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I screwed up

I have a pretty good HiFi. I use Usher Dancer Mini 2 DMDs, powered by a Harman Kardon HK990 integrated amp playing Flac files and HD material downloaded from HDTracks and Tidal music streaming. My speakers, subs and listening seats are meticulously placed and my room is acoustically treated and is a terrific environment for audio playback. But, often at night I like to lay in bed and listen to music, so to keep from disturbing my wife I use headphones. I've had AKG-K701s for about 5 years and they have served me well.

My trouble started about a month ago when I happen to see a Beyerdynamic T1 Tesla headphone for a very good price, so I bought it. Now I am spoiled. My main rig just doesn't thrill me like it did. Instead of basking in the music I complain to myself about the lack of speed and detail. Other than shear musical scale, the headphone outperforms the room system in every way. Is it going to take some expensive new speakers like small Vivids or Raidho C1 to get that T1 sound quality? I feel like an old pothead that discovered crack cocaine and now rue the day that I put the pipe to my lips. Maybe the answer is to listen to my buddy's car radio in his 1999 Chevy pickup for a while and that might make my main rig sound great again! Is this scenario typical of an obsessed audiophile/music lover, or is something just wrong with me? LOL.
danoroo
martykl
3,578 posts
 
Just curious here: Are you using the room correction function on the HK?
danoroo OP
239 posts
 
@Martykl

No. I ran it a couple of times, but I prefer to set my system up manually. I cross my Ushers over at 60hz to two SVS and an HSU sub. I do use the room correction functions in JRiver Media Center though.
springbok10
711 posts
 
Yes, you can get a good pre - in fact a pretty amazing pre - with tubes, too -The Eastern Electric Avant. It really is a giant killer. Or else one of the earlier Conrad Johnsons.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
+1 for the EE Avant ,its not a gaint killer its THE giant
killer. Fantastic rhythm , instrumental tone and seperation. and wall to wall sounstage with great depth .
No weakness .
IMO tube pre w/o tube rectification is a waste of time .
Beat up on my rich buddies mega-buck Lamm and he admitted it .
How someover, I did not see it on sellers website , I seem
to remember reading 50 were allocated to USA and that was it. I paid 1700$ for mine and would not sell it for 5 k.
danoroo OP
239 posts
 
Thanks guys. I can see a good preamp in my future. But, since I started this thread I have purchased an ifi Micro iDAC2 bundled with an iPurifier. Using this DAC and bypassing the DAC built into the HK990 has breathed new life into my system. If a good preamp can do what this little DAC has done, I am definitely interested.
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