2nd system - headphones again!

mcgsxr · « **on:** 8 Dec 2015, 09:40 pm »

Earlier this year I put the final touches on my main setup and feel very satisfied that it works well for me.

So, since I cannot sit still for long, time to refocus on a 2nd system to use when the kids take over the basement where the Maggies live.

In years past I ran some very modded Grados, a Logitech Touch and a hybrid tube headamp.

This time I am setting up the same Touch but with a CIA power supply, a set of Senn Momentum and a Matrix Mini i DAC/amp.

Should be good fun for up to 24/192 files.

Now the saving for a different set of phones can begin!

Like the Senns as they are closed and provide isolation. May consider planar headphones in the future for a 2nd set.

Good fun!

dB Cooper · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Dec 2015, 04:43 pm »

Dale, have you revisited the HD650 since moving back to "the dark side"? I love mine; on those recordings where they do sound "dark", I find that just a smudge of treble boost makes that vanish while preserving the smoothness they're noted for. I find myself doing the exact opposite sometimes on my Ety IEMs. A lot of program material sounds too "hot" to me on the highs otherwise. But tipped up highs and boom car bass seem to be becoming "the new normal" with many new products- a good example being the B&O H8. The H6 has a nice, neutral, clean signature; the H8 has some of the most obnoxious rubbery, one-note bass I've ever heard.Maybe that's why they call it the "H8"?

mcgsxr · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Dec 2015, 05:49 pm »

I have not owned a ton of headphones, but have heard a few different types.

Owned or own now:

Westone iems (own now)
Sennheiser Momentums (own now)
Grado SR80i - stock and then very modded
Alessandro MS1
Beyerdynamic DT880
Panasonic noise cancelling
Shure se215 iems
Koss Portapro

Have heard:

Shure SRH-1440
Sennheiser HD600
Hifiman HE400

I will be following the used market with interest in the coming months. The Matrix will drive headphones up to 300ohm, so it leaves a lot of choices.

I enjoy the Momentums just fine for times I want/need a closed back phone.

With a dedicated headphone setup being put in place in the living room (gear will be out of sight) I will likely want to also have a set of open back phones for certain days too.

Won't want to spend more than USD$250.

Armaegis · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Dec 2015, 08:30 pm »

If you're lucky, you could probably snag a brand new HD600 within your budget when all the Xmas/boxing day sales kick in.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Dec 2015, 04:01 am »

I don't recall the H6 as being strongly colored, but once you've listened to Beats, practically everything else sounds neutral. I saw today at work a B&O H7 which was new to me, but I didn't have time to look into it. I suspect it might be a replacement for the H6, perhaps with the same rubbery sounding one-note-bass tuning. Follow up: The H7 appears to be a downgraded H8, still with Bluetooth but with the active noise cancelling feature removed.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Dec 2015, 04:12 am »

Quote from: mcgsxr on 9 Dec 2015, 05:49 pm

I have not owned a ton of headphones, but have heard a few different types.

Owned or own now:

Westone iems (own now)
Sennheiser Momentums (own now)
Grado SR80i - stock and then very modded
Alessandro MS1
Beyerdynamic DT880
Panasonic noise cancelling
Shure se215 iems
Koss Portapro

Have heard:

Shure SRH-1440
Sennheiser HD600
Hifiman HE400

I will be following the used market with interest in the coming months. The Matrix will drive headphones up to 300ohm, so it leaves a lot of choices.

I enjoy the Momentums just fine for times I want/need a closed back phone.

With a dedicated headphone setup being put in place in the living room (gear will be out of sight) I will likely want to also have a set of open back phones for certain days too.

Won't want to spend more than USD$250.

At that price, the Beyer Custom One might deserve a spot on the shortlist, although I can hardly argue with your choice of the Momentum.

Armaegis · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Dec 2015, 08:11 pm »

Quote from: dB Cooper on 10 Dec 2015, 04:12 am

At that price, the Beyer Custom One might deserve a spot on the shortlist, although I can hardly argue with your choice of the Momentum.

The Beyer COP loses utterly to the DT770. Sure it has those bass vents to play with, but the technical chops are weak and the driver is really the weak link. I have literally transplanted drivers from each into the other, and the COP drivers are a floppy mess compared to the DT770 drivers.

The COP Studio might show some promise with the new drivers, but I have not heard it yet.

Armaegis · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Dec 2015, 06:15 am »

The custom studio is supposed to have different drivers... I think 70 ohm? There's a fella over at headfi who put some T1 drivers in there.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #8 on:** 1 Feb 2016, 01:12 am »

Bringing in a set of the Senn HD598 Special Editions.

The Matrix Mini I is doing well driving the Momentums and a set of borrowed HD558's.

But a local Cayin HA-1A has me wondering about tubes...

I used to use a Millet Max hybrid with some Grados and liked that.

eclein · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 Feb 2016, 12:24 am »

Let us know how you like the 598's, I've always thought they looked awesome......Enjoy!!!!!!

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 Feb 2016, 12:38 pm »

Generally tube amps are more suited for higher impedance headphones, unless we're talking hybrid amps, which are usually good for a wide variety of impedances.

On a more general note, I was listening to some Hifiman HE 560's and thought they were really nice and much better than my 400i's, but weren't in the budget right now. The shop owner asked what I was listening to now and I proudly listed my collection. He said they were a very nice group of headphones, but that I could sell two of them and use the proceeds to buy a much nicer headphone. Made me think about allocating resources for a collection of very good headphones vs one really great one.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 Feb 2016, 01:03 pm »

http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Cayin-HA-1A-Integrated-Headphone/dp/B00JSNM328

This is the Cayin available locally. It is way under "retail" and a short drive so I may go for it - likely more from a future proofing perspective than thinking it ideal for the 598's. It has an impedance matching capability that intrigues me, and I did enjoy the tube flavor of the Millet years ago.

The 598's are meant to do a couple of things for me. They are not meant to be an all out assault on head-fi. They are not meant to be the best I can afford.

They (and their 518 and 558 siblings) are by far the most comfortable things I have ever put on my head. My old Grado's were a vice by comparison, and the velour earpads combined with light clamping make for comfort with my glasses (a requirement for doing any work). They are light, open, and sound good to me.

They are meant to represent a realistic mid fi listening point.

We have recently brought home 2 rescue kittens, and I am a little worried about my Maggie 1.6's when they are eventually released into the basement. My 4 year old cat sniffed them once, and never went near them again. These little 12 week old monsters are climbing all over everything, and I can almost predict their reaction to 5'4 giant "scratching posts"!

So, headphones will factor more in my listening. I hope not to have to sell the Maggies, but I will if I have to.

So I may find myself going deeper and deeper into headphones. And if I don't, then I bought something I know I will like (and in this sport that feels priceless!).

dB Cooper · « **Reply #12 on:** 2 Feb 2016, 10:03 pm »

Quote from: Letitroll98 on 2 Feb 2016, 12:38 pm

Generally tube amps are more suited for higher impedance headphones, unless we're talking hybrid amps, which are usually good for a wide variety of impedances.

Made me think about allocating resources for a collection of very good headphones vs one really great one.

Depends where you are in relation to the law of diminishing returns is how I look at it. If that one headphone is truly great, and sounds truly great on almost all the source material you will be putting through it, that's one thing, but in most cases, a (let's say) $1.5K headphone is not ""twice as good" as a (let's say) $750 headphone (obviously there are many variables here). I kind of like the flexibility of choice that headphones make easy compared to speakers.... Pick something off the "rack"... Would you want to go to the same restaurant every night, even if it was a four star restaurant?

SteveFord · « **Reply #13 on:** 3 Feb 2016, 12:34 am »

Go to your local pet store and pick up a can of cat repellant and spray it around your speakers.
I sprayed a light coating on black Magnepan socks with no discoloration and it seemed to work with my grey Persian.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #14 on:** 3 Feb 2016, 01:12 am »

I will see about that.

My older cat could care less. I trust kittens a lot less!

I may just store them in the garage until they calm down.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #15 on:** 3 Feb 2016, 03:33 am »

Totally non-audio-related, but I hope Cat #1 is handling the additions well.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #16 on:** 3 Feb 2016, 04:38 am »

Quote from: dB Cooper on 2 Feb 2016, 10:03 pm

Depends where you are in relation to the law of diminishing returns is how I look at it. If that one headphone is truly great, and sounds truly great on almost all the source material you will be putting through it, that's one thing, but in most cases, a (let's say) $1.5K headphone is not ""twice as good" as a (let's say) $750 headphone (obviously there are many variables here). I kind of like the flexibility of choice that headphones make easy compared to speakers.... Pick something off the "rack"... Would you want to go to the same restaurant every night, even if it was a four star restaurant?

Oh I agree, that's why there's five or six headphones around here, just wondering whether that viewpoint should change for me or for others. OTH as soon as I sell two to buy one, will I just buy another anyway? Headphone Mania is....

smk · « **Reply #17 on:** 3 Feb 2016, 04:19 pm »

Give some thought to an variable loudness control. You know, to compensate for the fact that as the volume of audio decreases... They are nice for adding a reasonable amount of bass & treble for those of us who don't have perfect hearing. Despite what the purists think., its your hearing that matters.

eclein · « **Reply #18 on:** 3 Feb 2016, 06:49 pm »

I used to chase the best headphones on the planet and had a taste with my HE5's and once they became my headphones for awhile I realized to me they sounded perfect but at the same time something was missing. I knew to get anything better for me was just going to be redundant and sort of if not just plain stupid considering being disabled and limited as far as income goes so I thought about the next thing to get and it was always sort of silly.....follow me?

I remembered the first headphones I tried that really amazed me and looked at them for my answer and it was musicality, toe tapping, awesome mood provoking music playback. For me it was Grado's so I got zepp's ear and asked him to buy his PS500's if he ever chose to sell them. He found some cans down the road that ticked all the boxes for him and let me buy the PS500's which to me are the best Grado's I could realistically get my hands on......now music is fun again and always a joy to listen too instead of becoming an experiment in "let me see if this music brings out any flaws in my current #1 headphones".

That worked for me it might not work for everybody but I know since they (the PS500's) have shown up I really found where my fun in this hobby lies and its in the source components and I started with my favorite DAC chip and have been working the hobby that way.
I saved and got a source player with my DAC of choice (Sabre chips in my iBasso DX90 digital audio player).

I use it on my walks and in my main rig to playback the digital files I have collected, and it works for now.....LOL....famous last words!!!!

Thats why I'm sort of quiet on here these days........I'm a reader of posts and less of a purveyor of a point of view if that makes sense.
Mark you and I have been here for years and its still fun isn't it my friend?????
Try some cool portables if want to branch out.......I have a Fiio X1 (Gen1) and my iBasso and couldn't be happier unless I won the lottery.......hahahahahahah......

mcgsxr · « **Reply #19 on:** 4 Feb 2016, 12:00 am »

Picked up the NIB HD598's this afternoon. Have them running in now, will let them run for a few days in the basement when I am not using them.

Initial impressions is that they are similar to the 558's I had borrowed (which is a good thing to me), with a little more head clamp (likely as they brand new, vs the 2 year old 558's).

Immediately I like them, so that's a good thing.

I have decided to buy the Cayin HA-1A. I could not resist it. For US$165 it is too good an option to pass on. Even if it does not improve the HD598's much, it will suit many different choices in the future.

Agree that the fun for me (and some of us I see) is trying stuff. Some guys are into wine, or beer, or cigars. I buy and sell audio gear.

Headphones offer an amazing insight into music, and a different take on listening for me.

The 598's to me are a good peak in a mid fi headphone. They do a lot right, fit well (including when I want to wear glasses), are comfortable to wear and should last.

eclein - I hear you on the Grado's. I have not heard the ones you reference, but had a chance to hear much of the lineup at a local Head Fi gathering in Toronto. I liked the SR60i's that I modded the heck out of, but still found the pads hard to use with glasses on for prolonged listening.

Once the obsession sets in for something else, they will offer a good value for money benchmark for future considerations.

More once I mature the setup this weekend!