HeadphoneAddict

Then what will all the predators do without prey?

That's just it - people here are allowed to attack, and the recipient is expected to just take it up the butt. And, then everyone feels free to ignore the important post just below the complaint, so the thread gets totally derailed.

I wrote these positive comments back in November 2008, without being a Shill. 11/9/08 - mini-meet with plaidplatypus at my crib - MD5000DE, Stax - Koss ESP950 - HE60, ATH-A900 vs D2000 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio I had NO financial interest or obligations to Lavry back then, and what I said about the DA10 in this thread were documented as being my thoughts long ago. I was not making things up in my recent posts just to get favors from Dan 3 months later. I was telling the truth about what I thought about it.

Sometimes I hate this place. You guys just freaking pick apart every little thing I say, and find hidden meaning in it and ulterior motives that don't exist, just to puff up your chests and feel superior. I feel sorry for you all.

What?

So, you are saying that if I trade my stuff for a DA11 then I am not an impartial party and I am working for the company to hawk the product while claiming that I have no financial interest in the product. But if I sell my stuff and buy a DA11 that changes everything? It's not like he could take take the DA11 back once it's mine, so I could say any bad thing I wanted about it if it were true. Besides, I said I didn't seriously expect to be taken up on the offer. Anyways, I'll likely sell the Edition 9 and then use the money for my HD800 in 2 weeks, so it's moot point anyways. The DA11 will probably be next in line to purchase, unless I am really hurting for money and have to get a Stello DA100 Signature instead. But I'd rather wait as the DA11's "PIC" appeals to me, and I liked the HP out of the DA10 a lot too. For feeding multiple amps I would just have to get an XLR switch box or distribution center, or feed the XLR into my SP amp and use the RCA to loop out into my Woo GES.

Ouch. Why, if I am out $1600 for Edition 9, re-cable and spare parts its not like getting the DA11 for free? Not that I expect him to take me up on a silly but serious offer.

I've compared the Pico amp with DAC to the Apogee mini-DAC via USB previously, and I think the Pico holds up well. As a matter of fact, with my Stax O2 Mk2 the Woo GES sounds better being fed by the Pico than Apogee which is fine with everything else. They both have great detail and space, but the Apogee is more tubey sounding when combined with the GES and O2 Mk2. I should wait till I hear the Pico DAC only before buying anything else.

I think the treble on the two is pretty similar, and slightly less bright than the Jade, ESP950 or HE60 (and even less bright than an SR-Lambda). But, after a few minutes with them on the head, the brain fills in the treble just fine after it acclimates. With Spritzer's earpad spring mod the mids pull back and are not as forward, but still not quite as natural/neutral as the Mk1 mids. The Mk1 bass also extends a little deeper, and where the Mk2 seems flat to 31Hz and 3-4dB down at 25Hz the Mk1 waits till 20Hz to be 3-4dB down. Spritzer thinks the roll-off might be due to my Woo GES, but I don't know.

We listened to 6 DAC's at the CO head-fi meet this weekend. The full Gamma 1 that wiatrob built can easily hang with $400-1000 desktop DAC's when used with coax S/PDIF input. And, he uses it with his modded HP-3 at work as a headphone amp as well. It's 1/8" output was about as good as the mini-DAC 1/8" line out which can drive headphones too, but we never got to try comparing the Apogee XLR out vs the Gamma 1. The Stello DA100 was slightly more spacious and detailed, as was the Electrocompaniet ECD-1 which sounded identical to the Stello. We really needed more time switching back and forth between the Gamma 1, Apogee and DACMagic so with the limited time we had left at the end of the meet we could only divide them into two groups with all 5 being very good, but with the Stello DA100 and ECD-1 being slightly above the other 3. We also threw the iBasso D10 into the mix with the big boys, via coax input and using the 1/8" line-out, and it was less spacious, less detailed and less dynamic (same problem with iBasso D3 line out). But the D10 output through the headphone amp section sounds much better than it's output via the line out (same issue with the D3), but I wasn't thinking about that when we were setting up the SPDIF distribution center and the preamp with all 6 DACs feeding into it. So, using it as an optical DAC preamp to feed the Woo GES earlier in our meet proved it to be on par with the Pico as a DAC/Preamp. Sherwood listened with me and agreed with that. Too bad it is 1.5" longer than the Pico, with worse RFI from the iPhone than the Pico. I think the fact that the Pico DAC will eliminate the unneeded amp circuitry, and wont need any power or batteries to run, and will have 1/8" out and RCA out will still make it an excellent choice for a high quality USB DAC (not everyone has optical, and the D10 USB is slightly below the Pico via USB, just like the D3).

Hey Dan, how would you like to trade a Lavry DA11 review sample for my mint condition Ultrasone Edition 9 #440 with 6-foot APS V3 cable with 1/8" plug and extra pair of chrome housings, with flight case and Ultrasone CD and 1/4 adapter? kinda serious here, although I don't expect you to do it but I just had to ask anyways, because one never knows what might happen. Then I can do a review of it before I set my Apogee mini-DAC off to the side as a spare. I've already posted that I liked the DA10 better than the Apogee, but I only spent one afternoon with it when plaidplatypus brought it over to play.

That's okay, I just traded the O2 Mk1 for your old K1000 from the guy who who got them from you. Now I will have to do the rest of Spritzer's mods and plug the O2 Mk2 bass port, but the O2 Mk2 sound nothing like any of the Lambdas I have heard (normal, pro and signature). I suppose I should try to hear a 404 someday. Then I suppose I should re-cable the Jade and I'll be all set.

Agree completely, and they are much better sounding than when I shipped the stock Gamma Pro to Smeggy. Smeggy, thank you soooo much! Signed, 'stat boy PS: I wonder if Smeggy would trade the K1000 for one of my O2?

The SE530 sound even better if you can find someone still in business who will put its drivers into a custom IEM shell with dual sound tubes. You can get something like a Livewires or HearYourself.com IEM and split it open and gut the insides, but that is NOT cost effective at all. Then there is the task of figuring out what size and length sound tubes from drivers to ear tip that work the best with them. I think Suyama in Japan can still do it.

I thought the SE530 mids were plasticky with the wrong tips, namely the unmodified triple flange. When I cut the triples into a biflange, and also cut the stalk about 2-3 mm shorter they sounded better (but yellow foam or black olive foam were better). Those same modded tips were too short for the Westone 3 and sounded funny with them, but so did the stock triple flange again - so I had to one cut only one end of the triple flange tips but not both, so the length was in between stock ones and ones and modded for the SE530. The custom Westone UM56 tips I had made for my SE530 also sound best on my Westone 3 as well.

But how does it sound? We have a guy in Denver with some ESP10 that might bring them to the Colorado meet at my house next weekend. I'm getting curious, but he took them apart to make them sound better and more comfortable.

I'm still dying to hear what my Gamma Pro sound like in a "Smegma Pro" woody cup with the SR-007 Mk1 pads that I sent Smeggy a while back. I bribed him with some free headphones and ear pads, but we've been keeping him real busy with orthodynamic builds as well, so I just have to wait my turn...

Two, if you count the one that does all the thinking. It doesn't want to pull out the DAC everytime I switch amps.

I appreciate the response, but it still doesn't solve the problem of using the same DAC for two amps - the balanced dynamic rig and SE electrostatic rig without using RCA loop out on the balanced amp. I can use the XLR out of my Apogee into the balanced amp, and the 1/8" line out with mini-RCA into the electrostatic rig at the same time.

I loved the SR-X MkIII but liked my SR-5NB gold edition a little more for the circumaural fit and soundstage (same drivers). Very good headphones that I feel can compete with my RS-1. The O2 Mk1 with Woo GES are a definite hit, as are my Jade. I hope to get you to hear these sometime soon. Sorry you can't be at the meet next Saturday, but I am available this sunday and the sunday after the meet too.

I was impressed with Plaidplatypus's DA10, so I'll have to keep my eyes on the DA11. The only thing I'd want different is the spot where the XLR-in is located to instead be a pair of RCA-out, so it has both SE and balanced output and can drive two amps (my balanced dynamic rig and my SE Woo GES). When we tried plaid's DA10 in my rig, we connected the XLR out into my Square Wave and used the RCA on the Sq Wave as loop out to feed the GES, but a direct connection to the DAC would be preferred.

By all means, have Justin send it here instead.

Why, there is nothing wrong with yours...

They seem to be going for up to $300 with transformer these days, according to what Sherwood, Blutarsky and ericj have paid recently. I bought mine with SRD-X from plaidplatypus for $230 11/07, and my son's from Fitz by itself last summer for $240. Oublie was asking about $300 for his when I bought his SRD-7 Mk2 SB a week ago.

Blutarsky's Zana Deux and Melos SHA Gold are both fantastic, with a tiny 1% edge going in favor of the Melos. Nevertheless, his Zana Deux is great with low impedance like HF-1, RS-1, HP-1000, PS-1, Denon D2000 and also with 300 ohm HD600 and HD650. His Zana Deux was the first amp I heard that made the HD650 sound like they were worth owning (before he got the Melos). The Melos however is stunning driving HD600 from the pseudo-balanced XLR preamp outs with a female XLR balanced APS v3 cable. The Melos does have very good/costly upgraded Telefunken tubes in it from Larryminator I think. I know I would be happy to own a Zana Deux, although I am already very happy with my Maxed WA6 with pseudo dual power supply and Sophia Princess 274b rectifier. I think they actually sound very similar.