I'm not interested in bragging or bragging rights. All I want is one set of headphones that can make me happy with every type of music I listen too. I definitely do not want to own or go through several sets of headphones and several amplifiers on some never ending curiosity quest.
There is one lesser expensive option that based on everything I've read will make me smile a lot and that complicates things... It might come down to a coin toss, but either way it will be something of a Hail Mary since I won't be able to audition either option prior to purchase. OTOH there's no where to go but up from the Philips, which btw I do enjoy.
Getting back to amps, thanks for pointing out the Jotunheim "R".
I hear you. Getting a good sounding headphone setup you are happy with is not as easy as it seems. The really tricky thing is to get the headphone that best suits your DAC and amp. I continue to be surprised how different the same headphone can sound with different amp/DAC combos.
I can report that the Pure Bipolar is a special amp. Bob Katz compared it favorably with a Stax/KGSS/HV setup, along with a Pass Labs HP-1. The Pure Bipolar can be found second hand for as little as 900.00 on occasion. I doubt I'll be changing it out anytime soon.
