tbln

Too much!

Air-tight and dust free storage. 5.5l size is great for most cans.

Often underrated, seldom considered, but essential for all components to make beautiful music together. Although I am a Sennheiser man at heart, I would choose the GS1000 over the RS1 when I feel like listening to a Grado. A wide soundstage, smoother highs and greater comfort are the main reasons for my choice. For low volume listening, the GS1000s are perfect. They provide the bass undertones that lay the foundation of great listening. This is often missing in other headphones at low volumes. I have always found Grados to be sensitive to amplification and they need some muscle behind to sound their best. I have always preferred them driven by a set of nice glowing tubes. Is it just me or does the GS1000 sit relatively loosely on the head?

One pair of Silver Resolution Reference balanced cables from Signal Cable for sale. Top of the line for Signal Cable's offering. 3 foot pair in mint condition terminated with XLRs. Product information: http://signalcable.com/silverresolutionxlr.html Review: http://www.stereotimes.com/cable121604.shtml $200. Self collection at Suntec City during office hours. Please leave contact numbers if interested.

Imagine the potential of having a huge library of full resolution music that you can extract with a good DAC. At the posted price, it definitely is worth a more thorough look. Exciting!

Happy Birthday Rameish! Looking forward to another great year!

To truly benefit from a balanced system, it is important to maintain a true balanced signal all the way from the source to the amp to the headphone. As Milkpowder pointed out, not all sources that claim to have balanced outputs truly do. Those that I know have true balanced outputs include Meridian G08, Marantz SA11S1 and Cambridge Audio 840. Buyer beware! I have no scientific explanation why a balanced set up should sound better but my (admittedly limited) personal experience has made me a believer. Even when level matched, I find the balanced outputs to be more spacious, have better seperation and tight control over the bass. I have 'balanced' my Sennheisers (HD580/600/650) and have found appreciable improvements across all, with the HD650s benefitting the most from going balanced. As with all things audio, the cost of going balanced raises the price quite a bit and the differences/improvements are not night and day. From my understanding, Grados cannot simply be reterminated into a balanced setup using the original cable. A total recable is necessary. It also appears that Grados do not seem to benefit greatly from balancing. YMMV. Should you decide to reterminate your cans with balanced XLR connectors, it is also possible to make an adaptor (female XLR -> 1/8" plug) that will allow single-ended use. Heavier and clumsier, but definitely possible. Will try to post some pictures tonight.

Due to the recent arrival of a new balanced amp, I have to take the decision to cull the herd. As I spend more time listening only to my bedside rig, I have decided to put this excellent amp (used in secondary rig) up for sale. The Extreme Platinum is powerful and delivers a sonically exhilarating delivery. My impressions of the amp and more pics can be found here: http://www.sgheadphones.net/index.php?showtopic=7960 It is able to drive almost any headphone with authority, but for my musical tastes, I find great synergy with Senn HD580/600/650, AKG 701 and Beyer DT880/990. The tube rolling capabilty allows you to tweak the sound to your preferences. This is the upgraded Platinum version of the Extreme which contains the following upgrades: Piltron Transformer Black Gate Cathode Capacitors Black Gate Power Capacitors ECC type 1 adaptor for use with 12AT7, 12AU7,5814, 5965,6414, 6829 and 7062 tubes. Details are as follows: Received the amp 16 June 2007. Three year warranty by Singlepower. Total number of hours used, including burn in, no more than 400 hours. Amp is in great original condition as received. Am looking to sell the amp together with additional tubes that I had bought for rolling (no use for them now): Entire package = 1 X Singlepower Extreme Platinum amp (USD 1,899) w Neutrik locking headphone jack (USD 99) + shipping (USD140). 1 X additional power supply 1 X ECC1 adaptor 2 X NOS RCA 6080 1 X NOS 6SN7 1 X NOS 6414 2 X power cord supplied Original shipping carton Additional premium tubes for rolling (S$300 cost). All tube NOS, bought new and used only with this amp.- 2 X NOS JAN 6AS7 2 X NOS JAN 6080 1 X NOS Siemens E82CC 1 X NOS RCA Cleartop 12 AU7 I paid a little over total of $3,800 for everything including $200 GST (USD was 1.55 when I paid). My sale price = S$3,100 with additional tubes. My loss, your gain. Would be open to trades with top ups on either side. Possible items of interest include Edition 9, L3000 or other balanced headphones. Not interested in IEMS, portable amps or DAP players. Not a fire sale, so please do not be offended if I do not reply to lowball offers.

Sweat

Static type noise at low volumes is standard with the PA2V2. I believe it has something to do with the volume pot. No warranty card. Any problem, contact Gary to resolve. Enjoy the amp.

Welcome to Club Sennheiser! When the itch strikes again, check out aftermarket cables for your cans. You might be more than pleasantly surprised. Also remember to give them enough burn-in.

Oh no! 2 : 1! Just highlights how different people prefer different sound signatures and the importance of trying if you can.

As you get off the escalator on the 4th floor, the first shop you see is Asia Sound. Turn left and the next shop is Kingsley. Walk a few more steps, and the next shop is Coherence. Cannot be clearer than that right?

Coherence is on the 4th floor, closer to the stairs overlooking the central atrium. You can find the newer grey colour Cardas Sennheiser replacement cables there. Depending on which headphone you own, I find the Cardas a better match for the HD580 & 600, while the Zu works well for the HD650. This is for the cables available locally. If you plan to order overseas, the Stefan Audio Art Equinox is quite good for all three, and must be seriously considered. Expensive and a long wait time are the only problems.

Thanks CMK, I await patiently .

Better?

Latest version of my listening sanctuary. Current main home rig: Single ended tube goodness: Singlepower MPX3 SLAM, Marantz SA8260 Balanced solid state amplification: Marantz SA11S1, Ray Samuels The Apache, PS Audio HCA-2

Bingo! Yes it is.

Please contact me should you have any to sell. Looking for a total of four. Thanks!

Hi Osocan, Welcome to SGH! It was actually your great write up on the MAD HD2 that prompted me to piece my thoughts together for the EP. To answer your question, I took out the RS-1 with bowls for another listen since it was quite a while since I last listened to the combo. Sara K's outstanding album 'Water falls' was the album of choice. My general thoughts: -Highs. Clear. -Mids. Glorious, clear and grain free. -Lows. Tight, textured. Guitars sound lovely and music was presented with speed...... however, I still miss the body that music has through the Sennheiser HD650. Update: Also managed put in some listening time with the GS1000. It provides more 'body' than the RS1, although the bass appears to lose out some quality for quantity. However, at low listening levels, the GS1000 is the perfect can,with sufficient bass and detail.

The original intent was to set up another headphone rig and the Extreme appeared to be complementary to the MPX3. The long wait, of course, meant that the plans changed a little in the meantime. To add to my initial post, the Extreme Platinum presents a version of the SP house sound that leans more towards the fast, dynamic, solid state side of the equation. This is in contrast with the MPX3, that leans more towards the right of middle, towards tube sound. Good NOS 6NS7s do produce a more beautiful sound. From your experience with SP, you should know what I mean.

Thanks! Still own the SLAM .

Since home amp impressions are few and far in between on local fora, I hope this write up provides additional perspective for others looking at Singlepower amps. This post is significant because SGHeadphones was the first forum I visited upon discovering this strange, new world, many moons back. This impression is meant as a snapshot of my experiences to date and will be updated when possible. My Preferences My musical tastes are quite wide and I listen to an eclectic mix of music ranging from Bach to Counting Crows to Ella Fitzgerald to Miles. I value musicality and the ability to enjoy the music for extended periods without fatigue. Some amps that have the initial wow factor can prove to be too fatiguing in the long run. Good extension on both frequency extremes is also an important consideration for me. Amps that I like sonically include the Singlepower MPX3 SLAM and Ray Samuels Audio SR-71. The Background After waiting patiently for almost 5 months, I was excited to finally receive my shipment notice for the Singlepower Extreme Platinum. The Platinum version of the amp differs from the standard edition by offering a Piltron transformer, Black Gate cathode capacitors, Black Gate power capacitors and an ECC1 adaptor that allows the use of other tubes like 12AT7, 12AU7, 5814, 5965, 6414, 6829, and 7062. Although smaller in size than a MPX3, the main amp body was heavy for its size. This is due largely to the Piltron transformer occupying a large part of the top of the amp. Finished in the typical Singlepower black gloss finish, it is certainly a handsome looking amp. Unfortunately, my amp is still wearing the PPX3 badge as my Extreme badge was left out of the original package. All will be well, as the Extreme badge should be on it’s way here. Upon unpacking the box, I was surprised to discover an unexpected, additional component inside the shipping carton. Maybe Mikhail included a Squarewave as a bonus for the long wait? Unfortunately, it was not to be. It was an additional external power supply with a meter plus long umbilical power cord. Subsequent correspondence with Mikhail of Singlepower confirmed that this was indeed a supplementary power supply added to current versions of the amp to “further increase the soundstageâ€. It is meant to be switched on a few seconds after the main unit is powered on. I guess more ‘juice’ is always good. Singapore Power will be pleased to hear this. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the additional box as it defeats my original intent of getting an amp with the smaller footprint of a PPX sized case. Equipment Top down : MPX3 SLAM, Marantz SA11S1, Extreme Platinum, Marantz SA8260 Sources: Marantz SA11 S1 and SA8260. Interconnect : Audience AU24 Power Cords: Audience Powerchords Tubes: 2 X NOS RCA 6080/RCA 6AS7 together with either a NOS RCA 5692 (Red based 6SN7 variant) or a Siemens E82CC (12AU7 variant) or a RCA Clear Top 12AU7. Headphones: AKG K701, Audio-Technica AD2000, Beyerdynamic DT880 & DT990 (05 versions).Grado RS-1 and GS-1000, Sennheiser HD600 with Cardas, HD600 with Equinox and HD650 with Zu Mobius. The Music Various CDs and SACDs including jazz, classical and vocal selections. These include the usual selections from the ‘audiophile’ war chest plus a Stax binaural sampler and the Ultrasone Demo CD. The Sound Due to my work commitments (got to make money to feed this passion ), I have not put in as much burn–in time as I would like but I would conservatively say at about 300 hours. I understand that the Blackgates need quite some run in time to sound their best. Burn-in believers take note! Off the blocks, the first impression of the sound was the W – I – D – E soundstage. Of the amps that I have owned and tried, this produced the widest head stage by far. This moved the listening experience away from the usual sound in-the-head feeling and brought it closer to that of a traditional stereo set up. Even cans known for their spacious head-stage like the AKG K501, K701 and DT880 benefited from this wider presentation. The head-stage of my current can of choice, the HD600, really opened up quite a fair bit being driven by the Extreme. Through the amp, binaural recordings have an eerie sense of space and the smooth panning of sounds with the STAX CD was one of the best I have experienced so far . Besides the spacious sound, the bass performance of this amp also deserves mention . I believe that the quality and quantity of bass produced by a headphone is a critical component to the listening experience. The experience of listening to a conventional stereo system comes with the added advantage of the tactile sensations of the bass notes, which add to the enjoyment of music. Listen to a live performance and you will notice that the low notes are not only heard, but felt as well. Headphones that measure flat are often described as ‘boring’ because they do not deliver this tactile feeling (into the ears of course). The Extreme delivers in this area by producing bass impact that was both deep and tight. This is true even in comparison to the MPX3 SLAM, which is no slouch in the first place. The mids are well presented and voices have a fullness and body behind it, adding to the perception that voices were coming from a real person, and not a recording. The amp presented a powerful and dynamic sound that let you get into the music. Output was powerful and I could not take the volume control beyond 10:30 before it became too loud for my comfort. Although I own some Grados, I have not been using them much, as I keep returning to the trio of the HD600/Cardas, K701 or DT880 for most of my listening. I had high hopes for the Extreme / Grado pairing as others on Head-fi have found a good match with this combo. It was not that the combination sounded was bad. On the contrary, the Extreme / Grado pairing had good PRAT, were dynamic sounding and added a welcome widening of the RS-1’s soundstage. However, it did not give me the sound that I wanted. The jury is still out on the GS-1000 as I need more time with it to decide. Ultimately, I must admit that perhaps the Grado sound might not be my cup of tea. Even with the 6080 tubes that Singlepower recommends for use with Grados, I still preferred the amp/tube combo with my three regular cans. Different strokes for different folks! Now for the fun part! Rolling the single input tube to find the perfect sound. In general, the 5692 tube provided a wide, transparent and detailed soundscape that does not flatter lesser recordings. It would make a good choice with darker sounding cans/sources/cables. Bass also appeared to be slightly tighter but deep using this tube. The use of the Siemens E82CC with the ECC1 adaptor produces the sound signature that I like best, so far. Detailed but with greater warmth than the 5692, it makes the HD600/Cardas sing like I have not heard it do in quite a while. It makes sonic nirvana for me! I also like this tube combo with the DT880. The Extreme sound is an extension of the Singlepower trait of solid stage speed and bass control coupled with tube goodness that make voices sound real. The Thoughts so far I like this amp as it provides a different take on the Singlepower sound. In my set up, the Extreme displayed great synergy with the HD600/Cardas, DT880 and K701. The good: Wide head stage and tight impactful bass Tube rolling capability Drool worthy shiny black finish with tall glowing tubes (Yes, I can be shallow ) The bad: Two piece design that negates smaller footprint of PPX3 chassis Cost over the standard Extreme What next? I will continue running in the amp and will try to update my impressions whenever I can. Tube rolling will also be carried out to determine synergistic combinations. Tubes waiting to be rolled include NOS GE JAN 6080s, RCA 6AS7G and a stash of NOS 6SN7 tubes. I will also be pairing the AKG K1000 with the Extreme to see if the amp is able to drive these inefficient beasts to a satisfying level of performance. Hope you enjoyed reading my inaugural impressions thread. Update 24 March 2008: Since then, I have discovered that the K1000 needs some high quality wattage behind them to sound their best. I am able to get enough volume through the Extreme Platinum and MPX3 SLAM. However, there is a big difference between loud enough and better. So what this means is that the K1000 needs a dedicated power amp to drive them to their potential.

Some quick perspective on this headphone. The RP-21 is not the last word in refinement, but represents very good value for the money (at current US street prices) and does many things right for closed cans. PLUS Good mids, non-fatiguing highs and solid bass performance. Isolation is OK, but not great for closed cans. MINUS Pleather ear pads that quickly 'suffocate' the ears in our tropical climate. This however, is the same problem with many other closed cans having pleather pads. Oh yeah, the orange/mango coloured ear cups don't quite float my boat as well. In summary: Of my 3 closed cans, the AKG K271S is my preferred closed can overall, but costs a bit more. And I would rate the Beyerdynamic DT250 next ahead of the RP-21 for sound & comfort (velour pad make all the difference). Hope this helps.

Sad but true. However, buying blind is sometimes the only choice available due to lack of opportunities to try. In those cases, use the search buttons in the different headphone forums, digest slowly, take a decision and bravely take the plunge!