.Funny thing about using 1 headphone almost exclusively is that you get so used to the sound (your brain turns it into a reference) that other headphones can sound off..
It is indeed startling sometimes to go quickly from one HP to another in a short time. Happened today when I was using the HD 800 for a couple of hours and did not like the source recording of DP (Deep Purple for you Anax ). Switched to the Slants and the smaller soundstage and lesser detail was welcome initially. Turned to the HD 650 and that turned out to be the sweet spot.
dumb follow-up on my amp/DAC HE560 adventures...decided to get a vintage R2R DAC, assemblage one.will make it work with USB, friend helping out with that.Ember 2 any better in bass than the Lyr 2?any more DIY kits worth looking up - that you have experience with?too picky for my budget I am sure. $700 CAD is as much as I can justify ATM.thanks!
dumb follow-up on my amp/DAC HE560 adventures...decided to get a vintage R2R DAC, assemblage one.will make it work with USB, friend helping out with that.heard the Lyr2 and HE560 today, not too impressed. a tad wooly bass and ever so slightly congested.I feel that I can get something better for the price of $600 Canadians or whatever it was. :|afraid most (cheaper?) toob amps just aren't cutting it for me...I assume the SS-tubes would help but that's more money there as well.OG Mojo is on sale for $650 + 14% tax, a bit much still and with the mojo 2 out now?not sure where to go from here.Ember 2 any better in bass than the Lyr 2?any more DIY kits worth looking up - that you have experience with?too picky for my budget I am sure. $700 CAD is as much as I can justify ATM.thanks!
Assemblage DAC-1 is a great choice. (And $199 on Canuck Audio Mart too if that's the one you're - killer deal, that's like $150 US. If you haven't pulled the trigger already, and that's the one you're considering, buy it fast because it won't last up there.) If your friend doesn't have any tech magic in mind, you'll need a USB-to-SPDIF converter to make that usable. Budget recommendations for that are the Gustard U12 (great for the money), Melodious MX-U8, and any of the Jkenny SPDIF converters that you can find used. The Ember II can come pre-assembled so that you don't have to worry about kits. With the Amperex & Telefunken tubes that I used, congestion and wooly bass certainly wasn't an issue. (Though, I wouldn't have thought it would have been an issue with the Lyr2 either. Hrm.) The stock tube on the Ember sucks, so if you're budgeting set aside another 40 CAD for a replacement tube. I'd be interested in how much a Liquid Carbon costs to import to Canada. At 700 CAD (530 USD) you're getting really close to the $599 price point of the Cavalli. If the import taxes, VAT, customs etc. aren't too expensive I'd probably try to stretch the budget a bit further and pick up one of those.
If you're in the Vancouver area you could always check out the importer of the Elekit TU-8200... He's a really nice guy, and would let you come over to listen before you buy. But then again the cost will rise quickly once you start rolling tubes...I know, I have more than the amps worth in preamp and power tubes, not to mention a trio of tube testers...lolI had a great time building the kit. It took me 8 hours, and had excellent instructions.
haha, yeah I saw that one. but my friend actually has one for sale, since he has the DAC-2 as well. I am buying his DAC-1.we're working on some magic - will probably post about it here later, just in the planning stage atm the Lyr2 was completely stock but I really don't know... LCD-2 didn't sound as good either.the DAC was an A&K AKJR - could that have been the issue?really feel I need to hear the Ember 2 before deciding though... would you advise against the Mojo BTW? I would be able to try it out myself in a while but nothing much to compare to except Taurus MK2 and Lyr2.... which actually would be pretty fair.just felt the mojo was a little sharp in the upper freqs.ah cool - I live in downtown Vancouver, so that would be possible. :pa little on the pricier side indeed. the stock tubes are decent though? I assume that's what I'd get to demo.thank you!
