[rhodyavphile]

If you can't have your cake and eat it too what do you do?

a) High end cans and low to mid grade amplification.
b) High end amplification and low to mid grade cans.
c) Walk the fence with mid grade cans and amp.

 

[dd3mon]

Spend your cash on source & cans. My opinion of the order is:

1) Recording
2) Source
3) Cans (or speakers)
4) Amp
5) Cables

This isn't set in stone, but is a general guideline. There would be some obvious exceptions, such as a $4000 Sony R10 would probably sound better out of a portable CDP than a $5 'stock' headphone would sound out of a $10,000 cd player.

-dd3mon

 

[Edwood]

What? You can't shoot your wad at everything?

Everyone now. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

I'm doing "A" right now.

But I plan to shoot my wad at everything eventually.

-Ed

 

[strohmie]

I'm currently in the process of selling almost all of my stuff and shooting my wad on a homemade CD player and an Eddie Current HD25. My phones? Probably AKG K240S. So obviously I'm building from the source up.

(edit: my logic is that I can always swap out cans at meets and see what sounds good on my specific rig. Or at least that's what I tell myself)

 

[daycart1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd3mon Spend your cash on source & cans. My opinion of the order is: 1) Recording 2) Source 3) Cans (or speakers) 4) Amp 5) Cables -dd3mon

Agreed!

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Source first! Always. The most money should go into a source. The rest will be divided into other avenues with the amp getting second place spending wise.

 

[ayt999]

looking at what I have right now... definitely the "High end cans low to mid amp."

 

[strohmie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 looking at what I have right now... definitely the "High end cans low to mid amp."

Grace 901 to L3000s...some might argue that this is a "high end cans, mid-high amp" considering the Grace is a $1000 amp. Sure a hell of a lot higher quality than anything I've bought. ^_^

 

[ayt999]

currently it is an HP-2 to the grace amp.

but ya, I guess an amp that costs over $1000 isn't really low to mid end. I was looking at stuff like the EAR yoshino HP-4 amp so my scales are a bit skewed.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 looking at what I have right now... definitely the "High end cans low to mid amp."

Heh, I wouldn't call a Grace 901 a low or mid price amp given it's 1500 price tag. I'd go along with strohmie on this it's a mid-high price amp.

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

I think it depends on how much you plan on investing in audio gear down the road. If, for example, you plan on really maximizing your setup, I say buy something pretty high end right away (source, cans, whatever--though source would be my first call) and then cheaper substitions. Later, you build up around whatever high-end piece of gear you got, and its one less item to upgrade.

Alternatively, determine your limit and budget accordingly.

 

[darkclouds]

I suggest putting most of your money on a pair of cans you really like first. Then build your system around that. If you don't like the tone or sonic signature of the set of cans you have, no matter how good the source or amp is, you'll not like your system.

Also, there's no way to get around upgraditis. You're a headfier now; you've gotten yourself the virus. Deal with it!

On a brighter note, it may go into remission for awhile after a good dose of shiny new gears.

 

[markl]

Don't forget your source. As a *general* rule of thumb, I'd suggest outspending 2:1 in favor of source over amplification.

 

[braillediver]

Source first.

Then the system can grow and change but a good source is paramount to having the foundation to build on.


Mitch