Your favourite rig.

[Pricey]

Everyone here is always ranting and raving on different gear, but for the sake of sifting through 100,000 threads looking for compatability and the best for my gear. I want to know what you own, and what you feel works.

This is not a "this WOULD be the best thread", or "i wish I had a B52 cause it'd sound great" thread. Please keep whoring to a minimum. Rules are only there to 'cut the crap' so to speak.

However, feel free to write down what you reckon your next upgrade is though, so peeps can get an idea if they share the same gear.

So, what is your favourite rig/combo at the moment?

 

[kramer5150]

So, you basically want to know what works and what doesn't with each members current setup?

I really like the speed and resolution of my little diamond-buffered Larocco PPA. Combined with the bass-boost, its a very fun little amp, and a very good performer for the cost-conscious. I think this little amp kind of turned me into a detail-friek of some sort.

I think my next upgrade will be to power it with a steps P/S.

I really like the PPX-Slam with my RS1. Warm, bassy and groovy fun. Detail revealing, yet oozes with tube-groove. Very magical synnergy IMHO. I was also very impressed with the Woo-6. A little more "dry" sounding than the PPX, Didn't have the mid-bass "growl" of the PPX-slam. Although I didn't demo them side by-side on the same source, so... its probably not fair for me to direct-compare them in such a way. I think one of these will be my next move, along side the Steps/PPA setup.

 

[mulveling]

Source: SOTA Star Sapphire III with Fidelity Research FR-64fx arm, Benz Micro Glider L2 cart, and Dynavector P75 phono stage set to "PE" mode for low output MC carts.

No experience with other vinyl rigs or parts, but it handily beats any of the digital sources I've owned - including the Meridian - in both sonics and looks, IMO

Amp: Singlepower SDS w/ a pair of 5687 adaptors.

Still have yet to hear a non-SDS amp equal or beat this one, overall. High or low impedance, it doesn't matter. The 5687 output tube adaptors are essential for driving really hard-to-drive cans like the Grado HP1000 and Sony R10. The R10 still won't reach it's potential without further upgrades, but I don't own that headphone anymore - what a beast to drive!

I'd like to get mine upgraded to higher specs like Purk's (he does own the R10), but that would mean being without it for 1-2 months. The Rudistor RP7b and Melos SHA-Gold Reference get my honorable mention award, but they're more tuned to specific headphones (Melos to the Grado HP2, RS1; Rudistor to the HD650, Qualia, JVC DX1000) and are not quite up to the SDS level overall.

Headphones: Still can't pick just one. The L3000 has always been my favorite for hard rock & metal - that will probably never change. The Qualia 010 are currently my favorite for classical/opera. The HD650 with Zu Mobius is making a strong bid as a potential favorite for pop music.

The L3000, Qualia, and HD650 were all bumped up in performance by vinyl, IMO. The HD650, perhaps, more so - they really seem to open up and sing with vinyl! With my digital sources I'd never considered them in the same performance ballpark as the elite, but they've really surprised me lately.

Tweaks: No serious power conditioning. $90 Bogdan Silver Princess ICs; I got sick of dealing with RCA connectivity issues on the HGA Silver Lace cables - just AWFUL design. A few attenuators in varying values for ensuring accurate L/R channel balance in my system (both cartridges and headphones can have imbalances that may add up). For vinyl care: VPI HW 16.5 record cleaner, TTVJ Gold Zyme, Milty Zerostat gun, Onzow Zerodust stylus cleaner, TTVJ record sleeves - works GREAT!

Upgrades: Please, no more!!! For once I need to sell some of the less used gear to fund MUSIC. It's hard to stop buying vinyl once you've got started. Already to the tune of 75 LPs in the past month.

 

[Pricey]

Awesome reply's guys! Keep em coming!

 

[dr.morton]

Pricey,
I am not sure if there will be too many responses.
Like yourself most Head-Fiers seem to be on the search of the ultimate rig.

But it all depends on the prerequisites and preferences each of us has.

Some like IEs others only cans. Some prefer a "transparent" sound, others like their music with a lot of bass.
Some have a big wallet, others are on a budget.

The combinations are almost endless and each and everyone has to find his/her own sonic bliss. That is what Head-Fi is about.

It takes some time, patience and usually some money spend. You will find no shortcut here. (But of course you can try).

 

[GAD]

The one that's with me at the time.

GAD

 

[SK138]

I don't have an absolutel favorite. Pick any from my sig below and I can live happily with it

Good sign is I didn't upgrade for few....weeks...so far, nor do I have any desire to

 

[Jahn]

agree with the above. see my sig, although it is a bit outdated, the fundamentals are still there.

 

[lmilhan]

Of all of the phones / amps I have owned in my Head-Fi career, these are by far my favorite combos:

AKG K-1000 / PASS Labs Aleph 3
Grado PS-1 / MAD Ear+ Purist HD
Grado RS-1 / MAD Ear+ Purist HD

For the Budget minded K1000 rig:
AKG K-1000 / Firestone Audio Big Joe v1.3

I also have found the Tomahawk on low gain / MS-2is with Flat pads to be a wonderful combo.


As for source, I have used my PC -> Emu 0404 -> Optical Out -> Entech Number cruncher from the start, and have been very happy with the results. I am of the school that believes If it 'aint' broke, don't fix it.

I am also of the school that doesn't believe in spending huge sums of money on cable upgrades. So I use high quality custom length (and more importantly affordable) good old 'Blue Jeans' cables throughout my entire rig.

I also use a Monster power conditioner / surge suppressor, and I upgraded to Volex power cords for the entire rig.


I could live happily ever after with the PS-1 / MAD Ear+ Purist HD combo and the AKG K-1000 / Big Joe combo. Together, those two rigs deliver all of the qualities I enjoy most when listening to music.

Unless I one day hit the lottery, then I might start considering auditioning the uber expensive phones such as the O2s, R-10s, Orpheus, Qualia, L3000, etc.

 

[grawk]

Anything feeding the MPX3 feeding my W10VTGs

 

[philodox]

I think that the best rig I have heard, from memory, is bozebuttons HE90 rig. [EMM Labs source, Singlepower ES-1, Sennheiser HE90]

Second best would be my current rig, though it still has a way to go before it is perfect. [for me of course]

 

[slwiser]

My sig works for me.

 

[Pricey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dr.morton /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pricey, I am not sure if there will be too many responses. Like yourself most Head-Fiers seem to be on the search of the ultimate rig.

Not so, I'm not really interested in the ulti-rig. More keen to see what people have found works for them, regardless of the quality of their gear. Eg Someone might be using low end gear and find that x amp works better than y amp, but they are thinking about getting z amp. Perhaps if someone shares the same gear they have an idea where to go.

Mainly just interested to see what items mesh well, which can't really be determined through (most) reviews or specs.

 

[krmathis]

See signature below!

 

[dizzyorange]

I think the EC-01 drives HD650s very well. The amp is a bit hot in the presence region, around the frequencies where some say the HD650 is "veiled".