zottel
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Mar 28, 2024 at 12:44 PM
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zottel

Friend, Male, from Franconia, Germany

Pyrate Contributor

I always wanted to avoid tubes, but Vali 3 really has me tempted to at least try (outside of meet conditions). Gotta resist … Mar 17, 2024

zottel was last seen:
Viewing latest content, Mar 28, 2024 at 12:44 PM
    1. zottel
      zottel
      Just found the Christmas Oratory recording with Dunedin Consort/John Butt. Wow! Just great.
      1. Cryptowolf and zonto like this.
      2. zonto
        zonto
        I really like the DunedIn Consort! I just placed an order for a few SACDs from them, including Bach's Magnificat. I also picked up their recording of Handel's Messiah as it's pretty cool hearing it with such a stripped back ensemble. Will contrast nicely with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version I also picked up. :)
        Dec 9, 2022
        zottel likes this.
      3. zottel
        zottel
        Yes, I’ve heard a few others of their recordings, and I liked them all.
        Dec 9, 2022
    2. zottel
      zottel
      Some heresy in the evening: Now that the Jazz ff has shown me what my Clear Mg is capable of, I’ve lost interest in my HD650.
      1. Jinxy245 and Vtory like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. zottel
        zottel
        Might be a matter of synergy, too.
        Dec 7, 2022
        Gazny likes this.
      4. ChaChaRealSmooth
        ChaChaRealSmooth
        Or preferences. That's just as important as synergy
        Dec 7, 2022
        Jinxy245 and zottel like this.
      5. zottel
        zottel
        True. Detail matters a lot to me, combined with punch and energy and musicality. The Clear Mg is very good at that combination, IMHO.
        Dec 7, 2022
    3. zottel
      zottel
      It’s seldom that listening to recorded music can make me happy when I’m down. But it can make me so much happier when I’m already happy!
      1. zottel
        zottel
        When I’m down, it calms me down, which isn’t that bad, too.
        Dec 6, 2022
    4. zottel
      zottel
      I compared three versions of Jagged Little Pill during the weekend: The rip of the original CD from 1995 won.
      1. Qildail, Cryptowolf, zonto and 3 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Cryptowolf
        Cryptowolf
        I appreciate this comparison. I sometimes fall down this rabbit hole and want to compare all the versions of The Cure tracks.
        Dec 5, 2022
        zottel likes this.
      4. Cspirou
        Cspirou
        I’ve done a similar comparison with Pixies CDs I bought in the 90s vs Apple Music streams. Even though the streams are lossless, they are remastered and don’t have the same feel as the original. I definitely prefer the 90s discs
        Dec 5, 2022
        Cryptowolf likes this.
      5. zottel
        zottel
        It depends. I think that the Michael Jackson remasters of Bad and Thriller are quite good, e. g.. They are louder, yes, but they don’t really lose anything (the originals didn’t have more dynamic contrast, anyway) and add some detail and separation.
        OTOH, that’s 80s, not 90s, and from a time when digital production wasn’t common yet.
        Dec 5, 2022
        Cryptowolf likes this.
    5. zottel
      zottel
      Meier Corda Jazz ff + 7Hz Timeless is a delicious combination. The great blackground + microdetail of the amp really shine there.
      1. zottel
        zottel
        I only wish I had a longer cable.
        Nov 18, 2022
      2. zottel
        zottel
        The amp’s probably not suitable for sensitive IEMs, though. Volume is controlled via discrete resistors at 32 levels + high/low gain, and the lowest level is probably too loud already. My preferred listening level with the Timeless is below 9 o’clock.
        Nov 18, 2022
        Merrick likes this.
    6. zottel
      zottel
      Meier Corda Daccord ff + Jazz ff + Clear Mg is a breathtakingly good combination. Details galore, but not clinical at all.
      1. Emojiless, Qildail and shambles like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. shambles
        shambles
        I've liked all the Schiit stuff I've owned, but with strong USD and higher shipping costs it's nowhere near the value proposition it used to be for non-US buyers. Great to have some solid local alternatives - will keep the Jazz in mind!
        Nov 13, 2022
        zottel likes this.
      4. Biodegraded
        Biodegraded
        Nov 13, 2022
      5. Emojiless
        Emojiless
        Wonder how it sounds compared to SW51+
        Nov 14, 2022
    7. zottel
      zottel
      Met Jan Meier today, listened to DACCORD-FF, JAZZ-FF and shortly to SOUL. Great stuff!
      1. FlySweep, shambles, obsiCO and 7 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. zottel
        zottel
        The Soul is incredibly good, but I kept listening to a few minutes on purpose, so I will only remember that “it was better at everything”. I don’t want to have it on mind for years until I can afford it. :)
        Nov 11, 2022
      4. GuySmiley'sMonkey
        GuySmiley'sMonkey
        FWIW, I think the Jazz ff is a bargain. Sorry I sold it.
        Nov 11, 2022
        zottel likes this.
      5. obsiCO
        obsiCO
        Meier's stuff is seriously nice. I find Corda Classic (discontinued) to be quite a bit better than Jot 1 for my tastes as well. (Plus, that crossfeed switch. Yum!)
        Nov 11, 2022
        zottel likes this.
    8. zottel
      zottel
      I contacted Jan Meier of Meier Audio via email this morning, asking if I could audition a few of his products.
      1. wbass and rhythmdevils like this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        90 minutes and a few pleasant emails (on a Sunday) later I have an appointment on next Friday.
        He even asked which color I preferred because he wanted to burn in the products before I come.
        Wow. Just wow.
        Nov 6, 2022
        netforce, Claritas, Merrick and 11 others like this.
    9. zottel
      zottel
      Unfortunately, hearing better after having earwax removed has made most of my gear worse, not better, with only one very notable exception.
      1. Philimon, jnak00 and Lyander like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. zottel
        zottel
        Well, I see it this way: I can only now appreciate how great my main rig is. And how much better it is than the rest of my gear, which I use much less, anyway, and none of which was very expensive, too.
        I’ll try to have clean ears before auditioning new stuff from now on, though.
        Nov 2, 2022
        Cryptowolf and Thad E Ginathom like this.
      4. Biodegraded
        Biodegraded
        Pro tip for ageing male audiophiles: every time you go for a prostate exam, get your ear-wax checked too. Remember to insist on fresh gloves after each procedure.
        Nov 2, 2022
        zottel, Qildail, jnak00 and 2 others like this.
      5. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        Urologists and ENT guys and never the twain shall meet.

        Ad least, I don't think mine know each other, but I haven't asked.
        Nov 2, 2022
    10. zottel
      zottel
      Interestingly, after my earwax surgery, I like the Jot 2 ESS card much better than before.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        The ear is removed for cleaning, and re-attached afterwards.

        Seriously, though... no, I wouldn't call it surgery, as nothing gets cut, but:-

        In my experience, two basic ways of earwax removal.

        1. Low tech washing with warm water and syringing.
        2. Higher-tech vacuum suction and use of scraping tools.

        ...
        Oct 17, 2022
        Jinxy245, Kernel Kurtz and Qildail like this.
      3. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        ... I've had my ears syringed by a nurse. The guy who does the poking and vacuum on me really is an actual ENT surgeon. It takes a steady, practised hand! So I suppose it might be filed under "surgery"
        Oct 17, 2022
        Jinxy245 and Kernel Kurtz like this.
      4. zottel
        zottel
        @zonto Hehe, sorry, this was just an exaggeration I thought was funny, but as I'm not a native English speaker, this might have come across as more confusing than funny. It was just earwax removed as @Thad E Ginathom said.
        Oct 17, 2022
        zonto and Thad E Ginathom like this.
    11. zottel
      zottel
      Just listened to Wagner’s Walküre. That last part when Wotan expels and bids farewell to Brünnhilde actually brought tears to my eyes.
    12. zottel
      zottel
      Looking forward to upgrading my ears again next Monday.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        I need an ear-cleaning as much as twice a year.

        Sadly, the results are not as as dramatic as they used to be.

        I'm due for such a visit right now. And after that, getting the hearing aids turned up a bit.
        Oct 10, 2022
        Cryptowolf and zottel like this.
      3. zottel
        zottel
        It’s amazing what the brain does there, too. Lots of sizzling and fizzling at first, but everything sounds normal again only a few hours later. But I hope I’ll still be able to hear even more micro detail then.
        Oct 10, 2022
        Jinxy245 and Thad E Ginathom like this.
      4. crenca
        crenca
        Malteser vs. Whopper. Never had a Malteser, but I have a feeling I would choose the Whopper based on triangulation of reviews ;)
        Oct 10, 2022
    13. zottel
      zottel
      Hmpf, I guess I’m getting fatter around the thumbs. Just hit dislike instead of like two times within 5 minutes.
      1. Qildail
        Qildail
        I do this more often than I care to admit. Then I get into a silly panic trying to undo it before it becomes a thing.
        Sep 25, 2022
        zottel likes this.
    14. zottel
      zottel
      Hm, it seems I need the Jot 2 colouration to really like any source with Clear Mg. Currently testing Bolt as DAC, and it sounds wonderful.
      1. zottel
        zottel
        I must admit that it sounds better than the RU6. Similar tonality, but clearer and more resolving.
        Am I biased by the bad reviews here or would I have felt the same without them?
        Anyway, I like it!
        Sep 23, 2022
      2. zottel
        zottel
        And I definitely like both much better than the Schiit ESS card in my Jot 2, which sounds too digital and harsh in comparison.
        Sep 23, 2022
      3. zottel
        zottel
        Today, I like the RU6 better than the Bolt again. After some time, detail is on a similar level, and there’s much more plankton in instruments and especially voices.
        Sep 26, 2022
    15. zottel
      zottel
      Damn, my Dynaudio Music 5 sounds so good at its new placement. That’s lowest tier Dynaudio. How good must the new Focus series sound?
      1. Qildail likes this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        Also: The difference between it in the stonewalled living room and up here in the attic with its very dry acoustics is HUGE, even with this relatively modest gear. Must be a nightmare to try to get really expensive gear to sound even moderately good in a room like our living room.
        Sep 17, 2022
        Cryptowolf likes this.
    16. zottel
      zottel
      Why did I never hear of Jockstrap before? Seriously great.
      1. ilikebananafudge_ and E_Schaaf like this.
    17. zottel
      zottel
      I just put my HD650 behind my upsampled NOS RU6 > Jot2 chain for the first time. Wow! Classical music never sounded so good before.
      1. Cryptowolf likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. zottel
        zottel
        The HD650 is great for classical music, but for everything where rhythm and drums play a roll, or bass extension (think organ), I like the Clear Mg much better.
        Just tested with Disquiet, one of my favourite Hidden Orchestra tracks. That loud part in the end so much more engaging with the Focal! But I guess I’ll use the HD650 for classical from now on.
        Sep 10, 2022
      4. yotacowboy
        yotacowboy
        On my list to dick around with this week at work: RU6 Bal out to Jot2 Bal in + JAR650, HD600, HD800, Andro, Solaris, 7HZ.
        Sep 11, 2022
        zottel likes this.
      5. zottel
        zottel
        @yotacowboy If you have the software to do so, also try NOS with external upsampling to 352.8/384 kHz (I use Roon for that). It makes an audible difference at least for material below 96 kHz, and IMO it really makes the RU6 shine.
        Sep 11, 2022
    18. zottel
      zottel
      Back from vacation. Relieved to find out that I can still immensely enjoy the RU6 in my “big” chain without thinking it must be bad. :)
      1. nishan99
    19. zottel
      zottel
      Does anybody have a recommendation for a good hifi store in Berlin, especially regarding headphones and headamps?
      1. zottel
        zottel
        I’ll be there for a few days in September and thought I might do some test listening.
        Aug 21, 2022
    20. zottel
      zottel
      Refurnished my attic due to home office needs. Side effect: I now have a much better place for my Dynaudio Music 5. And it sounds SO good!
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  • About

    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Franconia, Germany
    Gear List:
    Meier Corda Daccord ff, Jazz ff
    HEDDphone Two, Clear Mg, HD650
    Bathys
    Dynaudio Music 5
    Roon, HQPlayer, Zen