KenW

Knew it wouldn't be that easy. More research required I suppose! OTOH, I can't wait for GE's impressions as far as the new dac compares to the others(lavry) he's heard. Hurry it up GE!

For some, I'm sure it lacks the "bling-bling" factor. Cram it full and it's gotta be great, right? Dude, when you gonna have the next incarnation of the ae-1? I need a portable amp!

Hmmm....another prospect! So have you been able to confirm that it is, indeed, the single-ended section of the MKII?? So, what sort of customs/duties/taxes are you looking at when that baby arrives? Another dac to choose from! At this rate, I'll never make up what little mind I have!

I know I shouldn't covet or be envious but whew....dem some sweet cans Alex!

Thanks Dreamer. I've got an email in to Sound Pure and will check the Mercenary.com site. Guess I might get some cables made up and toss the Lavry or DA220 MKII in with the GCHA for an office rig. Appreciate the help. The Lavry is the right size plus it's not going to cost me like the new Stello would. Tough choice.

First, does anyone have dimensions and a guess on weight? Second, how's the headout on this unit? Decent or great job with Grados? Finally, anyone know of a good online source for purchase of this DAC?

Sounds like the 5000 might not be my cup of tea either. Is it just me or is every can this side of the Grado HP series somewhat coloured or weighted to one end or the other? Where's the balance?? For those of you with the W5000 and who've heard the 701, how would you say they compare in terms of bass(depth vs impact)? Would you say the 5000 is brighter?

Btw, on a non-related issue, you did hear about Zidanes reason for throwing that headbutt didn't you? Seems Materazzi insulted his mom and sister thereby provoking that outburst. Of course, Materazzi denies making such statements. Not sure who to believe.......but since Materazzis mom died when he was a teen and the mere talk about mothers chokes him up, it does seem like Zidanes explanation rings hollow. Since my wife lost her mother, the topic tends to have that same effect on her. Methinks the big Z just went with what sounded good.

Gimme a pair of those L3000's and I'll give you all the free pub you could want/use!!

Damn!! Thank you sir....may I have another!<whack!!whack!!>

Nope. No bleeding. Just tiny roundish, callous like pads on the tips of my first three fingers. None on the pinky so far.

WTH!?!!?!! How did you get those so fast? I thought the new release date was Aug 1?? Can this day get any freaking worse?! Damn, my laptop battery is dying! Hey, thanks for the pics. Can a have a bit more salt for the knife before you twist it again?

Yep, I figured an amp would come somewhere down the line. Still miles to go though. Fingertips look like they've got a bad case of crotch rot at the moment. Heck, I can't even feel the keyboard to type well! Time and patience.....time and patience.

Thanks. Now if I could just figure out what those 6 little wires are for!

Since I had the camera out, I thought I'd take a few pics of the new guitar. Did I do good??

Thanks. Didn't know that was a "replacement" but simply another option. Guess they do tend to fill the same nitch although at a bit of a different price level. Don't really need/want anything with that big of a footprint though. If the photos are representative, it appears the 200 is a good bit larger than the UO. Looks like I'll need to get back to researching or stick with my Tripplite Isobar.

I was informed that they were stopping production. Anyone know what's going to replace it if anything?

Well, I enjoyed the etys tremendously....when traveling. Nice isolation which was what I really needed as I tend to fly a good bit. Even the lack of bass didn't bother me as I could eq them with the Karma and get a respectable, if not natural, result. My relationship with the ety soured when cracks of the tubes came. I'd babied those things like they were nitroglycerine coated and they still cracked. Had ety repair them and sold them. When I lose faith in a piece of gear, it's over....for good. Then I moved on to the E5c. As was mentioned earlier, they are a bit rolled off on the top end but from a comfort standpoint, these were sweet. Bass was deep and plentiful as well. Isolation wasn't as good as the ety but still quite acceptable as crying children and loudmouths on the flights were still tolerable. I'm IEM-less right now as I await the arrival of the E500. I still have a need for isolation and portability so I doubt an IEM will ever be totally out of my setup but I tend to think a closed can might be best for home use. Actually, I've got the itch to give the L3000 a whirl. Problem is that no one seem to want to sell at the moment. Alex has 3...THREE of those and that's after he sold some off!! Yikes!! And KenW just want ONE pair. Where's the justice!?!

Nope....no Senns anymore. After spending a good amount of time with the 701, the 650 and then the GS-1000, I decided that the GS1K fit me best. I found myself listening to those cans almost exclusively. Much better/clearer top end with the Grados than the Senns plus the bass was pretty darned nice as well. Not the impact the Senns had but close. Mids were fine and these were so doggone comfortable that the Senns just couldn't hang. While the GS1K might not be the ultimate headphone....well they aren't...and they might have some issues/flaws....well the bass could be tighter and more controlled....they certainly give me the best all round performance to date. I'm just "satisfied" with these. As i said...they suit me fine. Hence, the 701 and 650 have departed and I miss them not! As for the SP, Mikhail could surely work the pre-amp function for you. He did a loop out for me. At the time, it just suited my needs to do the loop out. The ES1 would probably be at the top of my list if I were going that route. Actually, I'm very tempted to do so. OTOH, a balance source is also something I think I want to try/explore. Question is do I go with a stand alone CD player or do the transport/dac? Frankly, I think I'm going the latter as it offers me more flexibility as I also want to toy with a computer based setup. My type are that way you know!

Thanks GRW. I think you might be right in that expecting one amp to do it all to the level of expectation/hope is asking too much. Granted, it's all from reading opinions of others but that seems to be the consensus. I had hoped the Cary might be the answer but far too many comments about the headphone performance. For now, that would be of primary importance as the wife is still giving me problems about adding speakers to the entertainment room. Guess I could put my foot down but that won't make for a harmonious coexistance. Hmmm....speakers or the wife.....guess giving in on the speakers is the cheaper alternative, no? As to the 2A3, I found it did the HD650 extremely well but the Grados did not fare well at all. I got some feedback/hum with all my Grados. The solution was far too expensive and only added to the growing cost of this amp. I had a few functional issues which necessitated a return to Craig for repairs. At 75lbs, it's certainly not inexpensive to ship it across the country! I guess I got frustrated with the piece and really lost my shirt by selling it. In hindsight, I probably made a mistake in moving that one. After all, Craig had virtually rebuilt the thing so it likely will give the new owner nothing but consistent, beautiful performance. Simply put, I'd just had enough and was ready to move on to something else. So the Melos works for you? Can you tell me more about it? I'm assuming you're referring to the sha-1? i'd briefly considered that one but came across some reports of reliability and got scared off by those comments. Maybe I need to reconsider? OTOH, I'm pretty well satisfied with the MPX3 slam. It's performing quite well with my Sony and GS-1000's so I'm content.....for the time being. Of course, my "type" is never truly satisfied. Just love the smell of new gear I suppose. So give me the skinny on the Melos. Email or PM is fine. Heck, lay it on me here. I don't mind.

Yes, I owned that amp but "issues" led to her departure. Uh...since when is seeking feedback from more experience members who've had the opportunity to sample far more gear than I have "indecisive"??? Seems I'm simply seeking some advice/guidance. I do like trying new things but of late it seems like I'm spread thin. Just too much unused gear which I have been selling off of late i.e....streamlining/downsizing. Just figured I could take it one step further and perhaps not have a separate amp for headphones and speakers. If I could find one that would to both justice, it seemed a logical move on my part. I haven't had speakers since getting married so I haven't been keeping up with them and the associated hardware. Figured there would be other headphone fans who've been down a similar road who might have valuable information so I asked. Don't see the problem with asking for some help/advice. FWIW, I do enjoy what I have but at one point in time, I had speakers and while headphones are nice, they aren't at that level...for me anyway. Hey, thanks for you contribution....such as it is. Like I said, I enjoy headphones but miss speakers but don't really want to invest in two separate rigs if I can get one that does both reasonably well. Clear? Actually, there are a few Cary's and I had a long talk with Kevin at Upscale but upon further review, I decided that it wasn't for me in spite of his generous pricing. Yep, he could and likely would do that for me. That was an option we discussed early on but I enjoyed the loop out on the GS-1 I had in for a brief time so much that I chose that route instead. As for the L3000's and K1000's, I've not been able to snag either for a listen yet. Have doubts that I'd be totally taken with the K1000 presentation. As you know, I'm a bit of a basshead so these likely wouldn't last long with me but I'd sure like to give them a listen with the right amp. The L3000 is pretty much the same deal. Just can't lay my hands on a pair. They sound like a fantastic headphone and someday I'll get some quality time with them.

Hey....long time no speak. The MPX3 is doing fine. Just thinking about "streamlining" things a bit. Somewhat a pipe dream to find a single amp that can do both headphones and speakers justice but I thought I'd look into it. Somewhat of a moot point as the missus isn't real wild about speakers and the aesthetics of 'em. Guess the MPX3 stays. Just decided to trim some gear and explore some other cans. I've had the itch to give the L3000 a listen along with the K1000. Of course, that means....yup....another amp! Vicious cycle isn't it??

That would have been great but I'd be WAY out of place with a seasoned guitarist. I'm a raw beginner and it looks like I'll stay one for a bit longer than I'd like! Cut my hand today trying to get into a panel box to throw a breaker on an AC unit that wasn't working! I'm furious with myself as it will hinder my practice time considerably. Heck, I don't have my pads yet! :'(

Agree with recstar. I had time to spend with the GS-1 and I can heartily recommend it. Definitely a SS presentation(duh) but still not over the top and harsh. Absolutely LOVED the loop out. Got the same in my slam as a matter of fact. Build quality is obviously excellent. Just a great amp and I think a great match for the 650s.

I've been working with the F. Honestly, I have an easier time of that than that stinking D!! I just can't keep my finger from leaning back against that E!! Yeah, I know I need to be more vertical but darn that's got me more than a few times when I try and go too quick in a transition. I'll give that open E some time tonight. Keep dem tips comin'!!! You know...I could almost sell my headphone gear and just enjoy learning the guitar! I'm having a blast. I'm almost past the sore tips.....actually, they're more than a bit numb right now! Guess that's progress. Wish I hadn't waited so long to start but at least I DID start.