a combination of things. i always wanted a 300B tube amp, eddie current has a great reputation for amps and build quality, plus the all powerful new toy syndrome. once i committed to the BA, it was not economical to keep two "expensive" balanced tube amps. the BA is very nice and a good complement for my newly acquired LCD2 and old stable RS1 (which also might be the best i have heard this headphone) but it has not wowed me with the HD800s. so for this headphone i continue to use my headroom amp, which is on par with, although not quite as good as, the B52. i think the B52 is probably the best amp i have heard for the HD800.
sold my RSA B52 and Cary 306 SACD. main setup now is Eddie Current Balancing Act (BA) with an Audeze LCD-2 (planar headphone) or Grado RS-1 (older pair with buttons). Also in much use is my HeadRoom Balanced Home (maxxed) with either my Sennheiser HD650 or HD800. all headphones are balanced and source for both is a Meridian G08. i use a Kimber Hero XLR (copper) to the HeadRoom and a DH Labs Revelation XLR (silver) to the BA. the BA can use either 300B or PX4 output tubes. as of now, i have only tried it with 300B tubes (JJ Electronic brand). in addition, i still have my Sennheiser HE60/HEV70 (baby orpheus), although i have not used it in some time.
b/c i use the HD800 almost exclusively (now with a moon audio silver dragon v.2 XLR cable), i have sold most of my other headphones. what's left is an HD650, SR325, RS1, HF2, and HE60; but the 325 and RS1 are for sale and i will probably sell the 650 at some point as well. i doubt i will sell the HE60. it's a really good headphone and not that easy to come by. plus i need at least one stat.
there is a new ortho (the HE-5) that has been getting rave reviews. i will get to listen to it in a few weeks. if it sounds good, i will probably get one. it's $600 and seems like it could be a real bargain for what it does.
as for amps, i am very happy with my current gear - an RSA B52, a headroom balanced home with max module and bal max dac, and a headamp KGSS. they all get about equal use. the cary 306 is still forward but doesn't really seem bright anymore. i think switching from nordost heimdalls to kimber hero XLRs has helped.
as for music, i have been listening mostly to mapleshade recordings or classical, sacd and redbook. not much rock, indie or folk. part of the problem is that a lot of those albums are of pretty average sound quality.
@breezer. the senns (650/800), the 701 and RS1 all sound great balanced on the B52. the B52 is one of the best headphone amps out there and ray samuels, the designer, is a great person to deal with.
* thinking about selling my O2 as i prefer my HE60 and generally use that when i want to listen to a stat headphone. next question is whether i keep the KGSS, since the HE60 is pretty easy to drive and the HEV70 while not the best amp ever made serves this purpose well. will probably sell the O2 and then decide on KGSS later.
* the 800 still sounds great and is the best dynamic headphone i own. on the B52, it really shines. the rest of my headphones have been sold or are for sale. next question is what bal aftermarket cable, if any, do i get for it (SAA, ALO, APS, Moon Audio, etc). lots of choices. prices vary greatly. not sure what i will do here.
* have purchased a very good solid state balanced amp, since sometimes i want to use tubes (my B52) and at other times i can't be bothered with them. also, it will be nice to compare the 800 on the different amp topologies.
* purchased some DH Labs cones. have always been interested in these. will see what they can do. tweaks are tricky. sometimes they work; other times, they do (or seem to do) nothing. very system and user dependent.
* have been purchasing a lot of CDs from chesky and mapleshade recently. very impressed with the sound quality from both. cannot underestimate the importance of good sounding and well recorded music. if that is absent, the rest doesn't seem much worth it.
* still find the 306 a bit forward and bright. if not for SACD playback, which is great for classical, would consider going back to my G08 as my main player. the detail and resolution on the 306 is amazing. still, i would be interested in trying a CDSA, 581SE, or MCD500. easier said than done . . .
@ Bigamp: haven't done much comparison of cables with my HD800, but the headphone is truly excellent. so much so, that i am selling most of my other headphones because i don't see myself using them that much. the HD800 sounds excellent on my RSA B52. it is a great headphone amp. i highly doubt there is anything currently out there is much better. it also gives off very little heat.
@ Dgarretson: the HE60 is a very good stat headphone. i think it sounds pretty good with the HEV70, but it will sound much better with another amp. the current Woo Audio stat amp (the GES) is decent. their new model - the WES - looks to be even more impressive. that is one amp i am considering for use with my HE60 (and Stax Omega 2). the one problem with using other amps with the HE60 is that you need to get an adapter (not easy to come by) or have the headphone reterminated (most cable makers can do this).
small update. haven't listened to my rig much lately. but i am still making changes.
i want to get a tube-based electrostatic amp. the amp i am considering most, assuming impressions are favorable, is the Woo Audio WES. if not that, then probably a HeadAmp BHSE. to help fund this, i sold my Grado PS1 and will of course sell my current stat amp, my HeadAmp KGSS. i also intend to sell some headphones i don't use much - my AKG K340 (too bright), Grado RS2 and SR325 (have better Grados), and my backup Senn HD650.
i am still waiting for the Senn HD800 to come out. it has been delayed for a few months now. hopefully soon. and i recently ordered a Grado HF2, a limited edition headphone which has been described as a "baby PS1000." that should be interesting. once i get everything, my rig should look like this.
have spent enough time now with the Cary 306 SACD to say that it is as very good player. i don't think it is necessarily better than my G08 though, just different. the G08 has a warmer, smoother sound and better bass. the 306 has better detail and clarity, is more forward sounding, but also sounds bright at times. i may need to experiment with ICs. i think for classical, the 306 wins out and maybe for rock, the G08 is slightly preferred, broadly speaking. but the 306 plays SACD, has a digital input and the transport seems to be of better construction, so it probably wins out overall.
i also recently purchased an AKG K340 - a hybrid headphone, part dynamic, part electrostatic. the pair like all my headphones is balanced, which gives me the most performance from them. another exciting item is that i pre-ordered a Sennheiser HD800, their new flagship model. this is a big event in the headphone world. very much looking forward to it.
i'm lazy and can't deal with CDs anymore (or much). plan to move a portion of my music collection (all non classical and opera) to a music server. i now have a Cary 306 SACD (not the Pro version, i wish though). also plan to get a Wadia iTransport and then load a 160GB iPod with lossless files that i will feed into the digital input of the Cary so i can use its DAC. this will be a good start. not sure what will become of the G08. i assume the Cary is on par if not better, so may not need it.
as good as vinyl is, i don't have the patience for it. and there will always be the surface noise, which CDs don't have. of course, CDs lacks the dynamic range and smooth sound of LPs, but that is one of the trade offs. after listening to vinyl, the glare of the digital format is unmistakable. and MP3s are embarrassingly bad - just very thin and bright - after listening to quality analog or even CD-based systems.
i did get the Grado PS1 balanced with a Black Dragon cable from Moon Audio plus top of the line Furutech XLR connectors. used it for a good while, but recently have been spending a lot of time with my HE60/HEV70. i think if i had to sell just about all my gear, i could live with this little combo.
will be experimenting with some cables in the near future - headphone cables, power cords, ICs. that should be interesting.
it is a pretty rare and of course expensive headphone. sounds very good though. decent resolution, natural tone, great bass impact - maybe a bit too much. too early to tell. the headphone is stock, which means single ended. i am greatly considering balancing the headphone to get the most out of it - probably something from moon audio with top of the line furutech XLR connectors. that would take things up a notch and give greater control over the bass. seems ideal.
Sits on: Wooden End Table Isolation: Boston Audio Tuneblocks (underneath) Mapleshade HeavyHats (on top) ICs: Nordost Heimdall XLR to B-52 or KGSS Twisted Pair Ultra RCA to KGSS PC: AudioQuest NRG-5 PC to BrickWall Other: Furutech PC2 Disc Cleaner Furutech RD2 CD Demagnetizer Herbie Audio Black Hole CD Mats
2. RSA B-52 Power Supply
Sits on: Mapleshade Platform with IsoBlocks Isolation: Metal Spikes (no bases) PC: Stock PC to BrickWall, Umbilical Cord to Amp
3. RSA B-52 Amp
Sits on: VTI Audio Shelf Isolation: Metal Spikes with Bases IC: Nordost Heimdall XLR from G08 PC: Umbilical Cord from Power Supply HPs: HD600, HD650 (2), K701, SR325, RS1, RS2 Tubes: 2 12AY7 JAN Sylvania (input) 2 12AU7 RCA Clear Top (input) 2 CV4003 Mullard Military Box Plate (input) 2 RCA 5693 (preamp) 2 CV4004 Mullard Military Box Plate (preamp) 4 5687 WB JAN Philips ECG (driver) 4 5687 WB Tungsol branded Raytheon, 1950s (driver) Other: Rothwell XLR Attenuators (2) Allnic Absorb-GEL Vacuum Tube Dampers (2)
4. HeadAmp KGSS Amp
Sits on: VTI Audio Shelf Isolation: Alto Extremo Exact MK2 (underneath) Mapleshade HeavyHats (on top) ICs: Nordost Heimdall XLR from G08 Twisted Pair Ultra RCA from G08 PC: Aural Thrills Silver PC to BrickWall HPs: SR-007, HE60
my understanding is that the vibrations come from the units themselves. for example, using and then not using isolation or vibration devices with a separate power supply results in a quite noticeably different sound. i have done a fair amount of back and forth with most of the devices in my system and believe that on the whole they each have a positive benefit. the one i am most skeptical about is the brass weights. in my system, it is hard to say if they do anything. but i am still experimenting with them.
the RSA B-52 is definitely a significant upgrade over my Apache. but at almost twice the cost, one would hope/expect it to perform at that level. i am having great fun listening to my dynamic headphones. the Senn HD650 in particular sounds very good with this amp.
i use NOS tubes with the amp instead of stock. that helps as well. the gain on the amp is rather high, so i also use a pair of XLR rothwell attenuators which reduces the output by 10 db. i have much more volume control now and i would say that the amp sounds better with the attenuators than without.
also purchased somewhat recently various isolation and dampening components: a mapleshade platform with isoblocks (their platforms are really nice), mapleshade heavy hat brass weights, alto extremo absorbers, boston audio tuneblocks, and some allnic absorb-GEL vacuum tube dampers. all seem to have some positive benefits, although some more than others.
as for future purchases, i will probably get some more tubes. headphones, i have enough for now. plus the only ones i am really interested in are quite expensive (R10, PS1, HE90). merely out of curiosity, i would like to try another CDP. but i can't figure out how much i want to spend or even what model i want. emm labs, cary, and esoteric are 3 brands that interest me though. so we'll see.
i recently acquired an RSA B-52 fully balanced headphone amp/preamp. it is similar to the Apache, but it is tube based, where the Apache is solid state, and is the top of the line RSA amp. i have 5 balanced headphones to use with it: HD600 (cardas), HD650 (zu mobius), HD650 (equinox), K701 (black dragon) and an SR325. i also have an RS1 and RS2, but both are single ended. those are my dynamics. i also have my electrostatic setup, which is a HeadAmp KGSS which i use with my Stax Omega II or Sennheiser HE60 (baby Orpheus).
as for other gear, i am always interested in CD players and one day hope to get a Meridian 808 or an EMM Labs player - maybe the CDSA SE. other headphones i would like to own include the Grado PS1, Sony R10, and Sennheiser HE90 (Orpheus). all are very expensive though - esp the HE90.
but that is all for another day. for now, just sit back and enjoy the music.
my He 1.2B was still not working right, so i returned it and the matching amp for a refund. once they get the problems worked out, i may revisit this headphone again. but i am not without an electrostatic headphone. in fact, i have acquired two recently. i traded someone my L3000 and as bit of cash for an Omega II and HeadAmp KGSS amp. listening to them right now. very good. electrostatic headphones have a certain clarity and resolve that dynamics just are not capable of reproducing. i also purchased a Sennheiser HE60 (baby orpheus) and matching HEV70 amp. should have both next week. i need to find a adapter so i can use the HE60 with my KGSS, but they are not easy to find. the HEV70 is not supposed to be a very good amp.
sold my nordost heimdall RCAs - a tad too bright and forward for my purposes. still like the XLRs though. replaced them with some siltech paris ICs with wbt nextgen RCA connectors. very nice cables.
still waiting for my HE Audio electrostatic headphones. had a pair, which sounded very good. exchanged them b/c a newer model was being released. then the newer model has a fault to it. so had to return that. so now, i am in waiting mode again. hopefully the problem will be fixed, b/c the version i had initially sounded *really* good. the HE is a bit forward and maybe a tad bright with a solid state amp (tubes is almost a must), but the sound is crystal clear, the instrument separation superb, and the bass has very good presence. they are very different from the stax omega 2 which i recently compared them to. by comparison, the O2 seems smoother and overall has a more relaxed or darker sound signature, but despite this, the detail and resolve on the O2 is still excellent. a very good stat headphone. could see myself buying an O2 at some point. i could run both from a Woo Audio GES - a very good electrostatic tube amp.
as for my amp, i am still using my RSA Apache (which is all solid state), but i am starting to get an itch for some tubes - either an RSA B52 (expensive though) or something along those lines. the Apache is very good but it just can't compare to a top level balanced tube amp.
as for my source, still using the meridian G08. i am toying with the idea of buying another CD player - something that has a digital input, so i could use it with the new wadia iTransport. an 160GB iPod with 400 lossless CDs connected to the wadia and then to the CD player and amp would be nice. it would streamline all of my music. one iPod for classical and opera. another for rock and jazz. pretty neat. but i love the sound of my G08, so i may not do that.
my headphone inventory has not changed. i am still wowed by the L3000. they sound amazing - the smoothest sound one could imagine from a headphone. but they are very expensive and something tells me that i will sell them eventually to fund other audio ventures. also, i recently picked up a SAA balanced equinox cable for my HD650. plan to compare it to mu Zu Mobius-2.
the HeAudio electrostatic headphones are excellent. i have recently exchanged my pair (the 1.3) for the newer model, the 1.2B, which has a nicer look to it and a slightly better sound. should have them in about a month. the He amp is also quite good for its price and compared favorably to a more expensive Woo Audio GES. of course in time, i could see myself wanting a top tier electrostatic amp (probably tube baseed). but for now i will stick with the He Amp.
also, recovered my "lost" grado RS2s, so now i have an RS1 and RS2 (both the older model with buttons). i'm not really sure what to do with them, as i generally only listen to balanced headphones and neither of them are, so i think i will just keep them and decide at a later date. maybe they become valuable. who knows.
also recently purchased an ATH L3000 - a pretty expensive limited edition headphone with leather coverings on the headband and earcups (see pic). it sounds very good. it has a very smooth sound with good imaging, a decent sound stage, and bass which is top notch. whether i will keep this in the long term, given its cost, is hard to say, but they are very nice headphones to look at and listen to. that is for certain.
so once i get my He Amp and 1.2B, i will have one electrostatic rig and one dynamic rig, the latter being balanced, and all running from my Meridian G08 with Nordost Heimdalls for each - XLRs to the RSA Apache and RCAs to the He Amp. although i may swap the RCAs for something a little warmer (all copper).
my current dynamic phones are the HD600, HD650, SR325, K701, and L3000 (all of which are balanced) and then the RS1 and RS2 in storage. i tend to use the 600 and 701 for classical, the 325 and L3000 for rock and the 650, which seems to excel at most genres, whenever the mood hits.
as for future purchases, there is really nothing on the horizon. as mentioned, maybe a better stat amp and some copper ICs (audioquest columbias or colorados). i also wouldn't mind getting (or auditioning) a grado PS-1, but this is another limited edition headphone that does not come cheap. my G08 i really have no strong desire to upgrade - at least at the present time. one day, maybe an EMM Labs player. that is one brand/player that has always impressed me and which i could see putting into my system.
the only thing i really want now is MORE good music!!! : )
here are my initial impressions of the EH-1.3 which were posted on another website.
okay. i'll throw out some initial impressions. but bear in mind a few things. i was told that the headphones need 50-100 hours of break in (mine have about 8). i have little experience with electrostatic headphones. i have listened to the HE60, HE90, and O2 as well as various other stax headphones on a few occasions but always at meets. i have a general idea about what they do and how they sound, but i have never owned a pair myself. also, i am using what is probably considered not an ideal setup. i have a prototype solid state amp, the quality of which i am unclear of and which also has no burn in. the amp is set for 240 volts, so i am using a 500W voltage converter with the amp and the voltage converter has a european plug, so connected to that is a euro to u.s. adapter. add to that new RCA cables (nordost heimdalls) and a silver power cord (aural thrills), both of which have little break in and may be too clinical for this setup as well.
as for the construction, the EH-1.3 is very light and b/c it is almost all wood, i would be scared to drop it from any height. but the build quality actually seems fairly decent. as mentioned, the cups and outer frame are solid wood and the head band, top and lower portions, as well as the earpads are genuine leather. the ribbon cable is very flexible and of good length. i could not imagine it breaking or fraying. the cable is terminated with a quality silver neutrik (or neutrik looking) 5 pin plug. the only point of concern with the cable is where it connects to the left and right cups. i think a sharp pull here would not be a good idea. also included is an adapter, which i assume allows the headphone to operate on stax amps or amps with a stax plug. but since i am using a he audio amp, i connect the headphones directly to it without the adapter. the carrying case is very nice looking and sturdy - all hard plastic and metal. although the headphone is very light and feels less than substantial, it has as nice snug fit on the head as there is some clamping force to the headphones and the cups swivel for additional fit. the headphone is very comfortable too. could easily wear it for a few hours straight.
as for sound, my initial impressions are the following. the bass is very good. not only quality but quantity. there is depth to the bass and it has good force. i would say it is easily on par with the HD650, but not as good as the L3000, which is the best bass i have heard from a headphone. no other headphone has the slam of the L3000. my general complaint with most lower end stax models (at least what i have heard) is they tend to sound a bit thin and slightly unmusical. the EH-1.3 has very good rhythm and a quick pace. it has some body to it as well but definitely not the rich, layered texture of the 650, which is something i find unique to that headphone.
the sound is forward. almost like a grado. you seem to be in the first row or close to it. the soundstage is average. not bad but not spacious. no where on K501/701 level. however, the left to right presentation is very good. very wide, like an HP1. it can place an instrument or sound effect a few feet to one side or throw it some several feet away. imagine sitting in the first few rows of a stage where the stage is long (left to right) but not deep. that is what the presentation seems to be like. there is also height. just the overall depth seems limited.
the instrument separation is also as good or better than any of my dynamic headphones (balanced or single ended). voices have great articulation. you can hear clearly the syllables of the words being pronounced and sung. closely related is detail. the detail is very good but strangely not always sharp. on some tracks, there seems to be a somewhat echo feel to voices. there is also a bit of brightness to everything, esp of some female vocals where the highs go high. this is possibly due to the newness of the headphone and amp.
percussion and cymbals and electronics (and voices) sound very good on this headphone. as mentioned, the bass is surprisingly very good. the headphone also seems very fast. violin is so quick on this thing. not a note is missed. it has great attack one would say. but i'm so sure how good the decay is. the headphone does not want to slow down. on acoustic guitar and piano there is little resonance after the chord or key is struck. acoustic sounds better on my grados and piano may be a weak point. i actually purchased the EH-1.3 for classical. the violin pieces and works for solo voice i listened to sounded very good, but i'm not sure they sounded any better than my balanced K701 - my main classical phone at the moment. i somehow had it in my mind that stats were ideally suited for that genre. but my initial impression is that the EH-1.3 may turn out to be an electrostatic rock headphone - and a very good one i might add. that's it for now.
and a few more comments made after about 50-60 hours of use.
as for the EH-1.3 it is very good, even on the basic solid state amp i am using with it. the headphone has very good bass with some slam, outstanding separation of instrument and voice, and excellent detail. it is also not thin sounding or unmusical as some stats seemed to me. it has a very quick pace as well. it has some burn in now (50-60 hours) and still seems a tad bright although less forward, which is good. the soundstage is at once starting to center - come into focus - and expand. as for musical genres classical, other than string ensembles and violin, does not seem to be its forte. and acoustic guitar still seems a bit off. but for most rock and other types of music it is quite good.
sold the balanced DT880. just too similar to some of my other headphones and not getting as much use as it should. plus it excels at music (electronica, for example) which i have little of. and there is the brightness which all 880s have. listened to the the 600 w/ balanced cardas. it has a nice clear sound to it, a bit more forward than the 650 as well, but it seems to lack the texture, weight, and definitely bass of the 650. i like the 650 better but intend to keep the 600, for now. as for cables, i sold the jaguar XLRs and am selling the twisted pair ultra and silver resolution RCAs. they have been replaced with nordost heimdalls. so it is nordost for RCA and XLR interconnects. for power, i am still using virtual dynamics, audioquest, and an aural thrills silver power cord. but i have the bug for nordost and may look into getting some of their power cables. the brahmas are too expensive for me, but some vishnus would be doable. should i get a thor power conditioner?
also, i purchased a grado RS2 to go along with my RS1 and SR325, but it was lost in the mail. that was a bummer. still trying to recover my money. on a more positive note, i should have my EH-1.3 electrostatic headphone in the next week or two. excited about that. i have decent expectations for them. i'm not sure how good the amp is i intend to use with it, so i may have to start saving for a better one - something from woo or headamp.
what else. been toying around with the idea of a new CD player, something that does sacd. maybe a cary 306 sacd. that seems like a good player for a good price. i would prefer an emms lab cdsa se, but even used that is probably more than i can spend (7500). not sure. i really like my G08, but am always curious about other players and b/c i listen to a good amount of classical, a sacd would make sense for me. other than that, no planned purchases on the horizon. but as always, items appear which you then want.
i made two purchases recently. one is the furutech RD-2 CD demagnetizer. i have always been curious about this device as i am always looking for ways to optimize CD playback. one reviewer said that treated CDs had a more natural, open, transparent and more analog sound. sounds good to me. we'll see. that along with my PC-2 disc cleaner should give me maximum CD quality sound.
my second purchase was kind of made on a whim. for a good while i have been interested in obtaining an electrostatic system. for headphones, this means a stax or the sennheiser HE60/HE90. the senns being out of production are quite expensive. the lower end stax models to me always sounded thin and slightly unmusical. the top stax model - the O2 - is not cheap and it is often said that the stax amps are not sufficient to drive the 02s. but last week i came across the HEAUDIO EH-1.3 Electrostatic Headphone. i read a few reviews of the headphone, they were quite good, the price was right (much cheaper than an O2 combo), so i jumped on board. i should have the unit in a month or two. it ships from china.
you can see two pictures of the headphone and amp above. it looks very similar to the HE90 - maybe it sounds as good too.
in terms of ICs, this is my history. for SE, i used various $20-$30 cables, then a zu oxyfuel (which i liked and used for a good while), then an element cable twisted pair ultra (copper) and finally a signal cable silver resolution (silver). of these ICs, the twisted pair ultra and silver resolutions were the best. for Bal ICs, i started with the signal cable silver resolution (fast and clear but a bit lean), then the audio quest jaguars (full sounding and wide sound stage) and now i use the nordost heimdalls, which i think is the best of the three. i have no use for any single ended ICs and will probably sell all of them.
in terms of PCs, i used cords from element cable, a red storm for my CD player and a different one for my amp. the one on my amp, the element cord, had a full sound but was boomy. i then purchased an aural thrills audio silver power cord, which was an improvement - the sound was clearer and more forward. then i got a virtual dynamics power3 and this replaced my aural thrills. it has a nice full sound with good bass and good detail. that is what i currently use on my apache. for my CD player, i still use the red storm, but just purchased an audioquest NRG-5. i expect this to be an improvement. we'll see.
for headphone amps, i have owned many, both solid state and tube based. none were very high end and all were single ended. the apache is better than all of them and balanced is part of the reason. for sources, i used a variety of CD players and external DACs (had an apogee mini dac for a good while), but none can compare to my meridian G08. best player i have owned - a slightly warm yet very euphonic sound with an immense sound stage and great detail. the player is never fatiguing and i can listen for hours on end.
for headphones, i discussed this above. my current stock is the HD650, RS1, K701, DT880 ('05 model), and SR325. all are balanced, except the RS1. i also just recently acquired an HD600 with a balanced cardas cable, so that is one more to add to the list. will be interesting to compare it to my HD650. as for some past headphones, i also have used the HD580, K501, W100, and the 2003 model of the DT880. all of these were used SE.
as for music, i have a pretty large collection of classical music and many, many operas (wagner, verdi, mozart, etc). i also listen to a lot of pop/rock - esp. female vocals. all of my music is on CDs, no vinyl and nothing computer based.
here are my initial impressions of the RSA apache, which were posted elsewhere. nothing has changed. i still think it is one of the best amps i have ever heard.
DAY 1. i just received my apache and have finished setting it up. first song. track 14 (untitled) of the album Happenstance by Rachael Yamagata. the song is pure vocals. almost no instruments. listening SE with my RS1 with gain on low. very impressed so far. first thing i noticed was a huge sense of space, articulation, very resolving (little details come out here and there), no congestion in the music. great scaling. and that's SE. a good start. there is a huge difference between low and medium gain. medium gain is so much LOUDER. the bass is incredible. thumping. you can feel it. overall, very happy so far. can't wait to cycle through some CDs/headphones and go balanced once my cables burn in some.
DAY 2. more impressions. the unit is dead quiet. i tried various headphones of both high and low impedance. no sound, hiss, or anything even with the volume turned way up. just a dead black background. after some back and forth, i think medium gain is the best setting for single ended use. low gain is pretty low on the volume. have yet to try balanced so can't comment there. i listen at 9-11 and have had no problems finding an appropriate level. the volume knob moves very easily from one level to another.
the unit also looks amazing (i have a silver one). one of the nicest looking, most elegant amps i have ever seen. as to sound, the apache continues to impress me with its huge sound stage, great scaling, powerful bass response, and the overall texture and weight in its presentation of the music. and i expect things to improve a bit more through balanced operation.
DAY 4. tried balanced for the first time today. my cables still are not fully burned in but curiosity got the better of me. i tried the HD650 with zu mobius first. wow! the bass on the HD650 really is the some of the deepest i have ever heard. there was so much weight and texture to the music with no trace of the famous sennheiser veil. they are still laid back and a bit mellow, but the music - if well recorded of course - is clear as day. the senns won't show themselves until they have some real power behind them, but once they do, they are quite remarkable. next i tried my K701 with black dragon. another great listening experience. a bit brighter than the HD650 - nothing irritating though - but this adds a nice brilliance to the highs. the scaling is not on par with the HD650 nor does it have that full bodied feel to it; but the music is crystal clear, the detail is better, and the bass is tight and focused. it sounds just like the near perfectly balanced headphone that it is.
in sum, things with the Apache are going well and i have been very impressed with the sound - both SE and balanced. another thing worth mentioning is the workmanship. i have looked over the amp top to bottom and back to front very carefully and the workmanship is just impeccable. it is such a nice looking amp. really closer to art than audio.
as for tweaks, i don't use much. i have 6 cardas myrtle wood blocks. i use 3 under my G08 and 3 under my Apache - for both 2 front and 1 back center. the Apache is a two piece component, power supply and amp. right now i am using the blocks under the amp but i would like to get another 3 blocks, so each component has them. the blocks are a nice cheap tweak and in my experience widen the sound stage and improve imaging. i recommend giving them a try.
i also have furutech PC-2 disc cleaner. on some CDs it seems to work, on others not so much. on the CDs when i do notice an improvement, the details and images seem a bit crisper, sharper. only takes a few seconds to apply. but it seems to be hit or miss. i also am interested in an RD-3 Demagnetizer. i have read positive things about this device. of course, i know the effects will be subtle but then again almost everything is audio is. the unit new runs about $400, not cheap. i just wonder if the effects are less than noticeable, will i use it consistently or at first and then not at all or very infrequently. hard to say.
in terms of differences or improvements, i find that the source is the most important, then the amp, and then headphones, followed by cables - headphone cables, ICs, and PCs. after that the tweaks.
just purchased an audioquest NRG-5 power cord. i plan to use it with my G08. i'll see how it compares to my current power cord, an element cable red storm.
the heimdall XLR is starting to grow on me. a tad bright, but maybe that will subside in time. otherwise, a very good cable in all respects. after listening to the heimdall, the jaguar seems a bit fuzzy or hazy. i still like the AQ ICs though and would like to try a colorado or better. if i see one for a decent price, maybe i will try it.
as for my meridian G08, it is the only expensive player i have owned. i have heard other good players - ones from cary, esoteric, marantz, cambridge audio. but it is hard to compare when you are listening to another's system. i like my G08. i'm sure one day i'll explore other players. so much out there though. hard to figure out what is "good."
as for my headphones, i have 5 pairs (have owned over 10). i use the sennheiser HD650 with a balanced zu mobius-2 cable. the HD650 - a slightly laid back, warm sounding headphone - has great texture and allows you to explore the layers of the music. it is quite remarkable. the bass goes very deep and the detail while not great is still very good.
my AKG K701 is recabled to balanced with a moon audio black dragon. it has a very wide sound stage, a nice even response from top to bottom, lots of detail - an amazing mid range - but no brightness, and good bass although not hard hitting. the headphone is good because it performs well with a wide variety of musical genres (although probably a bit stronger with classical and jazz) and no one area overpowers the other.
i also have a grado SR325 and RS1. the former is balanced and the latter is single ended. both have a forward presentation and small yet intimate sound stage - perfect for live recordings, jazz, and other small venues. the bass on the RS1 is very good but does not go very low. the RS1 is smooth and conveys the music effortlessly. the SR325 is also very good but a bit brighter. guitar on these headphones sounds amazing.
my last headphone also balanced is the beyerdynamic DT880. somewhat similar to the K701 except the sound stage is smaller, the bass hits harder, and the highs have a little more sparkle. good for classical (especially the violin), female vocals, and most music that involves synthesizers.
i have found that for headphones, balanced is superior to single ended. in general there is greater instrument separation, more detail, better bass response, and an overall fuller sound.
5 headphones is more than enough to keep me occupied but i also am interested in the sennheiser HD600, audio technica W5000, and JVC DX1000, among others. plus i may at some point want to get a stax omega II system. i try not to get involved with out of production headphones (R10, L3000, HP1000, PS1, K1000, HE60/90, 010). just too expensive.
as for the power cords, i like the VD power3. it has a very full sound with tight bass but also good detail, not an easy combination to find. the VD made more of a difference on my apache than my G08. on the latter, i still like the element cable red storm, although i am sure there is much better out there. on the apache, the VD is better than the aural thrills, although that power cord is good too. prior to these, i used element cable PCs. they had a good full and warm sound, but the bass was boomy and the music at times seemed thick or slow. better on a lean sounding or bright system. i think i may try another VD cord on my CD player, not sure which one though. something other than the power3. i guess i will scan the classifieds and see what grabs my attention.
the nordost heimdalls have more detail than the jaguars, are more forward in their presentation, have better highs, but also seem a tad bright. the jaguars give you a better sense of depth/space and overall have a warmer sound signature. the detail is not as good nor the bass as focused, but they are probably less fatiguing. the heimdalls are similar to the silver resolutions, except they are better - faster, more detail, more bass and generally a fuller sound. the silver resolutions seem like a low tier nordost by comparison. yet they SRs are not bad, just the heimdalls are much better.
now using a virtual dynamics power3 PC on my amp instead of the aurual thrills PC. also, recently purchased a pair of nordost heimdall XLRs. curious to see how they compare to the jaguars, which i have been impressed with so far. i got them for a deal as well. since AQ put out their new river series, the jaguar, panther, and cheetah have become quite affordable.
