Ticky

Arh yes, Ban mo. I got some 12 gauge copper speaker wires there once for 1000 B (5 meters pair). That's only US$25!!! My only concern about that market is that you might get ripped off if you are just a newbie. Caveat Emptor indeed. There are a few places that sells Hi-FI stuff. They are abit inconspicious and you have to ferret them out. My cousin took my to these two malls (quite close to each other) where there are some 10+ Hi-Fi stores there. I can't quite remember the names of those mall. Its around downtown though. There is a B&W dealer in Gaysorn Plaza (across from Central World Trade Center). They have the 801 there (drool). But - I must confess I never heard of Norh. Maybe I have to check this out.

Finally!! someone's raising their little girl right! I foresee the next audio critic extraodinaire in the making... Cool rigs!>

That looks sweet. I just kinda wish stereo equipments wouldn't be taxed so much in Thailand. I bet the Cambridge Audio would cost at least 50% more in Thailand than the US. My cousin bought a NAD amp that ran almost 100% more than the retail price in US.

Never tried othe other canal phones, but I like my Ety ER4S very much. Although expensive for a tiny phone, the etys should last you a long time. I had mine for around 5 years now and they still hardly show any signs of wear. Of course you'll have to clean the tips regularly and change the filters. But the Etys come with plenty of spare tips and filters to last you years. Cleaning your ears regularly also helps too. A word of caution, some people do find these phones painful to wear. For the first 2 weeks or so, the Etys' flang tips hurt the flesh of my inner ear when I wear them for longer than an hour. But, my ears got used to them and I could wear the phones for much longer now. The ER4 are quite clean sounding thanks to their excellent isolation. Some people complain that the Etys are too clinical sounding. I think that's partially due to the lack of tactile effect. Unlike large circumaural or supraural phones that gives you hear the music entering your ear, the Etys sounds as if the music coming from inside your head. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of personal preference.

They are yummy looking. The website says that they ship worldwide. But US$130 for a 1/2 meter pair + $40 for the LOK RCA!!!! I think I need a way better rig before getting those things...

Well... any enterprising audioholic willing to test it out?? Its all in the name of science.... The rest of us will just take 2 (maybe 10) steps back and see what happens. I can't remember where I read it... its a while ago. either in Stereo Review or Audio magazine. There was even a picture of the dude's fridge modified to fit his amp, CDP. No speakers though...

You can't be serious?! Reminds me of the time when a professional audio equipment reviewer "found out" that his equipments sounds better when it is allowed to thaw out in his refridgerator. The man went out to bought a new fridge to cool off his stuff before listening to them. Now that's dedication....

I run a lucrative part-time mafia ring. Just kidding. Actually, I don't intend to keep both amps. Todd was kind enough to charge me just for the XP-7 (and power supply) while I check out both the HA-2 and XP-7. Hopefully, I would be able to decide which one I'll keep. Unfortunately these two amps sounds so darn good that I might be up for a tearful parting of either one.

I am... I am. Just that I can't wait that long. I think Ray burns in the XP-7 before shipping them out. Plus the power supply is Todd's, I assume he has given it sufficient mileage. (If I end up opting for the XP-7, I'll order a 220v version of the power supply to bring it back to Asia with me). As for the HA-2, I left it running the entire day today. For good measure, I did the same to the XP-7 too. Hopefully they'll be "well-done" by the end of the week where I can finally "feast" on those amps. BTW - I did some more listening today. With the Supreme (premium module), I must say that all three amps are really excellent. The differences are subtle - to my ears at least - and they appear to excel in slightly different areas.

Yes siree, the XP-7 and HA-2 arrived in my mail yesterday. After some initial confusion about the power cord (or the lack of power cords... apparently Meier and Ray do not supply power cords with their amps), I plugged the amps into my CDP and spinned a few tunes on them. Although I was a bit strapped for time last evening - too much readings to do for school - I managed to get around 1 hour of listening. Here's some of my initial impressions: XP-7: As compared to the HA-2, the XP-7 sounded brighter and has a "faster" feel to music. Listening to Sarah Mclachlan's "After Glow" CD, the XP-7 seems to place the singer right in the middle of all instruments playing around her. In other words, accompanying instruments sound just as prominent as the leading vocal. The upside is that this gives a more "up-front" feel and better excitment. However, the downside is that, at times, it seems that the instruments and vocals are competing with one another to take center stage. HA-2: On the other hand, the HA-2 appears to be warmer sounding and has a mellower feel. (I found the 120 ohm jack a bit too warm and mushy sounding for my taste and thus my impressions are based on the 0 ohm jack.) On this amp, Sarah Mclachlan took center stage as the sound of her voice projects more prominently than the accompanying instruments. It almost feels like the singer is standing a few feet infront of the other musicans. The upside is that vocals sounded a touch fuller on the HA-2. The downside is that music sometimes sounds a bit unexciting and there is a slight loss of details in the accompanying instruments as they seem to get "drowned" out by the vocal sound. Well... those were my brief initial impressions. My thoughts might change once I have more time to toy around with the amps this weekend. I'll also compare the amps to my old Supreme and see how that amp stack agaisnt these two. Can't wait. Oh... equipments i'm using with the amps: AMC CDP 8-b (US$200... cheap I know); Kimber Kable PBJ; HD-600; Etymotics ER-4S.

I get good results from my HD600 connected direct to my Dell Inspiron laptop. It sounds more spacious than the etys and I feel a greater sense of immersion into the game. Sure it ain't Hi-Fi, but as Adhoc mentioned, you can keep it for potential upgrades.

Given those choices, i would also second the PX-200.

If those were the only two options available, I'll also go for (2). But perhaps a better combination would be $2,100 CDP + $360 cables. But I've never owned a $1000 CDP, let alone a $2000+ one. So I could be wrong. But I suspect this "bean counting" is a bit too impratical. Best to trust your ears and attribute the cash as your ears dictate.

Kimber Kable is quite good. I managed to get a used pair of PBJ for $40. Great investment. Nevertheless, if I had some $1000 to spare, I'll get myself equipment upgrades (speakers, amp, CDP) rather than a $1000 IC. I don't know... spending $1000 on two wires seems abit.. extreme. In my books, unless you are mad loaded and have a $10,000+ rig... spending $1000 on IC or other wires is overkill.

Just ordered the XP-7 with power supply and HA-2 from Todd!! I get up to 30 days to decide which amp I'll want to keep. <Maybe both.... naw... bad idea, still gotta eat>. Should get it by next week. Keep you folks posted on the HA-2 vs XP-7 vs Supreme (premium module) shoot-out. Don't think i'll be able to sleep much this week....

Good review Rameish! I'm in the market for a new amp and the XP-7 is a strong contender. I plan to audition the XP-7 (with power supply) and the HA-2 soon. Can't wait to see which one will take the crown...

An uncanny reference to blue laser perhaps? Too bad the technology isn't out in the consumer market yet (if it is, I haven't heard about it). Question though - I see blank CDs being sold at various prices. The branded ones like TDK and Maxwell are slightly more expensive, while generics are cheaper. I suspect that, unlike blank cassette tapes, there isn't any difference quality wise between those CDs or is there?

Selamat Hari Raya! (haven't heard that term used in a long, long time) One thing I love about S'pore... the holidays & food. Ohh... i crave for a satay. Drool.... Anyways, over here in the US people are busy chasing after turkeys for Thanksgiving. I guess the its tough being a turkey this time of the year.

Neat. But I don't quite see the point in the system. If i read it correctly, there's a receiver and a transmitter. The user will still have to connect the headphones to the receiver which acts as an amplifier. If the receiver does not operate off batteries, we'll have to plug it in. Perhaps it a multiroom thing??

Ok... a year ago I would have said that you are all weird geeks. But oft late i think i'm fast becoming one myself. I'm starting to notice headphones that people are wearing.... on the streets, in the gym, in school, on buses, etc. I need a pyschiatrist....

Hi there! Perhaps you can look in the "Headphone priced locally" thread for suggestions of models that are within your price range. Plus, the thread also list places where you could purchase the headphones. http://www.sgheadphones.com/index.php?showtopic=60 Personally, I recommend the Koss KSC 50 or 55. Both phones utilizes the same drivers, the differences are in design & style. These phones are easy to drive and sound great for their price. If I'm not wrong, the price is at around S$50 in S'pore. Further up your price range are the Sennheiser PX-100 and PX-200. I think the PX-200 is a closed design and thus confers better isolation. I'm not sure if the PX-100 is closed as well. But both are compact and foldable headphones. I read in the pricing thread that the PX-100 goes for around S$80, while the PX-200 goes for around S$100. Good luck !! And happy shopping

Diana Krall, "Live in Paris" - An excellent live recording. I especially like Track 7, "Devil May Care." A fast upbeat piece with awesome improv. Also, generally CDs released by Narada have pretty good recordings. Most of the stuff is world music... so if you dig those stuff. Here's one of my favorites: "Guitar Works" - A collection of various guitarists who record with Narada. Mostly acoustic guitars. My favorite track is Track 11, "Amber" by Matthew Monfort. He adds traditional Indian sitar techiques to his acoustic guitar. Quite novel. Other CDs that are well recorded (not sure if you'll consider them audiophile...): Loreena Mckennitt, "Live in Paris & Toronto" - Unplugged with traditional wood, wind and percussion instruments. Very poetic songs. This is a two CD compilation. Capercaille, "Beautiful Wasteland" - Blend of traditional Celticsongs and modern rhythm. Also has a bit of African vocals creatively added in. The lead singer, Karen Matheson has a very soothing voice. Quite well recorded. One of my favorite tracks is Track 1, "M'ionam."

Ha... ha. not a chance. I'm pretty fond of that amp despite its age. Might keep it for the office or something. Plus, I think my audio enthusiast cousin is eyeing it pretty hard... so you might have to get in the waiting line. I've heard on Head-fi that Tyll might want to discontinue the Supreme. It appears that the Supreme is not very sellable or profitable. Will be sorry to see this amp go out of production.... I think it was the first model that headroom came out with.

I have the old Headroom supreme, bought back in 1996 when the company was still a new startup. The thing is built like a tank... no signs of wear and tear yet! Three years ago, I've upgraded the unit to a Cosmic module, but the old casing does not permit power supply upgrades. But, I fear that my wallet is aching for an upgrade sometime next year.....

Thanks! This is neat. i'm actually a head-fi member and saw someone's signature with sgheadphones' url. Am currently in Washington, DC. But, I'm actually from Thailand. Just happen to in the US for grad school. Used to live in Singapore for a while too.... near marine parade. he.. he I suppose there isn't a Thai Headphones forum is there? this brings back memories.