General Headphone Chat

[Kevy]

Looking for the jack of all trades. With classical and acoustic, especially piano the brightness of the chord signature sang out with the Utopia. Searching for an Amp +/- DAC with a small footprint that opens up the soundstage, detail and clarity yet has enough dynamic drive for planars. With a neutral tonality. 
 

I found perfection with piano tracks (Lang Lang at the Movies, Gladiator Soundtrack) the other day auditioning  the DCS Bartok with the Utopia. The piano reproduction was almost spot on. Size and … the minor detail of its price point though. It was everything the  SP2000 is but (much) better in a desktop component. 
 

H2/paired to the Utopia and Diana Krall’s “Turn up the Quiet” in 24/192 FLAC is about as good as I need. That’s my afternoon chillax for today
 

Looking forward to seeing how the Trailii pairs with the SP2000 when it arrives. Am certainly interested in local opinions. 
 

My current headphones are: HD800S, Empy, Utopia, Andromeda2020 and Trailii arriving soon. 
DAP: AK SP2000

DAC: chord Hugo2/2Go and WA11 Topaz

 

Auditioned the Simaudio 430HAD, Susvara and Chord TT2 recently

 

What I’m missing is probably a decent desktop amp. I’ve explored most small footprint options and don’t think I can with improve much further with Transportables. Considered the Cayin C9 but would rather put the money towards a desktop option. 

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by Dr_Kevy

[Ehrmantraut]

An excellent combo - H2 and Utopia. I'd add the HE1Kse for more soundstage, timbre and clarity. Not quite the dense punch that Utopia can provide but for piano/classical it's almost perfect.

[Kevy]

10 minutes ago, BlueOceanBoy said:

An excellent combo - H2 and Utopia. I'd add the HE1Kse for more soundstage, timbre and clarity. Not quite the dense punch that Utopia can provide but for piano/classical it's almost perfect.

HE1KSE Certainly was on my shortlist. I haven’t been able to audition it and having heard the Susvara will probably end up always wanting them instead if I was to get one Hifiman. Wasn’t sure how the treble would go with the H2. Especially tempted with the ones recently bought n classified. I went with the Utopia instead. The dynamics and clarity are a step up from my other headphones. If they were just a touch warmer in their musicality rather than technical (eg. Like the Empy’s) they’d be nearly perfect. 

Edited May 2, 2021 by Dr_Kevy

[Ccollins]

I see the focal arches are doing the rounds in the classifieds 

[wroughtsteel]

9 hours ago, Dr_Kevy said:

HE1KSE Certainly was on my shortlist. I haven’t been able to audition it and having heard the Susvara will probably end up always wanting them instead if I was to get one Hifiman. Wasn’t sure how the treble would go with the H2. Especially tempted with the ones recently bought n classified. I went with the Utopia instead. The dynamics and clarity are a step up from my other headphones. If they were just a touch warmer in their musicality rather than technical (eg. Like the Empy’s) they’d be nearly perfect. 

How do you like the Utopias with the WA11? I thought that combo would warm up the clinical tone compared with the H2 

[Bengineer]

13 hours ago, Ccollins said:

I see the focal arches are doing the rounds in the classifieds 

Everyone jumped on that A2A clearout bundle haha.

[eLicky]

If you want a good gaming headset and happy to go wired these GSP 500 are the bomb.

What do you guys use for gaming?

[Bengineer]

When I used to play wayyyyy too much CSS, CSGO, BF2 etc, I'd always always wear a good stereo hifi set, and clip on or desktop mic. For positional sounds, that proved better than anything my mates had.

 

When I got older I used the Beyerdynamic MMX300, just a DT770 with a boom mic attached. Again though, could hear things and pinpoint sounds friends with gaming headsets couldn't.

 

Maybe they are better now, but 5-15 years ago, gaming headsets were all trash.

[eLicky]

14 minutes ago, Bengineer said:

When I used to play wayyyyy too much CSS, CSGO, BF2 etc, I'd always always wear a good stereo hifi set, and clip on or desktop mic. For positional sounds, that proved better than anything my mates had.

 

When I got older I used the Beyerdynamic MMX300, just a DT770 with a boom mic attached. Again though, could hear things and pinpoint sounds friends with gaming headsets couldn't.

 

Maybe they are better now, but 5-15 years ago, gaming headsets were all trash.

These Senn headsets are really good man, detailed nice clarity and resolution, besides HD800/S these GSP really restored my faith in Sennheiser.

I have both GSP 500 open air and GSP 600 closed back.

[Bengineer]

It never made sense they couldn't do better, glad to hear they are getting there.

 

I used to play CSS/CSGO and BF2/2142/BC2 competively, and would use whatever Hifi cans I had. For a long time it was Audio Technica AD900, which had good imaging and wide soundstage, so was pretty good.

[lycos]

On 28/04/2021 at 10:16 AM, ColdsnapBry said:

placed a down payment on a SW51+ to go full tubes 

 

I put my order just after Christmas and still waiting for delivery. I try not to open SBAF at all - otherwise, I will grow impatient 

 

 

Does anyone in SNA have SW51+?

[Bengineer]

2 minutes ago, lycos said:

 

I put my order just after Christmas and still waiting for delivery. I try not to open SBAF at all - otherwise, I will grow impatient 

 

 

Does anyone in SNA have SW51+?

More like does anyone in Australia have a SW51+

[lycos]

7 minutes ago, Bengineer said:

More like does anyone in Australia have a SW51+

I messaged Zampotech before I put an order and it seems there are several people in Aust have them. 

He didn't mention who though.

[Bengineer]

Sleeper agents.

 

Bunch of people on Head-Fi (and SBAF) active that haven't even heard of SNA. Up until recently, its beem pretty focussed on the speaker side of things, starting to get some headphone chat going though aren't we.

[ColdsnapBry]

29 minutes ago, lycos said:

 

I put my order just after Christmas and still waiting for delivery. I try not to open SBAF at all - otherwise, I will grow impatient 

 

 

Does anyone in SNA have SW51+?

 

Haha, gonna be a bit more of a wait! He says July/Aug, but I'll be happy if I have one by Christmas this year!

[ColdsnapBry]

Looking forward to it, if it's a stinker I'm just going to pickup a Valhalla 2. Looking for a neutral/dry tube amp and that also fits the bill.

Edited May 4, 2021 by ColdsnapBry

[Bengineer]

If you want nuetral and dry just buy a 789.

[ColdsnapBry]

2 minutes ago, Bengineer said:

If you want nuetral and dry just buy a 789.

I also want it to sound good though

[Bengineer]

5 minutes ago, ColdsnapBry said:

I also want it to sound good though

Then you don't want neutral and dry

[ColdsnapBry]

4 minutes ago, Bengineer said:

Then you don't want neutral and dry

What I'm hoping to get out of a neutral / dry amp like a Valhalla 2, Hagerman Tuba, SW51+ (couple more, but those were what's in my price range) is pretty much a poor mans ZMF Pendant. Just a touch more bass slam and extra stage, all I really want out of my Aeolus.

 

I heard those 789 / THX stuff sounds excellent, like a glass, but perhaps a bit dead sounding. Which is different from my preferences, I went halfway down that path and wasn't too happy with my purchases.

Edited May 4, 2021 by ColdsnapBry

[Bengineer]

Feliks Echo 2 too much ?

 

The SW51+ will probably be good, people rave on about it.

 

Eric McChanson's micro headphone amp that he sells on eBay is like that too. Just super clean, good value.

[lycos]

6 minutes ago, ColdsnapBry said:

Just a touch more bass slam and extra stage, all I really want out of my Aeolus.

Jot 2?

[ColdsnapBry]

Just now, Bengineer said:

Feliks Echo 2 too much ?

 

The SW51+ will probably be good, people rave on about it.

 

Eric McChanson's micro headphone amp that he sells on eBay is like that too. Just super clean, good value.

Feliks Echo 2 was def on the list, but I talked to two owners who had an Aeolus and they preferred it out of the Tuba or SW51+.

 

Yea, who knows! If I do enjoy it, I'm probably not the best point of reccomendation on it, as this will be my first tube amp. If it fails, I'll probably get a Tuba.

[ColdsnapBry]

Just now, lycos said:

Jot 2?

Yea that too, or even Jot 1. I think Jot 1 almost falls into the preference a bit better. I think eventually I'll have a tube setup and a Jot 1 or 2, as I can run tubes RCA and Jot 1 balanced off my Bifrost 2.

[Bengineer]

2 minutes ago, ColdsnapBry said:

Feliks Echo 2 was def on the list, but I talked to two owners who had an Aeolus and they preferred it out of the Tuba or SW51+.

 

Yea, who knows! If I do enjoy it, I'm probably not the best point of reccomendation on it, as this will be my first tube amp. If it fails, I'll probably get a Tuba.

If the SW51+ doesn't work out maybe aim a bit higher. Tuba is meant to be good too, again though, sort of low numbers hype by the same sort of people. McChanson is turning some of his 300B and KT88 speaker amps into headphone ones. Bottlehead Mainline. That one recently on the forums, Dragon HA1 etc.

 

See how you go, I'd think you'd be happy with the SW51+. Even though has no Cat.