If you had to start all over with your setup, what would you buy?

Discussion in 'General Audio Discussion' started by caute, Nov 29, 2022.

  1. edd

    edd Almost "Made"

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  2. AdvanTech

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    I'd skip all the personal/portable audio knickknacks and just go straight to speakers.
     
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  3. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    I've basically never been unhappy with a setup I've had because I know that just getting the bare components in the chain is only the start of the journey. It takes work and time (not so much money) to make it work as a system, so if there's something I'm unhappy with, I have to learn how to sort it out rather than scorched earth sell everything.

    That being said, I'd probably go with something pretty similar to what I have now but would save up and buy to anticipate any future upgrades:

    Audiobyte Hydra Hub ->
    Wavedream Sig ->
    Thomas Mayer 2A3/45 ->
    Omega Compact Alnico Monitor
    GR Research 12" OB subs

    EDIT: I'm nowhere near moneybags enough to buy that all at once. This would be a many year project and there would be a game plan:

    1) Speakers + chip amp + iFi go blu
    2) DAC
    3) Amp
    4) Subs
    5) Streamer
     
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    Last edited: Nov 30, 2022
  4. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    That's a tricky one, b/c the journey is half the fun, maybe. I've had a blast hearing new details on familiar tracks and discovering and re-discovering tracks that shine in higher fidelity. (Without bothering with bs "audiophile" music.)

    That said, I've also come to prefer speakers. For their tactility, yes, but also b/c it's slightly annoying to wear something on your head that beams sound directly into your earholes. Speakers are more social, too, obviously.

    Still, headphone listening remains fun for the immersion and detail (yeah, I like detail) and headphones are small enough you can have several different sonic flavors available. Hard with speakers unless you have, like, a barn or something.

    In terms of set-up, I think I could be pretty content with...

    --HD800 (stock), HD600 (stock), Utopia, and some kind of basshead planar (LCD-2, HE6SE, etc)
    --Starlett or BHA-1 or Phonitor
    --Matrix X-Sabre
    --ultraRendu or Lumin U1 Mini

    If I was shooting the moon, I'd go with the same headphones, the top DNA amp available, and one of these nutty high-end SS amps about these days (Zahl, Holo Bliss, etc.) I'd also look into a maxed out Susvara set-up. DACs don't excite me much, but the best I've heard is the Holo May KTE.


    For speakers, I like Magnepan, Quad ESL, various horns (Klipsch, Volti, Tannoy), and Audio Research pre- and power amps.



    Things I would skip... I've gotten caught up in the FOTM on various things. When I started lurking here, the Jotunheim 1 was a go-to rec, but I never quite loved it. I'm also (heretically) not a huge fan of the Bifrost 2. It's fine but too dark IMO. I prefer the Matrix X-Sabre and think it's every bit as good as the Yggdrasil.

    I think people are weirdly tribal about certain things, and I'd like to have not got caught up buying what the crowd was.

    I also don't care too much about IEMs (uncomfortable and weird listening). I also got weirdly obsessed with finding the perfect gym and airplane HPs/IEMs, when I shoulda just gotten AirPod Pros and Bose QC35s years ago.

    As for vinyl, it's the biggest rabbit hole of all, and I have mixed feelings about disappearing down it. Still, LPs are the coolest.
     
  5. ecline56

    ecline56 Almost "Made"

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    Cheap cd changer /Onkyo DX-390 x 2 > Modi multibit dac x 2 > Switchbox > M^3, Sunrise 3 and Whammy DIY headphone amps > Treble filter modded M1070 and M1060 and my latest finds the treble filter modded Sennheiser HD598Cs and HD599.
     
  6. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    I've enjoyed my time reading all the madness in the forums and also the journey and where I'm currently at. If I had put my energy into a different hobby - I'd hope that I accidently stumbled on a couple good pairings. Probably something like the following loadouts.

    iPhone - AirPods Pro 2
    Sony Walkman with included Sony earbuds
    Sony Discman with Sennheiser PX100 (V1)
    Dedicated DAP or AIO unit - I doubt I'd ever know what a RME or Shanling or whatever FOTM chi-fi thing since I would be a layman.
    iPod classic for DAP maybe and for the AIO maybe I'd go Schiit since they are pretty well represented online and I think I'd probably stumble across them while researching. I've never heard a Jotunheim, but that would probably be plenty for my 'noob' knowledge. Throw one of the dac cards in and live a happy life.

    Headphone with the Jotunheim would be tough. The HP1000 would be ideal in a more modern build, but I don't think that exists. Focal Clear or Utopia would probably suit 70% of what I listen to.
     
  7. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    One of the best things about the hobby is getting to spend time with something new and appreciating it for its strengths. I’d probably try something completely new like a Camerton Audio Binom-ER.

    If I had to repurchase, I’d go straight building a system around Susvara.
     
  8. Failed Engineer

    Failed Engineer Friend

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    I'm in a place of contentment with the stuff I have now but if I were to have a redo with amnesia I'd have just kept the Yuin PK1 earbuds and an ipod and stopped reading audio forums. I think I'd probably have the same level of musical enjoyment I do now.
     
  9. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    I should have sold everything and bought speakers that didn't make me hate music years before I did.
     
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  10. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

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    I would rebuy my Audeze LCD-X '21 and pair it with an iFi portable. Get my ATC SCM11 speakers again, or bump them up to the SCM19 or SCM20, drop the sub if possible, and plug them into the same schiit. Smoke a cigar, and dream of huge open baffle speakers powered by monstrous tube amplifiers.

    The more challenging question for me would be if I started over when I started in 2015. Things have come a long way since then, and speakers weren't an option. So I would have modded and paired my HD650 with a tube amp right away, and started exploring an Audeze LCD-3 or Hifiman HE-6 + Cavalli amplifier pairing, and try out the ZMF Eikon in 2017 if that didn't work out.

    I would stick with the Schiit Gungnir Multibit A1 throughout the multiverse.


    From the gear I used daily here's what I would skip and why:
    • USB DAC/AMPs of the time: More headphones needed moar power back then, and performance of both sections were too limited.
    • O2 Amplifier: Skip because it was a sonic downgrader that would suck out all your microdynamics. - Keep because the latter was the catalyst for questioning everything.
    • Fostex TH900: Skip because it had worse than planar magnetic microdynamics and wasn't going to be the final destination - Keep to experience a biocellulose driver and a full and tactile sound.
    • Sennheisser HD800: Skip because like a drag racer incredibly performant, but only at one or two things.

    Butthole of Horror awards go to:
    • Focal Sphere IEMs (ear rape)
    • RME-ADI 2 Pro balanced headphone out (more ear rape)
    • Abyss 1266 (even more ear rape, no lube)
    • Multiple Focal Utopia drivers failing at different times for no discernible reason.

    Angelic Nipple awards go to:
    • Sennheiser HD6*0 series
    • Tyll's tenure at Innerfidelity
    • Parametric Equalization
    • Hifiman RE-400
    • SBAF and its members
    • Schiit Multibit DACs
    • Sennheisser HE-1 demo
    • Focal Utopia
    • Tube amplifiers
    • Audeze LCD-X 2021
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2022
  11. Tekker

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    Back then my budget was a lot lower than now. With headphones, I would get the Creative Aurvana Live and use it out of my laptop.
     
  12. caute

    caute Lana Del Gayer than you

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    Interested what you said about the synergy with the Wavedream, but also, much more, the EC UL with the JAR600 vs the Starlett with the Utopias. The Starlett seems much more gettable, is it not that great a pairing with the JAR600?

    I'm interested in building a system around the JAR600B, even from the Gungnir A1 > Piety, I got incredible results, wondering if there's just not as much synergy with the Starlett and the JAR600 variants compared with the Ultralinear? What other (obtainable) tube amps have that special sauce with the JAR600s?
     
  13. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    In this fantasy scenario, do I get back all the money I have lost gaining the knowledge that I now have? Because budget is still a thing when building the personal endgame. I have lived in small spaces and likely will for the forseeable future, so a great speaker rig has always been desired, but kind of secondary since space and geometry are not ideal.

    I really enjoy my BF2 + SW51 + HD800/VC combo, but do miss the Gungnir MB A1 + ECP L2 combo I had. The L2 stack definitely skewed a bit warm, but with the HD800/VC headphones, it was perfect.

    That said, I am struggling right now to find time to listen to anything other than my bluetooth headphones (Sony WF-1000XM4, or WH-1000XM5). If I am being very real with myself, I'd probably just give it all up for the BT and finally build the CSS speaker kits I got for my bday last year and focus on my other hobbies.
     
  14. señorhifi

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    I like a neutral to slightly warm sound. I would skip Focal stuff as I find it all too coarse sounding. This leaves me with an HD600 or an HD650. I would pick the HD650 if KISS modded, but since it can introduce channel imbalances quiete easily (I had some minor issues with it every single time I did/re-did the Kiss mod), I think the HD600 + some minor EQ is the better option. Probably the JAR mods are even better, but I haven't tried those.

    For amp I would go with the Jotunheim. I simply don't think a Magni or an Asgard 3 even, extract properly what the HD600 can do. The Jot2 isn't crazy expensive, and worth putting money towards. I think spending money on cheaper amps, is a bigger waste in the long run. I would still add a 4pin XLR Senn HD600 cable of course.

    As for DACs, I would be happy with the ESS card available. Maybe a Zen Dac Signature, to get some extra staging and slam out of the Jot, but this really isn't necessary.

    My SO has a different approach. She plays guitar professionally in an orchestra, sings, listens to way more music than I do, and has an extended knowledge of music theory and history. However, she listens to a BT headphone (that popular Bose one everyone is getting in silver) and has a Spotify account. I did listed to it... shit ain't halfway bad yo.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2022
  15. ColdsnapBry

    ColdsnapBry Almost "Made"

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    Hmm, in hindsight if I wanted to go down the audiophile path I probably would have either stuck with Asgard 3 w/ internal DAC and a ZMF Aeolus with Perforated Suede Pads. If I wanted to be a sane person I just would have stuck with Porta Pros off anything.
     
  16. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Ultimately, two different amps. I can see someone preferring the total system sounds from JAR600 out of Starlett versus the EC Ultralinear. That being said, shockingly good synergy in my experience with JAR600 + EC Ultralinear. The Starlett + JAR600 is very good still; many nights of pleasurable listening with this system have been had .
     
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  17. m.i.c.k.e.y

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    Other than LH Labs...
    Invested earlier on a NAS than local storage
    Invest on better networking(FMC, OCXO swithces) rather than USB/DDC
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2022
  18. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    FWIW, I recall liking the HD600, 650, and 800(S) out of the Starlett. But all have been in storage for the last few months, so this is from memory.
     
  19. dsavitsk

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  20. khbaur330162

    khbaur330162 Almost "Made"

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    I'd probably build a similar rig to what I have now, just try to do it cheaper.

    -- vintage R2R DAC, a Denon DA-500 modded by Talking Dog Transducer Company (caps and op amps, etc.)
    -- a Talking Dog Transducer Company DDC (best I've heard, but fiddly drivers)
    -- probably nab a cheap Nakamichi STASIS amp and have it run through by a technician
    -- build myself another Yamaha YH-100 franken-phone

    All for under $1,500.

    I've heard the DA-500 can sound extremely capable with a few hundred dollars worth of mods, and can be close in performance to my Theta. Would be interesting to check out at that price.

    To be fair, I've never heard a Schiit DAC at any price point, so YMMV, but compared to lower end Soekris and AK chips I prefer vintage R2R DAC chips by a small to medium margin, just cuts deeper into track ever so slightly and sounds more organic to my ears. If budget were no object I'd probably check out the Tubadour IV SE.
     

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