Hi-Fi Audio Ultra-Fi DIY Headphile Blog - Stereo-Untypical

Head-Fi.Org — The world’s largest headphone forum (by far) is on life support. Head-fi.org is a tremendous resource by any measure, with a community of some 50,000 members. It’s a busy site and runs the vBulletin software platform. The site went down for planned maintenance sometime late 11/9 or early on 11/10, and then something in their RAID array failed.

For those of us who frequent the forum, this is getting to be agonizing. Sincere best wishes to all the admins and technical guys who make HF work, I hope they sort out the issues as soon as humanly possible. Sometimes technology just sucks!

If you have any updates from Jude, please let me know.

Tags: Headphone amps, Headphones, Industry News // 1 Comment »

Not many headphones have generated as much splash as the AKG K701’s introduced in mid-2006. They are AKG’s current top-of-the-line offering and retail for $449 — but they’re commonly available now (brand new) for $229 - $269 from many online retailers. Intriguing!

Reviews: Stereophile, SoundStage. Also look at Headphonereviews.com and Head-Fi.Org for many user reviews.

The general consensus is that these ‘phones are indeed reference-quality monitors, leaning to the analytical side, and somewhat bass-shy. Adequate amplification is also a major caveat, the K701’s need top-quality source and amplification to give their best. For those not in a position to spring for a SinglePower amp or similar esoterica, the Heed CanAmp is considered an excellent mid-priced choice.

Tags: Headphones // Add Comment »

I’m an enthusiastic proponent of the venerable Denon DL-103 phono cartridge. In production for more than 40 years, it remains a faithful transducer, well-designed, robust, and boasting a flat frequency response and excellent real-world performance. At $200 this cartridge is a no-brainer for anyone with a MC phono stage. If your phono section is low-gain (MM), consider the Lundahl LL9206 step-up transformers from K&K Audio. This adds $150 and gives you a killer MC setup. I use this setup with the Hagerman ‘Bugle’ MM battery phono stage.

Lately I’ve been reading about Uwe, a German fellow who crafts and sells wood bodies to replace the Denon’s plastic shell. He also sells ‘finished’ DL-103R’s in wood bodies. Below are examples of his Rosewood and Ebony bodied DL-103R’s. You can find them on eBay under seller name fivre.

I have some fine Nazareno wood (Purple Heart) that I bought in Costa Rica more than five years ago, I plan to attempt a ‘Uwe clone’ wood body and will report back on the results.

UPDATE: I was browsing Herbie’s Audio (known for their tube dampers) and noticed they have the Gabon Ebony Domes on closeout for $3.65 each…I ordered 3 of them. These look like they could be a good starting point for my Uwe Clone. (pic below) They measure 1″ round and 1/2″ high. I suppose they’d be more readily useable if they were pre-hollowed, but we’ll see.

Last pic is of Herbie’s “Gabon Ebony Domes”. (link)

Tags: Turntables, Vinyl // Add Comment »

Audio-Technica ATH-W1000 Headphones

I’ve had my new-to-me W1000’s for 5 days now, and I’m very impressed with them. The build quality is very nice, and the comfort is outstanding. These are full-size ‘closed circumaural’ headphones, and they are BIG. The fit is not snug though, and there’s no pressure on the skull or ears. They’re quite light at 350 grams. These are my first really high-end ‘phones, so my references are limited.

The sound is outstanding. Excellent detail, very lucid, musical, warm midrange, lovely highs. Bass is good, though it may come accross as a bit recessed compared to others - these are not basshead gear…at all. Bass depth is ok, not especially great. What I like is that the mid-bass is articulate, and carries the musical line well. These headphones seem especially well suited to reproducing small-combo jazz, and folk music — two of my favourite genres. Vocals are also sublime.

When I say ‘excellent detail’, I mean it. Good recordings just became staggeringly good. On Bruce Cockburn’s wonderful Speechless instrumental CD, there’s now palpable ‘air’ around the notes; I can hear his fingers moving along the fretboard, and follow his fingerpicking techniques. In chamber music, the musicians’ breathing is now a part of the sonic landscape. This is a very front row perspective.

I will experiment with various modes of amplification, and different sources. I’ll definitely have more to say about the W’s, suffice to say I think they’re keepers!

Tags: Headphones // 1 Comment »

What’s untypical about this piece of mass-fi gear? It has a phono stage! Hallelujah, it seems that some manufacturers in 2007 are clued in to the fact that there’s a mini vinyl revival happening. Kudos to HK. Here is a bona fide, powerful 2-channel (stereo) receiver for a very good price ($250), and it will accept your turntable’s output directly (low-gain or typically moving-magnet/MM cartridge). I haven’t heard one but I’m told they aren’t terrible-sounding. Could be great for a starter system for your kid in college, a bedroom system, or your Aunt Edna with the stack of unloved Babs LP’s.

Harman Kardon HK3485 High-Current Stereo Receiver

You could also look at the HK3480, for about $50 less. Otherwise, there are the Onkyo and Outlaw Audio receivers, but they’re both a fair bit more expensive.

Tags: Turntables, Vinyl // 4 Comments »

This is one of the most well researched and enjoyable biographies on a music figure that I’ve read. If you like folk music, Americana, or just have an interest in modern history, Woody’s life as told by Ed Cray may captivate you. The author spends a good deal of time exploring Guthrie’s relationships, his songwriting, and his political motivations (or lack thereof). All against a backdrop of heart-wrenching tragedy.

Very recommended.

Tags: Music // Add Comment »

Okay, so the James Randi / Michael Fremer aka Pear ‘Anjou’ vs Monster Cables, has been called off — Pear’s people backed out. I think there are better shootouts than the one that was proposed - that could be fairly conclusive or at least that we could learn more from. With a bit of imagination and hutzpah.

Randi has succeeded in calling attention to an important question: are super expensive cables really “better” than average (decent) cables? If they are, it should be possible to prove it.

I would like to see a DBT shootout with $100, $1000, and $7000 cables, with a panel of participants, a set of criteria, and a methodology that all can agree on. The stated goal should just be to determine which cable performs better than the others.

The process could be something like:

1. all participants agree on a reference system & location for the test

2. all participants allowed 4-5 hours of listening to be familiar with the reference system

3. all participants agree on 4 recordings to be used in the test (say classical, jazz, pop and vocal)

4. agree on nitty gritty details like the test environment (switchbox or direct wired, how many runs through, what parameters measured on the scorecard, who is appointed as an observer, rotation of ’sweet spot’ seat, and so on)

5. Conduct the test and tabulate the scores. They could be anonymous. Publish the data.

I’d like to hear from others, what kind of shootout would you want to see?

Tags: Industry News, Uncategorized // 2 Comments »

I have some LP’s listed for sale, they are ‘golden age’ / audiophile / imports on some of the best labels: EMI, Decca, Mercury, etc. Have a look here for a list and descriptions:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=221786

Tags: Music, Uncategorized, Vinyl // Add Comment »

Audio luminary and analog journalist Michael Fremer (Stereophile, Musicangle.com) has accepted James Randi’s challenge. This should be very interesting. Well, even if it degrades into egomaniacal arguing, it’s probably all you’ll be reading about for the next 6-8 months.

Link to full story.
I’ll have opinions on this story as it unfolds. For now, I think the whole premise is flawed, and I doubt the test will ever happen.

Tags: Industry News, Uncategorized // 1 Comment »

Quite possibly, yes!

Check out this unique and superb collection of busker style song videos:

http://www.blogotheque.net/cae_tous_les_concerts_en.php3

….including many of today’s hottest bands - The National, Arcade Fire, Beirut, of Montreal, Final Fantasy, Grizzly Bear, Architecture In Helsinki, and many others. Enjoy—

Tags: Music // Add Comment »

From Gizmodo’s “calling bullshit” files - skeptic James Randi has offered a million dollars from his James Randi Educational Fund/JREF, to anyone who can prove Pear Cable’s “Anjou” ($7250 / 12 feet) speaker cables are better than ordinary Monster cables.

You can read more here: million dollar cable challenge.

Tags: Industry News, Uncategorized // Add Comment »

What’s this gray plastic pod doing in the middle of my desktop hi-fi? Well, this comes as no news to many, but the Sony 1001 and 5501 (1st gen Playstations) appear to have some stellar sonic qualities when used as CD players! A friend whose Arcam CDP finally konked out mentioned this, and I gave it a try. I have to say, the thing sound pretty damn good. Decent resolution, no digital glare, and it’s actually ‘musical’. Wow…not bad. I doubt it’ll best any multi-kilobuck rigs, but I get a perverse sense of satisfaction listening to this piece. I gave mine some audiophile cred by putting a few Vibrapods under it.

Best of all, you can find these almost anywhere for under $10. In fact, you might just have one collecting dust in the basement somewhere. Give it a shot & post a comment! Always good to keep an open mind.

Tags: Digital // 1 Comment »

This is the Darkvoice 336i, an amp that has been making a major impact in headphone audio circles. It is made in China and features a single 6N5 driver tube in front of a 6N8 rectifier. These tubes are replaceable with the 6AS7 and 6080 types - very popular Western tubes of the past. The amp therefore has enormous appeal for tube rollers. Oh, and the best part? This amp sells for an astonishing $240 on eBay. In the hotly contested budget tube amp segment, the Darkvoice appears to have the edge on competitors like the Little Dot 2++ and Feel HP100.

The Darkvoice puts out 1 watt of power, and can drive loads from 32 to 600 Ohms, making it ideal for a broad spectrum of headphones. And indeed it has been praised for its’ flexibility as an all-rounder. The 336i also has two older brothers — the all-new 332 ($400) and the top-of-the-line 337 ($600).

Tags: Headphone amps, Headphones // 1 Comment »

I haven’t been bitten hard by many retail hi-fi products in the last 7-8 years, but this amp slams me. See Srajan Ebaen’s excellent 6moons.com review for more details. This is a beautifully designed single-stage tube preamp intended as a dedicated headphone amp of the highest quality; it can also drive loudspeakers directly, although the output into an 8-Ohm load is only about 1/4 watt per channel. The amp is voiced and impedance matched for the wonderful ‘W’ series Audio-Technica headphones, also from Japan.

Congratulations to Shigeki-san on a lovely accomplishment. The amp retails in North America for $975, complete with the NOS Western Electric 408A tubes.

And if my wife is reading this, please put in a good word with Santa for me?

Tags: Headphone amps, Headphones // 2 Comments »

Welcome to stereo-untypical, this is a repository showcasing great music and unusually fine (and just plain unusual) audio gear, flanked by quasi-articulate musings on the hobby. Ultra-fi, low-fi, post-fi….if it’s different, you’ll find it here.

Send me a note if there is something you’d like to see featured on this blog. And please pass the word on.
thanks,

Noam

Tags: Music, Uncategorized // 1 Comment »