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Iron_Dreamer

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Everything posted by Iron_Dreamer

  1. It certainly is a very good sounding source, SACD was particularly impressive. I've not heard too many of the high end CDP's, but I can see the value in this unit, as the sound is certainly a step up from similarly priced ones I've heard. It had an intimate, slightly warm presentation that could synergize very well with certain types of music in particular.
  2. The worst I've heard is the Little Dot II, followed by the Perreaux SXH1. Both were simply awful.
  3. I thought it sounded great about 25% of the time, the rest the coloration was too distracting.
  4. If you listen to a lot of techno or other music that has a lot of very low bass (which the K1000 rolls off), I'd get the HD650 rig, as it would give you the extension and impact that sort of music needs. Otherwise, I think an OII/KGSS rig sounds better than an HD650 in most regards, save bass impact. Both do have a pretty similar tonal balance, so it becomes a question of whether you'd rather have the airier and more detailed OII presentation or the more physical HD650 experience.
  5. Cool, well be sure to give them some good burn-in if they didn't already have it, there was some sibilance for the first few days.
  6. I hear they go very nicely with Virtual Dynamics wire, not to mention what having four 10-guage wires strapped to your head does for those neck muscles over time
  7. Certainly the old one, which I owned. I've only briefly auditioned the new one, and it sounded a bit closer to neutral (rather than being overly dry), but I'd still say the 990 is more upfront/engaging.
  8. I got a pair a few days ago. I like them quite a bit, though I've not heard the old DT990-pro to compare. They're certainly more upfront than the HD650, though because the treble is more present, the bass doesn't sound as dominant as it does from the 650's. The greatest attribute of these headphones, I'd say is their toe-tap factor. I have noticed a real tendency to get into the music to the point where I forget to think about the sound quality. When I have thought about sound quality, I've noticed that they sound pretty balanced, even though I know the bass and treble are a bit boosted. I guess they are not boosted to the point of being a distraction. The midrange is very enjoyable and certainly doesn't sound recessed the way the midrange of the old DT770 or HD590 did. The midrange only sounds lacking if I listen to the W5000 back to back, but then again, the W5000 has better midrange than most headphones I've heard extensively. If you're familiar with the DT880's, these sound pretty similar, save that the bass is a bunch more powerful (more like the HD650), and the midrange is more engaging, whereas the DT880 has a bit of a dry/dull/non-engaging midrange. I think they certainly play on the 650-701-880 level of performance, with a more upfront character than any of those cans. I hesitate to call them Grado-like, because the only similarity they have to Grados is PRaT/grooviness. If you've heard the DT531, these really area like a more evolved, refined, yet physical headphone that keeps the same spirit of losing one's self in the music.
  9. Skip the 007T, it's good for the SR404 or HE60, but a snooze-fest with the O2 (at least with the stock tubes). The KGSS on the other hand...
  10. My choices: Hans Zimmer - Gladiator (score) Rage - Ghosts Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory Virgin Steele - Invictus Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
  11. Your #2 is only so widely accepted exactly because of what you state; that it's true of 95% of tube amps. Sure, there are ones that break the mold (Zana Deux comes to mind), but those are certainly the exception rather than the rule. I'd agree that #2 should not be blindly accepted as fact, however, I'd hardly call it a myth, which implies there is no truth to it at all, when, in fact, it's true in most cases. At worst I'd call it a stereotype, just like the stereotype that solid state amps typically sound cold, harsh, etc.
  12. Ouch, I don't envy you K340 obsessed freaks
  13. Hmmm, maybe they're talking about more recent ones? Beats me. My father owns a late 90's F250 that's quite the POS as well. It's had numerous recalls, the air suspension has gone out a few times, and it has constant electrical problems (basically you never know what's going to work or not, the radio, wipers, and headlights all seem effected, and the dealership can't figure it out). Well at any rate, I don't think Ford vs. Toyota should be a very hard decision.
  14. For the love of god dude, DON'T buy a Ranger. I live out in hicktown, and I see more of those broken down than anything. Those and older Exploder...I mean Explorers. Just a tiny little truck that ain't good for hauling that much, and breaks down like it's an intended feature.
  15. I am in a similar spot, making my own good money for the first time in my life, just came from a shitty old car with no A/C. I ended up buying a used car with a ton of miles left in it. I was able to pay for it up-front with cash. Now I have no car payments, and can buy lower cost insurance b/c I don't have a loan. If you want to save money, buy used, and buy Honda or Toyota. I don't like how Toyotas drive, so I bought a Honda (Acura). The other brands just don't have the long-term reliability to be worthwhile buys as used cars. Check consumer reports, it's all right there. Don't buy used cars from dealers, don't lease any car, and try to buy with only money you already have, if at all possible. Only use the dealers to test drive cars you're interested in (i.e. don't bug private party sellers unless you're at least somewhat serious about buying the car). Autotrader and craigslist are great places to look for used cars from private parties, and since you're in a huge city there should be plenty avaliable. Be sure to get your own carfax report for any car you seriously consider buying, Texas has many cars that have been moved in from another state after being flooded and repaired, esp. from Katrina. Don't buy a car with a salvage title, under any circumstances. The seller may just say that it was stolen and recovered, but there is no way for you to verify that. If you keep at it, looking at the ads very frequently, you can get a great deal. Don't be afraid to ask any questions that concern you.
  16. Yikes to the price! This thing had better sound pretty awesome, since they are a bit undermined by the fact that you could just as soon use an SB with any number of other DAC's that might well sound better.
  17. And could the name have been any more royally cliched?
  18. That's not to say it won't sound great, it probably will, esp. for the price.
  19. At least from the internal pictures I've seen, it looks quite a bit like a single-ended version of the 220, as far as the output stage and chips used go. However from what I recall, it didn't have seperate transformers for analog and digital, and the transformer is of a different type than the 220's.
  20. While I can see the point, which is likely true for the mid-low end of the market, I'd think that Manufacturers would take not of how many people are willing to use multi-$k amps and systems with $400 and think "perhaps I can get these people to buy my multi-$k headphones, if I make them good enough." Or do you think the headphone boom of late has only created people interested in IEMs and iPods?
  21. Dimensions, going off memory, would be about 8" x 11" x 1.8", weight, hmmm my guess would be 5-6lb. The headphone amp is pretty good, I'd compare it to a Gilmore Lite (w/o upgraded PSU). I'd say you'd need a tube amp (different flavor) or medium-high-end SS amp to be worth using instead. I bought mine from Soundpure.com, and it was a very good experience. I know they are also carried at mercenary.com, from which I've bought other things in the past.
  22. I must say that to take the first list as an indication that the industry is backing away from statement headphones, is a bit misleading. The Lamda, Sigma, and HP1000 were discontinued before Head-Fi ever existed (as were the HE60/90 AFAIK, not counting the Meier ed HE90 one-off). The L3000 was limited-edition from the start, so it wasn't going to last forever regardless, as was the PS1 (limited production anyway), if I recall the talk surrounding it. The R10 was discontinued because Sony had a new flagship to tout. That leaves us with the K1000 and Qualia as the only of the top list to be recently discontinued. Though I liked the Qualia sound, the fit and build quality issues were a bit much for such a product to survive. The K1000, well you explain that one to me, 'cause I don't see why they saw fit to get rid of it. Furthermore, though the GS1K might not be to one's taste (I've not heard one), you can't just dismiss that Grado has put out a new high-end flagship (moreso than the PS1 IMO, since that was never meant for widespread distribution, and was a one-off, nearly unofficial product anyway). I don't think the issue is that high-end cans are going away, more that we are in a sort of coincidental lull. A-T is always tossing out a new headphone, so that one's just a matter of time (of course I think the current W5000 is nothing to sneeze at, but I'm biased). Beyer has never made a truly high-end headphone, so why expect that to change? Sony seems to have taken a step back from the arena, but who's to say that will last, considering their history? Sennheiser seems to be content with their current offerings, since the end of the HE series, but many who use them balanced consider them top-tier anyway. Stax would seem to have little impetus to put out new offerings, when there is literally no competiton in the 'stat world. We already know what Grado has done. This leaves AKG, do they have something in the works, or are they taking a Senn-esque stance? Of course, the more mainstream audiophile coverage the headphone scene gets, perhaps the closer we come to new entrants into the headphone business. I think the sheer growth of the market will bring forth new high-end headphones before long.
  23. They are, or at least, they should be out there soon. I've got a very nice set of black foams, which apparently are still in development. They are a bit more comfortable, and much more durable than the old yellow foams.
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