[chesebert]

Biggest wow moment? How is this?

I have a Smyth A16 Realizer, and I had the opportunity to have an in person 24 channel bespoke PRIR made in a professional recording studio of Dutch and Dutch 8C's. I use that PRIR as my daily go to for listening and watching whenever I use my headphone based system.

System consists of the foll0wing:

NVidia Shield (for streamed 24 Channel Atmos movies and music (Tidal and Qobuz)==>A16 Realizer===>Octo DAC 8 Pro===>THX 789===>LCD x/HD 800 SD mod+ Subpac S2. All connections balanced. I've also made a 23 channel in person PRIR of my LS50 Meta+SB2000+Dirac Live 3 with Dephonica crossover.

The system provides an Edge of the Art experience in a way that can never be equalled by playing with cables, switching out amp/dacs or even upgrading to any of the uber expensive phones that have come down the pike in the last 4-5 years.

If you want to know how to get true state of the art sound, get a Realizer, then have an in person measurement of a quality system done in a studio by someone who knows what they're doing. In my case that was John at 3D SoundShop. True end game.

In theory, we just needed the algorithm to run on a PC and output the processed digital signal to our own dac, correct?

 

[chesebert]

But given that you can't use it with any other component, how do you tell apart what is what? You only know the sound signature of the complete system, not the headphones themselves (or the amplifier/DAC for that matter).
It's easy enough with regular headphones that you mentioned because with those you can change the variables.

You can use your own DAC with the HE1. The only thing you can't change is the amp. We can pretty much guess with reasonable certainty increase in performance from a more power SS amp. Top be fair, I don't know how tube-based amp would affect the sound of electrostatic.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I was in the studio that day with phoenixdogfan and John of 3D SoundShop. I had the opportunity to make a custom PRIR on the same setup (and to help move around some very heavy speakers, lol). I agree 100% with phoenixdogfan. I'm using the Audeze CRBN with my Realiser, which is like the cherry on top.

I can verify Vandyman and John did all the heavy lifting, so my 68 year old back didn't have to. Many thanks for that, Vandyman.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

In theory, we just needed the algorithm to run on a PC and output the processed digital signal to our own dac, correct?

Not exactly, no. In theory yes, but...

1. The Realiser also decodes the advanced object based codecs (Atmos, DTS-X, and Auro 3d--yeah I know it's not object based, but it is advanced ), and the licensing agencies have not seen fit to license them on PC's. The A16 is licensed currently for Atmos and DTS-X with Auro scheduled for later in the year. This capability is essential for emulating state of the art multichannel over headphones.

2. None of the PC based systems I know of also do head tracking together with the individualized HRTF--only the hardware based A16 does it unless you count BACCH 3D which uses a MAC and runs around $7000 for the software + RME Babyface. It has no multichannel capability I am aware of. So no Atmos, or DTS-X.

So no practical solution on the horizon-- though Genelec has inaugurated a system which will allow you to take a personal HRTF with your phone camera which they will convert into a vst plug in which can run on a work station or PC using something like J River--again limited to legacy codecs with no headtrackng. Their marketing plan is to lease it to the user at around $650/yr.

All this leads me to believe the A16 is the gold standard and will likely remain so into the foreseeable future.

 

[eee1111]

I have a couple.

- When I moved from hd600 to he1000. Planar sound was really different and I still love them.

- Electrostatics. To keep it short….Wow.

- Upgrading sources and first time using hqplayer. Striving for a black background I tried a few things. But just to wrap this up….if you start at the source all gear after will scale up. You know when your source issue goes away. You get the ultimate wow moment.

 

[senseitedj]

Beyer T1 v1 My gateway HiFi headphone. When I got my first proper set up with a20 amp and vio v800 dac my mind was blown with how much detail and texture I was hearing

Stax sr009 and t8000 . such precise imaging with info of position and depth. Image lock precision

Alo audio studio six. Such a nice combo of precision and euphony. Was my dream amp for awhile.

Chord tt2 and Dave. Provided proof what a top class DAC can do compared to its delta sigma counterparts

 

[the1andonly]

HD800, know this is the same for a lot of people

also Oppo HA-1 not the best dac/amp I have to date but before that the most expensive one I had was the Monoprice 788 and I thought at $500 stepping up wasn't worth it, blew away my mind it was both smoother AND way more detailed, me being someone who strongly preferred the smooth sound.

Tuning wise love the Ananda but have to mention Sundara although not Hi-Fi lead to the LCD-3 I know LCD-4 was big for me as well but the LCD-3's tuning is amazing for me, great moment watching the German sci-fi movie "DARK" with the LCD-3....

Lastly, the DEKFEN pad swap onto the Ananda, I think that moves it from possibly Hi-fi into definitely Hi-FI, never had such a cohesive, basically only benefits pad swap.... added to much value to the Ananda, and made me realize what I already had but just could not hear.

 

[DJJEZ]

Going from HD660s to arya was a HUGE one then from arya to 1266TC. I guess switching to planars is what really started the addiction for me.

 

[the1andonly]

Going from HD660s to arya was a HUGE one then from arya to 1266TC. I guess switching to planars is what really started the addiction for me.

IMO Planars are the best driver type, easily beating Estats in timbre and bass response, have talked to some prominent reviewers and they have agreed with me, one named the LCD-4 specifically, I prefer the 3 although the 4 is technically superior, but really want to try out the OG 1266 which I hear has the most forward bass

 

[lator]

Audio GD DI-20 parallel mode combined with T+A customised Bezier 2 PCM filter. Revelation that digital has potential to reach very close to high end turntable setup without tubes in signal path.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Audio GD DI-20 parallel mode combined with T+A customised Bezier 2 PCM filter. Revelation that digital has potential to reach very close to high end turntable setup without tubes in signal path.

It truly is, that T+A Bezier Filter made me enjoy solid state again.

 

[Happy Camper]

First wow-speaker stats
First HP wow-stats
-Planers on speaker amps
-other headphones on speaker amps

 

[stemiki]

My best moments were:

-when I switched from the Pioneer SE Master 1 to the Abyss. The difference is striking.

-then the switch from Metrum dac to DAVE. All this precision and details never heard before.

-the addition of M Scaler that had moved me to tears.

-as a last thing, which I did not expect so strong, switching to lithium battery to power Lumin and M Scaler.

Then using the cables from the battery to the two electronics with the Neotech Up OCC Silver cables i had a further increase in depth, soundstage and unimaginable timing.

 

[nrbatista]

The Solitaire P enveloping soundstage; Before that, the Abyss 1266 TC huge sound; Before that, when I heard the HD800 with Classical music, it was jaw-dropping, and before all that the Audeze LCD-2, my first planar, that got it all started.

 

[bobmysterious]

1 - The first time I heard a tube headphone amp. An Eddie Current Zana Deux SE. I think I had to sit down so I didn't fall over.

2 - The first time I turned the Holo Audio May loose on the Eddie Current Studio B. Goosebumps.