Odyssey Posted December 28, 2020 Posted December 28, 2020 6 minutes ago, Bengineer said: I'm saying off that gem on the right Sennheiser HE90. Where's the HEV90 gem?
Mach3 Posted December 28, 2020 Posted December 28, 2020 (edited) Waiting for the DIY T2 which is better than HEV90. Plus the HEV90 can't properly power the HE60 in the first photo. 500V Bias voltage for the HE90, the HE60 uses 560V. Hugo the OP has one DIY T2 with his HE90. He sold his Aristaeus (HEV90 Clone with better PSU) once he compared the HE90 with his new DIY T2. I've msg him about the reason, he said the Atristaeus lack power and control compared to the DIY T2. Bass goes deeper, soundstage wider, higher detail/resolution, also confirm by Stax Mafia. Plus I have the Stax SR-Ω which was design to be driven by SRM-T2. I don't have space or finance to get both. The HEV90 can only power the HE90, the DIY T2 can power everything. Makes more sense to get that instead. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sennheiser-orpheus-he-90-vs-he-1-impressions-of-a-direct-comparison.860779/ Edited December 28, 2020 by Mach3 1
Mach3 Posted December 28, 2020 Posted December 28, 2020 They all box up, don't really use dynamic and planar no more since entering electrostatic. Maybe one day when I can be bother I will put them in display cabinet. All my headphone past and present listed below link Mach3 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org (head-fi.org)
Bengineer Posted December 28, 2020 Posted December 28, 2020 Knew you were Head-Fi user when you said "Summit-Fi" haha. Quite the collectors list! Favourite?
Odyssey Posted December 28, 2020 Posted December 28, 2020 3 minutes ago, Mach3 said: They all box up, don't really use dynamic and planar no more since entering electrostatic. Maybe one day when I can be bother I will put them in display cabinet. All my headphone past and present listed below link Mach3 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org (head-fi.org) Another Primaluna DiaLogue Premium HP Integrated Amplifier user. I did miss that.
Mach3 Posted December 29, 2020 Posted December 29, 2020 1 hour ago, Bengineer said: Favourite? Stax SR-007 Mk1, SR-009BK, SR-Ω & Sennheiser HE90 1 hour ago, Odyssey said: Another Primaluna DiaLogue Premium HP Integrated Amplifier user. I did miss that. It the only thing that power my Stax F81 properly. Plus the headphone amp is surprisingly good. 1
Odyssey Posted December 29, 2020 Posted December 29, 2020 13 minutes ago, Mach3 said: It the only thing that power my Stax F81 properly. Plus the headphone amp is surprisingly good. I know. I almost wanted to keep the Primaluna for headphones only. My HD800 then sounded very good from it. 1
Mach3 Posted December 29, 2020 Posted December 29, 2020 The primaluna just make sense to consolidate tube amp for speaker and headphone with out the maintenance hassle of re-biasing the tube every now and then. The last reason was always the main reason I always preferred SS amps. Also the impedance curve of the F81 was f...in up all the SS amp I tried. From 4 - 500omh depending on frequencies
Odyssey Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 My best headphone setup so far. Neil, this is finally Summer. 5 1
Odyssey Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 Finally got Laura and Hardy together. Going to be a fun New Year's Eve. 1
Odyssey Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 Questyle CMA Twelve arrived. Gonna be an even better New Year's Eve party. I'm quarantined with my Head-Fi gear. What a blast. Will provide impressions in the New Year. For now I'll have a couple of glasses of red wine. 2
bruc3 Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 20 minutes ago, Odyssey said: Questyle CMA Twelve arrived. Gonna be an even better New Year's Eve party. I'm quarantined with my Head-Fi gear. What a blast. Will provide impressions in the New Year. For now I'll have a couple of glasses of red wine. Great, looking forward to your impressions.
Odyssey Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 From beer, red wine to vodka cruiser, any impressions will have to come in 2021 maybe 2022. 1 3
Bengineer Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 Someone's living their best life. I just put the kids to bed, haven't had a drink, haven't listened to headphones or speakers all day and I'm spent
Odyssey Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 I've done my time. The kids are grown. Now they get me drinks and share my hobby. Your time will come.
Odyssey Posted December 31, 2020 Posted December 31, 2020 So this is how Questyle CMA 12 sonic signature is like. It's neutral and very slightly warm. My son's Topping D90 / A90 is neutral and bright. Both are of equal power and have similar functionalities. As an all in one, they sure come in handy without colouring the headphones. It's very different from the tube amps I've been used to and I can see how it's beneficial to have a tube amp and a solid state amp. The WA22 is gorgeous sounding with 5998 tubes. So much more layers and texture laden. The Questyle is just a tight muscled athlete. Agile and swift. Your music will sound fast. Alright I can only write so much while slightly intoxicated. 1
Odyssey Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 20 hours ago, bruc3 said: Great, looking forward to your impressions. I'm ready to post my impressions of Questyle CMA Twelve. As a standlone dac/preamp/amp, I've not heard better. There will be better dac/amp or separates combination but you don't need better because better is already here for not more silly money. For a solid state, it is actually quite musical because it's not your clinical, soulless amp. I'd venture to say that it has a slight tube tone. However it is also very neutral without being sibilant. Brings out the best in your headphones, especially with my Hekse, HD800, LCD-X. Should be good with the LCD-3f but that is still with Minidisc for new yoke, headband and earpads replacements. As good as the CMA 12 is, I do prefer it as a dac into my WA22, driving my headphones. With the WA22, musical notes are wrapped tightly in tiny air bubbles that float in space and creates an amazing 3d effect. It reduces any hardness from the tone and it's not a softy. With the Tung Sol 5998 tubes in it, it packs a solid punch with great dynamics. That said, if I didn't hear the WA22 in the chain, I could live with the Questyle and be totally happy with it. Better amps there will be but I don't think you need to spend more because at this level, you can see Nirvana already. 2 1
Ehrmantraut Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 2 hours ago, Odyssey said: For a solid state, it is actually quite musical because it's not your clinical, soulless amp. I'd venture to say that it has a slight tube tone. That's be the AKM4490 on board. For delta sigma chipsets, many say AKM have a "musical" quality. Opposed to ESS, which tend towards the more analytical. Thanks for the review. 1
Odyssey Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 4 minutes ago, BlueOceanBoy said: That's be the AKM4490 on board. For delta sigma chipsets, many say AKM have a "musical" quality. Opposed to ESS, which tend towards the more analytical. Thanks for the review. Good point Neil. The ESS chip on my previous Burson Conductor V2+ does sound more analytical. Meanwhile, I forgot completely about my '5th' headphone - the HD650 and that I still have an additional xlr 4-pin balance cable for it. Balance does sound a lot louder in the Questyle. Now plug into the Questyle CMA Twelve, I'm grinning that this old ancient relic is still so good sounding. Mid range king ! Thanks to @Bengineer, @bruc3 for telling me about the CMA 12 and @barbz127 for selling it to me.
bruc3 Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 14 minutes ago, Odyssey said: Meanwhile, I forgot completely about my '5th' headphone - the HD650 and that I still have an additional xlr 4-pin balance cable for it. Balance does sound a lot louder in the Questyle. Balanced is definitely the way to go, its a pity I dont have a balanced cable for my HD6xx yet so only run it with SE using the CMA12. I plan to get a balanced cable soon. To my ears the sound does improve ever so slightly running balanced (subtle nuances).
Ehrmantraut Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, bruc3 said: Balanced is definitely the way to go, its a pity I dont have a balanced cable for my HD6xx yet so only run it with SE using the CMA12. I plan to get a balanced cable soon My feeling - it's the power delivery on balanced output. Senns scale well with a bit of juice. Get @Bengineer to make a high quality one at a value price. (Disclosure - I have no financial interest in @BengineerMediocreEngineeringInc) 1
Odyssey Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 5 minutes ago, BlueOceanBoy said: (Disclosure - I have no financial interest in @BengineerMediocreEngineeringInc) Oh God, I could have died from laughter but Ben is a good guy so I won't. 1
Odyssey Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 14 minutes ago, bruc3 said: Balanced is definitely the way to go, its a pity I dont have a balanced cable for my HD6xx yet so only run it with SE using the CMA12. I plan to get a balanced cable soon. To my ears the sound does improve ever so slightly running balanced (subtle nuances). Amps that are built with balance topology are definitely better using it as balance. Both WA22 and CMA 12 are definitely better off using them in balance mode. That does not mean balance amp are better than SE amps.
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