse or the Sr1a. It's also not the case with the SGL Sr., at least to my ears. (To be clear, you can still enjoy other aspects of the music with these genres, but for me, I simply avoid and turn the speakers on lol)


Also did some comparisons with the SGL Sr. last night and it was really interesting, taking one more day today and I'll follow up here at some point. But as a heads up, to say I am impressed by these headphones is an understatement. They will be up there in the ranking overall.

 

[normie610]

Gotta update this. And this is why I try to be careful in the early stages, as although I always have a decent handle up front, the tiny nuances start to become much more apparent over time.

So I would scrap that the Expanse is a bit ahead resolution wise. They are both phenomenal at resolution and all of the detail in each, with each song, is apparent. What I am finding rather, is that the Expanse is a just a bit more forward--just a bit. And so the midrange, and particularly vocals, are a bit more in your face. In addition to that, the Expanse is definitely less spacious and more in your face in a "Utopia kind of way", although to be clear nowhere near the level of the Utopia. So at times, this more in your face sound can make details feel more apparent. For perspective, the CA-1a's positioning feels just about neutral, not recessed at all (more forward in comparison say to the x9000 or TC I.E.), but overall a bit spaced out and not as up close in your face.

However, the tradeoff here is the spacing. The single thing that is blowing my mind just a bit right now is the soundstage of the CA-1a. It is one of the best I've heard. It feels so spacious, so natural, and the imaging within it is just insane. From what I have heard, only the x9000 (admittedly can feel a bit artificial in doing so), Sr1a and SGL Sr (This is also a wow factor for the R10, but being closed it simply is a slight step behind all of these). do this at this kind of level, at least to my ears. So although things aren't as in your face or condensed like with the Expanse, you can very clearly pick out where every sound, instrument, etc is coming from as if you could reach out and touch it, in a way that the Expanse cannot compete with.

This and the better bass impact would put the CA-1a ahead of the Expanse overall to me, but I do find them to be close, and there are times I prefer the Expanse's presentation, especially with vocal heavy music. The bass is only a bit stronger, both with a smidge more impact and perceived quantity, but it matters a lot imo. You can listen to genres like rock, hip hop, etc. and not feel a deficiency. That is not the case with the Expanse or the Sr1a. It's also not the case with the SGL Sr., at least to my ears. (To be clear, you can still enjoy other aspects of the music with these genres, but for me, I simply avoid and turn the speakers on lol)


Also did some comparisons with the SGL Sr. last night and it was really interesting, taking one more day today and I'll follow up here at some point. But as a heads up, to say I am impressed by these headphones is an understatement. They will be up there in the ranking overall.

Once you get the filters, don't forget to try CA1a's donut pads as well (they're barely listenable without the filters). The bass is just outstanding, soundstage feels cavernous and due to the nature of the closed pads, the overall sound has more resonance and smoother at the top end. It's a unique and special presentation to my ears, and it's like having a different headphone altogether.

 

[Roasty]

Once you get the filters, don't forget to try CA1a's donut pads as well (they're barely listenable without the filters). The bass is just outstanding, soundstage feels cavernous and due to the nature of the closed pads, the overall sound has more resonance and smoother at the top end. It's a unique and special presentation to my ears, and it's like having a different headphone altogether.

+1 it's donut pads all the way for me. I have hardly used the coffee bean pads. I'm gg to get a bit of foam and try plug up one hole on the coffee bean and see if an in between will be any good.

 

[normie610]

+1 it's donut pads all the way for me. I have hardly used the coffee bean pads. I'm gg to get a bit of foam and try plug up one hole on the coffee bean and see if an in between will be any good.

Make sure you have a spare, just in case the experiment goes sideways

 

[number1sixerfan]

Once you get the filters, don't forget to try CA1a's donut pads as well (they're barely listenable without the filters). The bass is just outstanding, soundstage feels cavernous and due to the nature of the closed pads, the overall sound has more resonance and smoother at the top end. It's a unique and special presentation to my ears, and it's like having a different headphone altogether.

+1 it's donut pads all the way for me. I have hardly used the coffee bean pads. I'm gg to get a bit of foam and try plug up one hole on the coffee bean and see if an in between will be any good.

I can't keep up with the amount of upgrades here LOL. Ok, filters AND pads. Got it. Thank you both!

 

[number1sixerfan]

For anyone at CanJam today, I'll be walking around today from noon - 3ish before another obligation I have to leave for. Would love to meet or say hi to any of you. Feel free to PM me for contact info if you're there or to try and find each other.

 

[number1sixerfan]

First CanJam ever and now, I'm just really ashamed lol. I had a few family things pop up last minute and almost cancelled the entire trip altogether.. what a mistake that would have been. Just an excellent time. I'm not a big fan of crowds and tight spaces (even pre-pandemic, just a personal flaw lol), and that's a big reason I avoided a few. Chicago was so nicely setup, with plenty of people, but plenty of space and a very fluid flow between the seminars, multiple listening rooms and floor booth.

The gear to listen to was great, but the many conversations and bumping into people was much better (will mention a few here in the next post).

Will try to get some quick thoughts and photos posted tonight, as I have travel end of next week and then the week following. It will never happen if I don't. But again, amazing time, and the event was ran as smoothly as possible. Credit to the staff/organizers and all of the volunteers.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Copying over some thoughts from the two days I shared in the official impressions thread (sorry for the redundancy). I have just a few things I'll share here that are more nuanced and should be a smaller follow up post. Also, before waiting until then, it was quite great to meet and sync with @eskamobob1, @goldwerger, @Saberpunch, @rickles and quite a few others. I'm glad we got the chance to!!

-----------------------

Sharing a few quick thoughts over the weekend, will update with more nuanced thoughts on the key items in my personal thread (in sig). As I mentioned in another post, this was my first CanJam ever and now, I'm just really ashamed lol. I'm not a big fan of crowds and tight spaces (even pre-pandemic, just a personal flaw lol), and that's a big reason I avoided a few. Chicago was so nicely setup, with plenty of people, but plenty of space and a very fluid flow between the seminars, multiple listening rooms and floor booth.

I didn't set out with any real major mission at CanJam, at least not gear wise. I just wanted to experience it and stop by the booths with interesting gear I haven't heard or where valuable conversation might happen, but mainly the former. I tried quite a few of the more TOTL things of interest, within the limited time I had. There were many things that I couldn't prioritize or that I intentionally didn't because I heard them before or weren't summit-fi. Not everything I listened to is mentioned here, but the things I think worth mentioning.

But before that, just want to acknowledge that meet settings are not conducive imo to making grand or absolute statements. The differences in chain, especially regarding the highly varying sources and amps, make it hard to make truly valuable statements even with gear you know intimately. I use "seemingly" a lot in the descriptions below as such--home demo is where it's at for more direct statements, just stating so you know that these aren't hard impressions. But the experience does provide a great window to understand how much something may peak your interest, and all in the same space. Highly valuable. Last thing to acknowledge is that this experience confirmed that differences in hearing preferences and perception are extremely important and may be more important than anything else lol. A bit more to share on that later.


What stood out most (to me):

• Spirit Torino Valkyria: this took the cake for me for all of CanJam. Very good timbre, and studio-like refinement. Good resolution (although not groundbreaking), but with warmth without smoothing over. The body of the sound was most addictive. The price is a bit steep, as still, for me they didn't strike me as being in that absolute premium top tier (R10, HE90, SGL Sr. etc.). But regardless, I listened to them multiple times and in multiple setups (at the Spirit booth and in the DCS Lina show room) and they were impressive each time. And towards the end of my day 2 at CanJam, others shared that as well. I would be interested in moving gear around absolutely if I found a pair for a decent price. (quite a bit of traffic mid-day, regular noise conditions)
  • The Centauri also seemed to be really good and I may have to go back and check them out again as I didn't get much time.
• Headamp Grand Cayman: I'm so glad I got the opportunity to try this amp, as well as to be able to meet Justin. Fits a lot into one form factor, which is pretty attractive. Used the Dave solo as a source, which I own, which is helpful in familiarity. Stood out as being generally in the same top tier range as with the DIY T2, which few amps belong in. Amazing amp, very resolving and well balanced, and that's what encouraged me to bring the SGL Sr. on the second day after hearing it the first with the x9000. There's some nuances and thoughts that I'll share between it and the T2 more in my own personal thread when I share more pics and thoughts. Would have probably been my highlight of the show if in the market for a new amp, it garnered a lot of attention deservingly so. (Early on both days, but especially good listening conditions Sunday)
• DCS Lina Stack and Show Room (Susvara primarily used): the DCS room in general was probably the most overwhelmingly polished experience of the entire show. (keep in mind I didn't get to see the Senn HE-1 room). The aura, the staff that were extremely available and knowledgeable. The presentation of the gear, bar none a great experience. Anyways, I found the Lina stack to be great overall. Seemingly near the same level of performance as my Dave/Mscaler (give or take for either). I really liked how it had more warmth and timbre *without* smoothing over detail. The resolution and clarity was still really strong, with a bit of added body and welcomed lusher tone. Dav/Mscaler in comparison is definitely a bit more spacious and holographic. The challenge here in comparison is the chain, and I suspect the DCS amp component is holding things back considerably. When it comes time, the Lina and a few DACs in the Lampizator line will be what I look to in-home demo in controlled circumstances (not soon). (quiet listening conditions, good setup in the room, but just a few people my first time. A bit more noise/traffic the second time with the A800)

Thoughts on others:

• Onkyo A800 "Master Class": so I got an excellent chance to hear these from @Saberpunch before heading out on day 1. They seemed very good overall immediately, especially for the price tag (around $400 I believe?). Pretty well balanced across the spectrum and very easy to listen to. The one knock on them, which to me, makes sense because of the price, is a clear lack of transparency and clarity. It stood out very quickly. I even grabbed the Valkryia briefly just to confirm what I was hearing--and as I mentioned before, the Valkryia isn't a far cry of clarity in the TOTL space and yet the difference was apparent immediately. I only mention this as some have called the A800 a TOTL budget killer, which I cannot disagree more with lol. The warmth and thickness of sound is a bit unnatural and takes away from clarity. But it IS very good for the price. I would LOVE to own them.
• DCA Stealth: I tried the Stealth on two different systems in the DCA showroom. I thought they seemed good overall. They seemed to be on a similar resolution level as the Expanse, with slightly stronger bass response (sub-bass and impact), and good bass overall, but not to the degree that I've seen quite a few describe them (which I've experienced the same with Expanse impressions). Very good overall positioning and staging for a closed headphone. The timbre seemed to be just ok, with a longing for a bit more body. I tried it on the two amps they had available, the RME ADI-2 Pro and Schiit Ragnarok, and had the same experience with both. For a closed headphone, I thought they were pretty good overall, but didn't seem to be as good as they are hyped on here imo (although I'm sure scales with better gear, definitely keeping in mind). Glad I tried them out first before a blind purchase.
• DCA Corina (w/BHSE): enjoyed this headphone, and it felt like somewhere near what the 009 and 007 has to offer in terms of level of performance, but would need more time to confirm. I didn't sense any deficiencies for a stat, but really balanced overall. Bass is always the question that comes to mind with new stats, and I'm sorry but... still closer to typical stat bass lol. Overall it came off to me as a better toned 009 like headphone, with a bit less technical proficiency (very slight). But again, would need to compare much, much more. (also, just fyi, I was nearly alone in the DCA room at the time, so great listening conditions)
• Headamp CFA3: this mighty and compact amp was very fun to listen to with the Susvara, which I know well. In the short time, it felt like it fully powered the Susvara to it's potential, having just done a speaker/headphone amp comparison myself recently for it specifically. It's something I may actually end up considering ordering.

I have other things written down to share and more thoughts on the above I'll share in my own thread when I have the time. But an amazing experience overall, and again, really.. really well organized and done. A great time with great people.

Also, only major regret: I only got like 3 pics lol. The ones in this thread... but that's because I was immersed in the experience, so it's a worthy tradeoff I guess lol. Attached the best of the group though.

 

[normie610]

Copying over some thoughts from the two days I shared in the official impressions thread (sorry for the redundancy). I have just a few things I'll share here that are more nuanced and should be a smaller follow up post. Also, before waiting until then, it was quite great to meet and sync with @eskamobob1, @goldwerger, @Saberpunch, @rickles and quite a few others. I'm glad we got the chance to!!

-----------------------

Sharing a few quick thoughts over the weekend, will update with more nuanced thoughts on the key items in my personal thread (in sig). As I mentioned in another post, this was my first CanJam ever and now, I'm just really ashamed lol. I'm not a big fan of crowds and tight spaces (even pre-pandemic, just a personal flaw lol), and that's a big reason I avoided a few. Chicago was so nicely setup, with plenty of people, but plenty of space and a very fluid flow between the seminars, multiple listening rooms and floor booth.

I didn't set out with any real major mission at CanJam, at least not gear wise. I just wanted to experience it and stop by the booths with interesting gear I haven't heard or where valuable conversation might happen, but mainly the former. I tried quite a few of the more TOTL things of interest, within the limited time I had. There were many things that I couldn't prioritize or that I intentionally didn't because I heard them before or weren't summit-fi. Not everything I listened to is mentioned here, but the things I think worth mentioning.

But before that, just want to acknowledge that meet settings are not conducive imo to making grand or absolute statements. The differences in chain, especially regarding the highly varying sources and amps, make it hard to make truly valuable statements even with gear you know intimately. I use "seemingly" a lot in the descriptions below as such--home demo is where it's at for more direct statements, just stating so you know that these aren't hard impressions. But the experience does provide a great window to understand how much something may peak your interest, and all in the same space. Highly valuable. Last thing to acknowledge is that this experience confirmed that differences in hearing preferences and perception are extremely important and may be more important than anything else lol. A bit more to share on that later.


What stood out most (to me):

• Spirit Torino Valkyria: this took the cake for me for all of CanJam. Very good timbre, and studio-like refinement. Good resolution (although not groundbreaking), but with warmth without smoothing over. The body of the sound was most addictive. The price is a bit steep, as still, for me they didn't strike me as being in that absolute premium top tier (R10, HE90, SGL Sr. etc.). But regardless, I listened to them multiple times and in multiple setups (at the Spirit booth and in the DCS Lina show room) and they were impressive each time. And towards the end of my day 2 at CanJam, others shared that as well. I would be interested in moving gear around absolutely if I found a pair for a decent price. (quite a bit of traffic mid-day, regular noise conditions)
  • The Centauri also seemed to be really good and I may have to go back and check them out again as I didn't get much time.
• Headamp Grand Cayman: I'm so glad I got the opportunity to try this amp, as well as to be able to meet Justin. Fits a lot into one form factor, which is pretty attractive. Used the Dave solo as a source, which I own, which is helpful in familiarity. Stood out as being generally in the same top tier range as with the DIY T2, which few amps belong in. Amazing amp, very resolving and well balanced, and that's what encouraged me to bring the SGL Sr. on the second day after hearing it the first with the x9000. There's some nuances and thoughts that I'll share between it and the T2 more in my own personal thread when I share more pics and thoughts. Would have probably been my highlight of the show if in the market for a new amp, it garnered a lot of attention deservingly so. (Early on both days, but especially good listening conditions Sunday)
• DCS Lina Stack and Show Room (Susvara primarily used): the DCS room in general was probably the most overwhelmingly polished experience of the entire show. (keep in mind I didn't get to see the Senn HE-1 room). The aura, the staff that were extremely available and knowledgeable. The presentation of the gear, bar none a great experience. Anyways, I found the Lina stack to be great overall. Seemingly near the same level of performance as my Dave/Mscaler (give or take for either). I really liked how it had more warmth and timbre *without* smoothing over detail. The resolution and clarity was still really strong, with a bit of added body and welcomed lusher tone. Dav/Mscaler in comparison is definitely a bit more spacious and holographic. The challenge here in comparison is the chain, and I suspect the DCS amp component is holding things back considerably. When it comes time, the Lina and a few DACs in the Lampizator line will be what I look to in-home demo in controlled circumstances (not soon). (quiet listening conditions, good setup in the room, but just a few people my first time. A bit more noise/traffic the second time with the A800)

Thoughts on others:

• Onkyo A800 "Master Class": so I got an excellent chance to hear these from @Saberpunch before heading out on day 1. They seemed very good overall immediately, especially for the price tag (around $400 I believe?). Pretty well balanced across the spectrum and very easy to listen to. The one knock on them, which to me, makes sense because of the price, is a clear lack of transparency and clarity. It stood out very quickly. I even grabbed the Valkryia briefly just to confirm what I was hearing--and as I mentioned before, the Valkryia isn't a far cry of clarity in the TOTL space and yet the difference was apparent immediately. I only mention this as some have called the A800 a TOTL budget killer, which I cannot disagree more with lol. The warmth and thickness of sound is a bit unnatural and takes away from clarity. But it IS very good for the price. I would LOVE to own them.
• DCA Stealth: I tried the Stealth on two different systems in the DCA showroom. I thought they seemed good overall. They seemed to be on a similar resolution level as the Expanse, with slightly stronger bass response (sub-bass and impact), and good bass overall, but not to the degree that I've seen quite a few describe them (which I've experienced the same with Expanse impressions). Very good overall positioning and staging for a closed headphone. The timbre seemed to be just ok, with a longing for a bit more body. I tried it on the two amps they had available, the RME ADI-2 Pro and Schiit Ragnarok, and had the same experience with both. For a closed headphone, I thought they were pretty good overall, but didn't seem to be as good as they are hyped on here imo (although I'm sure scales with better gear, definitely keeping in mind). Glad I tried them out first before a blind purchase.
• DCA Corina (w/BHSE): enjoyed this headphone, and it felt like somewhere near what the 009 and 007 has to offer in terms of level of performance, but would need more time to confirm. I didn't sense any deficiencies for a stat, but really balanced overall. Bass is always the question that comes to mind with new stats, and I'm sorry but... still closer to typical stat bass lol. Overall it came off to me as a better toned 009 like headphone, with a bit less technical proficiency (very slight). But again, would need to compare much, much more. (also, just fyi, I was nearly alone in the DCA room at the time, so great listening conditions)
• Headamp CFA3: this mighty and compact amp was very fun to listen to with the Susvara, which I know well. In the short time, it felt like it fully powered the Susvara to it's potential, having just done a speaker/headphone amp comparison myself recently for it specifically. It's something I may actually end up considering ordering.

I have other things written down to share and more thoughts on the above I'll share in my own thread when I have the time. But an amazing experience overall, and again, really.. really well organized and done. A great time with great people.

Also, only major regret: I only got like 3 pics lol. The ones in this thread... but that's because I was immersed in the experience, so it's a worthy tradeoff I guess lol. Attached the best of the group though.

Fantastic write up. I just got my Valkyria last week and I totally agree with your impressions. Though I haven't been lucky enough to listen to Shang Sr, R10 or HE90, Valkyria deserves to be one of the top headphones available today. I've been listening to it for the past two days out of CFA3 (which needs an attenuator cable to tame down the power a bit), and it is really addictive. Very natural timbre, very very good resolution while still maintaining weighty notes. The treble sparkle and spacious soundstage are traits I didn't expect the Valkyria were able to perform well. But I was proven wrong, as it excels in both areas (at least on my system).

Also great to hear that you're able to try CFA3. It is indeed an amazing amp.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Fantastic write up. I just got my Valkyria last week and I totally agree with your impressions. Though I haven't been lucky enough to listen to Shang Sr, R10 or HE90, Valkyria deserves to be one of the top headphones available today. I've been listening to it for the past two days out of CFA3 (which needs an attenuator cable to tame down the power a bit), and it is really addictive. Very natural timbre, very very good resolution while still maintaining weighty notes. The treble sparkle and spacious soundstage are traits I didn't expect the Valkyria were able to perform well. But I was proven wrong, as it excels in both areas (at least on my system).

Also great to hear that you're able to try CFA3. It is indeed an amazing amp.

I'm pretty sure my impressions of the Valkyria would only improve over time, it was a really impressive first listen. And I had the same positive experience each time I used them. Barring the SGL Sr., it definitely is in the top of the pack conversation of anything present today. And still really up there even considering most vintage gear. I told one person that I may need to sell and move some things around to get it. It sounded like a really refined Grado flagship, without all of the ear pain lol. The price tag is my only hesitation.

And yea, the CFA3 was really nice. I totally didn't expect to come across one at all. Justin's rendition of it is pretty cool too, with the transparent casing.

----------------

Also, one thing that was confirmed for me was that it's ok if I sit tight DAC wise for a bit. I heard quite a few world class systems yesterday, which I don't often get to do. And some in good conditions, especially in the DCS Lina showroom. The Dave/Mscaler combo is about as resolving as it gets, that's confirmed. And about as spacious as it gets, very holographic--those two things appeal to me greatly, so I can sit tight, as I've been doing. That said, it was also confirmed for me that the Dave's main opportunity is timbre and tone. I think it can sound ever so slightly thinner than some other top DACs, and for sure it lacks a warm tone that some others have. And this is something I have acknowledged before and why I've often said that the Dave may not be the best candidate for stat systems, which already skew this way... but CanJam really helped confirm this. Again, the spaciousness and resolution is the tradeoff for me that's worth it, but will absolutely explore others in the future.

Now the above timbre/detail debate would certainly open a can of worms in the Chord thread, because the typical Dave owner would call that improvement in tone and weight "color". But what I heard out of the Lina, Rossini Apex, wasn't "color". The detail and resolution was all there, just a bit more realistic, weightier and lifelike tone, which I really liked. Although, I thought the Rossini Apex specifically, was a bit further in a step down below the mDave than the Lina in the categories I mentioned (not sure if it was something in the setup, but the Lina sounded quite a bit more resolving).

Lastly, the other thing that I loved about CanJam, was hearing people's thoughts and impressions about the SGL Sr. in general, but more so in comparison to the HE-1, which I didn't get to listen to and certainly would have loved to if a slot open and if I had more time. But the consensus was very interesting and one person heard the HE90 the night before and their thoughts were very interesting as well. But before I expand on any of that, I'll let others chime in if they'd like lol. Very cool experience and discussions. (and tbc, everyone loved them both overall)

 

[protoss]

Onkyo A800

That's great you got to hear them. I must chime in and say it has all the clarity and resolution (some consider it bright, how funny is that!). It is very natural and not speedy and overly bright as most of the gear in your arsenal (SR, 009, HE60, etch..).

Once you spend time with the bass, you will realize, that it is the best bass, but yes it is overwhelming at first. With the perfect setup like @Saberpunch tube amps, the A800 balance out and shines and becomes a top-tier headphone.
With the OG pads, and 300B tubes, R2R dac, this headphone has become my top 5 in rank. After a full day or week, all other headphones will sound unnatural.

 

[Saberpunch]

I agree with Protoss. It’s possible to achieve good clarity with the Onkyo A800, but I added a lot of stuff (which I think you still need in every digital audio chain). I just don’t think it will reach those crazy clarity as some other headphones. But every headphone has its trade off. I say the Onkyo A800 good enough clarity is a nice trade off for its other nice features like it’s satisfying bass and timbre on drums and electric guitar for me.

For my chain, it’s more than just the crazy tube amp combination. Stuff like a server, network streamer to avoid unwanted computer noises and a clean amp. Easier solution is a good CD transport and forget about digital. After all that just to keep a minimal noise/distortion in the chain, or at least try. R2R DAC for me at least is to add more musicality and sweetness into the chain. hearing really good R2R DAC like the SW1X DAC IV and my recently upgraded DAC Mojo Audio Mystique Evo B4B has been mind blowing equipments because I never knew a DAC could help the chain sound so sweet.

For the tubes though, I added a tube amp that no one is even using (at least it feels like it) and a DHT pre amp.

Video below is to know more on Allnic as this guy explains the newer Allnic amps best:



I think one of the main reason the Onkyo A800 sound so veil is because of the overpowering bass. The bass sounds the best even with everything I tried at the show, at least to my ears. But it’s also a show, so it’s just a quick sample in a noisy environment, so we can’t forget that. But the Onkyo A800 bass is a double edge sword where it could over power the other frequencies making the Onkyo sound veil. Once the bass has been tame, the clarity gets more acceptable for people use to high clarity headphone. There is like 10 pages plus on mods, pad rolling, different sources, and different amp over at the Onkyo A800 “Master Class” thread.

Protoss got the real secret tech on clarity and expanding soundstage. He got a one of kind modded Onkyo A800 that probably no one in the world has. I am always tempted to try his mod to see how much the Onkyo A800 can open up, but I wouldn’t dare open up my Onkyo A800…until I get 1 more.

BTW, I getting my tube preamp redone to the next level to become a dedicated 45 tube preamp, so I am excited to hear that once it’s get finish

 

[Saberpunch]

Also wanted to add I am only using a pre amp for my speakers, but just went ahead and added my headphones to them and they sounded great, so left them there. The DHT Preamp add a hint more clarity and sounds really good in the midrange.