Wildgift Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I picked up a Fiios E-11 amp and a set of the Martin Logan Mikros 90s. Each cost 60.00 online. This is an awesome amp, and the MLs just came alive with it. I've burned them in for about 20 hours. Incredible depth and presence, and I have never used a headphone amp before. The eq settings are actually useful. Together, this setup is a great value. I bought in anticipation of a Pono player this fall, and making DVD-A ALAC rips has revealed nuances I have never heard in some songs before. Little things. The hum of a studio amp. A pick being dropped. Dialogue before a song starts. A great example: "With Our Love" from the Talking Heads "more songs..." I heard this sheet of Brian Eno synths that was always obscured to me and I have been listening to this record for 35 years! So, for bang for the buck, this is a great combo. Link to comment
InfernoSTi Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Very, very nice!!! What a great find... John Positive emotions enhance our musical experiences. Synology DS213+ NAS -> Auralic Vega w/Linear Power Supply -> Auralic Vega DAC (Symposium Jr rollerball isolation) -> XLR -> Auralic Taurus Pre -> XLR -> Pass Labs XA-30.5 power amplifier (on 4" maple and 4 Stillpoints) -> Hawthorne Audio Reference K2 Speakers in MTM configuration (Symposium Jr HD rollerball isolation) and Hawthorne Audio Bass Augmentation Baffles (Symposium Jr rollerball isolation) -> Bi-amped w/ two Rythmic OB plate amps) -> Extensive Room Treatments (x2 SRL Acoustics Prime 37 diffusion plus key absorption and extensive bass trapping) and Pi Audio Uberbuss' for the front end and amplification Link to comment
Paul R Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Sweet! Any chance you might post a pic of your setup? -Paul Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC. Robert A. Heinlein Link to comment
REShaman Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I picked up a Fiios E-11 amp and a set of the Martin Logan Mikros 90s. Each cost 60.00 online. This is an awesome amp, and the MLs just came alive with it. I've burned them in for about 20 hours. Incredible depth and presence, and I have never used a headphone amp before. The eq settings are actually useful. Together, this setup is a great value. I bought in anticipation of a Pono player this fall, and making DVD-A ALAC rips has revealed nuances I have never heard in some songs before. Little things. The hum of a studio amp. A pick being dropped. Dialogue before a song starts. A great example: "With Our Love" from the Talking Heads "more songs..." I heard this sheet of Brian Eno synths that was always obscured to me and I have been listening to this record for 35 years! So, for bang for the buck, this is a great combo. Wildgift, Thank you for the gift of your creative system. As Paul invited you to show us the "honey", I, too, would appreciate a glimpse of your experience of enjoying the music. Many paths to get there. In the words of Joe Cocker, "with a little help from my friends..." ? Enjoy the music, Richard Link to comment
Wildgift Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Guys, here you go. I omitted the cables for aesthetic purity. BTW: Fiio's 6" 3.5mm cable was defective. I contacted them and they wanted $5.00 shipping to replace it. Jerks. Happily, the seller via Amazon (Sky Outlet Mall) took a much more honorable approach and will send me one. So annoying to get a great amp, and then crackle/hum/dropout due to a faulty cable. But still, the amp and phones really work together. They often go on sale for about $60.00 at Newegg. Tip: when you get them, they will feel tight. I gently bent at the middle of the headband, and then left them overnight on a box, stretched a bit. Now, super comfortable. Also, about 20 hrs of burn in really helped as well. I love M/L speakers; this is likely as close as I'll ever get I'm new to this hobby, inspired by Neil Young's Pono project. It's great that a little research can yield an economical and amazing sound. Link to comment
wkhanna Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Bravo to you, Wildgift! Many thanks for sharing your discovery of both the equipment & the music. I would venture to guess an experiance like this is exactly what NY was hoping for. It is not about 'Pono', it is about the 'music'. Bill Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob ....just an "ON" switch, Please! Link to comment
InfernoSTi Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 That looks very classy, too. Good stuff… John Positive emotions enhance our musical experiences. Synology DS213+ NAS -> Auralic Vega w/Linear Power Supply -> Auralic Vega DAC (Symposium Jr rollerball isolation) -> XLR -> Auralic Taurus Pre -> XLR -> Pass Labs XA-30.5 power amplifier (on 4" maple and 4 Stillpoints) -> Hawthorne Audio Reference K2 Speakers in MTM configuration (Symposium Jr HD rollerball isolation) and Hawthorne Audio Bass Augmentation Baffles (Symposium Jr rollerball isolation) -> Bi-amped w/ two Rythmic OB plate amps) -> Extensive Room Treatments (x2 SRL Acoustics Prime 37 diffusion plus key absorption and extensive bass trapping) and Pi Audio Uberbuss' for the front end and amplification Link to comment
Melvin Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Bravo to you, Wildgift!Many thanks for sharing your discovery of both the equipment & the music. I would venture to guess an experiance like this is exactly what NY was hoping for. It is not about 'Pono', it is about the 'music'. +1 .. congrats Link to comment
Paul R Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Yepper - that is a nice looking setup there! Congrats! You are probably right about this being the kind of thing Neal Young was trying to encourage. -Paul Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC. Robert A. Heinlein Link to comment
Wildgift Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 You guys are all very kind indeed! Link to comment
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