sayhitojason

Hi lypk. You may also want to consider the Rotel RCD-971. I personally prefer the 971 over the Marantz 63 SE. I haven't heard the CD 6000, but those who have commented that there isn't much difference between the 63 and the 6000. The Marantz sounds good the first time you hear it. It's got warm vocals, and lots of details. But for some reason, I was never able to do extended listening with it. I get irritated after a while (20 mins or more) and have the tendency to turn it off. Actually, this also happens with the CD63 KI, although to a lesser extent. I am now using a Rega Planet 2000. The Planet sounds more musical to me than the CD 63 series (SE and KI). It's got very good rhythm, and most of all, the music does not sound digital. Maybe that's what people term as "analogue sounding". I can't use that term because I don't know what LPs (analogue) sounds like. I would recommend the Planet, but it is above your budget. I have had the chance to compare the Planet to the 971. They are pretty close. The 971 is more upfront, akin to listening to music in the 1st/2nd row. The Planet gives you a 10th row listening position which I prefer more. But other than that, these 2 players give a similar non-digital sound which I like a lot. You should be able to get a 2nd hand 971 for $300 or so. Rameish has 2 of these players actually, so you may want to get his opinion on them as well. Just my 2 cents worth.

TENTATIVE PARTICIPANTS 1. Mackie 2. Blues 3. Heady (only after 1st Oct - will be away from tomorrow) 4. Q00 5. lypk (10th sep, 17 sep - Not sure about the later weekends yet) 6. Evil-zen (hope to have it asap) 7. Username (after 29th Sep - will be having exams until then) 8. yotiao 9. gfgfMoses 10. Huma Dragonbane (after 29th september - will be having exams until then) might be brinigng along someone too 11. sayhitojason

Thanks! The version that I heard was Nat King Cole's. Cheers!

Hi, I was watching this Chinese Hong Kong movie titled "And I Hate You So" ('xiao zhen zhen'). It stars Aaron Kwok as a DJ and Kelly Chen as a newspaper columnist who battle one another but eventually falls in love. At the end of the movie, when Kelly is on her way to the airport to marry her first love, Aaron dedicates her a song over the radio. I would appreciate it if someone can tell me the title and artist of this song. It's a very slow vocal, and my guess is it's from the 60's or 70's. The whole track is just vocal with guitar accompaniment. My guess is that the song title is "I Wish You Love". The lyrics follow. I wish you bluebirds in the spring To give your heart a song to sing And then a kiss, but more than this I wish you love And in July, a lemonade To cool you in some leafy glade I wish you health, and more than wealth I wish you love My breaking heart and I agree That you and I could never be So with my best, my very best I set you free I wish you shelter from the storm A cosy fire, to keep you warm But most of all, when snowflakes fall I wish you love

I guess I'm lucky. My wife bought me my first pair of headphones.

Meesa waiting for review Mackie! Hurrieeez.

That's good to hear. OK, I'll try some of these China pressings and post my findings.

Hmm... any idea how you can tell the difference between original China pressing and pirated CDs? The ones that I saw in Bugis was packaged very well. Some albums have those round shiny 3D stickers on them. They didn't occur to me as pirated stuff, but then again, with today's pirates, I won't be surprised how real the fake can be.

I'm listening to the following now: - Cai Qin - Ji Yu (To Encounter) - Stan Getz - The Lost Sessions - Jose Mari Chan - Constant Change

You mean places like Poh Kim, Sembawang sells China-pressed CDs? I thought these were only available in pasar malams, some music stores in Chinatown etc.

I see. Where do you guys get your supply of China-pressed CDs? I think I'll buy a few to compare. I saw some on sale at Bugis Village, going for approx. $7 - $8. Is that the usual price, or is there someplace cheaper?

Hmm... interesting. I guess the quality of the CD will depend on the manufacturer, and how they process and press the CDs. Just like all CDs, some companies like Chesky, Sheffield Labs etc are known for their attention to the audio quality. I should think this applies to China-pressed CDs as well. Some are bound to be good, and some not so good. It will be helpful for those who have made a comparison to state the recording company. Generally speaking, I find that quality of a CD depend a lot on the recording company.

Hi, Does anyone want to offload some of their unwanted CDs? I am looking at expanding my CD library. Kindly PM me CD titles and price should you have any for sale. Thanks!

Drool....

Have a joyous Christmas all head-fiers and hi-fiers! Cheers!

huangyong, don't worry, won't kill you la.... To answer your question, I am using a Marantz CD 63 KI MkII for my source. I also have a Rega Planet, but I use that solely for my speaker set up.

Just my 2 cents worth, if rock is what you listen to often, the HD600 is not the right pair of phones. I've heard them before, and they are smooth and polite. Unfortunately, I can't recommend a good pair of headphones for rock music. Generally, if strong bass is what you want, closed headphones are better at that. If you want, you can come over to my place to test your headphones. I've got a headphone amp and a Beyer DT880. The DT880 sounds quite neutral to me, and I think it will suit someone who listens to different types of music. Bring your CDs though as I don't have any rock CDs.

A: Soccer Q: Man U or Arsenal?

Hi Knuxed, I'll be heading to M'sia during Christmas, but not to KL though. I'm leaving for Malacca on Christmas eve. If you want to make a trip to pick it up in Malacca, let me know.

LaoMao, welcome to the forum. The details of the meet can be found here: http://www.sgheadphones.net/index.php?showtopic=2755

OK for 8th Jan 2004. Err... I'm not sure if I will have my equipment by then. Is it ok if I come without equipment, or is it a prerequisite to bring something?

I see. Thanks.

Thanks Mackie. Yes, the 83802 is the bright red as you said. I saw it quite sometime back when I was at LHS (Sim Lim Tower). I think I'll work on the powerstrip. It's really funny how the powercord makes so much difference. I mean afterall, the powercables running in the HDB walls can't be of good quality (especially considering that mine is a 19 year old flat). Really blows my mind. For the powerstip, there will be smaller cables linking each individual socket to the main cable right? What do you replace these smaller cables with?

I believe it is 19364. It's the black cable that is more flexible. 83802/03 is the orange cable that is very stiff correct? When I replaced the powercord with the Belden, the soundstage improved, and I got more air. The base was more pronounced too. I didn't feel that the bass was muddier though, nor the laidback midrange. But what I found was that the Belden was a bit brighter than the stock powercord. But then again, my setup is really unprofessional. For e.g. my belden is plugged to a powerstrip which costs S$15! Not enough wall socket. I have been contemplating of replacing the cables in the powerstrip with Belden cable. Don't know if it will help, but haven't gotten around to it.

Thanks Voxel. I've decided to get a dedicated head-amp instead. Will save me all the trouble. By the way Mackie, your input about the source in my hifi system was spot on. I took delivery of a Rega Planet today, and oh my gosh, the improvement is amazing! I believe it's not that the 63KI is bad, but I think it has to do with system matching. The KI, YBA Integre DT and Triangle combo sounds a bit on the bright side. Very detailed, but the sibilance can be irritating at loud volumes and over extended periods. With the Rega, everything became more balanced. The vocals and piano sounded more real. Plus I could hear other instruments on some songs better (previously, they were masked by the higher frequencies like cymbals etc). The Rega had an IEC connector (the KI was stock without a detachable powercord). It so happened that I had a DIY Belden powercord with Hubbell & Wattgate. After plugging it in, the soundstage expanded! I couldn't believe my ears. The whole exercise was an eye opener on how important the source is, and also how important system matching is. I am grinning from ear to ear! Thanks!