Well, I feel that the HP100 is very good. The GS-1 in my mind is slightly smoother and more neutral with a slightly better soundstate. They are both very good amps though. I am surprised more people haven't jumped on the HP100 bandwagon.

The HP100 is definitely a cute slick unit and I wouldn't mind having one if I didn't already have my mind set on the GS-1.

I didn't know that.

No worries, The Monkey goes through DACs the way other monkeys go through bananas -- it's hard to keep track.

I need a play sheet. Or a libretto.

The only niggle I have about the UDAC is that you could get a Cullen Stage IV PS Audio DAC for a similar price, the latter of which is reportedly quite nice & "analoguey", which if true might suit the HD800s quite well. I don't fancy anything too ruthlessly transparent as a source with the HD800s as they're unforgiving enough as it is. I'm not sure what kind of sound signature the UDAC has, mind.

The only niggle I have about the UDAC is that you could get a Cullen Stage IV PS Audio DAC for a similar price, the latter of which is reportedly quite nice & "analoguey", which if true might suit the HD800s quite well. I don't fancy anything too ruthlessly transparent as a source with the HD800s as they're unforgiving enough as it is. I'm not sure what kind of sound signature the UDAC has, mind.

I have now heard both the Cullen Stage IV PSA DLIII (with a headroom balanced desktop) and my stock PSA DLIII (with my ZDT and WA6), and I think both are "good enough" for me. I can't say how much better if any the modded one is because it was too much trouble to try to hook both DACs up with the same source and amp and switch between them at the recent meet 2 weekends ago, but I didn't hear anyone complain one bit about my stock one. I have to say that I am very happy with it.

How does an amplifier like the B22 factor in compared to the GS-X and BUDA?

I have now heard both the Cullen Stage IV PSA DLIII (with a headroom balanced desktop) and my stock PSA DLIII (with my ZDT and WA6), and I think both are "good enough" for me. I can't say how much better if any the modded one is because it was too much trouble to try to hook both DACs up with the same source and amp and switch between them at the recent meet 2 weekends ago, but I didn't hear anyone complain one bit about my stock one. I have to say that I am very happy with it.

Thanks a lot mate, I'm definitely edging towards the Cullen PSA DLIII/BUDA/balanced HD800s as what will hopefully be my "final" rig. Well, at least for a while anyway . At the risk of derailing the thread, I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on the sound offered by that combo. Cheers.

Thanks a lot mate, I'm definitely edging towards the Cullen PSA DLIII/BUDA/balanced HD800s as what will hopefully be my "final" rig. Well, at least for a while anyway . At the risk of derailing the thread, I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on the sound offered by that combo. Cheers.

Well, everything was in separate rigs but there is a comparison I think I can make. First off, the Cullen PSA DLIII wasn't mine, but I think it was Elluzion's (Doug).

At the recent meet 2 weeks ago I thought the Cullen > HR Balanced Desktop > balanced HD600 was better than my Apogee mini-DAC > Sq Wave XL > balanced HD600. But in a previous meet that same Headroom amp was fed directly by the Music Hall 25.2, and at that time I felt that my Apogee > Sq Wave XL > balanced HD600 beat his rig. So, I have to attribute the improvement in his rig over mine this time to his new Cullen modded DAC, which he didn't have last time. I felt that now his rig had better space, definition, energy and slam with the Cullen PSA DLIII in the loop.

In contrast, my stock PSA DLIII was feeding my new EC ZDT and I guess my amp more than made up for things, as I thought my rig sounded just as good or better. But, the rigs were not close to each other and we didn't get to do a direct comparison, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

Thanks, useful info, though with that ZDT comment you've got me reconsidering amp options again! Where's that smiley for hitting one's head against a brick wall? Ah, this one will do... .

How does an amplifier like the B22 factor in compared to the GS-X and BUDA?

Dreadhead did a comparison with a GS-X and 4 board B22 on the other site.

Comparison (conclusions posted): Headamp GS-X and Balanced beta22 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Dreadhead did a comparison with a GS-X and 4 board B22 on the other site.

Comparison (conclusions posted): Headamp GS-X and Balanced beta22 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Thank you for the link!

It looks like he is calling it a wash.

Yup

Are the markl modded D5000 still your best headphones?

Are the markl modded D5000 still your best headphones?

Without the DEQ I prefer them to the HD650s yes. With the DEQ that no longer holds. SA5k were my favorite above the D5000s then I switched to Qualias. Though after correction I could make them all sound the same so I kept the 650's because they were the cheapest and listen to the HD800s uncorrected and corrected most of the time. For the record too I sold my KGSS, Omega 2 mk1 for the same reason.

Note though that the beta22 comparison was done mostly with HD650s because they were supposed to be the most demanding to power of the phones I owned at the time.

Are the markl modded D5000 still your best headphones?

Ah bollocks, it's only money. I've put my name down for a Balancing Act on the next run. If I get amp upgraditis in the future, you have my permission to shoot me.

Without the DEQ I prefer them to the HD650s yes. With the DEQ that no longer holds. SA5k were my favorite above the D5000s then I switched to Qualias. Though after correction I could make them all sound the same so I kept the 650's because they were the cheapest and listen to the HD800s uncorrected and corrected most of the time. For the record too I sold my KGSS, Omega 2 mk1 for the same reason.

DEQ is this powerful?

It can really make an HD650 sound like a Qualia?

DEQ is this powerful?

It can really make an HD650 sound like a Qualia?

No, it makes all the phones sound like skullcandys.

Ah bollocks, it's only money. I've put my name down for a Balancing Act on the next run. If I get amp upgraditis in the future, you have my permission to shoot me.

Congrats! The BA is very nice.

Congrats! The BA is very nice.

Cheers, the moment I saw it I've been figuring out if I could justify the cost...it just looks superb, and with Craig's track record, quite a safe blind (deaf?) purchase I reckon. Oh well, better work a bit more overtime I guess !

Congrats! The BA is very nice.

x2...or so I suppose it is. Please do report back with impressions.

So I got the BUDA + DPS in the mail today. I excitedly came home and hooked everything up. I hooked up some balanced and RCA connections to it and listened through a A2000X - and later through the K701. (Didn't want to use the HD800 until I knew the amp was sound). Well, it sounded horrible (very harsh) and there was *very little* sound in the right channel. I think I switched to SE input as well and it was the same. Well, I thought something might not be plugged in correctly so I turned it off, unplugged everything and just plugged in RCA inputs and nothing else (using the DPS). I am using the K701 since it is relatively cheap in case something goes wrong (also I won't be heartbroken if something happens to it). It now has sound coming out of the right channel but still sounds horribly harsh. At times, it sound like speakers that are going bad.... if you know what I mean, really horrible. Should I send it back, let it run for a few hours? As it sound right now, it is unlistenable. Of course, both the A2000X and K701 are pretty bright so I may try the HD650's to see if it sounds better with them.

Sigh..... after 4 weeks of wait.....

Shelly, just to double check, you have the front panel switches configured correctly right?

Shelly, just to double check, you have the front panel switches configured correctly right?

Yep. rear output=off, input=single-ended, crossfeed=off, gain=high (I tried low or medium gain as well).

I tried them with my HD650's (SE) and they also sound really bad/harsh. Also, it sound really bad out of both jacks (with SE phone).

I could try it with the Astrodyne PS but I don't see what that would help.

Anybody have any ideas besides calling up headroom and sending it back?

Something is definitely wrong then. Call tomorrow and I'm sure they will take care of you. Sorry for the all the bad luck.

Something is definitely wrong then. Call tomorrow and I'm sure they will take care of you. Sorry for the all the bad luck.

Nate: If they somehow wired the preamp switch incorrectly or some other switch, would this make it sound like this. I could try having the switches on the front set incorrectly to see if that helped.