chaddy Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 9 hours ago, redrich2000 said: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Ethers though. They are very similar tonally to the 6XX, I use them without any of the foam inserts. They are beautifully smooth and coherent like the 6XX. On top of that they are the most amazingly built, light and comfortable headphones. If I was splurging on some more expensive open backs, the Ether Flow 1.1 or the Ether 2 would be at the top of my list. I haven't heard either but triangulating from their reviews and the Ether CX, I reckon I would love those. You'd looking at a used set though to keep it under $2k. x2 for the Ethers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy500 Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) 15 hours ago, Bengineer said: DACs worth considering, all come up regularly. Ares II RME ADI-2 Bifrost 2 D90 SS Amps that don't suck Taurus Phonitor V220 / V281 CMA600 AGD Master Flux Labs Tube DarkVoice (with right tubes, cheap) Bottlehead Anything Lyr 3 Feliks Audio Obviously heaps of other options, but more and more uncommon. Like the Holo Cyan or a Soekris, no-one has them Wow - great advice! I've been looking for an SS amp/dac headphone setup for my Focal Clears and had found it quite overwhelming (especially for those that are not easily auditioned in AUS eg Flux)! Has anyone had experience with the Rupert Neve RNHP and have any thoughts on how it compares to the SS amps mentioned. It seems to get good reviews and is available at a reasonable price. Edited October 23, 2020 by indy500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengineer Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 5 minutes ago, indy500 said: Wow - great advice! I've been looking for an SS amp/dac headphone setup for my Focal Clears and had found it quite overwhelming (especially for those that are not easily auditioned in AUS eg Flux)! Has anyone had experience with the Rupert Neve RNHP and have any thoughts on how it compares to the SS amps mentioned. It seems to get good reviews and is available at a reasonable price. People seem to like it. Seems to not stay in people's systems though. I believe it to be on the warmer side, and a touch smooth. What price is it in Aus? The Jotunheim pops up used a lot, decent value if you can get around $400. Rebel Amp make one too. I emailed the owner asking a few question. Ended up not buying but he offered me free postage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruc3 Posted October 23, 2020 Author Share Posted October 23, 2020 I was placing the Sennheiser HE-1 for $85,000 from AudioConnection into my cart and noticed they were charging $25 for shipping at checkout so I cancelled the order. Come on, least they could do is give free shipping with these things. https://audioconnection.com.au/products/sennheiser-he-1?variant=7206615515185 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deafenears Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, bruc3 said: I was placing the Sennheiser HE-1 for $85,000 from AudioConnection into my cart and noticed they were charging $25 for shipping at checkout so I cancelled the order. Come on, least they could do is give free shipping with these things. https://audioconnection.com.au/products/sennheiser-he-1?variant=7206615515185 That's probably the set I got to try out 2 years ago. Edited October 24, 2020 by deafenears Resized image Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy500 Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 3 hours ago, Bengineer said: People seem to like it. Seems to not stay in people's systems though. I believe it to be on the warmer side, and a touch smooth. What price is it in Aus? The Jotunheim pops up used a lot, decent value if you can get around $400. Rebel Amp make one too. I emailed the owner asking a few question. Ended up not buying but he offered me free postage! The RNHP is available for just under $1k AUS: https://www.turramusic.com.au/rupert-neve-designs-rnhp Do you have any thoughts on the Burson Conductor compared to the others mentioned? They seem to be well regarded as a 'all in one' amp/dac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengineer Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 You got a budget? What you running the clears off now? And how do you find it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy500 Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 (edited) Similar to the OP (1.5-2k). I like the Focal 'house sound'; am currently running the Clear off a Chord Mojo. I dropped into A2A today and tried the Focal with a Burson Conductor and the pairing was too bright for me, so will have to strike that off the list! I did enjoy the Moon 230 with the Clears though. Edited October 24, 2020 by indy500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike13 Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 I also had a HD6XX and was set on getting the HD800S. I’d heard it a couple years prior at David Jones with its matching amp. It was outstanding. Then I went to A2A and tried all their open headphones around that price. LCD-X and 2 and 3. Tried a Sony. Tried Hi-Fi man. I tried Focal elear and then the Clear (much more clear and a more noticeable improvement from the HD6XX). Went back and forth with the HD800S and the Clear, then chose the Clear. Oh I tried the Utopia briefly, but fortunately I couldn’t hear much difference so quickly put it back... I reckon it was pretty even between the HD800S and the Clears, but the Clears had more weight, better bass. HD800S were more clear than the Clears. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peppy Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 23 hours ago, indy500 said: I did enjoy the Moon 230 with the Clears though @Bengineer Not me alone ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengineer Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) @peppy If it can make the Clear sound good, must be amazing! *runs* Edited October 25, 2020 by Bengineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peppy Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 @Bengineer They not as bad, cmon Plenty of us like them. They are quite nice sounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbuck Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 On 24/10/2020 at 5:03 PM, indy500 said: I dropped into A2A today and tried the Focal with a Burson Conductor I was going to ask what people thought of pairing the Clear or HD800S with the Burson Conductor. Was surprised it wasn't mentioned earlier as I thought they were well liked although whether they pair well with these two headphones is another thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruc3 Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 OMG just missed a great deal on HD800S zzzzz.... I usually check the classifieds like a mad man, but the moment I stop checking a good deal comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengineer Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 Bummer. Been couple of HD800S scams lately too. So be vigilant. Paypal with the fee only, ask for photos with your name on a piece of paper in them etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruc3 Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 9 minutes ago, Bengineer said: Bummer. Been couple of HD800S scams lately too. So be vigilant. Paypal with the fee only, ask for photos with your name on a piece of paper in them etc. Was not aware of that. Anyway, I will most likely buy new anyhow, as headphones is one thing I tend to be bit fussed with hygiene/germs etc. lol I know you can change pads, but that adds on to the cost and in the end feels not worth it most the time for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengineer Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 Ask A2A nicely and should be able to pick up a pair under $1700. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruc3 Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 Wow really, guess its worth a shot to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bondibro Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 My HD800s are back on the market. They guy who got my address and told me was on his way did a no show... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sly_bastard Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 (edited) On 24/10/2020 at 7:15 AM, bruc3 said: I have pretty much decide on the HD800S. Nice, I absolutely love mine now, took ages to get them to really sing with my setup. The ZMF Aoelus is like the big brother to the HD6xx and was my preferred headphone over the HD800s but not now. Just as mentioned before it may take a while to get the gear to make them really enjoyable. Still looking for upgrades but will see whats next. With regard to second hand HD800s's always be cautious. They extremely popular but have been around for almost 5 years now. People still ask top dollar for the first series but when you have a month old headphone versus a 5 year old one there is plenty to be cautious about. Check whats in box as well as the cables are expensive and the serial number to get an idea on how old they are. Edited October 26, 2020 by sly_bastard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruc3 Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 Thanks, the ZMF Aoelus according to a few reviews I read is a complete upgrade to HD6xx, unfortunately no chance of trying it locally and need to order direct from ZMF. So HD800S probably safer bet for me. Yeah, I will just buy HD800S new. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy500 Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 5 hours ago, Bengineer said: Ask A2A nicely and should be able to pick up a pair under $1700. Currently advertised at $1899 https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/products/sennheiser-hd800s-audiophile-headphones Does this depend on the store / manager? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Buchanan Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 On 24/10/2020 at 9:59 AM, indy500 said: The RNHP is available for just under $1k AUS: https://www.turramusic.com.au/rupert-neve-designs-rnhp Do you have any thoughts on the Burson Conductor compared to the others mentioned? They seem to be well regarded as a 'all in one' amp/dac. Try Awave for the RNHP - the official dealer in Australia and cheaper than turramurra music. https://awave.com.au/shop/monitoring/headphone-amps/rupert-neve-rnhp-headphone-amp/ The Burson Conductor 3X Reference is a fantastic amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruc3 Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 37 minutes ago, John Buchanan said: The Burson Conductor 3X Reference is a fantastic amp. Do you actually own one or have personal experience with one? As I have heard otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Buchanan Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 (edited) 3 minutes ago, bruc3 said: Do you actually own one or have personal experience with one? As I have heard otherwise. Yes - listening to it right now. Drives both a Beyerdynamic T1 Gen. 2 and Mysphere 3.2 superbly, as well as a Neumann NDH20 that I have sold on. Edited October 26, 2020 by John Buchanan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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