Who has an end game setup?

[troymadison]

After years of trying different headphones, the only ones that manage to impress me on regular basis are discontinued except for the T1/DT880. I'm amazed how the K1000 got discontinued when it's one of the only material possessions I care about.

 

[Takeanidea]

Troy, these K1000s truly seem to fit into a very small category of phones that step out of the traditional mode and offer something unique as a result. Their status lives on.......

 

[troymadison]

Troy, these K1000s truly seem to fit into a very small category of phones that step out of the traditional mode and offer something unique as a result. Their status lives on.......

More non-traditional the better

 

[howdy]

Hifiman HE400i are absolutely amazing!!!

 

[RazorJack]

My endgame setup since December 2011:
 
Meier Audio Corda STAGEDAC > Meier Audio Corda CONCERTO > beyerdynamic T1

 

[BobG55]

After 5 years of spending & losing an enormous amount of money, buying & selling, too many HPs & HP amps & vintage amps, etc. the end game has arrived.  My pass gear inventory is too long to list (besides I don't feel like doing it 

.)
 
Headphones : HD800, HD600, HD650, Beyer T1, all balanced xlr 4 pin & 1/4 connector/adapter.
 
Headphone amp & vintage amp : Auralic Taurus mkII & Kenwood KA8006 int amp
 
Source : Teac SACD/CD 2000 w/92kHz/24-bit D/A converter (CS4398) w/dynamic range over 100dB and signal to noise over 110dB
 
I listen to CDs & haven't gotten into itunes and/or music downloaded onto a computer.  The set up I have now is the best sounding one I've owned & I'm more than satisfied.  The music/sound is pretty darn good w/plenty of detail & depth in the soundstage which is what I've always liked & wanted at it's best.  There's only so much money that can be spent and for the minimal difference it would probably make I'm not willing to spend another two, three, four thousand +.   Now it's time to pay the credit line & card off.  To the members who take part on this thread I wish for you all to find your end game also. 

 

 

[longbowbbs]

  After 5 years of spending & losing an enormous amount of money, buying & selling, too many HPs & HP amps & vintage amps, etc. the end game has arrived.  My pass gear inventory is too long to list (besides I don't feel like doing it 

.)
 
Headphones : HD800, HD600, HD650, Beyer T1, all balanced xlr 4 pin & 1/4 connector/adapter.
 
Headphone amp & vintage amp : Auralic Taurus mkII & Kenwood KA8006 int amp
 
Source : Teac SACD/CD 2000 w/92kHz/24-bit D/A converter (CS4398) w/dynamic range over 100dB and signal to noise over 110dB
 
I listen to CDs & haven't gotten into itunes and/or music downloaded onto a computer.  The set up I have now is the best sounding one I've owned & I'm more than satisfied.  The music/sound is pretty darn good w/plenty of detail & depth in the soundstage which is what I've always liked & wanted at it's best.  There's only so much money that can be spent and for the minimal difference it would probably make I'm not willing to spend another two, three, four thousand +.   Now it's time to pay the credit line & card off.  To the members who take part on this thread I wish for you all to find your end game also. 

 

I like the island you have settled on! Enjoy the bliss.
 

 

[BobG55]

 

  After 5 years of spending & losing an enormous amount of money, buying & selling, too many HPs & HP amps & vintage amps, etc. the end game has arrived.  My pass gear inventory is too long to list (besides I don't feel like doing it 

.)
 
Headphones : HD800, HD600, HD650, Beyer T1, all balanced xlr 4 pin & 1/4 connector/adapter.
 
Headphone amp & vintage amp : Auralic Taurus mkII & Kenwood KA8006 int amp
 
Source : Teac SACD/CD 2000 w/92kHz/24-bit D/A converter (CS4398) w/dynamic range over 100dB and signal to noise over 110dB
 
I listen to CDs & haven't gotten into itunes and/or music downloaded onto a computer.  The set up I have now is the best sounding one I've owned & I'm more than satisfied.  The music/sound is pretty darn good w/plenty of detail & depth in the soundstage which is what I've always liked & wanted at it's best.  There's only so much money that can be spent and for the minimal difference it would probably make I'm not willing to spend another two, three, four thousand +.   Now it's time to pay the credit line & card off.  To the members who take part on this thread I wish for you all to find your end game also. 

 

I like the island you have settled on! Enjoy the bliss.
 

Thanks longbowbbs, I appreciate it.  BTW I checked out your profile = pretty impressive list/island also. 

 

[longbowbbs]

 

 

  After 5 years of spending & losing an enormous amount of money, buying & selling, too many HPs & HP amps & vintage amps, etc. the end game has arrived.  My pass gear inventory is too long to list (besides I don't feel like doing it 

.)
 
Headphones : HD800, HD600, HD650, Beyer T1, all balanced xlr 4 pin & 1/4 connector/adapter.
 
Headphone amp & vintage amp : Auralic Taurus mkII & Kenwood KA8006 int amp
 
Source : Teac SACD/CD 2000 w/92kHz/24-bit D/A converter (CS4398) w/dynamic range over 100dB and signal to noise over 110dB
 
I listen to CDs & haven't gotten into itunes and/or music downloaded onto a computer.  The set up I have now is the best sounding one I've owned & I'm more than satisfied.  The music/sound is pretty darn good w/plenty of detail & depth in the soundstage which is what I've always liked & wanted at it's best.  There's only so much money that can be spent and for the minimal difference it would probably make I'm not willing to spend another two, three, four thousand +.   Now it's time to pay the credit line & card off.  To the members who take part on this thread I wish for you all to find your end game also. 

 

I like the island you have settled on! Enjoy the bliss.
 

Thanks longbowbbs, I appreciate it.  BTW I checked out your profile = pretty impressive list/island also. 

Spend enough time around audio and stuff happens...er accumulates...

 

[Takeanidea]

  My endgame setup since December 2011:
 
Meier Audio Corda STAGEDAC > Meier Audio Corda CONCERTO > beyerdynamic T1

The T1s make 2 appearances on this page.

 

[Takeanidea]

 Headphones : HD800, HD600, HD650, Beyer T1

 

Hi Old Groucho, 
5 years of the upgrade disease and now cured! Well done. The T1 and the HD800 were very different sounding phones to my ears, can you compare them for us?

 

[astrostar59]

The Stax 009s to me are the best available in production HPs.

 

[BobG55]

 

 Headphones : HD800, HD600, HD650, Beyer T1

 

Hi Old Groucho, 
5 years of the upgrade disease and now cured! Well done. The T1 and the HD800 were very different sounding phones to my ears, can you compare them for us?

Hi Takeanidea,
 
Thank you for the kind words.  The T1 are clear & detailed and the Auralic mk2 brings out the best in them.  I took a chance on the HD800 a couple of weeks ago based on the fact that I owned this HP twice before but never with an amp as good as this one so I ended up selling them in the long run because they didn't wow me.  This time around it's a different scenario : as detailed and clear as the T1 are the HD800 w/this amp is truly in a league of it's own.  The best qualities of the Auralic mk2 to my ears are clarity & detail + soundstage w/depth.  The T1 HP does the first two very well & the latter two well/average.  The HD800 not only reproduces all four qualities but it transcends the overall sound into a totally different stratosphere.  I remember reading reviews, posts, threads about the incredible qualities of this HP never having experienced them myself when I owned my two former pairs.  Now I can vouch for those comments having experienced them myself.  I'll even address the stereotypical flaws often ascribed to this HP : sibilance, lack of bass, coloured, fatigue ...  with the ATmk2 none of these flaws exist. Everything is there, detailed, fast, expanded but tight/pronounced (e.g.the bass) where it needs to be.  The overall musical sound is  heaven on earth and I can employ the often used expression associated with the HD800 : I'm hearing things from familiar recordings which I've never heard before.  All of these attributes combined with the latter statement about hearings things I've never heard before culminates the whole point of this hobby for me : audiophile nirvana or in plain English .... the end game !

 

[Takeanidea]

The Stax 009s to me are the best available in production HPs.

 



Although I have no plans to change , there are so many out there (including Jude) that agree with you. I will one day, maybe at the meet in the UK in April, have a listen to these phones. With the BHSE would be truly special, the equivalent of jumping into a ferrari and having a drive around

 

[wrecked_porsche]

Been through tons of stuff in my time here. SR007, K1000, pink driver RS1, CD3000, w5000, im717, triplefi10, beyerdynamic stuff, sennheisers, denons, audio technica, etc etc. Its been so long ago since I've joined and I've been through soo much stuff that I've even forgotten what I have owned along the way. But now I've settled down and I'm pretty sure I'm happy with what I've got. Haven't thought about upgrading for more than a year or two already.

My setup:

Laptop --> Primare DAC30 (balanced) --> Luxman 505u --> Ath-w3000anv/Ath-w11jpn/Ath-w10vtg/Ath-ad2000

Sometimes, this setup makes me just as happy:
Galaxy Note 2 --> Phillips SHE3590




The only system upgrade that I dream of every once in a while is one with TAD Dacs and amps paired with high end PMC speakers/TAD speakers. I go to the international audio show in my country every year and this is the only system which floats my boat. Pure musicality to my ears. It just sounds so "real" and "live" as well as the music just flows soo effortlessly. None of that technical mumbo jumbo show off stuff. It just lets the music do all the talking.