[king896]

Over the last couple of weeks I have just about sold everything that I have related to headphones so I could start anew and try out new and interesting things. It all started off with a hunger that I wanted to change my amp from a PPA to a Gilmore V2.

I sold off my SR-71 and put an interest check up on my PPA and then I realizes, with the money I got from SR-71 I can really get something nice. So I started asking questions, my mind playing out different configurations that would wet my appetite, first I thought -hum I would like to try a pair of the new Sony MDR-SA5000- as they were hitting the fs forum 3 to 4 times a day for really good prices. But then my mood changed and I though, hell if I am going to spend money why not try something that I had no experience with like the Grado Rs-1 (I have already owned a Sony MDR CD3000 and at that time I owned a pair of Senns HD-600). While my mind played around with that thought I saw a thread in the source forums about Hd-650 being driven by the balanced outputs of a Benchmark DAC1 with great results.

Something clicked for me at that point. I just had to own a Benchmark and drive my HD-600 balanced from them. I guess in the back of my mind I knew that no matter how much I spend on headphones and amps, if the source was not up to pair (currently a EMU 1212) then I would never have a system that could please me (I get easily frustrated if the music is not played back by my system exactly as I imagine it being played back in my head). So I started looking for a Benchmark DAC1 everywhere, first putting up a wanted ad in the for sale section, then emailing 3 sellers on Audiogon and finally staying up until 3 in the morning to win one on EBay that would be shipped from across the US (California to New York).

When I was finished with my Benchmark story another door opened up, someone became interested in my PPA amp. We hammered out the details and reached an agreement. By the time it was over I had enough money to get another pair of Headphones so I went with a pair of HD650 balanced with a Moon Audio Silver Dragon Cable.

The only problem with all this wheeling and dealing is the fact that as I type this I have almost nothing! My amp and headphones are packed and ready for new homes, and all I have is a Rio Karma and a pair of Eggos (D66) and that is my home setup (it’s not too bad actually I have a pair of Sensaphonics just waiting to be listened to later tonight).

So after all this my question is, What were your largest and most radical Hifi gear changes?

 

[aerius]

I bought a Senn 580 and relegated my Senn 495 to computer duty.

 

[450]

Easy.

From stock 'phones to KSC-35's.

 

[PITTM]

Start of this month:
Pocketamp 2 V2
Stock HD 580s
Chaintech
no portable source or speaker source...

Today:
Portaphile V2
Modded 580s
Chaintech
Marantz 1060B Integrated
KEF C40 Speakers
Silver Ipod mini w/line out...

Total spending this month: ~1k, **** you head-fi, haha.

rj

 

[jefemeister]

moving from a sweet to stereo rig to practically ignoring it for headphones! You guys suck

 

[Welly Wu]

I started my Head-Fi journey with a Panasonic SL-CT570 PCDP -> StraightWire Short Portable Cable -> HeadRoom Cosmic (with Reference Module) -> Sennheiser HD600 with Cardas Headphone Cable.

Then, I bought a NAD C541i HDCD player and DiMarzio High Resolution ICs which I later upgraded to M-PATH ICs. I realized that the source component is the single most important component in a Hi-Fi system and I never forgot that expensive lesson.

Today, I have this system: BPT BP.Jr II Ultra with Signature Upgrades and custom BPT Litz-9 AWG power cord -> ModWright LLC Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi and Cardas Golden Reference Power cord tweaked with Vibrapod Isolators/Cones and Ringmat Statmat CDi Blue -> Cardas Neutral Reference and Ray Samuels Emmeline HR-2 with OPA627BP op-amps -> Ultimate Ears Ue-10 PRO. I also have another system but it is much simpler: Tivoli Audio Henry Kloss Model One AM/FM radio -> Grado SR-60 cans.

 

[saturnine]

Audio Techinca HA2 to MisterX PPA with diamond buffers and steps ps.

 

[PsychoZX]

Audigy 2 to Emu 1212m.

 

[GoRedwings19]

ipod mini. Even though I have a ML, laziness wins it for me. Hours and hours of music without having to get up to change the disc.

 

[terrymx]

sold off all my headphones and headphone amps and bought speakers.

 

[bln]

I switched to vinyl one day, pretty much on a whim. I was in a coffee shop where there was a record player spinning, and I decided it just looked too cool not to get into. A poor reason for doing so, I know, but it has turned out well.

 

[1911]

everything changed the day jahn forced me into buying the ra-1 rs-1 combo. he basically bought it and then said here you owe me money. but i am very satisfied with it. also he got me the akg-501 for my b-day and i have to admit.... i now too despise my sony v-600s. i just wish i had the balls to just step on them but it seems like a waste so there they sit gathering dust.

 

[Edwood]

[size=xx-small]*We really need an R10 smiley.[/size]
-Ed

 

[Oski]

My Hi-Fi adventure culminated in my vinyl rig...going from never owning a record to having over 150 records in 3 months! All because my girlfriend at the time brought me to a used record store in Pittsburgh (Jerry's) and bought me 4 records. In the process I scoured Audiogon daily until I got a Rega P3 2000 (stock) and then modded it with a Clear Audio arm, Incognito rewire, EM counterweight, Dynavector cart, and Black Diamond Racing Cones.

The other drastic departure is to practically abandon my stereo rig in favor of my current Head-Fi gear. It's just much easier to have so much music at my disposal and not disturb the neighbors.

 

[Jahn]

I have taught 1911 well. Let that be the template on how to bring your friends to head-fi and ruin.

My most drastic change was from CDP as source, to Computers-as-Source.