n_maher

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.

Nice! The K1k remains one of my few temptations and depending on how my AT experiment goes that might be where I head next...

Oh, I'm already a tweener, it's just a matter of how absurd the speaker rig gets. My guess is that it'll stay pretty reasonable (i.e. not Reks-like).

I've been offered samples of some stuff before, even with full disclosure about who I am, what I do and the fact that it's unlikely that I'll generate much income for their company. Some people still offer and who am I to turn them down but in this case I'd bet they would charge regardless and more than likely flat turn me down. Still, can't hurt to ask...

Hmmmm, I wonder if they would sell a sample ICE module to Nugget Audio...

What on earth made them so "special"?

OMG, you might actually take down one of your WTB threads?!?!

Pure cosmetic light show as far as I know. And honestly, you probably know more about the circuit than I do.

Because he's postjack and will do whatever the hell he wants. RESPECT!

The site is definitely pissed, I can get to the forums main page but all of the actual forum links either take me back to the main page or come back with a database error. Oddly enough I was able to receive a PM though.

Nice watch Peter, I like it.

cue every owner of vintage RS-1s claiming vast sonic differences

The balanced MAX creates a differential signal regardless of digital input (coax, usb, or optical). Nope, that's the entire balanced MAX DAC module right there. Quite the technological achievement to get it on that small a space really.

It was 9 deg F when I left this morning for work.

That's a friggen scary thought right there.

My DAC has twice as much stuff (balanced vs. single ended). Otherwise, as far as the DAC is concerned I believe that they are identical (MAX DAC architecture). Of course the power supply that feeds mine is overkill to a degree that is laughable, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm not buying anything for the rest of the day. Today is my company dinner, where my boss takes us out for dinner and pays for everything. Good food and scotch here we come.

Don't forget a bit of this and a bit of that along with a dab of whatever you call it.

For single ended cables I usuall connect them at the source end only. For balanced cables I've tried source-end and both, with no difference (in my rig). But for the most part I follow the industry standard of source side only.

My technical opinions about the Dr.'s amps are largely derived from conversations that I've had with a good friend who has intimate knowledge of the designs (he's built and heard all of them). I freely admit on these forums I'm no designer and have limited abilities so I don't feel at all qualified to speak about the latest iteration. If the HD200 is as Earl says and is an evolution of the custom amp he had built it should sound great and seems to be getting back to the baseline of what Mapletree used to do. But then he went and threw the fracken ridiculous magic eye tubes in there. It takes a gorgeous amp and makes it a gimmick and I'm sorry to say I can't get past that.

The Ear+ Purist HD is really the only one that I'd recommend buying. The newer versions all don't sit well with me from a design standpoint and the + Purist has received enough universal acclaim that I think you'd be able to flip it effectively. But heck, if you've got a EC/SS loaner it seems like a moot point unless the loan won't bridge the whole gap.

Ryan, Have you ever heard a Mapletree Ear? That amp might fit into a similar price range (especially used) and has been reported to sound good by many people. I can only comment on the modified Ear that I heard, which sounded fantastic.