I am heavily biased since I don't like headphones much and only listen to them if I have to and while recording. You are going to get many opinions. Before replacing your amp I would first replace tubes in it, all of them perhaps. Talk to Kevin from Upscale Audio if you go with current reissue tubes and to Brent from Audio Tubes if you go with NOS tubes. Your amp can sound significantly better than it does now. It is hard to simplify if you want to keep three sources unless you go with integrated amp with both phono stage and dac.
Yes, another audiophile at a crossroads story and request for advice
I find as I’m rapidly approaching retirement that 2 competing thoughts about enjoying music after i retire. First, Im really looking forward to having the time to relax and listen to music any day of the week (not just the weekend now). Second, I don’t expect to be continue any significant investment in equipment upgrades post bringing home a paycheck.
My current system consists of a 30+ year old Linn LP12 with Linn cartridge and Vincent PHO-701 tube phono pre-amp. I only listen to analog when i want to enjoy an album i bought in the 60’s - 80’s.
90+% of my listening is streaming Tidal using Roon via Roon Nucleus, Lumin D2 as a streamer only, feeding a RME ADI-2-FS DAC.
i still enjoy my CD collection (9% of my listening) and still purchase CDs) on a Primaluna tube CD player.
All these are connected to a Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP integrated amp with original primaluna tubes from Upscale Audio. My speakers are the original Joseph Audio Perspectives (not the graphene version).
Power and interconnect cables are mid-level grade and power management via Niagara 1200.
i listen mostly to instrumental jazz.
This system is enjoyable, but I’m missing the last elements of sound details that reproduce an accurate organic sense of hearing guitar strings being plucked or picked, drum sticks hitting/tapping membranes or brass cymbals, the sound of a string base wood cavity vibrate. Hopefully that describes what im looking for. I do not like hyper/etched detail especially in the upper frequencies.
I will add that the Primaluna CD player is the most enjoyable source of the 3 I currently. Oh, and i also want to simplify my system.
So, if you come with me this far to the intersection, heres what im debating. Should i chunk the integrated and Perspectives and invest in a top notch set of headphones (like the Focal Clear MG) and dedicated headphone amp? In other words go to a headphone system. Or should i go the route of chucking all but the Perspectives and the Nucleus and invest in a high quality Roon approved integrated amp with built in DAC/Streamer?
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@ezstreams My RAAL SR1b earphone is essentially 2 speakers hanging from my ears. I hate headphone sound and the SR1b is not like headphones and very similar to 2-channel. The best headphone amp for the SR1b is the VM-1a and it cost $7k, I sold that amp recently because there is a new 2-channel adapter from RAAL ($800) that allows you to get very close to the $7 k amp with a 2-channel amp. Now your 2-channel just needs to be up to the task. One of the very best amps I had on the SR1b was the KRELL k-300i integrated amp. The KRELL is likely similar to the Primaluna Dialogue you own. I do not have too much experience with other headphones so when I say the SR1b is the best phone out there it does not carry much weight. However, there are a lot of folks on Head-fi.com who own the very best and now consider the SR1b either the best or in the small cohort of the best. The negative comment on the SR1a in comparison to other top phones is that it does not have massive bass, for me that is a feature and not a bug. I am comparing against phones that cost any amount of money. True Ribbon Headphones | RAAL-requisite (raalrequisite.com) The adapter you want to get to use with the Prima Luna is the RAAL TI-1b. TI-1b • RAAL-requisite (raalrequisite.com) If you want more info send me a DM and I will give you more options. Over the past 4 years I must have spent close to $40k getting these to sound the best, with amp rolling, speaker cables, etc... I am now using a Schitt Aegir amp ($800) to drive my SR1b. Not because of the price, but the sound.
The KRELL K-300i is one such integrated amp. One of the very best integrated amps around. Buttery smooth Class A sound and so enjoyable.
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Thank you both for your insights and suggestions. My understanding is that one of the major headphone shortcomings is their lack of a “realistic” soundstage. That and comfort issues in long listening sessions. The organically accurate sound i described is far more important to me than sound stage. That’s my personal preference. I get frustrated with my system whenever i recognize that I’m not hearing those details. It’s never bothered me and I’ve never had the urge to turn my system off when i couldn’t place the drummer, guitar, piano, or bass location on stage. Long term listening session head and ear fatigue could become an issue. |
ezstreams, I can't advise on the equipment, I only try to follow more expensive pieces and mostly tube equipment. I personally don't enjoy headphones because I don't like music in my head as opposed to the space in front of and around me, but I know that some really prefer headphones actually for similar reason ! Yeah, in any case, headphones must be comfortable.
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