The Germans Have Arrived!

ajzepp · « **on:** 13 Jun 2013, 01:52 am »

So it's been a very long while that I've been thinking about an upgrade to my gear. I've settled into my headphones nicely, and even though my modest DAC and headamp were both solid performers, in the back of my mind I've always been thinking I should upgrade just a bit to make sure I'm really getting the most out of my investment into such great phones. Jan Meier sent me an email last month to let me know about his Spring sale, and it was just too much for me to resist. I picked up his best DAC and headamp, the DACCORD and the Corda Classic. I need to spend some time with them before I can offer impressions, but it's kinda funny how absolutely PERFECTLY they fit into my headphone rack. Another half inch in any direction and it wouldn't have worked lol. Meier products certainly aren't going to get many points in terms of styling, but they look much nicer in person than they do in photos. Build quality is stellar.

Anyway, I'll report back later on with some impressions if anyone is interested...but for now, take a gander at my new German twin beauties!

ajzepp · « **Reply #1 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 03:03 am »

Here are some quick impressions I posted on head-fi a few mins ago...

I'm about ten tracks in and one of my earliest observations is that there is greater ability to discern the quality of the recording. Something like Foo Fighters "The Pretender" sounds about the same as it did on the Jazz/AudioEngine...but DeadMau5? Holy crap...I've never heard the T1s do this. I honestly figured the Foo Fighters albums would sound great, but they always leave me underwhelmed. I have all of DeadMau5's stuff, though, and even though it always sounds good, it's clearly at another level on the Meier gear. The only problem is that I dont' know what role the Daccord is playing vs the Classic. I'm going to have to fire up my trusty RCA splitters so I can compare the Daccord with both amps to see the difference. But so far the average sounding recordings still sound average, but the better quality ones are REALLY shining.

I have the crossfeed on the DAC engaged, but not on the amp. I am such a huge fan of this circuit...I have the soundtrack from "Once" playing right now, and this duet track - "If You Want Me" - is almost ethereal. The sound stage and imaging have both taken a step up on the T1s now. Separation among the instruments and vocals is significantly more distinct.

The T1s are very happy so far...

cujobob · « **Reply #2 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 04:24 am »

You SOB...you have a terrific setup. Are the T1s hard to drive?

ajzepp · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 04:38 am »

Quote from: cujobob on 13 Jun 2013, 04:24 am

You SOB...you have a terrific setup. Are the T1s hard to drive?

Thanks

The T1s definitely need a little juice to sound their best. I would imagine as long as the amp is rated to drive a 600ohm phone, you'd get them to sound pretty good. I bought my first Meier amp, the Corda Jazz, the same time I bought the T1s, so I started off with an amp that was basically designed for a headphone such as that. I know when I spoke to Jason at Schitt audio last year, I asked him which of his amps he'd recommend for the T1s. Their Lyr amp puts out a LOT of current, but that wasn't the one he suggested. I don't think they're a tough drive as long as the amp is appropriate into that impedance.

milford3 · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 11:24 am »

Wow AJZEPP!! Beautiful new gear. I bet it's tough to leave the abode now. The Germans know now to build headphone gear.
Enjoy your new toys.

Douger · « **Reply #5 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 02:18 pm »

Looks good, enjoy!

eclein · « **Reply #6 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 09:07 pm »

Nice buy!!!! Enjoy!!!!!

ajzepp · « **Reply #7 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 10:31 pm »

Thanks guys

jeffreyfranz · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 Jun 2013, 11:08 pm »

Rack-fit: Like it was meant to be.

Noseyears · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Jun 2013, 02:19 am »

Sweet rig.

How different is the sound quality of the USB vs Coax? please report your findings.

ajzepp · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Jun 2013, 02:33 am »

Quote from: jeffreyfranz on 13 Jun 2013, 11:08 pm

Rack-fit: Like it was meant to be.

I was laughing when I saw how perfectly they fit...unfortunately Jan Meier seems to think it won't be enough ventilation for the amp, so I moved the DAC up to the top shelf. Still looks cool, but not quite as impressive.

ajzepp · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 Jun 2013, 02:34 am »

Quote from: Noseyears on 14 Jun 2013, 02:19 am

Sweet rig.

How different is the sound quality of the USB vs Coax? please report your findings.

Thanks man! Actually for the time being I wont be using either...my AppleTV only has optical out. I'll try to fire up one of my other sources in the near future to play around a bit. I can probably get the usb going this weekend. I just need to download the drivers and then I should be good to go.

ltr317 · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 Jun 2013, 03:14 am »

AJ,

I see you have a Grant Fidelity 6SN7 tube buffer. Are you using that with the headphone gear?

Paul Mah

ajzepp · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Jun 2013, 05:34 am »

Quote from: ltr317 on 14 Jun 2013, 03:14 am

AJ,

I see you have a Grant Fidelity 6SN7 tube buffer. Are you using that with the headphone gear?

Paul Mah

Hi Paul...I haven't had it hooked up for about a month, but that's not because I don't like it. I've really been spending more time trying to make decisions on what I wanted to do in terms of upgrades, so I wanted to remove it in order to simplify the process. I still have the stock tubes in it actually, cause it really sounds nice even as is, but I'm certainly going to upgrade them at some point.

I was playing around with a couple inexpensive DACs (the Fiio D3 and my AudioEngine D1) and comparing them to the MyDac I had in here briefly. I've never been sure if DACs made an audible difference, but I'm of the opinion now that when you have discerning gear they can impact the sound. ( Just my opinion...not trying to start a debate for those who may disagree lol) I liked the MyDac quite a bit but it wasn't playing nice with my AppleTV so it went back to Amazon.

But yeah, in the past I had an Apple Airport Express into the D1, into the tube buffer, and then into my Corda Jazz. For less than two bills, it's a fun toy to have around. Unfortunately Ian Grant has taken ill, so I dont think the carry it anymore...very sad cause he's always been such a cordial and friendly guy....I wish him the best.

Do you have any suggestions for 6SN7 tubes, by the way?

ajzepp · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Jun 2013, 05:35 am »

Just another quick update that I posted on head-fi....

The crossfeed on this DAC is just amazing...

Sometimes when I read info on a manufacturer's site, especially technical info, I try to discern if it's applicable to real world listening or if it's just theoretical mumbo jumbo that doesn't actually manifest as an audible effect/difference/enhancement/etc. Well, there is absolutely zero doubt that Jan's crossfeed is 100% the real deal. I was on his site a couple hours ago this evening and I came across this info about the crossfeed circuit that I had missed previously. What he describes here is completely legit and its implementation is really impressive to me.

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/ (click on the heading that says "info crossfeed")

The effect is even evident as Im watching a live Bill Burr stand-up routine. I'm always reluctant to start posting impressions of new gear, cause everyone is always real excited to have it and they start making it sound like they've discovered the greatest product since sliced bread. In this case I'm goign to just go with it, though, cause when I drop the kind of money that is significant to me (in this case $1k for this pair is very significant, especially when I'm about to be out of a job! lol) and it ends up paying off in terms of my enjoyment, I feel the excitement is justified. It's already evident to me that this has been money well spent, so I'm not ashamed to share my excitement lol.

milford3 · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 Jun 2013, 03:18 pm »

A few years ago I bought the Senn HT 555's for just a little listening with my computer. Since then I have invested $3,440.00 worth of headphone gear and I'm not done yet. My latest buy was the Schiit Lyr which takes all my headphones to a new level I never thought was possible. Upgrading gear (any gear) is fun. Its what this crazy hobby is all about.

Now I need to get back in the kitchen and start making my lasagna.

ajzepp: Listen to this little tune with the RS1's and the new gear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoOjYDcpDxo

ajzepp · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 Jun 2013, 08:18 pm »

Quote from: milford3 on 15 Jun 2013, 03:18 pm

A few years ago I bought the Senn HT 555's for just a little listening with my computer. Since then I have invested $3,440.00 worth of headphone gear and I'm not done yet. My latest buy was the Schiit Lyr which takes all my headphones to a new level I never thought was possible. Upgrading gear (any gear) is fun. Its what this crazy hobby is all about.

Now I need to get back in the kitchen and start making my lasagna.

ajzepp: Listen to this little tune with the RS1's and the new gear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoOjYDcpDxo

This gave me a good excuse to install the drivers for the DACCORD USB, which I just did. Im listening to this track as we speak on my T1s and it sounds unreal! That bass in the first couple minutes is great, but what's really impressive me are the wooden "click" sounds that start at around the 3 minute mark. This is really neat!

ltr317 · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 Jun 2013, 04:14 pm »

Quote from: ajzepp on 14 Jun 2013, 05:34 am

Hi Paul...I haven't had it hooked up for about a month, but that's not because I don't like it. I've really been spending more time trying to make decisions on what I wanted to do in terms of upgrades, so I wanted to remove it in order to simplify the process. I still have the stock tubes in it actually, cause it really sounds nice even as is, but I'm certainly going to upgrade them at some point.

I was playing around with a couple inexpensive DACs (the Fiio D3 and my AudioEngine D1) and comparing them to the MyDac I had in here briefly. I've never been sure if DACs made an audible difference, but I'm of the opinion now that when you have discerning gear they can impact the sound. ( Just my opinion...not trying to start a debate for those who may disagree lol) I liked the MyDac quite a bit but it wasn't playing nice with my AppleTV so it went back to Amazon.

But yeah, in the past I had an Apple Airport Express into the D1, into the tube buffer, and then into my Corda Jazz. For less than two bills, it's a fun toy to have around. Unfortunately Ian Grant has taken ill, so I dont think the carry it anymore...very sad cause he's always been such a cordial and friendly guy....I wish him the best.

Do you have any suggestions for 6SN7 tubes, by the way?

Funny you should ask. I tried several different 6SN7 tubes for my Rogue 99 Super Magnum review. My favorite was the Raytheon because of the strong mid-range presence, though they developed a noise after a few weeks. The Sylvania chrome top was close in sound and had a nice neutral tonal balance, while the RCA was the warmest and muddiest of the three vintage brands. The stock Chinese tube was pretty good but did not have the presence of either the Raytheon or Sylvania.

ajzepp · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 Jun 2013, 07:38 pm »

Quote from: ltr317 on 18 Jun 2013, 04:14 pm

Funny you should ask. I tried several different 6SN7 tubes for my Rogue 99 Super Magnum review. My favorite was the Raytheon because of the strong mid-range presence, though they developed a noise after a few weeks. The Sylvania chrome top was close in sound and had a nice neutral tonal balance, while the RCA was the warmest and muddiest of the three vintage brands. The stock Chinese tube was pretty good but did not have the presence of either the Raytheon or Sylvania.

Seems like people are always suggesting the Sylvanias....sounds like the way to go!

ajzepp · « **Reply #19 on:** 27 Jun 2013, 10:47 am »

I watched a movie called "North Face" tonight, which is a German film about the Eiger in the Swiss Alps and those who attempted to climb it back in the 1930s. Really solid flick, but the reason I'm bringing this up was because it was another example of how fantastic this Meier/T1 combo is turning out to be. Large enveloping sound stage, layers of depth, solid imaging, incredible detail...just a fantastic movie experience.

I don't know how well the Meier gear would pair with other phones, but with the T1s there is exceptional synergy.

Are you guys believers in gear synergy, or no? I've often heard consistent feedback on certain pairings. A couple guys I keep in contact with on head-fi both felt the Schitt Lyr and Sennheiser HD650s was a match made in heaven. I've also heard that the Burson amps mate very well with the HD800s and also the Audez'e LCD models. Then there's the crown who feels that the Mapletree Audio Design amps make Grados do amazing things.

I think I'm starting to really believe in this concept...