sinner6
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 24, 2006
- Posts
- 151
- Likes
- 11
Hey Gang (apologies in advance for what turned out to be quite a self-indulgent post),
A month or so ago I truly quit smoking, and decided to take the money I used to spend on cigarettes and set up a nice little headphone based "listening station".
I decided that what I was going for would be a fun, warm, and musical sound. My other listening equipment includes an EMU 1616 (DAC - CS4392), which has a reasonably good (+0.0/-0.07 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 112 dB SNR, 100mW @ 24ohm) output. This was feeding a set of M-Audio and Blue Sky studio monitors and a studio sub, and, of course, a pair of MDR-7506's. This being a music production and mixing rig. It is a flat and analytical as it can be. So, I am accustomed to hearing the limitations of a source or problems within a mix or recording, but this setup is a bit like listening to music through a "magnifying glass" and sacrifices a natural tone for extreme detail.
Enter head-fi. After reading for dozens of hours, I began to wrap my head around the multitude of options and possibilities available. Do I want portable, desktop, in-ear, closed, open, balanced, electrostatic, dynamic or armature? As I pondered these and other more subtle questions involving budgets and wives, I found out something about this hobby that is doubtless old news, but still surprised me because of the strong reactions involved. Namely, Other People Do Not Understand. The vast majority thinks it's insane to spend more than $20 on headphones...but, I digress.
Safe, here at head-fi, where people make sense, I learned many things, pored over charts and graphs whilst considering the signal chain as a whole...
Then, in a stellar alignment Everything I was looking it went on SALE. The wallet, freed from it's confines within a head-fi proof bunker, succumbed to acute Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
The system ended up like so:
Source
1. Zune HD(WMA Lossless) 32G for $259 + Dock(toslink out) for $39.99 and a Sony DVD player for CD transport (coax S/Pdif)= $350 total
AMP/DAC
2. Suddenly, Pacific Valve blew out their remaining Audio GD Compasses' for $299 shipped.
Headphones
3. Right at this time, Amazon was selling the Denon AH-D2000 for $200.00
Total $850ish
So, the Compass is hooked to my Computer via USB, the Sony CD player via Co-ax digital, and the Zune Dock via Toslink.
I am very pleased with the setup and owe this forum a big thanks (where the heck else would one hear of things such as "Audio-gd"?). The enthusiasm here is complimented by some very knowledgeable folks, a civil discussion and a unique relationship with many builders (witness the creation of the Compass on these very boards). Thank You, head-fi for proving that OCD can be constructive after all!!!!
A month or so ago I truly quit smoking, and decided to take the money I used to spend on cigarettes and set up a nice little headphone based "listening station".
I decided that what I was going for would be a fun, warm, and musical sound. My other listening equipment includes an EMU 1616 (DAC - CS4392), which has a reasonably good (+0.0/-0.07 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 112 dB SNR, 100mW @ 24ohm) output. This was feeding a set of M-Audio and Blue Sky studio monitors and a studio sub, and, of course, a pair of MDR-7506's. This being a music production and mixing rig. It is a flat and analytical as it can be. So, I am accustomed to hearing the limitations of a source or problems within a mix or recording, but this setup is a bit like listening to music through a "magnifying glass" and sacrifices a natural tone for extreme detail.
Enter head-fi. After reading for dozens of hours, I began to wrap my head around the multitude of options and possibilities available. Do I want portable, desktop, in-ear, closed, open, balanced, electrostatic, dynamic or armature? As I pondered these and other more subtle questions involving budgets and wives, I found out something about this hobby that is doubtless old news, but still surprised me because of the strong reactions involved. Namely, Other People Do Not Understand. The vast majority thinks it's insane to spend more than $20 on headphones...but, I digress.
Safe, here at head-fi, where people make sense, I learned many things, pored over charts and graphs whilst considering the signal chain as a whole...
Then, in a stellar alignment Everything I was looking it went on SALE. The wallet, freed from it's confines within a head-fi proof bunker, succumbed to acute Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
The system ended up like so:
Source
1. Zune HD(WMA Lossless) 32G for $259 + Dock(toslink out) for $39.99 and a Sony DVD player for CD transport (coax S/Pdif)= $350 total
AMP/DAC
2. Suddenly, Pacific Valve blew out their remaining Audio GD Compasses' for $299 shipped.
Headphones
3. Right at this time, Amazon was selling the Denon AH-D2000 for $200.00
Total $850ish
So, the Compass is hooked to my Computer via USB, the Sony CD player via Co-ax digital, and the Zune Dock via Toslink.
I am very pleased with the setup and owe this forum a big thanks (where the heck else would one hear of things such as "Audio-gd"?). The enthusiasm here is complimented by some very knowledgeable folks, a civil discussion and a unique relationship with many builders (witness the creation of the Compass on these very boards). Thank You, head-fi for proving that OCD can be constructive after all!!!!
