Icarium

Yeah I currently use ER-6is. While I recognize even with something like ER-6s which will assuredly benefit at least somewhat from an amp... the tradeoff just isnt worth it for me.

I dont even remember if it was noise rejection, was it? Anyway, I'm not trying to definitively say 3 channel is bullshit. I don't know enough about anything to really say. But I'm certainly skeptical and don't feel the need to invest so that's going to be reflected in my recommendations. If you believe in it that's fine ;p Just get 3 channel versions of them. Either way even if the technology is a benefit it isn't good enough to change a shitty 2 channel amp into a badass 3 channel amp. Case in point the Opera, the Opera has a 3 channel topology and it's still shitty. I've heard 2 channel and 3 channel Beta22s and they both sounded good. The 3 channel version did not sound all that different to me.

I don't really believe in portable amps anyways. I've never really understood the obsession. Are people seriously bringing that shit to the gym or on their jogs or busting it out while they commute? The only use case that's ever fit my needs is for plane rides... but otherwise barf. Of course I only use my Pico as DAC anyways since it has a mod that lets me use the line in as a line out (Or as a line though I have to be careful using it as a line in and as a dac at the same time). It's pretty awesome as the DAC runs purely off usb and doesn't need battery power whatsoever. Of course since I leave it feeding my office rig I don't really need it to be portable either.. except to marvel at its quality + tininess. The fact that it doesn't need to be plugged in or fed by battery is a big plus though.

Yeah I mean I've only really noticed a really noticeable difference with HD650s and not much else... but there are also well documented benefits to a balanced design. The only question is whether or not these benefits are audible or not... Also to Abaddon... even if 3 channel shit is legit it doesn't change the fact that the Opera sounds kind of like overpriced ass.

I forget the specifics but it was like there's stuff in the amp that already is supposed to give the same benefits as what that third channel gives and the stuff that's already there already does a well documented good job of whatever that benefit is (I want to say noise rejection or something I forget though)... while the jury is still a bit out on the 3rd channel so why bother?

I don't buy into the 3 channel tech. I've heard some good arguments as to why its hokey.

The Opera is shitty. It is horribly thin sounding as are all his amps for me and the DAC is nothing special at all. 1500 dollars huh. I'd get the pico when it comes out as a DAC only unit with rca outputs. Or a 90s DAC from a solid builder (Assemblage/Transdac/blah blah). Or a Apogee Duet which a lot of people seem to like (I haven't heard it myself but a lot of people I vaguely trust seem to like it) though I think you need a Mac to use it. All that stuff listed above is between 300-500ish. For amp I'd get a dynahi, beta22 (2 channel, none that silly 3 channel business), Headamp GS-1, hrm yeah I don't think eddie current really has anything in the ~1k price range right now and fuck it I still like Singlepower (But practically NO one else here does) so I'll recommend a used Extreme as well.

Laf I clicked on that link and it says: "Auric wire is made of soft high purity stranded copper; each strand individually polished for better electron flow. The insulation is high quality cross linked polyethylene " Are they being tongue in cheek with that better electron flow comment?

Yeah that was my thought too.

Yeah for the life of me I can't figure out how to edit posts if I even have that power so: Me, Foo_me, JP11231, PFKMan, Craig, Bigguy, Michael G. Looks like 3~ slots to go. (Filburt is a maybe).

Btw, it was suggested to me at this ultra mini meet I had Saturday that prior to opening this up on head-fi it might be good to send out some PMs to folks that are on head-fi but not here.. I was thinking along the lines of utep10 (Bruce)/mikeymad.... anyone else have suggestions? I'll update the original posts with people that have indicated interest.

It sounds like Craig himself is going to be coming up with the Nautilus and perhaps DAC in tow. So a comprehensive Nautilus/Balancing Act shootout can be made extant.

Dunno but I need to acquire some AD2000s too post haste.

Yeah I heard the Balancing Act in its current incarnation right now (Inferior already to the production version as that will have a better power supply, better transformers and what not) and it sounds good. I'm still leaning towards the Nautlius as more wow factor for me but really to say which is superior for my needs I'd need an extended amount of time with both.... Either way I am going to put a deposit on the Balancing Act and see how goes. A Filburt DAC -> Balancing Act -> AT AD2000s was phenonemal. A must have for me set up. Listening to track 1 of Take Five (The Sony 1997 version) hearing the absolute blackness and spatial separation between the opening drums/saxophone and very real imaging.... just wow. Putting the Qualias single ended back into the amp I was actually disappointed with the Qualias for a bit though their strengths eventually came back out past the wow factor the AD2000s put on me... Anyway I dunno if it was the headphones, the dac or the amp or some of all 3... but yeah. For Filburt detractors, well you are detracting on the wrong dude because he knows his shit ;p and that is evident in the sound that comes from his DAC. We used my Esoteric UX-1 as a transport and I am pretty sure that had very, very little to do with how good his DAC was sounding.

That forum is pretty hilarious. How immediately someone asked... what's the cheapest way to get into the high end. Mmm the high end. THe club almost everyone wants to join but isn't really willing to go the extra mile to do! (Buy one or two B-52s DUH).

You are right you can't please everyone. But if its between people who like to generate inane posts/uselessly duplicate information versus people who want a sparser environment where there is less duplicate information... well which party woukl you rather satisfy? There is no right answer, but I am curious. You could make the argument that those two goals aren't mutual exclusive and you'd be partially right, but the overlap in that Ven diagram is small. You could make the argument that the current style is right because it is aligned with the majority and you'd be right... that that's what the majority wants a place, i.e. a place to generate inane posts. But that doesn't mean necessarily that that is the right ideal for head-fi to strive for. (Again there is no right answer, but you should have a personal answer). I sympathize when you or anyone brings the "You can't win" line out. It's not an easy position to be in. But I don't get the point. It's not like the right move is to stop trying to please anyone. I'm sure you guys (moderators) and Jude have a vision and that vision involves pleasing some subset of people. And I don't know if that subset is slanted towards pleasing the inane masses, the people that are sorta in the know and want to be more in the know, the people in the know, vendors or the moderators/Jude himself. Whatever floats your guys' boat(s). But let me say.. the inane masses don't know what's good for them. What's good for them isn't the same dubious baseless shit repeated over and over by people who haven't even heard what they are spewing back and forth at each other. Maybe that shit should be moderated.

Dunno but that game sounds awesome and the concept is hilarious. What a practical solution to deal with preventing a princess from being rescued.. make her physically hard to be rescued.

There are always at least a few empiricals to take away from even the worst newb rave review. Unless you wanted to actually spend time to fabricate something completely fictitious that is designed to be useless.

Wow nice. Maybe I need to have you buy me one of his amps for my speakers.. and some cds too. I need the new Sparta Locals cd and the Eastern Youth anniversary cover collection vol2 and 1 ;p

So the take away from this is what convinced you to get UE11s over 10s is a very appealing bass from the UE11s? Otherwise everything else was ~the same and the main difference between the two is in the bass? Hrmmm if that's true then perhaps I will finally invest in some UE11s myself. The accuracy/monitorness of the UE10s has been attractive to me for a long time, but the UE11s have a higher #! If the UE11 is basically the same in the highs/mids but the bass is just really engaging then that works for me. As long as its not overpresent and one notey which was somewhat what I was afraid of but your impression makes it seem not that way at all. Phew.

Do I just output way too much text too fast? That's probably true. But then it sounds like its really just a typing contest and I'm sure lots of people type faster than me!

Yeah it should be exciting. Craig has already said that the finalized version will sound even better than what John has because of better transformers and some other things.

You really never can tell. Yeah sadly I won't be at the meet to help you out Elephas but asr is a stand up guy I'm sure he'll make sure you are covered. I truly hopes Mikhail follows through and I think he will *fingers crossed*. I think making Elephas a happy man will be a critical hurdle in Plan Singlepower Re-vamp.

Yeah fuck that Singlepower sound.

I know shit about amp building but I've always thought this Morgan Jones amp had a really nice looking build inside: withdraw: One of a kind Morgan Jones amplifier - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio