[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobMajor /img/forum/go_quote.gif $20,700 plus $200 shipping.

I see that the guy who bid on them has only one E-bay purchase on his record. Sometimes these types of bidders are flakes, so this item could end up being listed again.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Is there, or has there been, another statement headphone amplifier like the Orpheus?

I know there are some pricey headphone amps, but none of those that I'm aware of quite reach the "statement" level that the Orpheus does.

Is the world ready for another five figure headphone amplifier?

se

 

[bozebuttons]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there, or has there been, another statement headphone amplifier like the Orpheus? I know there are some pricey headphone amps, but none of those that I'm aware of quite reach the "statement" level that the Orpheus does. se

Stax T2

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bozebuttons /img/forum/go_quote.gif Stax T2

Thanks.

Do you know what it sold for new?

So that's two. And both are for electrostats.

Nothing for dynamic headphones?

se

 

[jpelg]

I find it mind-boggling, in this day & age of such rapid technological advancements, that two of the most sought after (and highest priced!) headphones (HE90's & R10's) were engineered & manufactured over 15 years ago!

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3602 /img/forum/go_quote.gif God, headphones system for 16K$... If this doesn't sound good, then I don't know what does. How many were made? I saw some data that says less than 100 systems.

I can't even afford to look at one, let alone hear it.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks. Do you know what it sold for new?

The list price for the T2 was 470KYen in Japan and it was without a doubt a statement amp. The HEV90, not so much IMO as it could easily have been made 50 years ago bar the idiotic switching PSU and DAC. There are parts of the T2 circuit you will not find on any other amp (except the DIY version we are working on of course) so Stax keeps a tight leash on the schematic.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif The list price for the T2 was 470KYen in Japan and it was without a doubt a statement amp. The HEV90, not so much IMO as it could easily have been made 50 years ago bar the idiotic switching PSU and DAC. There are parts of the T2 circuit you will not find on any other amp (except the DIY version we are working on of course) so Stax keeps a tight leash on the schematic.

Thanks!

Doesn't seem to have been too tight though as when I was trying to find more information about it, I saw what appeared to be a number of DIY versions of it.

se

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find it mind-boggling, in this day & age of such rapid technological advancements, that two of the most sought after (and highest priced!) headphones (HE90's & R10's) were engineered & manufactured over 15 years ago!

As others may have pointed out, technically both are not actually all that. And while the HEV90 may be a work of functional art, it's hardly the best amp on this planet.


Perhaps the perceived lack of progress is more reflective of changes in design philosophy, of which the Senn 800 and the Q010 are/were latest examples of perhaps over-emphasis on pure engineering attributes. The problem with leaving everything up to engineering is that while the phones may be perfect from the engineer's point of view, what goes inbetween is highly variable and requires a design approach with more nuance... one that may have been more prevalent when less CAD was in the design workflow.

 

[immtbiker]

$20,000 is a ridiculous price to ask for the Orpheus sytem. The seller is clearing using supply and demand to ramp up his price.

The Orpheus setup is one of the best headphone systems that I have ever heard. $20,000 good? Nuh uh, unless I was well-to do and had lots of expendable cash.

I have had the HE-90/HEV-90 in my home for quite some time and feel them while the headphones are worth $5K there are better amps available for them.
two are built by Justin (the Blue Hawaii and the Aristaeus), and then there's the A-10 and the WES. The HE-90's have the nicest detail that I have ever heard in a headphone, but they need an amp other than the HEV-90 to help it out with it's lower end.
The Blue Hawaii, while not available at the drop of a phone call is the sweetest sounding amp that I've ever heard with them and the O2MKII's.
Bozebuttons recently sold a set (pair) of the HEV-90/HE-90 for around $11K. Anything more than that is just price gouging!

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif $20,000 is a ridiculous price to ask for the Orpheus sytem. The seller is clearing using supply and demand to ramp up his price.

Why are you making the seller out to be the bad guy?

All he was doing was selling it. And the $20,000 wasn't his price. He wasn't asking $20,000 for it. It was an auction. The price was ultimately set by those bidding on it.

You might say it's ridiculous for someone to pay $20,000 for it. But the seller had nothing to do with that.

se

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker supply and demand

Exactly given the auction. One could even argue that for a decade-or-maybe-older pair of freakin' secondhand headphones it's not even $11K good.

 

[ca95f]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Exactly given the auction. One could even argue that for a decade-or-maybe-older pair of freakin' secondhand headphones it's not even $11K good.

You do not get the meaning of a "statement" product.

Any modern Hyundai can beat the crap out of a 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost in every aspect (except longevity obviously), yet the Rolls is worth 57 million dollars while you can get a used Hyundai for less than a couple of hundred...

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks! Doesn't seem to have been too tight though as when I was trying to find more information about it, I saw what appeared to be a number of DIY versions of it. se

Nope, only one true DIY version. There have been amps called T2a or such nonsense but they share nothing except the use of EL34's. The Blue Hawaii is close to the T2 (amazingly close given that Kevin had never even seen a T2 until August this year let alone the schematic) but also a bit different.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nope, only one true DIY version. There have been amps called T2a or such nonsense but they share nothing except the use of EL34's. The Blue Hawaii is close to the T2 (amazingly close given that Kevin had never even seen a T2 until August this year let alone the schematic) but also a bit different.

Gotcha.

Thanks!

se