[donunus]

Even the 801s are boomy as hell

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

As far as true high end speakers ($20K) I felt that the B&W Nautilus 800's were a very big disappointment. Very boomy and lacking in the mids department.

Indeed. I've never understood the appeal of the Nautilus series. Before the diamond tweeters, the highs were nearly unbearable. Not quite Wilson bad, but ugh. Now with such fierce competition in the $15K-25K bracket, I think B&W is mostly leaning on their name. Put them head to head against the best in that range, and they get crushed.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

I am not sure if this is really high end, but more like portable audio but I really dislike the RSA Hornet amp. It is far from being neutral. It is very colored and focused on the mids. Also the volume pot feels cheap. Ray replaced my amp once because of a defective volume pot that had an unbalance in the L and R channels.

 

[Albinoni]

 
Quote:

This could be a long list

Meridian G08 - slow, boring, lacking in dynamics, everything played through it has the same glossed over signature
AKG K701 - sterile and lifeless, they are also way off the mark tonally
Audio Technica W5000 - hollow sounding and a nearly non-existant midrange
Sony R10 - artificial soundstage, lacking bass and an at times overly aggressive treble
Sony SA5000 - these are so uninvolving and bright it's almost impressive
Sony Qualia - these do have some strengths, sound staging and detail being the main ones but don't sound natural at all. instrument attack and decay is way too fast and tonality is almost completely wrong
Ray Samuels Raptor - can't drive low impedance phones at all, every time i've heard a grado or low imp AT out of the raptor they always have a muddy sounding midbass/bass and totally lack extension
Ray Samuels HR2 - highly colored, gives everything an overly rich tonality
Ray Samuels Tomahawk - phones sound better straight out of an ipod compared to this thing
Ray Samuels Predator - pretty awful as a dac, veiled, and no extension at all
Grado GS1000 - these are possibly the brightest headphones ever made and have about as much midrange as the dt770s do

Do we want to include speakers in this thread as well? My list gets even longer then

.

I will completely disagree with you and some of your feedback or post, let me comment:
 
1. AKG K701 are a beautiful sounding headphone, what did you drive them with a iPhone/iPod.  These headphones (like other high end ones) need to be driven with a good headphone amp and I have heard these with a
   Leehman Amp and they sound so nice and lets not forget they are a neutral soundding headphone so more meant for the professional field work.
 
2. Ray Samuels Raptor, why the heck would you want to drive low impedance headphones with an amp like this, doesnt make sense ?

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

 

2. Ray Samuels Raptor, why the heck would you want to drive low impedance headphones with an amp like this, doesnt make sense ?

Because some lower impedance IN NO way means lesser.

His comments make absolute sense.
 
My favourite headphones are only 50ohms (LCD-2). So someone who owns them and the HD800s would need 2 headphone amps.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

LowZ headphones require significant amounts of current that not just any source can supply.
 
HighZ headphones require significant amounts of voltage that not just any source can supply.
 
Those are your two extremes and thus the requirement for a capable headphone amp. The Raptor may not be designed for lowZ headphones, I do not know. 

 
Quote:

 
2. Ray Samuels Raptor, why the heck would you want to drive low impedance headphones with an amp like this, doesnt make sense ?

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Why pay $50 on a cmoy in a tin can when you can spend $350 on a cmoy in a nice anodized aluminum case?

 
Quote:

Ray Samuels Tomahawk - phones sound better straight out of an ipod compared to this thing
 
 
 
best post ever

 

[Currawong]

Portable amps are not high-end.

 

[dstewart]

Still very new here, but have enjoyed the best hi-end audio I can afford (and still stay married) for many years. I enjoyed all the posts, but I have to admit, I read each one with trepidation fearing that something I own, would make someone else's all time worst list. I think it has been said, but is worth repeating, all audio, hi-end or budget, should be judged first by the owners experience. I am always looking to upgrade, so appreciate all the info on items that people have identified as overpriced and underperforming, but I honestly have to say that if I tried one of the items on this worst ever list and it moved me emotionally and brought me pleasure, I would still buy it. That said, I now have a better idea of brands to be careful about. Thanks for all the thought and effort you all put into this thread.

 

[wink]

 
Quote:

 I read each one with trepidation fearing that something I own, would make someone else's all time worst list.  

 That comes with the territory.
We all hear differently and like different qualities, aspects, characteristics of different gear.
You can't please everyone.
Enjoy what you've got.
Strive to get something you like better than what you've got until you are happy in the compromise between the ultimate and what you can afford.
If someone criticises your gear, tell them to get a life....

 

[dallan]

Sony R10 bass light.  I was very disappointed hearing these.

 

[freeskisquaw]

Ultrasone's top line has never appealed to me.

 

[freeskisquaw]

Come to think of it, the worst piece of "high end audio" I ever experience first hand was also a DCS "stack".

 

[wink]

 
Quote:

Come to think of it, the worst piece of "high end audio" I ever experience first hand was also a DCS "stack".

Maybe a dcs stack would have sounded better...!
Less emphasis and more understated.
 
tee hee...

 

[MomijiTMO]

Quote:

I will completely disagree with you and some of your feedback or post, let me comment:
 
1. AKG K701 are a beautiful sounding headphone, what did you drive them with a iPhone/iPod.  These headphones (like other high end ones) need to be driven with a good headphone amp and I have heard these with a
   Leehman Amp and they sound so nice and lets not forget they are a neutral soundding headphone so more meant for the professional field work.
 
2. Ray Samuels Raptor, why the heck would you want to drive low impedance headphones with an amp like this, doesnt make sense ?

 
Bahahaha
 
Way to go dude. Next time remember that people are entitled to have their own opinions.