2. misc-audio
  3. 1131647556

This sucks

I just liquidated my old system [http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vstrt&1125889203&view] and replaced it with the follwing: Marantz SA8260 (on Mapleshade Surefoot), to Purist Audio Maximus ICs, to Cary 300SEI (on Mapleshade Heavyfoot with PS Audio Lab I PC and Sophia 300b) to Blue Dragon headphone cable to Senn HD650. There is NO bottom end and the whole soundstage sounds smeared and just overall horrible. What the hell was I thinking?? Is there a link in my current chain that might be causing this?? Is this the best I can expect from my headphone system?
128x128pawlowski6132
r_f_sayles's avatar
r_f_sayles
872 posts
 
Pawlowski6132 again, as was mentioned before, I don't think it's the gear. How long have you burned it in? I haven't found a cable or piece of equipment that doesn't come into its own only after many, many, sometimes a hundred or more hours of break in. I have cables that needed two hundred running hours, no less... but it has been worth it. Hang in there. To say you made the right choices... only your ears can be the ultimate judge of that. LOL Cheers!
riffer
362 posts
 
The problem is the Senn's.

Try the Beyerdynamic DT880's, and maybe some of the Audio Technica phones for more bass.
herman
2,267 posts
 
You are comparing apples with oranges. There is no soundstage with headphones, there is nothing in front of you, it is all between your ears. There is no real bass with headphones. Real bass is felt as well as heard, and you can't get the feeling part from phones.

They are what they are. They serve a purpose but they can't replace speakers.

Besides, I can't relax at home when I'm listeming to headphones as I always have this paranoid feeling that someone is sneaking up behind me and I can't hear them. I like them for air travel though.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,255 posts
 
I agree with you, "What the hell were your thinking?" It's not surprising that you're not happy now since you were never able to clearly articulate why and for what purpose you wanted to change your system. Changing things just to change will get you nowhere faster than the rest of us.

Herman is partially right, headphones do not soundstage like speakers, but they can have deep bass. In fact, headphones are capable of far better bass reproduction than speakers because they are not effected by room modes.
jeffreyds
115 posts
 
What were you thinking, indeed.

Seriously, as the other posters have asked, what were/are you trying to accomplish with your new system? It seems a fairly radical departure from the system you had.

You might try KR 300BXLS tubes to replace the Sophia's. In my experience, the KR's have more weight and bass than the Sophias.

By the way, I'll bet the Cary SLM-100's made a great combo with the VR4jr's.
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