I can bump the budget but Iāll probably have to go one piece at a time which is fine. I definitely understand I wonāt be getting the most out of them until my entire chain is up to par. In terms of signature, they will be my daily driver so I would probably just avoid a setup thatās super bright. These will be far and away my most expensive audio purchase to date so Iām a bit out of my depth in terms of equipment knowledge. No problems buying used.
Hmmmmm. So generally I might say if you wanted something that was a bit warmer smoother, the violectric v280 is a very good pick here, typically used you would find them in the 1k range for the most part if they pop up. A good dac with that would be the soekris dac1541 if you can find one used which would also be around the 1k mark for a good price
The gsx mini is a bit on the brighter side but it does pair very well (used sometimes around 1.4k range without the upgraded volume pot), and with a bifrost 2 imo itās pretty easily something you can daily, although later on going a bit higher on the dac side of things would be worthwhile
If you have to go lower, for something with lots of punch and power, and also a bit smoother and colored the monolith liquid platinum is pretty nice imo, although it might not be detail forward enough for some (it is paired well with the ares ii dac), and in that same range for something neutral and capable the lake people g111 is pretty solid. But both of these I would recommend going higher on as the phi is pretty picky imo
On the used market, I do see this violectric v200 for 850 which would be a solid pick for the price, and that with either a soekris or an ares ii dac would be very nice
I also see an auralic taurus mk II for 1200 which isnāt the best price, 900-1k would be more fair there, but that would be a warmer smoother amp for the dianas that would be pretty sweet
And finally I see a bakoon HPA-01 for 850 for something very linear sounding but still with sweetness, a good pick imo. This would go well with an ares ii dac
Just skimmed the used market, but if you wait and watch you can find some really good deals
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Thank you for the very thorough response. Much appreciated. Would it be worthwhile to consider the rme adi-2 with a later amp section upgrade to something like the gsx mini?
That would be a decent choice, but imo that might get a bit bright and clean for some as a daily. IMO if you wanted an all in one that would drive the diana very well perhaps check out the holo cyan, as imo thatās got a more capable dac and also a warmer more meaty sounding headphone amp that would be less potentially fatiguing than the adi 2 fs. Also imo the cyan would pair better with the gsx mini later on than the adi 2 would
That sounds promising. I might go that route since that will give my dac and amp a much needed upgrade all at once.
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Iām looking at a spring 2 dac in the future with my GS X mini I love using with my Diana Phi. Soā¦ hopefully that helps as youāre looking over issues.
I also keep eyeing the Cyan instead of the spring 2 as well.
What is the bass quantity compatible to? Sundara?
I assume youāre asking specifically about the Diana V2 and not the Diana Phi correct?
Yeah thatās correct. Thereās a few v2ās on the used market here with decent price tags.
Honestly, if you can afford them I say go for it. The bass will be erection inducing. The clarity will be on a level you cannot imagine if youāve never heard that level of headphone before, and the that headphone is the least amp picky headphone out of all of Abyss.
If you wanted the Audeze LCD X with more detail, better bass extension, basically no veil or house sound, and just a little bit harder to drive but not terribly hard to driveā¦ this headphone is it. I know @Grant and a few others can comment but overallā¦ V2 is a solid option and for a discount pretty much impossible to say no.
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The one that is available is actually a v1 looking at it again. Itās comes with the v1 pads and also v2 pads. Theyāre a little more than the price of focal clears new which is why Iām interested.
Differences between v1 and v2?
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Personally I wouldnāt go for a v1, the v1 has a worse headband, the v2 also has a new driver and tuning that I personally much prefer (the v2 is a bit warmer thicker and more refined while having more detail and technicalities on hand). Although for the price of the clears the og diana might not be bad
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My wallet thanks you. This tier I should probably go out of my way to hear the headphones first. Which I havenāt.
Well since grant was mentioned, I think I saw he was selling his v2 lol (unless that wasnāt him on headfi) so if you want a v2ā¦
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Well I can understand why the comparison is made between the bass with Sundara and a Diana. I had a Sundara for a short time, so going off memory, the Sundara might provide some quantity, but the V2 has a faster, more detailed bass, so its a different experience. I will say if there is something I would like more of the V2, it definitely would be bass quantity (even with DMS pads).
Though my experience with the V2 used in multiple chains and configurations-- it is revealing and can distinctly tell differences with higher performing DACS and Amps. The higher in DAC/AMP you go, the more picky you will be with music as you hear more, both the good and bad from recordings.
If I remember correctly, you have a Vio and Ares II. Personally, I found the V2 more interesting when I paired it with a V281, as it added a tiny bit more stage and warmth over what Iām currently using with it. Of course some may not hear those subtle differences and have a different opinion with the V2 and a Violectric.
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If you put really any abyss on something like a thx or topping a90, you will most likely be sorely disappointment with the performance imo, they scale really well and are super damn picky about your amps
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Honestly the step down in detail may suit me better but the other attributes of the v2 are more to my liking
I do respect quality but it sounds like itāll be a little too bass light for my preferences
Yeah thatās correct. I imagine the Vio stuff would elevate the bass a bit but I think Iāll hold off for the time being and one day listen to it for myself and go from there. Too many maybeās.
imo with a vio the bass on the v2 would have more quantity than a sundara
You might think that but the extra capability never really gets to me even on harsher recordings vs the v1 imo (where the phi though can be too brutal)
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For a more similar tier comparison, how would you compare the V2 bass and general signature to the LCD-24? The 24 is pretty much perfect for my preferences, and I got a good deal on them, so Iām highly unlikely to pick up a Diana but still curious.