The All Purpose Advice Thread

I went through a very similar situation and you can learn from my experience and save some cash. I bought an HD800S thinking it would be my endgame. I had a Benchmark DAC1 USB and a Schiit Valhalla 2.

So not an end game Amp/dac combo but still one that costs close to $1500 and is pretty well regarded by most. The HD800S sounded lean and unmusical out of my chain. Sure the level of detail was more than I've ever heard before but the details are not what makes me enjoy the music.

There was no warmth, no bass and for me this killed the 'musicality' of the headphone.

I sold the HD800S as unlike many people here I was unwilling to spend $3000+ to get it to sound its best.

I then bought a Blackwood which I'm now using straight out of my DAC1. Music is much more fun and I don't miss the little bit of extra detail.

My suggestion, don't get carried away by marketing. IMHO most multi thousand dollar headphones are just a few percent better than well regarded multi hundred dollar headphones. You will not get a quantum leap in performance. Ignore the hyperbole.

Of course I've not listened to a $5000 to $8000 super optimized rig for the HD800 but I'm not interested in sinking this much money into audio.

My suggestion: get a B stock Blackwood, Zach has a few at the moment. I would never suggest that you get an HD800 before trying it out and don't even bother unless you have the cash to sink into an HD800 specific chain.

Good luck!

 

Debating the Andro or something a bit cheaper during wizards sale like the custom savannah. Can anyone tell me how durable acrylic customs tend to be? Obviously they won't be as tough as Andromedas metal housing but do i need to baby them? (because i won't)

 

Was going to suggest cheap usb table, but not sure of what inputs your adc uses. You might want to start there. Come to think of it, if it is only a few albums, why not have a local service rip them?

Unless you want to dink around with setting all that up.

 

Depends on what you mean by babying them. I've broken 2 or 3 pairs of acrylics in the last 3 plus years but not babying them. One I was just utterly careless with, closed it in a car door. The other, not really sure how I originally cracked the housing, but I eventually finished it of closing it in a Pelican case, stuffed in with an amp and portable player. I still don't quite baby my stuff, but I'm a bit more cognisant in my handling. Some IEMS I find built fairly well. Others, not so much. I had a pair of ear sonics I felt that I could easily break in my fingers. Noble appears to be built well though. I did happen to break a pair of Heir Audio 8.0, not sure how either.

 

Will a microphone measure differently if it is angled? I am trying to measure headphones with emm6(omnidirectional mic)

 

Thank for the advice. I highly appreciate it.
It's not that I would think the 650 has too much bass but too less sub bass and bass quality (i think) but it's vocal reproduction, instrument timbre, treble smoothness and reliability are major plus points for me. The O2 does seem like it will only hold me back.

I don't want to commit that kind of sin do I?
650(m) does seem like a good option but where will I find one modded? I don't think I could MOD them myself.

Any change I could find one modded used?
I knew my hd800 dream would be short lived, oh well, thanks for steering me away from that unforgiving beast. It would have eaten me alive.

I was planning on blackwood initially but it's weight would be too much for me. I could order a cherry blackwood for $650. Would you think that would be a good idea?

 

Could they fit my needs?

Magni2/modi 2? They are a pretty neutral-bright pairing.

Pm sent.

 

@Hands - wow. I've read quite a few times that the project Polaris pairs very well with the HD 650 for being a solid state, maybe because of it's JEFT filters. But it does sound a bit tubey from what I've read.

650(m) + Polaris + modi 2? Is it worth getting the Uber over the modi 2?

What do you think about slants? Could they potentially meet my needs? I've always wanted one but held off due to unreliability (Luis can only repair them and he is difficult to get hold of) and they don't look very nice IMO, but they sure as hell do match my tastes.

 

Yes, definitely get the Uber over the regular Modi 2, the Uber was just updated with a new chip very recently.

 

@k4rstar Thanks, I really had no idea they updated the chip . Are they a bit warmer sounding now? or more bright?

 

Hands, I remember you tried the BW (not sure how different it is from BW2?). Do you think it pairs well with HD650?

 

Guys after a bit more reading I'm thinking that the lff paradox might be a better fit for me (closed heaphone, dat timbre, dem details, comfort, neutrality) than the slants (just more soundstage, smoother treble, moar bass for a lot more money) if anyone want's to let theirs go or knows someone who might want to let theirs go hit me up!

 

I haven't heard this particular setup, I assume the Slants won't change too much character if power requirements are met.
In any case any nastiness upstream are much more apparent with Sennheisers, that said I did a quick listen yesterday and found something slightly bothersome with a handful of tracks (metal) in treble that HD800 or HD650 didn't have.
I compared them back to back with ATH-MSR7 for sanity check and found them to be roughly on bar, maybe slightly favoring the Slants on average. They have very different strengths and flaws. Not easy comparison as the MSR-7 is in the bright end of spectrum. My problem with the Slants is that they mask obvious detail in treble and have slightly sloppy/boomy bass.
HD650 for example is just a higher leaque of hp to my ears.

 

@Priidik and hence I say that the paradox, being at a lower price point and having a more neutral tonality, would be better for me. I secretly do want a closed headphone when I look inside my heart .

 

ADC is the TC Impact Twin (RCA/XLR/1/4"). By your response pointing to cheap USB, seems like picking up one of the lower end TTs without USB, I should be fine, but will I need a pre-amp for RIAA, etc?

(Local service couldn't be trusted without me *knowing* they'll not take a lot of care.)

 

Just checked up with Luis. Tha custom Paradox are by no means cheap. $800...

 

If you are not concerned about looks or going balanced in the future, I would go with the starving student version of the paradox.