Have your say & ask the experts

At last I've finally got around to getting some pictures posted!

Firstly my computer based system -



It's a simple affair consisting of my trusty old Power Mac sending music (AIFF/iTunes & Spotify Premium) via USB to a Gigalab Moon mkII NOS DAC and then amped by a Sugden Headmaster - which in-turn drives either Grado HF2 or Sennheiser HD600 headphones.




Secondly my main system -



For the digital side of things -



Marantz CD-63 KI Signature > Coaxial > Mhdt Labs Havana NOS DAC > Stax SRM-006tII > Stax SR-404 Limited







Lastly Tandberg TR-200 FM Receiver and Sony TC-K890ES Cassette Deck -



Thanks for looking!

e

Very nice

Brilliant Lonely Boy. The small system looks sweet and I had not considered using the cone supports that way before. I want the Stax though, they look amazing.

Looks great. I imagine you never want to leave the room! I love the way your headphones are all hanging up ready to go. If there`s one thing better than a set of Sennheisers and a set of Grados it`s the option to have both on hand which you can switch according to your moods/type of music being played. And if that wasn`t enough you`ve got a pair of Stax too! Bet they sound good.

Messiah:

Very nice

Thank You Messiah!

idc:

Brilliant Lonely Boy. The small system looks sweet and I had not considered using the cone supports that way before. I want the Stax though, they look amazing.

Cheers idc - The cones are Nordost Pulsar Points, they were really a necessity as the DAC gets pretty hot underneath so they help with cooling, it also appears that the sound is more focused as well.

The Stax sound pretty good too - they aren't the most detailed phones in the world, but they are pretty fast and you soon forget that you're wearing headphones because of the way that sound just happens - also they are really comfortable, I usually have them on for hours.

survivor:

Looks great. I imagine you never want to leave the room!

Hehe - oh how I wish, unfortunately I only really get the weekend to do any serious listening as I'm usually tired out during the week...

survivor:

I love the way your headphones are all hanging up ready to go. If there`s one thing better than a set of Sennheisers and a set of Grados it`s the option to have both on hand which you can switch according to your moods/type of music being played. And if that wasn`t enough you`ve got a pair of Stax too! Bet they sound good.

Yeah, hanging phones really keeps them out of the way and your not going to sit/stand on them - done it myself a few times.

Yes, mood/music is important - the Grados I like for Jazz and electronic music, the Stax are preferred for Classical, I go back and forth with the HD600/HD650, at the moment it's the latter I enjoy the most.

I've been using the Stax for just over a year now, originally had the regular version of the 404s, but the right hand driver has gradually over time started to fade, so I grabbed the LE version about a month ago and boxed the others up ready for repair, they will be used as for backups.

The LE is an improvement over the regular version so maybe next year I'll upgrade to a better amp and get the most out of them.

Anyway, thanks guys

e

lonely boy:

Yes, mood/music is important - the Grados I like for Jazz and electronic music, the Stax are preferred for Classical, I go back and forth with the HD600/HD650, at the moment it's the latter I enjoy the most.

Hi Lonely Boy, you answered my question before I even thought of it! I was going to ask why you had so many headphones... however, your explanation makes perfect sense, I'd never even considered using different 'phones for different types of music, brilliant. Love that Sugden headmaster BTW.

Diamond Joe:

..... I'd never even considered using different 'phones for different types of music, brilliant......

One of the joys of headphone listening. My next purchase is to be a decent pair of closed back cans to give the family some peace at times.

Diamond Joe:

lonely boy:

Yes, mood/music is important - the Grados I like for Jazz and electronic music, the Stax are preferred for Classical, I go back and forth with the HD600/HD650, at the moment it's the latter I enjoy the most.

Hi Lonely Boy, you answered my question before I even thought of it! I was going to ask why you had so many headphones... however, your explanation makes perfect sense, I'd never even considered using different 'phones for different types of music, brilliant. Love that Sugden headmaster BTW.

Hiya Diamond Joe - The Sugden's nice, that was the first dedicated headphone amp I bought, had it for about four years now.
It's very neutral, I've found the Moon DAC to be the best partner with it by a big margin.

The thing with owning different headphones is that they all have strengths and weaknesses - I doubt that there is a "best" or "perfect" set out there.
The Grados I've owned have very coloured sound making them very suitable for rock music especially, where as Sennheisers tend to be more neutral (if driven properly) - I've found the HD600s to be the most suitable for a wide range of music.

Of course some people may consider me just a greedy hoarder, but that's how I justify it anyway!

e

idc:

Diamond Joe:

..... I'd never even considered using different 'phones for different types of music, brilliant......

One of the joys of headphone listening. My next purchase is to be a decent pair of closed back cans to give the family some peace at times.

Also they are easier to stash away than 10 pairs of speakers...

e

I have googled your kit and the DACs in particular seem to thin on the ground. How did you decide on them? Were you able to audition them?

idc:

I have googled your kit and the DACs in particular seem to thin on the ground. How did you decide on them? Were you able to audition them?

Ah.. good question - firstly, no I wasn't able to audition the DACs. The Moon DAC is only available on eBay and is shipped from Hong Kong.

The reason that I chose it is because with most digital sources I've heard, I find I'm susceptible to so called "digital glare" that kind of grit in the sound especially the treble region, that some people associate with over-sampling designs - basically I find this a real distraction. Now I'm only talking about mid-range equipment - I have no experience with higher end stuff, eg Naim, Cyrus etc.

I heard about non-oversampling DACs and their supposedly Analogue sound and lack of digital nasties and googling came across the couple of similar DACs - like the Valab, I chose the Moon because it seemed to be better put together and just thought sod it I'll try one as a first time DAC - It only cost $200 around £130 delivered.

I originally used it with a Heed CanAmp and after about a day of use gave it a good listen - and was impressed it had a rich, warm sound and didn't hurt my ears but it was very noisy - the CanAmp picking up a lot of interference from it - so I dug out my old Headmaster which is very quiet, and was even more impressed as the grey flat sound I'd always associated with the Sugden had gone and been replaced by smooth, open and dynamic but very listenable sound that just drew me into the music, so it looked like NOS may be for me.

So I was after another DAC to feed my Stax system, originally I was considering a Benchmark but I eventually decided on another NOS model. I had first come across the Havana about six months ago while looking for Valve DACs - it seemed reasonably priced compared to others.

There is a thread on Head-fi concerning the Havana and some reviews on Mhdt's website. You can only buy it directly from the manufacturer either from their website or eBay store and it's shipped from Taiwan.

Admittedly it's a bit of a risk not being able to audition quite an expensive item but I'm glad I bought it because I'm very pleased with it - it's much more refined and detailed then the Moon and very quiet. In combination with the Stax the sound has an effortless quality, I really like the way it renders acoustic instruments, the timbre is very nice.

As I've mentioned before, the stock tube is a little bright, maybe in a couple of weeks time I'll try some different valves.

e

lonely boy,

you own both the hd-600 and hd-650s you say you favour the hd-650s, how would you describe the different sound characterises of the two and do you think the hd-650s are worth the extra £ over the 600s?

I'm thinking about getting a pair, I prefer the look of the 600s and after a very brief audition the sound too.

Lovely set up!

lonely boy:

....... Admittedly it's a bit of a risk not being able to audition.........

Great reviews LB. The Havana sounds like a potential upgrade for me. I have been pondering about buying without auditioning for a while....I feel like a new thread.......

Brisk:

lonely boy,

you own both the hd-600 and hd-650s you say you favour the hd-650s, how would you describe the different sound characterises of the two and do you think the hd-650s are worth the extra £ over the 600s?

I'm thinking about getting a pair, I prefer the look of the 600s and after a very brief audition the sound too.

Lovely set up!

Cheers Brisk!

Both phones are really different variations of a sound signature - the 600s are easier to drive, and will sound good out of most decent amps. They are well balanced tone wise but have a "etched" treble which is a bit too much for me but some people like that and perceive this as sparkle.

The 650s have a smoother less present treble are tonally richer and I'm sure they resolve more, I find them more satisfying but they need a lot of power. They sound really great out of a good valve amp, loosing their perceived thickness/slowness - I have used them with the Icon Audio HP8 in the past with great results they produce a flowing, dynamic involving sound.

When I first bought them as an upgrade from the 600s I didn't think they were much of an improvement, but now I can safely say I much prefer them, so yes for me they are worth the extra. The 600s are good phones, I like them with my Moon/Sugden combo but for me that's it. It really come down to one's own tastes at the end of the day.

Hope that helps you out a bit.

e

idc:

lonely boy:

....... Admittedly it's a bit of a risk not being able to audition.........

Great reviews LB. The Havana sounds like a potential upgrade for me. I have been pondering about buying without auditioning for a while....I feel like a new thread.......

Thanks - Yeah it's worth considering if you like an organic/natural sound.

e