n_maher

I like my Arcam CD73 quite a bit, it was my first forray into a "real" source and certainly didn't disappoint when compared to the likes of my Monica DAC and other mid-fi sources I compared it to. I haven't heard any of the other Arcam products you're considering so I have no idea how much better things can get. But in terms of bang for your buck the 73 seems pretty damn decent, especially since you can get a used one for 33% off the retail $700 without trying very hard. There's two on Head-Fi right now and a couple others on Audiogon.

If it were me I'd nuke the budget and get a B-Stock Outlaw RR-2150 for $499.

Back to the AT talk. I was able to do some back and forth between my HD650s w/ Zu cable and the W5ks yesterday. The 650s are balanced and were being driven by my mini32 and sourced by the same Wadia that was feeding the Millett. I have to be perfectly honest, the W5k did not fair all that well in the comparison. If I listened to the AT for a while (like an hour or so) my hearing would adjust to its particular sound signature pretty well and things would start to sound pretty normal and even. But switching back to the 650s reset my hearing enough that putting the AT's back on immediately highlighted what I can only describe as a hollow midrange. What is most confusing to me is that it certainly isn't the whole midrange that sounds this way. Maybe it's my lack of understand of what "midrange" really is, but some portions of the midrange signal sound outstanding out of the W5k's but other parts seem to be almost missing. So the experimentation continues... I've got an M3 that I'm repairing for a friend that I will hopefully have up and running this week which is reported to be one of the better/synergistic W5k amps and of course I'm working on a single-ended beta22. So I'll keep these around long enough to try both of those amps and see if they react favorably to higher output current. I have exactly zero tolerance for headphones that require intense setup tweaking, that is to say that I think good headphones should sound good with just about anything, so if these prove to be even more difficult to get sounding "right" their stay will probably be a short one. It's a shame really, they're so freakin' comfortable (I have them with me at work today) and at times I think I catch glimpses of what they should be capable of but not often enough.

I guess I know what I should be charging. MOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOT

That should give you an idea of what you need to work on when it comes to posting, eh?

It looks like I'll have access to a couple of modules, but unless I go the MOT route (more than I am now ) I suspect that it would be quite difficult to acquire more. I'll be interested to hear what they say to Mr. Enigma.

The journey begins...

Typical response from a manufacturer, pffft.

That's right brother, although I prefer to rage against the machine!

Yes, very much so. Very light, don't apply any pressure to the head and just kind of float there. And either my ears are getting more used to them or the amp is just getting warmed up because the more I listen the better and more balanced they sound. More time will be spent with them tomorrow since I didn't compare them to anything else tonight.

Someone call a moderator my mommy, this thread is out of control...

We have officially achieved Teh Funnay.

You have clearly been without Whisky for too long.

Ouch! :'(

I wouldn't read too much into it, the parent company, Hug and Dance Audio, still has to approve the merger and has recently expressed concerns about the low-level affiliates (like Nugget) being allowed access to the high-end tech too quickly. A merger of two of the low-tech pieces may further upset the balance.

Don't worry, Rockhopper North (formerly Nugget Audio) can help you out with either the adapter or wiring up the jack. Since you'd be dealing direct with a devision of Rockhopper your warranty would remain intact.

Yeah, I'm good like that. First Impressions w/ Wadia 830 -> maxxed Millett Hybrid Some of what I heard in NY is still there, which is to say that I feel like something is missing from the midrange, I can't quite put my finger on yet. I'm throwing different genres at them right now to see what might highlight it for me. So far female fronted material has faired better than male, with male voices sounding more than a bit recessed and distant. Upper end detail is top notch without being the least bit harsh and the bottom end is decent, good clarity but not a whole heck of a lot of slam. I'm going to throw some metal at them next and see how they do with that before doing some back to back with my Hf-1s and HD650s. More later, unless I fall asleep in my chair.

Right now, yes, very much. You tried the K1K's outta that sucker yet? [edit]And OH SNAP, check the mother f'ing black gates in that sucker?!??!?!

I didn't see Ian's post before I started typing this reply but it would have been the same regardless... BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Right, me finish the amp in the next month. And congrats Haj!!!!

You know, it's kinda funny, I operate ampless a lot of the time which is pretty damn odd for someone that builds there own amps. :| But I found a way to fire them up and I'm listening to them right now. First impression, they definitely sound different than the balanced recabled pair I heard in NYC. The next few hours should be interesting... Nice! Figure out what the heck you're going to use them for yet?

Nice, let me know how it goes.

Welcome to Head-case foo_me. FYI, you can say shit around here and no one will bat an eye.

It would be pretty funny if the only real difference between the old RS-1s and the newer variety is that the older ones have been run in and abused enough to sound different. Regardless I simply can't find any justification for the $1000 premium that this last pair allegedly commanded.

I think the higher up the ladder you climb the more likely that the CD player will have digital inputs. For whatever reason I've always been a sucker for the Wadia aesthetic and with that in mind I'd love to hear how much better this 860x sounds compared to my 830.

Well, my W5ks arrived today. Dusty would approve, they are very, very dark black with subtle grain unlike the pair I tried in NYC. I am without an adapter at work that would let me try them but I'm sure I'll come up with a way to listen to them tonight.