Love this
Mine’s the STAX SR-009 + B.H.S.E (amp) + Linn Genki CD player (modified) + EP15A power conditioner (modified) and I won’t even bother with cables . Before that it was a Rudistor RP1000 MKII (amp) with the HD800’s. Before that it was the X-Can V3 (amp) with the HD650’s and Ultrasone Edition 9’s (sold those headphones to some dude in America when I bought the HD800’s).
MacBook Pro -> Chord Mojo -> Ampsandsound Mogwai SE -> ZMF Eikons (all NOS tubes)
Waiting on a ZMF 2K Copper cable as I find my existing OFC cable to be a bit soft/dull. Hopefully that’s the last of the spending for a while.
That said, I heard the Sennheiser HD820 at CanJam NYC and really liked what I heard. Less sweet & smooth than the Eikons maybe, and less solid - but clearer, more open-sounding, and more transparent. Once they start showing up on the used market I might be tempted to grab one to compare. Should sound great with the Mogwai!
Also have a pair of Senn HD6XX for listening at home, straight out of my MacBook - consistently great phones.
Also have a backlog of phones that I don’t use regularly anymore: MrSpeakers Alpha Primes (great phones, but want to sell!), Senn HD25-II (great commuter & travel headphones, but supplanted by the hyper-convenient AirPods), and AKG K550 (great inexpensive closed-backs - would sell but condition is a little tattered).
My headphone journey has been long and winding (25+ years!), but I hope I’m finally at or near end-game. Certainly my wallet does!!
Dunc
Yes, I’d love to get electrostatic headphones too! A friend had a pair of Stax Lambda something, driven by a Stax tube headphone amplifier and these were the best headphones I have ever heard. Unfortunately, well beyond my price range.
Yes, I know this forum is for headphones, but I can’t help commenting on electrostatic speakers as well. Years ago, I had Acoustat Model 3 speakers that had incredibly clear sound for transient sharp music … without any ringing or distortion. Vocals, guitar, violin and piano music were perfect … particularly mid-range frequencies.
Holy Moses!
roon -> yggdrasil 2 -> ragnarok -> focal utopia
roon -> metrum jade -> wa5-le -> lcd-4
roon -> soekris dac1541 -> lyr 3 (psvane 6sn7-se) -> focal clear
wm1z -> lcdi4
I really love the DF. It’s presentation is neutral even if it’s freqiency response really isn’t. It’s great for detail, fast transients, great midrange timbre. Many say it’s bass light but I feel it’s faithful to the source.
It’s a bitch to drive. It’s sensitivity is really low and it caused my Headroom Microamp to clip really bad. That spurred the purchase of my Musical Paradise MP301. That amp has no problem with them.
I used to feel the K701 was reference quality but the DF is a step up from it.
Amp: Headroom Micro Amp with power supply upgrade
DAC: Headroom Micro DAC
HiFiMAN HE-400 Heavily modified Planar HP’s
AKG 702’ HP’S
PSAudio Duet power conditioner
3 PS Audio Noise Havesters
CablePro Panorama cable for the HE-400’s
Cardas 3.5mm from DAC to amp
Pangea AC-14 power cable from wall to Duet
I’ve been over the big ships in the industry from HD-800, through T1, T5, LCD-2, LCD-X and HD-800s but I have finally settled on Beyers DT-250, which ticked all checkboxes for me, something which none of the above could do.
Other than that I have AKG K240DF, Monitors and K601. And soon-to-be purchased Presonus Eris E8 near-field monitors.
Quick question, why optical to the Bifrost instead of USB. Any potential upside?
Home:
PC (JRiver) Schiit Modi 2 Uber Schiit Asgard Sennheiser HD 6XX
Work:
Fiio X5iii Thinksound MS01
My reason is because electrical noise can’t ride the optical. Now, the USB should still be bringing a digital signal into the DAC, allowing it to cleanly produce analog output, regardless of the input physical transport. Nonetheless, I know that electrical noise, over/under-current, etc, can’t traverse the optical, and that gives me a warm fuzzy. I haven’t blind A/B tested it, however.
I alternative between my headphones depending on where I am and what I’m feeling like.
Home:
AKG K550
AKG K712 Pro
Audio-Technica M50
Sennheiser HD 6XX
On the road / less critical listening:
Marshall Monitor
Master & Dynamic MH40
In the former situation, I usually plug that into my Marantz Amp / DAC; in the latter, I just plug my headphones straight into my phone because my ladies jeans refuse to provide me any real, functional pockets.
I use the Modi 2 Uber and haven’t had a problem with electrical noise. The PYST cables that Schiit have a re pretty well shielded. I’ll have to try optical, now that I know what to look for.
Home:
Tidal -> via USB -> Schiit Gungnir MB -> Schiit Lyr 3/Cavalli Liquid Carbon -> Senn HD800S
Office:
(1) Tidal -> via Cipher Cable -> Audeze iSine 20
(2) Tidal -> via USB -> Chord Mojo -> {Future Headpones.com Purchase}
Wireless:
(1) Tidal -> via Bluetooth -> Sony WH-1000XM2 Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones
(2) Tidal -> via Bluetooth -> Apple Airpods
I know it doesn’t fit in with the ultra-costly things most people on here are talking about, but I like my Philips Fidelio X2 with a quality cable. Powered by… my phone, my Harman Kardon amp in my living room, whatever I’m using. They sound wonderful and they didn’t cost too much. I’ve been using them since they were released, and I still enjoy them. I have various Audio Technicas as well. I use ThinkSound Rain IEMs when I fly, because they sound good and didn’t cost much, so I’m not worried about it if they get lost or damaged. Sometimes I find myself browsing expensive listening apparatus, but then I spend all my money on my other hobbies… like building motorcycles. I do find myself sitting in my living room with my headphones on, listening to audio clips of engines, so there is a crossover there!
If I ever have the opportunity to listen to lossless audio files through expensive cans powered by a matched and purpose-built DAC and amp, maybe it will change my life and I’ll have to sell a few motorcycles.
I’ve used my current set up for quite some time and would like to upgrade at least the DAC as it’s USB input is limited to 44.1/48 @ 16 bits.
So for now it’s…
Sennheiser HD650s run balanced with Silver Poison Toxic cable.
Koss Portapros for portable with iPhone 5 paired with a Headstage Arrow 4G portable amp (hoping to buy the new 6G Arrow with DAC when available).
Matrix Mini-i DAC/amp (original version).
Little Dot MKVII+ balanced amp (older model but still love it)…
I’ve tried many different headphones with friends, but on a limited budget have not found an upgrade that has sounded better enough to warrant the purchase price.
I’m pretty happy with this set up so
with the cost of flagship and top tier cans/IEMS skyrocketing over the last several years, I’m not sure I’ll find an affordable improvement in SQ.
I guess I’ll see if upgraditis wins out in time!
Currently using at Home:
Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus
Sennheiser HD700
Grado SR125 (in reserve - haven’t listened to them in a while)
Currently using for travel:
Oppo HA2-SE
Etymotic ER4XR
UE TripleFi 10 (not using enymore… the Etys blow these away)
Sennheiser Momentum over the ear (my wife commandeered these)
Stuff I haven’t used in MANY years:
Headroom Little
Headroom Total Airhead
Sony V6
Etymotic Research E6
FiiO E17 Alpen (kinda useless because you can’t use the DAC feature with an iPhone)
I’ve got lots of room to upgrade, as I’m mostly entry-level. slight_smile:
Those are my travel pair too.
Welcome to the community btw!
Audiobyte Black Dragon with Audeze LCD-X in my cave.
Woo Audio Firefly with one of my other cans: AKG-812, HiFiMan Edition X, Focal Elear in BR
Violectric V220 with Sennheiser HD 800, Grado GS 1000e in great room.
ALO Cascade, MrSpeakers Aeon, HiFiMan HE 560, Bowers &Wilkins P9, plus some wireless cans for my traveling setup