What do you think? Should I jump on the HE90 without ever auditioning it (a chance which I'll never get anyways)? I'm a huge fan of the HD 650, favourite headphones probably, warts and all, and also liked the O2 very much when I heard them decently amped. Somebody offered the HE90 to me at a fair price with the Stax adapter.

The seller also offered me a KGSS DX tuned for the HE90 as an optional buy, any thoughts on that?

Just please talk me into or out of it.

Thanks and sweet forum by the way.

Buy it

Especially if it's reasonable priced. It's probably the finest headphone ever made coupled with the fact they aren't made any longer and extremely difficult to come by. You'll always have the option to sell it probably at least what you bought it for if not more.

I thought the KGSS is a really fine amp when I heard it paired with the HE60.

If you can afford it it's probably worth it as you will always be sell them for little or no loss if they don't work out for you.

No reason not to if you can afford it: you can always sell it back with no loss. Who knows, you might even like it

As they've said, (if you can afford it) why not?

The KGSS DX sounded great with the HE90 when I listened to it at the last LA meet. I actually preferred it to the ES1, though I think that would be a matter of flavor. Absent the tube obsession, it's the best e-stat amp out there.

No reason not to if you can afford it: you can always sell it back with no loss. Who knows, you might even like it

completely agree

Some would say, if you can afford it, buy it. I would say, even if you can't afford it, if you have enough credit to buy it, buy it. Arguably the best headphone I have ever heard. It really is that good.

Depending on how much it cost, if I was in your position I would buy it.

Since it looks like we won't be seeing a new flagship electrostat from the usual suspects you probably wouldn't have any trouble unloading it. Look at neilvg's sale, it got a pretty good response.

Thanks for the comments, quite an endorsement and good point about the no loss in value. It's gonna eat up half a year of working savings but I'd probably only regret it later otherwise. Better spend the money while I still have it.

I'm still not really convinced about the KGSS though since I tend to like warmth and a lush midrange most the time, especially with the HD 650, and Gilmore amps have never really been my preferred flavour regardless of source (good ones). That is with the Gilmore Lite (owned) and Dynamight (very extended listening). Always a tad uninvolving sounding to me, can't really nail it ( probably lots of bass and treble if I had to say something) and it's been a while since I've heard them. I was thinking of getting one of these McAlister tube amps, something like a EA-4 or -6 or the Woo tube amp.

Buying the HE90 together with the KGSS DX would be very convenient though, and it's a fair combo deal.

Anything negative in specific to say about the KGSS / HE90 pairing?

No comments on HE90/KGSS (never heard it), but I really enjoyed your HD650/SR-404 review. If you got the HE90 I'd really like to read another review of yours

The KGSS and the Blue Hawaii were two of the best estat amps I have heard. That said, if you're looking for warmth and lushness (and perhaps to save a few bucks), you could do worse than one of the MacAlisters, based on the one I heard (I really liked the one I heard -- I think I could easily listen to it 8 hours a day).

The price of HE90s is too inflated for its own good.

If I wasn't married I would buy a reasonably priced HE90 in a heart beat...

The price of HE90s is too inflated for its own good.

Indeed!

If you choose to pass, would you forward me the offer?

As an aside, the McAlister EA-6 will be back to me this coming week to shoot out against the BH and ES-1, but it is hard to imagine the EA-6 will better either of bH/ES-1, but the real issue will be what % of each is it to determine bang for the $$$$.

sure, why not.

Man, I still don't know. This is a huge investment (I could buy more than 400 CDs with the HE90) and something like a Omega II or HE60 can be had for a fraction of the price. What's the usual going price for the HE90 alone?

I also have my doubts about the KGSS, asked a few people who have owned/heard this combo extensively and the feedback on the amp paired with the HE90 wasn't too positive.

Would I get some of the HE90 magic even with a less stellar amp, something like a McAlister EA-4?

pabbi, looking forward to what you have to say about the EA-6

I'd say buy it if the money is not a huge issue. I sold my HE90 a while back (for the same as I paid for it - Meier price, plus a bad trade in hindsight for the Stax amp) and have reacquired the combo this time when the chance came up. Ultimately I'm not into modding and I don't want multiple phones for doing X and Y. The Orpheus gels quite seamlessly with most music styles, especially with the mood that I'm usually in to listen to my main home rig on headphones (late night, usually after a drink or with a cup of hot chocolate / tea, reading a book or something) and while I'm not happy with some of its ergonomic aspects it is a very, very easy phone to listen to.

As for the cost, I think if you really have to stretch for it, then stick with the HD650. It's definitely an 'Orpheus Lite' overall. Having got over the 'new toy joy' I could be practically as happy with it as with the Orpheus if I were more constrained for money and had to figure 'value for money' into the equation. The 650 out of a good amp is hard to beat, and certainly if I was being more wallet-sensible I'd have to seriously question even the minor superiority of the Omega II over it.

If you do buy, as I've said before the overwhelming component (I'd say 99% ) of the 'Orpheus sound' is in the headphones... placebo permitting of course Get them, a competent estat amp designed/capable of driving the HE90 and you're pretty much set for an effortlessly 'nice' sound.

Wouldn't the "Orpheus Lite" be the HE60?

Most likely, but I was referring to the sonic character not the technology. Besides, I've only heard the HE60 at meets and that to me is not enough experience to say anything about them.

Just buy the damn thing, you don't need justification from any one of us.

"...Don wohrry, yoo cahn doo eht!!!"

Yep, confirmed the purchase last weekend.

Now I just need an amp, probably a McAlister or the Woo GES. Still waiting for more impression on those. Or in the unlikely event that an Aristaeus comes up for sale, I'll probably spring for that.

Yep, confirmed the purchase last weekend.

Now I just need an amp, probably a McAlister or the Woo GES. Still waiting for more impression on those. Or in the unlikely event that an Aristaeus comes up for sale, I'll probably spring for that.

Cool, congratulations! Now when were you going to let me borrow it for a few weeks there, like we agreed back channel? I have screenshots don't try to back out now.

Get the MacAlister. The best <US$1K electrostatic amp that I've heard (I think).

Get the MacAlister. The best <US$1K electrostatic amp that I've heard (I think).

What other electrostatic amps have you had the chance to hear?