ting.mike

From my experience, people who love ER4s love Stax as well. The K701 is nice, but I have a feeling you'll be happier with the Stax. Entry level Stax systems start as low as U$300 for a Lambda + SRD7 combo that was sold on Head-Fi recently.

I haven't heard the A2000X and the W1000, but the W1000X is really really good. I find myself liking it more than the Hifiman HE-5.

I don't know if you have found what you're looking for.. but if you haven't, I find the HD800 has a very good sinergy with the Beta22 in overall. I've always find the Beta22 to sound organic and analog, and it complements the HD800 nicely. When going balanced, you'll find that the soundstage is improved, as well as the bottom frequency, but the sound signature remains unchanged.

This is the system that I use: CEC TL51XZ > Transparent Balanced XLR > Balanced B22 > APS v3 > HD800.

I tested a bunch of aftermarket cables before, and found that APS, being slightly laidback compared to the others, also complement the HD800 very nicely.

I'm sure i've seen a guide for dismantling the K501, or maybe the K601/K701. Anyone have a link handy? Have tried searching with no results.

Thanks.

Belden CAT5 cables should be available in a lot of stores in Sim Lim Tower. I wouldn't know for sure though, as I don't live in singapore.

Kimber 4TC should be available in audio shops in the Adelphi. Not sure which shop carry Kimber, but it's a very famous brand. Someone's gotta have it.

Hi all,

 

I currently using a DIY RCA to mini cable using Canare L-4E6S Star Quad with switchcraft 3.5mm and RCA plugs.

 

Am thinking of making another RCA to mini cable with the same 3.5mm and RCA plugs from switchcraft but would like to change the cable that's being used.

 

Pls recommend me suitable cables preferably obtainable in Singapore.

 

Thanks!

CAT5 cable.

CAT6 cable.

Canare L-4E6ATG. (Supposedly more detailed than 4E6S)

Kimber 4TC. (much more detailed than Canare)

PS: don't diss the cheap CAT5 and CAT6 cables. I built an RCA to RCA with those and the result really give the Canares a run for their money. Supposedly CAT6 is better. Also, the outdoor CAT5 cables are better than indoor ones (the ones I used), I was told. Belden CAT5s cost roughly $.7 per metre. You get 8 cores. I only use 4 cores per channel. I guess you can also try 8 cores per channel, might be better.

Is this cable any good?

 

It seems to get recommended a lot on head-fi for budget DIY interconnects.

one of the best bang-for-the buck!

want to go even better bang for the buck? CAT5 cables. I have yet to try CAT6, but I think CAT6 should be even better.

yep that's right.

ting.mike, nice care to educate me on how to match impedance on your speaker amp? (I'm assuming you are using the speaker out). I Know how to make the connector but not matching impedance

I did some research on impedance matching, and here is what I found:

1. Antique Sound Labs made a unit that does this, and for a reasonable price of $200. Unfortunately, I read that they have been discontinued, and that I don't really know the schematics behind it. ASL

2. Impedance matching is needed so that your amp's supply of power won't be restrained. (When your impedance is not matched, the amp can't deliver the maximum power that it's actually capable of). In my case, I use a 300wpc mosfet adcom. I discussed this with an amp designer, and he said that I don't really need impedance matching. I have plenty of power. I think an amp with 60 to 70 watts @ 8 ohms can probably give enough power for headphones, without impedance matching.

3. There is a schematic that Joseph Grado drew for connecting headphones to speaker amps. I gotta find a link to it somewhere. Basically he paralleled the headphone to a 2 ohm resistor -- so the resulting impedance is roughly 1.8~1.9 ohms. Then he added a 20 ohms resistor in serial. The end result is the amp sees a ~22 ohms headphones. Why didn't he make it 8 ohms? I guess if you match to 8 ohms you'll blow up the headphones very easily. Here is the diagram:

4. Rod Elliott also came up with a design, quite simple, but I never really tried to make it. Link

Here is the discussion thread on HC: Link.

As you probably know, other headphones like the K340 and K1000 are recommended to be driven off speaker amps.

Thanks, tbln!

I totally agree with no.1-5, and I prolly want to add #6: I gotta hear the gear personally before making judgements and/or commitments.

For example, all the hype surrounding the HD800 really got me too, and I really thought that this is the headphone that would end my journey. But after auditioning the HD800 along with Omega2, HD650, HP1000, I do think that the Omega2 is milestones above the rest, whilst I personally prefer the HD650 to the HD800.

Now that my SE beta22 is done (though I haven't listened to it), I guess I should hang on to it and get a grip on how it sounds. But I really know that a full balanced config is not that far in my future. Therefore I really want to have a chance to audition a balanced beta22.

The beta22 is said to be wire with gain, like the GS-X.

Another amp that i'm looking at is the Apache. I love RSA's SR71a paired with a wide variety of phones, including the HD650, and I suspect that the Apache will give similar sound with much higher refinement.

I guess I'm asking for an audition.

Cheers.

I own a bunch of headphones, but I really really want to make HD650 balanced. I heard the HD800, but I like HD650 much better. Esp when I drove it using speaker amp.. bwahahaah talk about a fast HD650! I think the neutral HD800 can't ever match the HD650 impact/slam -- and that's more important to me than anything else.

So why balanced?

I have a balanced source (CEC CDP)

and I have some pretty hi end balanced IC (Transparent cables)

and since I have a 3 boards b22, all I really need is to add another b22 board, another s22 board, and a balanced attenuator, and voila -- fully balanced!

The thing is, as I said, whilst the b22 is a world-class amp, the overall package of the CEC HD53N is very appealing to me. I think power wise it's also comparable to the b22. 50V toroidal, able to power speakers, etc. All in a nice fairly compact, high build quality case. (Can't ever match that with DIY build)

I think the key to a great sounding HD650 is an amp with a lot of power.

I ran the HD650 from a 300wpc mosfet adcom power, with a passive pre connected to the CEC CDP, and the sound was so fast and with impact! Think Grado like speed, combined with HD650 impact. Beethoven Symphonies was heavenly. Oh, and positioning of instruments was... phenomenal. Gotta A/B with the HD800 on this department.

Cheers

You bump all these old threads just for this.

dude chill!!

I haven't been to the forum in months man. If it's wrong to post in old forums, might as well delete threads older than one month.

increase post count.

and what do I get with increased post count?

maybe I do it to get some discussions on balanced set up?

the skepticism is appalling.

oh well... at least someone replied.

okay. thanks!

yea... I am split in between of a balanced b22 or the CEC HD53N.

Balanced B22 probably has the upper hand in SQ, being the amp that is recognized worldwide for its quality. However, the overall package of the CEC and the nice CEC casework might push me to that direction as well.

oh, and Balanced B22 is not going to be cheap.. 4 gang attenuators, 1 extra b22 board, 1 extra s22 board. maybe close to another $500.

balanced.. balanced... balanced... it keeps on calling me.

Very very nice!!

Update the review with Apache and B22 Balanced?

when's the next meet going to be?

Very2 nice, Eric. Maybe we can do a comparison b/w 3 boards to 4 boards?

My 3 boards are almost done, but I'm really contemplating if it's worth upgrading to 4 boards.

Plus that new CEC balanced amp is really tempting as well..

looks very very tempting...

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/CEC-HD53N-Headphone...=item2ea58c1f72

anyone know if Music By Design already have this?

Hi. do you still have this?

$500 including the amplifier or just earspeakers?

Thanks.