[goldwerger]

Maybe we work for the same company, lol. I have a couple headphones I'd like to pick up, but I'm putting off major expenses for the time being.

I sometimes think about the total cost of my headphone and two-channel gear and think I should just focus on getting an HE-1, but I also really like having a bunch of different headphones to enjoy.

Same here. The rational thing for me would be to sell all my headphones and amplifiers, get the Grand Cayman and a Shangrila Senior, and call it a day. But then, I would have to let go of so many headphones I love and collected over the years. And that in itself is part of the fun of the hobby, so I’m stuck in the same predicament, irrational, but real.

 

[genefruit]

Same here. The rational thing for me would be to sell all my headphones and amplifiers, get the Grand Cayman and a Shangrila Senior, and call it a day.

But would you? Do others or do most simply continue the churn as the hunt is the experience to be enjoyed and "end game" is not the goal.

 

[buzzlulu]

Same here. The rational thing for me would be to sell all my headphones and amplifiers, get the Grand Cayman and a Shangrila Senior, and call it a day.

I would not rush into something like that. I think a prudent comparison would be Grand Cayman-Shangrila vs. Kerry T2-X9000

 

[goldwerger]

But would you? Do others or do most simply continue the churn as the hunt is the experience to be enjoyed and "end game" is not the goal.

Very unlikely. I enjoy too much messing around with many headphones and amplifiers. I realize what I should be doing and that my path isn't rational. But this is a hobby and I'm careful to do what I feel like, which is mostly to continue to find new experiences... that said, it would make sense

 

[goldwerger]

I would not rush into something like that. I think a prudent comparison would be Grand Cayman-Shangrila vs. Kerry T2-X9000

I’ve heard Kerry T2 and X9K, I think the Grand Cayman with SGL Sr was better

That said, I’ve heard that the T2 with SGL Sr is amazing but this is one thing I didn’t get to try…

 

[number1sixerfan]

Maybe we work for the same company, lol. I have a couple headphones I'd like to pick up, but I'm putting off major expenses for the time being.

I sometimes think about the total cost of my headphone and two-channel gear and think I should just focus on getting an HE-1, but I also really like having a bunch of different headphones to enjoy.

Sorry to hear that, good luck on your end and maybe we should connect lol. And yea that's always the challenge. I'll be sad when I do have to get rid of a bunch of my gear and I know I'll have to at some point. And the two channel system I recently heard at the stereo repair shop was so well fine tuned, that even at a lower cost level, once I have the space I'm sure I won't use headphones as much.

Same here. The rational thing for me would be to sell all my headphones and amplifiers, get the Grand Cayman and a Shangrila Senior, and call it a day. But then, I would have to let go of so many headphones I love and collected over the years. And that in itself is part of the fun of the hobby, so I’m stuck in the same predicament, irrational, but real.

Yup. The good thing is usually you can get them all back if you ever decide to pivot, although it's harder to sell the higher priced items.

But would you? Do others or do most simply continue the churn as the hunt is the experience to be enjoyed and "end game" is not the goal.

I think it's so personal and at least for me, situational. I've been extremely content with the SGL Sr./R10 combo. I sold off a ton of gear, even before needing to for my move. The only reason I jumped back into the buy/compare hobby is because I realized money I had set aside for a nice set of speakers would be a total waste due to room issues and volume limits of my living situation. At least for me, end game is definitely reachable, but I do know I can't just have one pair of headphones--2-3 is more so the sweet spot for me.

The one thing I'll mention though, it's easier to be content and not let curiosity open the wallet when limiting time off this site or only visiting threads of gear you already own lol

I’ve heard Kerry T2 and X9K, I think the Grand Cayman with SGL Sr was better

That said, I’ve heard that the T2 with SGL Sr is amazing but this is one thing I didn’t get to try…

Yea I think the most important thing here is how you enjoy or prefer the x9k vs. SGL Sr. They are very different, with very different presentations. For the price, the x9k does some really amazing things technically that are close to the Sr. I prefer the Sr. overall by quite a margin mainly due to presentation style, rather than specifically for any differences in performance. Once you land on that, I think it's mainly synergy matching based on what works for you with either.

I would think, based on everything so far, that the Grand Cayman is going to be amazing. As I've consistently said, once you get to a certain level of performance with amps, it's really about flavor, synergy and preference. I don't have a need and am not in the market for one, but I think it's really exciting that a new* very high end stat amp by another reputable builder is in the works again. That, the HE-1 and Aperio are all on my 'to hear list' if I ever get the chance.

 

[goldwerger]

That, the HE-1 and Aperio are all on my 'to hear list' if I ever get the chance.

Perhaps CanJam SoCal…

 

[VandyMan]

Sorry to hear that, good luck on your end and maybe we should connect lol.

Thanks. I'm still employed and I do not expect that to change, but everything feels very uncertain right now.

 

[number1sixerfan]

So my time with the Susvara came to an end. Many, many thanks to @BassicScience for the loan. Trying them again was pretty eye opening. Most of everything felt really familiar. I think the airiness and bass were the most surprising. I didn't remember the Susvara being that good in either of those regards, but it is.

Also, I would revise my opinion on the EC being fully enough for the Susvara. The bass is really full, articulate and high impact, the sound overall just as full as my speaker amps, but it does run out of some headroom. I was upping the volume on the Dave without issue at first, but then ran into some background noise that didn't exist with the speaker amps. This is less of an issue with the Expanse, as it needs a bit less juice.

I'm torn on the CFA 3. I ran into another offer, but due to my SGL Sr. and Susvara comparison, I'm pretty sure I won't be adding the Susvara again, as good as it is. I prefer how the Expanse offers more of a contrast, the Caldera as well. And they both are much different than the R10 as well. So I think that's where I'll stop, so with that, I don't really have a need for the CFA 3. Also worried that adding more power and headroom to my chain, with quite a few low impedance headphones may be a recipe for disaster (only for potential user error of course). I have a few days to think it over, still definitely curious and impressed with the idea of the amp--especially behind the 300b amp.

Lastly, if anyone is interested, I'll be putting up my Utopia 2022 for the same price I paid later this week. Excellent headphone, but the Caldera and L3000 check box the intimate presentation box for me and I don't need a third.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Ended up passing on the CFA3. The EC suffices everything I have, which is mainly easier to power planar/dynamics. If I decide in the future to pick the Susvara back up, which I think is slim, I'll revisit. If anyone is interested in one, there was one posted by a reputable seller last night.

Also finally had a headphone listening session with my fiance. It had to be quick because of dinner, but she listened to the Expanse, SGL Sr., and Caldera. She enjoyed the Expanse and Sr., but just loved the bass of the Caldera. She felt the other two were a bit clearer, but just was drawn in by the bass of the Caldera. I think it's kind of typical for new headphone listeners to be drawn in by bass most, as that's what cheaper headphones really overtune and that's what speakers really do well in comparison. Caldera is still great, but I am going to work on getting her to appreciate the more nuanced differences in the mids and highs as well lol

 

[iamoneagain]

Ended up passing on the CFA3. The EC suffices everything I have, which is mainly easier to power planar/dynamics. If I decide in the future to pick the Susvara back up, which I think is slim, I'll revisit. If anyone is interested in one, there was one posted by a reputable seller last night.

Also finally had a headphone listening session with my fiance. It had to be quick because of dinner, but she listened to the Expanse, SGL Sr., and Caldera. She enjoyed the Expanse and Sr., but just loved the bass of the Caldera. She felt the other two were a bit clearer, but just was drawn in by the bass of the Caldera. I think it's kind of typical for new headphone listeners to be drawn in by bass most, as that's what cheaper headphones really overtune and that's what speakers really do well in comparison. Caldera is still great, but I am going to work on getting her to appreciate the more nuanced differences in the mids and highs as well lol

Not sure if it’s new headphone listening or true gut instinct on what makes music sound good on headphones. I found that without good bass impact, the emotional experience is lost. Grado has it, the Utopia has it, the Caldera has it and definitely the L3000. I can be drawn into the mids and highs and be impressed for a while, like with the Expanse. But even that isn’t consistent on its bass impact and looses points on emotion. Caldera and L3000 both grab at a gut reaction. But I guess it also depends on the music you like.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Not sure if it’s new headphone listening or true gut instinct on what makes music sound good on headphones. I found that without good bass impact, the emotional experience is lost. Grado has it, the Utopia has it, the Caldera has it and definitely the L3000. I can be drawn into the mids and highs and be impressed for a while, like with the Expanse. But even that isn’t consistent on its bass impact and looses points on emotion. Caldera and L3000 both grab at a gut reaction. But I guess it also depends on the music you like.

I think it's likely that it can be both. I could certainly understand the preference, although I don't share it. I certainly welcome it, especially the hard hitting, tactile impact (which like you say, the Utopia, L3000 and Caldera do very well at). It's just not something I hinge on because as you allude to, most headphones just don't do well in that aspect at all. At least not while also having very high quality mids and highs. Instead, some genres, like rock and hip hop, I save for my speaker listening sessions. But I do get the preference and if it's a deal breaker for some--hell you have so many users on the forum chasing the TC's bass through their systems with other headphones for that exact reason lol.

I just know that mattered a lot more to me when I first started in the hobby, and I think mainly because all of the others headphones/speakers I had heard up to that point over-emphasized bass, at a strong expense of the rest of the spectrum. Without the headphone hobby and progressing through it, I would've never developed a love for the mids and highs that I have now.

 

[iamoneagain]

I think it's likely that it can be both. I could certainly understand the preference, although I don't share it. I certainly welcome it, especially the hard hitting, tactile impact (which like you say, the Utopia, L3000 and Caldera do very well at). It's just not something I hinge on because as you allude to, most headphones just don't do well in that aspect at all. At least not while also having very high quality mids and highs. Instead, some genres, like rock and hip hop, I save for my speaker listening sessions. But I do get the preference and if it's a deal breaker for some--hell you have so many users on the forum chasing the TC's bass through their systems with other headphones for that exact reason lol.

I just know that mattered a lot more to me when I first started in the hobby, and I think mainly because all of the others headphones/speakers I had heard up to that point over-emphasized bass, at a strong expense of the rest of the spectrum. Without the headphone hobby and progressing through it, I would've never developed a love for the mids and highs that I have now.

I’ve only really been a headphone user most of my life. Surprisingly one of the first headphones that really got my attention was the iem Ety ER4s. Those thing have no bass impact but the clarity of the mids and highs were eye opening at the time. And actually the mids that most impressed me on full sized headphones. When I had the Grados, it was how they portrayed the electric guitar that got my attention. When I was looking for a closed equivalent, it was the L3000. It was the only other had at the head-fi meet that got the electric guitar right. I wasn’t even thinking about the bass back then. It wasn’t until I found a pair of L3000 a couple months later that I realized what special bass it has.

Even with the Caldera, it’s the rich mids and somewhat liquid sound that grabs me before the bass. I wasn’t even using stock pads for 2 months and suede actually don’t have same impact. They have the texture but there’s a looseness to the bass. It’s the intimate mids that make the suede pads so wonderful. I still prefer the stock for the impact and clarity.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I’ve only really been a headphone user most of my life. Surprisingly one of the first headphones that really got my attention was the iem Ety ER4s. Those thing have no bass impact but the clarity of the mids and highs were eye opening at the time. And actually the mids that most impressed me on full sized headphones. When I had the Grados, it was how they portrayed the electric guitar that got my attention. When I was looking for a closed equivalent, it was the L3000. It was the only other had at the head-fi meet that got the electric guitar right. I wasn’t even thinking about the bass back then. It wasn’t until I found a pair of L3000 a couple months later that I realized what special bass it has.

Even with the Caldera, it’s the rich mids and somewhat liquid sound that grabs me before the bass. I wasn’t even using stock pads for 2 months and suede actually don’t have same impact. They have the texture but there’s a looseness to the bass. It’s the intimate mids that make the suede pads so wonderful. I still prefer the stock for the impact and clarity.

Totally hear you. And similarly, the Etys were one of my first clarity eye opening experiences. At the time I think I only had the HD600 and AKG501, so they were mind blowing tbh. On the Caldera, I haven't changed from the stock pads at all yet, as it seems really fine tuned. I remember getting annoyed with "pad rolling" when I had the VC. I like to just set and forget things generally.

 

[iamoneagain]

Rolling pads was really hard at first until I watched Zach’s video where he turns the the stretchy outer rim inside out, like a sock. Then you can slowly pull it down and over the lip while holding the previous section in place. I’d say the suede are not as accurate and soundstage is not as large but there is something very unique and addictive about the sound. It worth trying unless listening to classical. Then it feels like a filter is on. They list the suede as brighter sounding but I find it a touch warmer with vocals sounding a little more from the chest and closer to the ear. If I could that sound with same impact as the stock, it would be great.