[cryoparts]

What can we do to jump start this forum? 

It seems that HeadFi has the market cornered on headphone discussion, but there has to be a few people here who are into headphone rigs, and like to talk about them. 

Due to some personal circumstances in my life lately, I have been doing a LOT of headphone listening, both portable and home based.  I have (as I tend to do) accumulated a great number of amps and cans and would be willing to share with AC my thoughts and opinions, if people are interested.  However, I don't want to overstep my bounds as I am a manufacturer and retailer and might like or recommend something I carry (gasp!).  I won't comment on anything I carry or make, or list my gear, until I know it's cool.

In any event, I will start by mentioning a piece that I don't carry, the Little Dot MKIV SE amp.  Good stuff!  Check it out if you get a chance.  David (the owner) is a great guy to deal with and his amps are really nice for the money.  I am still burning it in, but even "fresh", it sounds really open and airy, with nice deep, tight bass.

OK, anyone else?

Peace,

Lee

[taskerc]

Okay Cryoparts

What I want to know is how I can get the smooth and silky mods and top from my K501s AND get some more base - without giving up the soundstage ........  and spending less than $500 for the pleasure ....

Anyone?

taskerc

[cryoparts]

Hi taskerc,

I know it seems like I am just lurking here in the corner with nothing better to do than post on AC...and that's kind of true.  I have been keeping my beloved wife company while she is in the hospital, so I am getting a lot of surfing in, and have been able to actually spend some time messing about on the forums.  Thank goodness for free wireless internet here, or I would go mad.

I'm really not that familiar with the 501's, however, I know the 701's need a good amp to sound their best and I would imagine the 501's are the same, what are you using to drive your 501's?

I feel that you'll never get deep and punchy bass out of the 701's (and if the 501's are anything like their big brother, them either) like a re-cabled Beyerdynamic DT-990, a re-cabled Denon AHD-5000 or a well amped and re-cabled Senn HD-650 can produce.  However, the bass the 701/501's  produce should be tight, controlled, and tuneful.

So, if you haven't tried a good amp yet, I would put that first on my to do list.  The Little Dot III would be a good inexpensive choice, methinks.  And, it's well under $500, I think it's around $300.  Or, the Shanling PH3000A amp for $400 is really quite good as well.

All is IMHO, of course.  (FYI, I sell the K701's, AHD-5000's and Shanling PH3000A--so you've been warned.   )

Peace,

Lee

(FYI, I sell the K701's, AHD-5000's and Shanling PH3000A--so you've been warned.   )

Okay Cryoparts

What I want to know is how I can get the smooth and silky mods and top from my K501s AND get some more base - without giving up the soundstage ........  and spending less than $500 for the pleasure ....

Anyone?

taskerc

[brj]

Heck, if you want a mission, Lee, I'm still on the lookout for that perfect USB DAC/headphone amp all-in-one unit for the office.  (And I happen to be driving a stock pair of AKG701s.)

I don't want any exposed tubes at work, and a smaller size would be preferred, although I'd probably trade that for sound quality pretty quickly.  Every so often I wade into HeadFi to try and sort out the options, but it tends to get overwhelming if you're not keeping up with it, especially if you consider all of the modding options.  When it comes to stock products, however, it seems that you tend to get better DACs with lesser headphone amps, or better amps with lesser DACs.

Of course, I'm better off than I was, as Wayne @ Bolder has been kind enough to loan me an experimental Burson buffer/Alps pot unit as a headphone amp.  I'm sure that I'm not fully appreciating it when using the DAC in the computer's CD player, but the extra drive did make a huge difference.  Of course, now that I posted this, I probably just reminded him that I have it and he'll want it back... doh!   (No problem, Wayne - just give me a call! )

P.S.  I'm glad to see you're posting again, Lee... hope all is well!

[cryoparts]

Hey Brian!

Amps I've heard at length and liked, with DAC and headamp all built in:

$$$$--Headroom Max with built in Dac--I love this amp, but it's discontinued.  Used maybe?
$$$--Headroom Home with built in Dac--I love this almost as much as the Max.
$$--Benchmark, surprisingly good head amp.
$--Zhaolu 2.5C with upgraded head amp.  Good for the money.

I'm also getting these soon, once they are burned in I can give some impressions:

$--Yulong DAH1
$-Glow Audio Amp One
$$--PS Audio GCHA

Ray Samuels also makes some intriguing portable products, I used to have a SR-71, which did not have a DAC, however, he makes a similar model that has a built in DAC. 

Peace,

Lee

(FYI, I sell the Zhaolu and may start offering the Yulong, if I like it--so you've been warned.   )

Heck, if you want a mission, Lee, I'm still on the lookout for that perfect USB DAC/headphone amp all-in-one unit for the office.  (And I happen to be driving a stock pair of AKG701s.)

I don't want any exposed tubes at work, and a smaller size would be preferred, although I'd probably trade that for sound quality pretty quickly.  Every so often I wade into HeadFi to try and sort out the options, but it tends to get overwhelming if you're not keeping up with it, especially if you consider all of the modding options.  When it comes to stock products, however, it seems that you tend to get better DACs with lesser headphone amps, or better amps with lesser DACs.

Of course, I'm better off than I was, as Wayne @ Bolder has been kind enough to loan me an experimental Burson buffer/Alps pot unit as a headphone amp.  I'm sure that I'm not fully appreciating it when using the DAC in the computer's CD player, but the extra drive did make a huge difference.  Of course, now that I posted this, I probably just reminded him that I have it and he'll want it back... doh!   (No problem, Wayne - just give me a call! )

P.S.  I'm glad to see you're posting again, Lee... hope all is well!

[ecramer]

How about a few comment on a product you do carry, the GX200. I wear ear buds 6 or 7 hours a day at work and always looking for a reasonably priced pair that are not delicate as i work in a wood shop and occasionally they will take a beating

ED

[cryoparts]

Well, they are the only Goldring phone I don't have much experience with...doh. 

I remember they were really comfortable due to the Comply tips.  The other Goldring cans sound good to me (I have a set of DR150's on my head running directly out of my iPod as I type this), so I would tend to think that the 200's will sound pretty good as well.  They seemed to be built pretty well, better than some other IEM's that I have experienced.

I will order a pair in next time I make an order from Music Hall and post here what I think.

Peace,

Lee

How about a few comment on a product you do carry, the GX200. I wear ear buds 6 or 7 hours a day at work and always looking for a reasonably priced pair that are not delicate as i work in a wood shop and occasionally they will take a beating

ED

[lonewolfny42]

Lee....

I have been keeping my beloved wife company while she is in the hospital....

All the best for a speedy recovery...

                   Chris

[cryoparts]

Thank you Chris.  She is going to undergo neurosurgery on June 4th.  We've been together over 24 years, it's all a bit scary.

Best,

Lee

Lee....

I have been keeping my beloved wife company while she is in the hospital....

All the best for a speedy recovery...

                   Chris

[taskerc]

Hi Lee,

God's speed back to health for your wife.  Our thoughts and well wishes are with you.

At the moment I am running a Darkvoice 336i that I really like.  It seems like I have enough power that the K501s should be happy enough.  Forum reviews keep telling me the K701 is a better bass performer than the K501 but at the expense of smoothness and width of soundstage.  My other phones (AKG K240 Sextetts and Senn 555s and even my lowly PX100s which I also quite like) each have some characteristics of value.

So I am at a crossroad I think - my wife keeps asking how many sets of headphones I actually need - so I am trying to find THE SOLUTION.

regards, taskerc

[cryoparts]

Thank you for the kind words.  We are working through it one day at a time.

I like the DV amp, so you're covered there.  Try to get a set of re-cabled Beyer DT-990's, a set of re-cabled Senn HD 600 and Senn HD 650's to listen to.  There are "HeadFi meets" all the time, perhaps they'll be one close to you soon and you'll be able to listen to them. 

I love all three of the above cans, and they are all readily available under $500. 

The DT990's are very detailed, have incredible bass and are generally pretty unforgiving.  The stock cable really holds these cans back, once re-cabled and run in, they sound fantastic with the right amp.

The HD 600's have better bass than the 701's, but are really open and airy on the top end, as well as pretty pure through the mids.  A re-cable and de-foaming is necessary, IMHO, to help remove the fabled "Sennheiser veil".  Many people prefer the 600's to the 650's as they feel them to have a tad more open mids and highs than the 650's--so they might be the magic bullet for you.

The HD-650's are my favorite of the Senn's (well, except for the Orpheus system).  They have more bass impact, and are a little warmer and smoother to my ears than the 600's.  I feel they just do things "right", and I love them and hear just as much detail with them as I do their little brothers.  However, re-cabling and de-foaming is a must, IMHO.  The HD 650's sound incredible when run balanced, however, balanced amps are not cheap these days.

Two others under $500 to consider are the Denon AHD-2000/5000.  They sound pretty similar to me, although many claim to hear major differences between them and prefer the 5000's.  The major difference I hear is that the 5000 has more (and a bit sloppier) bass.  But, for closed cans, both of them are the cat's meow.  I haven't re-cabled mine yet, but I will soon, so there is probably a little more detail hidden in these yet to be uncovered. 

However, If you want to spend $1200-$1500, but the Ultrasone ED9's, forget about everything else and be happy.  I love these things!

Ok--disclaimer time.  I sell Senn HD 600's, Denon AHD 2000's and AHD 5000's.  So take everything I said about them with a grain of salt, as I am clearly just shilling to sell more of them! 

I have heard the same thing from my wife about all the headphones around the place.  I have cans all over the place, I think they are planning a take over...  And, don't even get her started on all of the amps collecting dust...

Peace,

Lee

[ecramer]

How would you compare the denon AHD 5000 to the dt-990's which are on my short list, i have dt 770's and dt-880's I use the 880's miosyt unless i'm watching a movie late at night and need keep the noise down. All together now can we say bass.

Ps while ive been to your sight and even ordered from you i didn't dig deep enough to know you sold headphones. of cource i really wasent looking for them i was looking for wire at the time to make jumpers.

ed

[ecramer]

Did you know your link for blue circle sends you to the wrong place?

[mgalusha]

I don't want any exposed tubes at work, and a smaller size would be preferred, .....

I guess you won't be building the one on the cover of AudioXpress this month. It has a 6AS7G as the output tube. 



Best wishes to you and your wife Lee, my wife was in the hospital several times last year and it was awfully scary.

Mike G.

[cryoparts]

Hi Ed,

I've been dabbling around with offering headphones for a while, mostly the Goldring's as I am friends with the guys at Music Hall.  But, I've never really tried to make an impact on the headphone "scene", focusing most of my energy on cables and DIY parts. 

However, the past few months since I have to keep the noise down due to my wife's health, I've really gone over the deep end for cans.  So, I figured that while sharing my enthusiasm for good sound via headphones, perhaps some of my existing customesr would be interested in purchasing cans...and maybe even pick up a few new customers as well.   

Nothing can take the place, for me at least, of sitting in front of a great pair of speakers and being totally immersed in the performance as the loudspeaker pressurizes the room and you can "become" part of the performance and just get incredibly drawn in.  However, it is a very satisfying listening experience when you finally get the right amp and cans together and everything gels.

So, to the question at hand: 

The Denon ADH-5000 is pretty amazing for a closed phone.  The bass is absolutely incredible, even if it is a little "much" at some times.  I really enjoy listening to them on jazz, orchestral and some rock.  I wouldn't say the bass is "fast", so some types of rock can sound a little slow.  However, this is a very minor quibble, they are some of my favorite cans.  And, I haven't re-cabled them yet, so that may alleviate the bit of extra bass bloom that is there.  If you like bass, and lots of it, there is almost nothing better.  FRI--While these are a closed phone, they still tend to "leak" a bit of sound--nothing like an open backed phone--but people close to you will hear them playing.

The Beyer DT-990's spend more time on my head than almost anything else I have.  I've been a fan of these for a long time, and they just really sound incredibly open, airy and uber-detailed to me, while still having amazing bass.  I am a detail nut, so while some may say that these can be unforgiving, or even forward, I like them a great deal whne matched to the right amp.  They are definitely from the same family and are cut form the same cloth as the DT-880's, but they have much deeper bass with a ton more impact, IMHO.  FYI--The stock cable is awful.  If you get a pair, re-cable them as soon as possible.  I'll own a pair of these forever.

Peace,

Lee

How would you compare the denon AHD 5000 to the dt-990's which are on my short list, i have dt 770's and dt-880's I use the 880's miosyt unless i'm watching a movie late at night and need keep the noise down. All together now can we say bass.

Ps while ive been to your suight and even ordered from you i didn't dig deep enough to know you sold headphones. of cource i really wasent looking for them i was looking for wire at the time to make jumpers.

ed

[cryoparts]

Argh...thank you. 

I just had a real heart to heart with my web site coder, he fixed it right away, and promised to never let it happen again.  But, I don't know...he's done this to me plenty of times before as he's an amateur at web design.

However, the price he charges are right!   

Peace,

Lee

Did you know your link for blue circle sends you to the wrong place?

[cryoparts]

Thanks Mike!  It is the most difficult thing emotionally I've ever had to deal with.  So, I may hang out here a bit more than usual to keep my mind busy.  Don't mind me, I'll be the guy in the corner eating all the chips and drinking all the beer.

Lee

I don't want any exposed tubes at work, and a smaller size would be preferred, .....

Best wishes to you and your wife Lee, my wife was in the hospital several times last year and it was awfully scary.

Mike G.

[Jon L]

Hey Brian!

$--Zhaolu 2.5C with upgraded head amp.  Good for the money.

Your outfit is basically the only one who sells Zhaolu D3 DAC and the TG Link soundcard in the States. 
http://www.cryo-parts.com/zhaolu.html

Ever think about performing a few simple mods on the DAC and TG soundcard and bundling them? 

I'm using the Oritek Modded Zhaolu 2.0A in my electrostat headphone/PC Audio rig to stunning results 

[cryoparts]

I have and use a D2.5C that I have extensively modded, that I have been enjoying for a year, or so now.  After actually sitting down and figuring out the time and cost of the parts I used to mod the 2.5C, I decided not to offer it as the time it took was just too hard to come by, plus the potential ROI was just too low to make it worthwhile.  Ori's mod is really a nice upgrade, takes the 2.0 to a whole 'nother level. 

I want to get an extra D3 in to mess about with to see what I can do to improve it, however, the timing just hasn't been right yet--and extra stock on them has been hard to come by.  Perhaps after I get my wife on the road to recovery, I'll be able to dive into my personal unit.  The D3 sounds mighty fine with the TG Link stock, so it really makes me want to tweak one out to see how good it can get.

Best,

Lee

Hey Brian!

$--Zhaolu 2.5C with upgraded head amp.  Good for the money.

Your outfit is basically the only one who sells Zhaolu D3 DAC and the TG Link soundcard in the States. 
http://www.cryo-parts.com/zhaolu.html

Ever think about performing a few simple mods on the DAC and TG soundcard and bundling them? 

I'm using the Oritek Modded Zhaolu 2.0A in my electrostat headphone/PC Audio rig to stunning results 

[Burlaptocashmer]

Hey Lee,

Great to see we are dusting of this circle...it's been awhile. I need to catch up on what's been said and I'll be back later to post something. FYI: Not sure if you knew, but I did just pick up a Predator as well as an MBA to add to the "toy" box. I've really enjoyed them both but it's not like the home rig,ha.

Nice talking to you today. If you want to borrow the Predator for your hospital trips let me know? Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys.

Finish Well,
dan