catscratch

Damnit, don't remind me. I have two crates of vinyl in storage, and more than a few reference quality records that one of my friends keeps dropping off as a subtle hint as to where my rig should be going.

I've heard the HD650 sound boring, analytical, cold (yes, cold), warm, soft, dynamic, not dynamic, detailed, muddy, whatever the hell you can think of really, all depending on the system. I don't think it's a neutral headphone by itself, but it's revealing enough to sound at least in part like your upstream components, and its sound can be tailored in many different directions. The reviewer also mentioned FR irregularities in the Proline 2500, which I agree with. He seems to be immune to piercing highs, but even so, I've seen far worse "professional" reviews than this one.

Wow, the O2 really does show up your source like nobody else's business. Listening with an 840c in the system right now, balanced outputs to 717. It's such a different sound! The Rega was clearly inadequate for the system, with grain, a shouty tone to the upper mids, limited extension top and bottom, and a smallish soundstage. The 840c fixes these problems. The sound is smooth, liquid, and free of artifacts except for a slight sheen on the treble and upper mids - I'm guessing that's the upsampling making its presence known. The tone of the midrange is neutral (actually slightly warmer than the Rega), the highs are very even but slightly pushed forward - very K1000-like, actually - and the bass is deep and tight but not overstated. Soundstage is much more open and three-dimensional than the Rega, and imaging is not bad, though not quite all the way up there. Basically, the sound is that of extreme transparency and air, with very good detail and a correct tone. Still, not all is well, since this combo lacks weight and fullness. Midrange is correct in tone and is fluid, but is also a bit thin. It's like looking at a holograph of an image rather than an actual image. Very nice, detailed, colorful, and three-dimensional, but not solid. And, when you crank up the dial to compensate for the lack of solidity, the highs quickly let you know that they are, in fact, pushed forward. Even the Rega sounded distinctly fuller, though on the whole, the 840c is in a different league entirely. The whole sound signature of the player is very K1k-like, if it makes sense to compare a transducer's sound signature to a player's. Basically, the player is IMO a very solid mid-fi machine that has the detail of a high-end machine, has a very nice tone, but is somewhat lacking in solidity and fullness, and has a slight digital sheen. Basically, about what I'd expect from a $1500 new player that's worth its money and isn't a rip-off. I'm guessing if it had a discrete output stage, and used a better DAC that didn't upsample, it would have a more robust sound. Still, I'm not going to complain, as it's a massive improvement on what went on before. On the whole, I quite like it. Time for more listening.

Damnit, the world is still here. That means I have to go back to work and fix this stupid PC. Man, and I had high hopes...

No balanced output on that AudioZone (right?). Also, I didn't want to use the Rega as a transport since I simply HATE that top-loading mechanism. You have to fiddle with it and adjust it out the ass, and by the time you're ready to listen you want to hang yourself with your own colon. I'll see though, I just want something that's good enough for now, and in a few months when I have 3k to blow, I'll get something better.

Well, let's see what the 840c will do with the 007/717. It's going to be a stopgap until I can rile up enough cash for something truly high-end. But until then, it should be better than the Rega. Digital glare and upsampling artifacts, here we come. But at least hopefully there will be no more grain, roll-off at both ends, and shouty vocals.

O2 Mk1 is only "that" good in the sense that it's the first headphone I've come accross where I have very little to nitpick about. Any time I listen to a piece of audio gear and something is out of place, I start getting irritated and can't really relax into the music. Provided I'm in a critical listening mood, since I can listen to a crappy car system in a good mood and not care about how it sounds. So, when you're driven by perfectionism but don't have bottomless pockets, it's very nice to have a headphone like this, which, when you think about its competitors, really isn't very expensive for what it offers. In fact, I'm hard pressed to find any reason for going with anything other than the O2 Mk1 in its price bracket, unless of course you don't like its presentation. Too bad the hidden costs are so steep, but I don't see how this would be any different for any other seriously high-end transducer. Garbage in = garbage out. And yes, the O2 definitely isn't about impressing on the first listen. Sure, it can be very impressive if the music is very impressive, but a lot of its stuff comes out when you've had time to listen to the nuances of its presentation. It doesn't flaunt its detail, drive, dynamic range, soundstage, etc. But for all that, it's still the most detailed and dynamic headphone I've ever heard (well maybe the Qualia 010 can do better but it's been a long time since I've heard one) and its imaging is second to none. It doesn't take apart the whole to impress you with the individual aspecs of its presentation.

I'm warming up to the 717 as well. The lack of fluidity and grain in the sound is definitely from the source. Once that's changed, then there will probably be little to nitpick about. Areas for improvement, sure, but very little that's outright wrong. Which will make a first... In fact, the O2 Mk1 pretty much stops my search for headphones. I don't lust after the HE90 anymore. I don't really care to keep up to date with what else is out there, unless it gives the O2 Mk1 a run for its money. Just about the only conceivable (and likely) headphone purchase in the future would be the UE11, or whatever TOTL custom is out at the time. The modded SR-001 is surprisingly good and more than adequate as a transportable system, so I'm set on that front, too. I'll have to hear the ESP950 to see if I want it.

I don't want it diplomatic, I want it right between the eyes. I'm one heck of a lot less diplomatic IRL than online, which makes me... just about the complete opposite of 99.9% of the population. I tell the truth, and usually that gets me into trouble. Oh well... I'll post high rez pics in a few days, but you'd better hold onto your lunch. It ain't pretty.

Eh, I think you've been listening to the SR-005 too much. Compared to that, sure, the O2/Dared is bright. But compared to something more neutral, not really. The O2/717 is much closer to the tonality of the SR-003. With the SRD-7/Dared, it's closer to a K340, but still not quite as bright. You'll probably like the O2/717 sound a lot. I wouldn't use the word "could" since that's certainly it. But, when I listen to my rig, I don't want to hear how shit my source is. I just want to relax and enjoy the music. I know how shit my source is, I've been using it for over 3 years. The 717 will stay until I get a new source, that's for damn sure. Then, we'll see what's what. My first guess would be: a lot. I haven't powered the damn thing up in a while, but it basically clips during dynamic passages. Any time you get something that hits hard, like a peak in an orchestral recording or a serious bassline in electronic music, you get clipping. I'm going to check it again with the SR-003 (and so help me, the SR-007) and see what's what. It was doing that from the start.

Initial impressions RE SRM-717 vs SRD-7 Pro/Dared VP-20: Well, this is a surprise. Several things jump out immediately. First, the bass is definitely tighter with the 717. I guess it's the extra added power. With the SRD-7/Dared, the bass has all the volume of the 717, all the depth of the 717, and all of the tonal clarity of the 717, but it's fuzzier, doesn't have the snap, and doesn't have the definition. There's more of a diffuse bass cloud than a precisely localized bassline. With the 717, the bass is definitely better defined. Not any tonally cleaner, really, but quicker, punchier, and snappier, with more authority. Second, the highs are - surprise - more upfront and more detailed with the SRD-7/Dared. I really thought the 717 would do better here, but no cigar. The 717's highs are somewhat metallic and dry compared to the SRD-7/Dared, and are definitely more recessed (though not any less extended). If anything, the SRD-7/Dared is a bit on the bright side, while the 717 is definitely somewhat on the dark side. Dynamic range is definitely better on the 717. The SRD-7/Dared combo is definitely not lacking in dynamic range, but with the 717, there is a noticeable visceral punch. With the SRD-7/Dared, there is only an absence of the typical electrostatic lack of punch. It's not annoying, but it doesn't woo you with its dynamic power. Soundstage is wider and more airy on the SRD-7/Dared. Imaging isn't any less defined - there is just a certain tubey air and space around each instrument which the 717 totally lacks. The 717 does feel more congested in comparison. But the biggest difference, and one I've been procrastinating to say the most, is in the midrange. The SRD-7/Dared has a very tubey, lush approach to rendering the midrange that nevertheless doesn't warm up midrange tone. It isn't cold, it's just about neutral with very lifelike tone, but there is also this wonderful liquid character to it. With the 717, the midrange is a bit warmer, but it's also completely dry. There is no liquid character to it at all. Now, I'm making it sound like the SRD-7/Dared midrange is like sex with Keira Knightley, while the 717 is like getting your ears raped with a sandpaper condom. It's nothing of the sort. It's just a difference between a very tubey presentation and a typical solid-state presentation. But, it's still a deal-breaker for me. If anything, the 717 confirms what I already knew - I'm a tube man through and through. With the SRD-7/Dared, there is just this lush tube magic to the system that makes me completely relax, let my guard down, and ease into the music. I could wax poetic about every detail and nuance of its presentation, but I just don't care to do it after even a short time listening. I'm too busy enjoying the music. With the 717, I'm aware at all times that something is lacking. Even if the sound is technically better, and even if there is more punch - I just can't relax and let go. My initial impression is "... it's nice" and then in 15 minutes I want to turn it off. With the SRD-7/Dared, the sound is so fluid and musical I can listen all day, except that my head wants to explode after two hours from the sheer level of awesome. So, the 717 will not stay, even if it is technically better than the SRD-7/Dared combo. But, it will stay until I get a better source. Some of the dryness could come from the Rega, and it definitely doesn't have enough resolution for the O2 with either setup. Also, the 717 is balanced, and a balanced source could definitely change things. I see the following options in my future: 1) Keep the SRD-7/Dared. My wallet likes this option, and my ears certainly could live with it, but there's a catch: the SRD-7 is not mine. So, I'll need to get another one when MaloS wants his shiny transformer box back. 2) Fix that McAlister heap of junk already. The amp is built like shit, arrived damaged (or maybe something is wrong with the circuit somewhere), and hasn't been of any more use other than a perpetual reminder of what build quality should NOT look like. But, it does have the sonic potential. If it didn't, I'd have myself a nice McAlister bonfire, with me and company dancing around the flames like wild Injuins (racist humor). I really, really don't fancy dealing with Peter again, but if I do get the amp up and running well (or swap it for another one that works), I will be happy. The amp really can sound good. 3). Build a Blue Hawaii. This will happen eventually, but to do so I have to a) have money, learn a new skill, and c) not kill myself in the process. Altogether unlikely, but hey, I've had worse odds in the past. Still, these are initial impressions. I reserve the right to completely change my mind at a later point in time. In fact, I may downright bitchslap myself.

Several fuses later, 717 is up and running! Impressions to come.

Nice! This is good news for those who can't get a Mk1, or for when its price inevitably shoots up.

K340 bass-light will work from a sonic point of view, but it needs a stationary amp. So, for out and about, it's not going to work. There are variances in SQ from pair to pair, and you'll have to match stationary amp to how your pair sounds... it's a bit of a PITA, but I've yet to hear a headphone with such incredible price to performance ratio. I had a pair that, out of a $200 tube amp, blew away the SR-404/SRM-007t combo, though admittedly that's easier than it sounds. Don't discredit the HD600, properly driven it's a beast. But, I don't have to preach, sooner or later everybody converts to the dark side.

Lol. I wouldn't use the word "hate" but I don't like it very much either. That midrange just completely ruins whatever else the cans do well... I can't believe I had the patience to live with them for over a year, and try time and again to turn them into something presentable. Too bad, because if the midrange was linear, they really would be very good. I second not getting a 404 if at all possible. Just get the amp, get your Koss, and get them reterminated to a Stax plug. And up the bias voltage on the amp if possible. I'm thinking of picking up an ESP950 to play with, if only because that horrid E-90 box is mobile (and because of the possibility of other potential mobile ways to drive them... but shhhhh, I'm not allowed to say anything yet!) P.S. how is the midrange on that 950? If it's anything like the A250 it's probably not up my alley, but if on the other hand it's closer to the O2, then I'm going to like it a lot.

PFFT. Quite clearly the Proline 750 has Unique Surround Sound Effect Technology , and you should forget those dinky Koss and go with the real thing. Mr Pinna said so, and he's never wrong!

I've been looking at that one, actually. I remember Tkam's review of the 840c, and his comments about the opus21 having a better midrange. It does seem like a good unit and used ones are right in the ballpark.

Have a happy! Lots of this: and of course and maybe as well if you're into that sort of thing. In other words, a happy and sober-free birthday!

I'm honestly not sure as to what source I'll be getting, the Cary was just an idea. I don't want to use the Rega as a transport; I think that top-loading mechanism is far too fussy about CD angle and in general annoying to use in the long term, and most of my music is on CD. I would probably want a one-box solution but with digital inputs, otherwise I'll have to get a separate transport. I'll probably have $2-2.5k to blow on it when the time comes so there will be plenty of options. Something along the lines of an 840c but with more musicality and a warm midrange, and a tube output stage.

Well the current PC sounds like a jet engine, and I need a closed headphone to filter it out (dare I say 4070?). But, the current PC is also running on 6 years old. In a month or so I'll have a new one, which will be water cooled and dead silent, and then the 007 probably will be used for gaming. It's certainly comfortable enough for long stretches at a time. And, I'm thinking of a Cary 303/300 down the road, and that has digital inputs as I recall... But, source is still not decided.

Yeah man, I totally agree. The O2 is the best headphone I've owned bar none. Including the Mk2. I'm slowly coming around to the way it does soundstage, and the rest of the sound is just about perfect. It really does remind me of a K340 without the colorations, and better in every way. 001 for portable use, soon with a modded amp, 007 for home use... Who needs dynamics anymore? Well, the DT770 is permanently welded to the PC so that's going to be the only exception

HOLY FUCKING EARGASMS BATMAN!!! I just got the sense, coming off a nice listening session, that the world sounds dull and lifeless compared to my rig. You know you have something special on your hands when you're getting that feeling. It's not something I've felt for a few years now, excluding my brief and partially successful stint with running the HD650 in push-pull mode off my speaker amp. That rig was magic, and this rig sounds surprisingly similar, but with a much more neutral tonality and more speed/detail all-around. Still countless room for improvement in the signal path, of course, but the magic is back. Seriously, listening to Shpongle just now was like losing your body and letting your mind float through an infinite ocean of brilliant light. There is also a very definite K340 vibe going, at least in terms of how my K340 sounded. In fact, it's eerie how similar the two headphones are. The O2 doesn't have the K340's colorations, either the warmth in the midrange or the annoying echoey reverb, and on a purely technical plane it's on another level. But, the magic that the K340 had is present here as well. GPH: Thanks for the impressions, the KGSS is an amp I definitely have on the menu as a potential main course. Regarding your impressions of its drier tonality next to the T1 - is it simply a drier tonality than the T1, or a dry tonality in the absolute sense? I love the liquid, "wet" sound that I'm getting out of the O2 in my rig, and I would hate to lose that. I haven't hooked up the 717 yet but I am afraid I may lose out on that liquid aspect even with the supposedly warmer-sounding 717. Right now, the rig is magically fluid and organic, but the transformer box doesn't have the power to make the bass as tight as it should be.

I'll also check out the EH1.2b, if it ever appears to have become a viable commercial product and not just a prototyle. I'm still following the 1.2b drama closely, and I hope something good will come of it, if only to motivate Stax to get their act together. The expense of the SR-Omega, together with its rarity and its propensity for driver failure, makes me think twice about trying to find one. If it's not a stretch financially then I'll go for it, but ATM it's a risky investment. Will keep you posted on how the 717 works out. Is it possible to substitute jumpers from other sources if I'm missing one? And where would I go by getting my hands on them?

RE soundstage: I'm basically a sucker for HE90-like colorations, and keep in mind that ambient and downtempo electronica is a lot of my listening material. There, these kinds of colorations work very well. So, I don't know if the Mk1 is The Headphone for me, but it's certainly the best in my collection so far, and easily the most accurate headphone I've ever heard. RE bass: The issue with the Mk2's bass isn't that it's boosted. The problem is that it's uneven. The midbass is overblown and the deep bass is lacking, and even on rock, if you listen closely to the bassline, you'll hear the bass getting fuzzier and quieter as the notes go lower and lower. With the Mk1 that doesn't happen; the bass is very even. I am also a bit of a closet basshead, and I wouldn't mind a general bass boost, but the Mk2 only boosts a specific part of the bass, and therein lies the problem. RE groupthink: Nah, I think we're just experienced people that know our stuff and have the balls to come out and say what we think. Every time someone gets a shiny new toy and it doesn't perform to par there is a strong desire to make excuses and justify it. I've done that to some extent early on in my audio career, and I'm sick of it. I want my gear to get it right, especially when I'm paying top dollar for it. Well, now I have two tasks: 1) to modify a 240V SRM-717 to 117V, and 2) to find a synergistic source for my whole rig, depending of course on how the Mk1/717 combo will sound. The above comparison was on the SRD-7 Pro/Dared VP-20 setup, and it's actually pretty damn good overall. But, there's room for improvement.

Out of the main stuff (I really have too much gear): O2 Mk1 > O2 Mk2 > HD650 balanced > HD600 balanced > K340 > SR-003 > HD600SE > SR-001 > HD650 SE > DT770 No ranking for the H2 or K1000, they aren't working right. When I get them up and running, I suspect the K1k will be around the O2 Mk2 mark, and as for the H2, I have no idea; anything from first place to last place is possible.