Better than X-Cans V1?

[KT666]

Hi, new here, looks interesting.

I use HD600s with my orignal, stock Musical Fidelity X-Cans

I am not a big user of headphones at home, mainly LP (LP12)

and CD (Ikemi), I never use my PC for music.

What should I try and how much (ish) should I expect to pay to noticeably get a better sound

than the X-Cans.

Has anyone here ever had their X-cans upgraded?

thanks

KT666

London

[blessingx]

I would recommend (as starting points):

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[aardvark baguette]

How can you think about headphones at a time like this?

Show some compassion to japan, asshole.

[The Monkey]

Beta22.

[KT666]

did I say something wrong?

[Voltron]

did I say something wrong?

Not really, but you posed a classic "which X should I buy if I already have Y" and we don't go in for that much around here. Try head-fi.org and you should knee-deep in suggestions. Also, read the link in my signature to get a little sense of this forum. Cheerio.

[KT666]

Not really, but you posed a classic "which X should I buy if I already have Y" and we don't go in for that much around here. Try head-fi.org and you should knee-deep in suggestions. Also, read the link in my signature to get a little sense of this forum. Cheerio.

thanks - I was waiting for an introductory email , but it didn't come

head-fi are mainly twats from what I could, read so I thought I'd try here.

"..another place to sell your stuff. We're not looking for people trying to pad their post counts, or demonstrate their ability to find witty things on the internet."

no, not trying to do any of the above

[Voltron]

We're mostly assholes here, so you'll get a different flavor of response.

[KT666]

Arseholes actually

[Pars]

Monkey gave you a very good suggestion, though it might be hard to come by on your side of the pond. As for modding the X-Can, you could try Pink Floyd's site (can't remember it offhand). Much X-Can modding going on there. Never listened to one though (stock or otherwise). Never had a desire to either.

Hmmm, twats or assholes...

[Duggeh]

Arsehole not asshole. And fanny doesn't mean bottom ;p

Do you really like the HD650 a lot? Personally, I'd sell the HD650 and the X-Can and get a Stax Basic system.

Edited March 15, 2011 by Duggeh

[CarlSeibert]

We're mostly assholes here, so you'll get a different flavor of response.

ROFL

I just sneezed Coke Zero all over my keyboard.

[Dusty Chalk]

The first thing you should do is upgrade the power supply on your X-CAN (called the X-PSU). Good luck with that, since it's so many generations old. Musical Fidelity currently has the V-Can, which, contrary to its nomenclature, is not 2 less than the X-Can. They also have the M1HPA. If you're interested in buying new, I'd go with the M1HPA.

And yes, Pinkie (rock grotto) has some upgrades, including a DIY power supply, if you're handy with a soldering iron.

Also, if you haven't yet, get an aftermarket upgrade cable for the HD600. I like Cardas, but pretty much anything is better than the stock cable.

Also, (I probably should have asked this first), what do you mean by 'better'? Do you want more detail, more euphony, more accuracy, more bass, more rawk? What volume do you listen at? What kind of music? What's your favourite colour? <--Note British spelling.

[swt61]

We're mostly assholes here, so you'll get a different flavor of response.

Mmmm. Assholes!

[The Monkey]

^ heh

I didn't realize OP was ex US, which makes the B22 a little more difficult, but not too bad. I also happen to like the 650 a LOT more than the 600, so I suggest trying that headphone.

[spritzer]

Do you really like the HD650 a lot? Personally, I'd sell the HD650 and the X-Can and get a Stax Basic system.

You can't go wrong with a Stax setup.

[mrarroyo]

KT666 if you like send me a PM on the X-Can V1. I am one of the few crazy bastards that likes the X-Can although in my opinion the V2 sounds much better (I have both as well as an HD580).

[KT666]

The first thing you should do is upgrade the power supply on your X-CAN (called the X-PSU). Good luck with that, since it's so many generations old. Musical Fidelity currently has the V-Can, which, contrary to its nomenclature, is not 2 less than the X-Can. They also have the M1HPA. If you're interested in buying new, I'd go with the M1HPA.

And yes, Pinkie (rock grotto) has some upgrades, including a DIY power supply, if you're handy with a soldering iron.

Also, if you haven't yet, get an aftermarket upgrade cable for the HD600. I like Cardas, but pretty much anything is better than the stock cable.

Also, (I probably should have asked this first), what do you mean by 'better'? Do you want more detail, more euphony, more accuracy, more bass, more rawk? What volume do you listen at? What kind of music? What's your favourite colour? <--Note British spelling.

Purple, definitely.

By better I always mean detail, I am a detail whore.

The last thing I look for is powerful bass, ideally just a flat eq and totally transparent.

This sounds like I need Electrostatics, I had Quad 57s for years and adored them and one day I will get Stax,

but the HD600 is not meant to be a bad headphone, and I think the x-cans could be holding it back.

The quote to get the X-cans done by Rock Grotto was about £200 , ( I am useless with a soldering iron)

So if I could sell the x-cans for say £130, could I get something better, used, for £330-£400?

I might just upgrade the cable and put in better valves, though the stock JAN 6922 isn't bad at all.

Music - 3000 LPs , 2000 CDs - no computer based audio in my room

Everything from Air to the Yardbirds, Charlie Byrd to Faust via Muddy Waters and Sesame St Lps

But no dance, techno, synths, or classical

cheers

`

[spritzer]

The HD600 is far from a bad headphone and since you are a detail freak I would suggest something DC coupled and with enough power to breath some life into the phones.

[KT666]

The HD600 is far from a bad headphone and since you are a detail freak I would suggest something DC coupled and with enough power to breath some life into the phones.

any personal recommendations?

[digger945]

any personal recommendations?

I went to a meet a couple of weeks ago, and listened to the HD650s with a bottlehead crack(no C4S mod) fed by a ModWright transporter with cheap Chinese tubes and small MacBook. Best I ever heard the senns, and I've owned the 650s before. Freaky how the " veil " was lifted.

[spritzer]

any personal recommendations?

Any version of the Gilmore Dynalo (G-lite would fit the bill) or a M3.

[KT666]

Any version of the Gilmore Dynalo (G-lite would fit the bill) or a M3.

looked for the Gilmore on the web and can't actually see where you but it from

or is it a kit?

speaking of which has anyone heard this ?

http://www.world-designs.co.uk/head.htm

WDHD3S Headphone Amplifier

peace,love and shandy

[Torpedo]

He's referring to the Headamp Gilmore Lite (now discontinued) or the GS-1. Those use the Dynalo circuit in SE. This same circuit in balanced, if I'm not wrong, is the Dynamid.

You can try to DIY, circuit and parts needed are still available. There's a Chinese manufacturer making a version on the cheap the Sheer Audio HA-006.

[Dusty Chalk]

I don't really like the HD600, and don't find them particularly detailed. I'd sell them and get Sony MDR-V6's or MDR-7506's -- definitely the detail freak's friend. But yeah, if you insist on the amp and not the headphones (I can see why, the Senns are in the top 10 most comfortable headphones ever anywhere), they do scale well. A good amp and source will definitely bring things more to your liking.

I have heard X-CAN sound very detailed, but it was with a Sony CD-3000, and I believe it was modded, but hell if I know what the mods were. Caps, I think.

EDIT: Okay, confirmed, caps and opamps. He followed the recipe posted on head-fi for the v2. So, since you have the v1, I would look around for that; barring that, I'd use the recipe for the v2 as a loose guide (I.E. make equivalent changes), but if you don't understand what that means, I'd suggest going to Pinkie.