General Headphone Audio
- Thread starter garyfl
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Caporegime
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I will find out in due course!
Caporegime
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WTF, it has gone back down to £260 lol. It must have a direct link to the conversion rate.
Caporegime
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Not sure why, but they don't put the size and weight of this thing on their product page, need to go to pdf manual to find it. 19 x 15.5 x 4.4cm. It is also the same weight as my XA-02. It seems it is VERY close in size to my XA-02 (20 x 17.5x 4.7cm).
I had to double check to make sure it fits in my allocated space...and I think it just barely does. I have 16.5cm and I can allow some overhang....and when I scale the photo to 19cm wide, the distance in this red line is 16.5cm.
I had to double check to make sure it fits in my allocated space...and I think it just barely does. I have 16.5cm and I can allow some overhang....and when I scale the photo to 19cm wide, the distance in this red line is 16.5cm.
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I can just swap the cables over as needed and save myself having a mess of cables thankfully since they use the same connections 
Caporegime
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Isn’t the X9 a radiator? Is that a good place to stack another amp? I could stack mine on the Xduoo but probably going to sell it instead as they have the same DAC.
No it only gets warm over the right side where the linear power supply is located and it's thick aluminium so the whole thing acts like a heatsink. Should be fine, max 38 degrees measured vs the 47 of the A80. I also have extended rubber feet to stick underneath for additional passive airflow on everything.
Caporegime
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So many things to look forward to in the next few months.
Fosi Audio i5
Topping DX5 ii (I am glad I got the pack with the XLR adaptor)
Qwerty Keys Alice Duo keyboard (to control my computer)
Basically a new set up! lol I am temnpted to keep the XA-02 and put it in another room, away from the desk and use it as a pure Bluetooth/streaming listening set up and leave my HD580 / Edition XS there. With the HD600 / i5 with the Topping
Fosi Audio i5
Topping DX5 ii (I am glad I got the pack with the XLR adaptor)
Qwerty Keys Alice Duo keyboard (to control my computer)
Basically a new set up! lol I am temnpted to keep the XA-02 and put it in another room, away from the desk and use it as a pure Bluetooth/streaming listening set up and leave my HD580 / Edition XS there. With the HD600 / i5 with the Topping
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I had a message from Meze today in relation to loaning a pair of the Meze Poet, on paper, and visually, the Poet seems to be my kind of headphone from materials used to the type of sound it puts out going by other reviews so will be interesting to hear what it's like vs the LCD-5 and in turn the Arya Stealth.
Interestingly I came across the RTINGS review of the Arya Stealth and they said it has slightly higher distortion measured vs the OG Arya, but only in the left channel. I fully suspect RTINGS didn't look deeper into the whole HIFIMAN QC lottery and they got sent a dud one hence their general verdict, they also rated the Stealth as not great for gaming, yet I find them the best headphones I have used for gaming thanks to the soundstage and bass.
www.rtings.com
just goes to show that even the most technically detailed outlets don't cover all bases.
I'm at Richer Sounds tomorrow listening to the HD800S by the way, will note my feedback whilst I sip a chai from down the road there afterwards and reflect
Interestingly I came across the RTINGS review of the Arya Stealth and they said it has slightly higher distortion measured vs the OG Arya, but only in the left channel. I fully suspect RTINGS didn't look deeper into the whole HIFIMAN QC lottery and they got sent a dud one hence their general verdict, they also rated the Stealth as not great for gaming, yet I find them the best headphones I have used for gaming thanks to the soundstage and bass.
HiFiMan Arya Stealth Magnet Version Review
The HiFiMan Arya Stealth Magnet Version are version three (also known as Arya V3) of the HiFiMan Arya, high-end planar magnetic headphones intended for audiophil...
www.rtings.com
just goes to show that even the most technically detailed outlets don't cover all bases.
I'm at Richer Sounds tomorrow listening to the HD800S by the way, will note my feedback whilst I sip a chai from down the road there afterwards and reflect
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Caporegime
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
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- Wish i was in a Ramen Shop Counter
I had a message from Meze today in relation to loaning a pair of the Meze Poet, on paper, and visually, the Poet seems to be my kind of headphone from materials used to the type of sound it puts out going by other reviews so will be interesting to hear what it's like vs the LCD-5 and in turn the Arya Stealth.
Interestingly I came across the RTINGS review of the Arya Stealth and they said it has slightly higher distortion measured vs the OG Arya, but only in the left channel. I fully suspect RTINGS didn't look deeper into the whole HIFIMAN QC lottery and they got sent a dud one hence their general verdict, they also rated the Stealth as not great for gaming, yet I find them the best headphones I have used for gaming thanks to the soundstage and bass.
HiFiMan Arya Stealth Magnet Version Review
The HiFiMan Arya Stealth Magnet Version are version three (also known as Arya V3) of the HiFiMan Arya, high-end planar magnetic headphones intended for audiophil...
just goes to show that even the most technically detailed outlets don't cover all bases.
I'm at Richer Sounds tomorrow listening to the HD800S by the way, will note my feedback whilst I sip a chai from down the road there afterwards and reflect
Bring your Arya (or the LCD5) with you to compare.
Well this is new https://www.ecoustics.com/products/schiit-asgard-x/
Alright so I'm back from Richer Sounds.
Firstly the amp they let me demo the HD800S on was the recent Cambridge Audio EXA, it has a single ended 6.35mm output so I just used that. It's headphones output power specs are not mentioned anywhere it seems so I don't actually know how good it is, nevertheless it's a £2000 integrated so I imagine it to be somewhat decent although probably not as high quality as dedicated DAC and headphone amps like what we have talked about in this thread.
It was connected to a node via XLR and Tidal Connect and Quboz were available.
First up the HD800S, they feel good quality, similar in weight in the hands and on the head to the Arya Stealth, but there are more areas on the HD800S that can get damaged if you poke a finger without care, those chrome grilles on the outside of the cups can be pressed in for example. The earpads also feel a bit pants, not memory foam, just normal foam and the padding is very thin as well, although they were comfortable regardless when on my head.
I played familiar songs and immediately obvious was the lack of low bass extension which exists in those songs as I hear them on my speakers and the Arya. I checked no EQ or tone controls were enabled on the EXA, all good, but still the low end felt missing, probably because I'm so accustomed to planar bass now. The soundstage was there but had that classic Sennheiser veil that I remember from my HD650 and HD660S2. the upper range detail didn't have the crystal clear sparkle that is present with the Arya, maybe this is an amp trait in the demo room though as teh EXA100 uses ESS chips and is tuned to be warm/smooth.
I asked the staff to check if they had any planars in to demo to confirm this, he pulled out a pair of Sundara 2020, perfect as i know the signature well having owned them. The bass extension was back on the same tracks! The upper end sparkle was there too but just with the brightness peak the Sundara is known for. I also forgot how uncomfortable the earpad shape of the Sundara was
HEDEGAARD - Ratchets is a prime example of a song that has a bit of everything, from super low bass extension to upper range sparkle, a well rounded headphone in both extremes will carry that track beautifully and to my ears the Arya Stealth with the memory foam velour pads does that nicely. With these songs I was not really hearing £1100 worth of sound, the Sundara was more fun by comparison.
So yeah I don't think any dynamic driver headphone will ever impress me now :/ Institutionalised by planars!
Firstly the amp they let me demo the HD800S on was the recent Cambridge Audio EXA, it has a single ended 6.35mm output so I just used that. It's headphones output power specs are not mentioned anywhere it seems so I don't actually know how good it is, nevertheless it's a £2000 integrated so I imagine it to be somewhat decent although probably not as high quality as dedicated DAC and headphone amps like what we have talked about in this thread.
It was connected to a node via XLR and Tidal Connect and Quboz were available.
First up the HD800S, they feel good quality, similar in weight in the hands and on the head to the Arya Stealth, but there are more areas on the HD800S that can get damaged if you poke a finger without care, those chrome grilles on the outside of the cups can be pressed in for example. The earpads also feel a bit pants, not memory foam, just normal foam and the padding is very thin as well, although they were comfortable regardless when on my head.
I played familiar songs and immediately obvious was the lack of low bass extension which exists in those songs as I hear them on my speakers and the Arya. I checked no EQ or tone controls were enabled on the EXA, all good, but still the low end felt missing, probably because I'm so accustomed to planar bass now. The soundstage was there but had that classic Sennheiser veil that I remember from my HD650 and HD660S2. the upper range detail didn't have the crystal clear sparkle that is present with the Arya, maybe this is an amp trait in the demo room though as teh EXA100 uses ESS chips and is tuned to be warm/smooth.
I asked the staff to check if they had any planars in to demo to confirm this, he pulled out a pair of Sundara 2020, perfect as i know the signature well having owned them. The bass extension was back on the same tracks! The upper end sparkle was there too but just with the brightness peak the Sundara is known for. I also forgot how uncomfortable the earpad shape of the Sundara was
HEDEGAARD - Ratchets is a prime example of a song that has a bit of everything, from super low bass extension to upper range sparkle, a well rounded headphone in both extremes will carry that track beautifully and to my ears the Arya Stealth with the memory foam velour pads does that nicely. With these songs I was not really hearing £1100 worth of sound, the Sundara was more fun by comparison.
So yeah I don't think any dynamic driver headphone will ever impress me now :/ Institutionalised by planars!
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Caporegime
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The truth is I use my HD600 as reference as a it seems to be the standard go to headphones when reviewers do when they do comparisons. They always refer it back to the HD600.
Plus I bought it years ago, for £120.
Plus I bought it years ago, for £120.