lekguan 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 (edited) Mods: I wonder if you deem this fit for the lounge, if not you can move it to the main. Yesterday Kenshinz and I went to lengcm's house to check out his equipment. It was very fruitful OK, our impressions are coming up soon. Before that, equipment we tested: lengcm's CDP (IIRC consonance, pardon if spelling is wrong) the Sudgen headmaster (moded IIRC) the NAF NAF amp (grado RA-1 clone) DT931 HD600 + equinox HD650 + equinox Kenshinz's grado SR60 Other equipment of less significance/importance: my DT431 a 120ohm 1/4" cable MINT Meta in original config (built by Norm/tigger i.e. headsave) D777 Edited December 23, 2003 by lekguan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N3w_Typ3 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 we are waiting .. for your impressions .. heehee ... so i believe you have a great enjoyment yesteday !! this coming .... meet will be even better .... but it seem the list of gears are kinda little ... but new ... hope to see ya all soon! CHEERS N_T Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kenshinz 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 (edited) Here's my 2cents worth (might be lesser) of short impression on some of the equipments I got to try over at lengcm's house. Grado RA-1 Clone: Think this will be the amp I'm gonna aim for. Not as refine as the Sudgen, but its almost there in all aspects. For its price its a real killer. I feel that it has better syngery with my SR60 compared with the Sudgen, it feels more energetic, and adds more weight to the SR60. HD600 + equinox: This is the 3rd time I got to listen to the HD600....didn't really liked it the 1st 2 times round, but it was different when I heard it yesterday, it sounds much nicer, not as dark, more alive if you will, but its still not my cup of tea HD650 + equinox: This came as a surprise, the sound is actually quite different from the HD600 . The HD650 is dynamic (compared to the HD600). it still retains the HD600 laid-back sound, but it has more energy, the bass digs deeper, and its not as airy as the HD600, overall I find the HD650 a more preferable option, as I feel it will sound better with more types of music. Laid-back when the music requires, and with the energy to keep up during the more execiting parts. I didn't mention a few of other equipments, as I don't think I can describe them correctly. I think those equipments are better left to Lekguan. Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are my own, headphones are very much a matter of personal preference, so everyone have different opinions. If we happened to have different views, please understand. And btw, as I'm very much a newbie to headphones, I'm not too good at describing a lot of things I hear, so sorry for the not very useful impressions. Edited December 23, 2003 by kenshinz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blues 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 You describe things well kenshinz! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lekguan 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 (edited) OK, here goes... Grado RA-1 Clone, the NAF NAF amp: If there are 2 words that can be used to describe this amp, they'd be weight and versatility. The Grado RA-1 clone actually adds a lot of weight to many of the cans we have tried. In one way its quite like the mint meta, for it has some sort of synergy with most of the cans, unlike most amps which add considerable amount of weight to only certain cans which have synergy with it. In other words, the grado clone is actually very versatile. The amp packs a lot of energy. Sudgen headmaster: This amp is like no other. It is one smooth solid state amp. Any cans thrown at this sudgen would become smooth. Unlike the grado clone, it does not add much weight to the setup, and is not as versatile. Nevertheless, its lush and smooth nature is more than enough to compensate its lack of weight. It works very well with New age music, and will be the ideal choice for slower/relaxed listening. Grado SR-60: This pair of cans is quite similar to the HFI650. It is fast, forward, and packs lots of bass slam. But it is faster than the HFI650, and unlike the HFI650, it does not have hollow mids. Its very good for rock, but in no way works poorly for vocals as well. Like the grado clone, it is very versatile, and works for many kinds of music. And as said by kenshinz, it works well with the grado clone. DT931: This pair of cans is very detailed, a little bright, and somewhat sibilant, but suits my taste rather well. It is very similar to the DT431, except that the DT431 is more laidback. The DT931 is also laidback, but less. This pair of cans sounds like it has an infinite extension of the highs. It pairs very well with the sudgen, making it a smooth, and detailed pair of cans. With the 120ohm adapter in place, it sounded smoother, and slightly more laidback. Hilary Stagg's harp music sounds very good with this pair of cans plugged into the sudgen followed by the 120ohm adapter. Smooth harp sound with lots of highs reverb. the DT931 is the most comfortable pair of can I've ever worn. HD600 + equinox: This pair of can is studily built. It sounds dark to me. It has the highs rolled off, and some of the lows as well. Lengcm described this pair of can as very electrostat. I like to say its quite dead, in other words, not dynamic enough, somewhat like "lifeless" but not to that effect. It has a very very wide soundstage, and to add on to that effect, it is laidback and has a very airy sound, partly contributed by the equinox (lengcm stated). I forgot if we had used the 120 ohm adapter. For songs which require very a wide-soundstaged and airy sound, this is the pair of cans for it. I have to say here that this pair of cans is not very versatile, for if you feed it the wrong music, it sounds quite bad (eg harp music, or other bright stuff). HD650 + equinox: Unlike what many expect, this pair of cans is very different from the HD600, and is in no way an improvement of the HD600. If you look at it in terms of whether a pair of cans is dynamic or not, I can frankly say, the HD650 is like the opposite of the HD600. This pair of cans is laidback and unlike the HD600 (again!) does not have its highs rolled off. And its lows digs deeper also. The HD650, is a very dynamic pair of cans, and brings a lot of life and energy into the music. It has synergy with the grado clone, and paired with the grado clone, the sound has lots of weight and dynamics. An example which lengcm used was lord of the ring : the two towers track 16. Pardon my use of singlish, but 1 word which we all used to describe the sound of the HD650+equinox paired with the grado clone and the LOTR the two towers track 16 was "shiok!". It was very addictive to listen to such a dynamic track with such a dynamic can. You could literarily feel you were in that group of people charging down, with that kind of high spirits. No doubt that this pair of cans is one of a kind. Powerful! but of course a different type of power from the grados. Lengcm seems to like it for vocals, especially Diana Krall, but i didn't quite like her singing, and didnt really listen to vocals with HD650, so I can't quite comment. As you can see, it was a fruitful day. And yeah, the sudgen paired well with my DT431. It added lush and smooth mids to the DT431 which was otherwise missing in this pair of cans. If only I had the $$$... But then again, maybe tubes might work better on the DT431! (Sorry, I still prefer the audio signature of the DT431 over many cans I've listened to so far. I wanted to throw it away until i discovered its potential after amping. Not far from DT931 [except in details]. This pair of cans has lots of potential!) Edited December 23, 2003 by lekguan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jasonhanjk 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 Shiok..... Like to try wif the PPA..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N3w_Typ3 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 Whaha ..man what a long list ... but a very good impression .. well i guess i may not try any more others cans worry of upgrades so... i am fixed on DT 880 and DT 150 .... plus cayin in the future is good enough ... ! well feel like upgrading my CDP to marantz Mill hearts ... leh wahah .. save save save ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N@Z 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2003 Nicely written lekguan. Shame the DT150 was not there for you to try. What interconnects were used during the mini meet? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lekguan 0 Report post Posted December 24, 2003 (edited) There was the chord chorus which was used to connect to the NAF NAF, and a very expensive one for the sudgen. Not sure what is it, lengcm, can enlighten us? Oh yes, and his CDP was upsampled to 24bit. Edited December 24, 2003 by lekguan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lengcm 0 Report post Posted December 24, 2003 There was the chord chorus which was used to connect to the NAF NAF, and a very expensive one for the sudgen. Not sure what is it, lengcm, can enlighten us? Oh yes, and his CDP was upsampled to 24bit. Kimber Select 1030 was used. The player is upsampled to 24/196 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mackie 0 Report post Posted December 25, 2003 Well reviewed and written. We certainly have an eloquent crowd in this space, despite the young age. Cheerio! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
