I liked this topic Steve discussed with his old boss who sells a lot of high-end stuff. lol
They talk about how neurotic people tend to get when it comes to audiogear… and how it only seems to pertain to audio gear more than anything else. And it definitely rings true, IMO.
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me_irl
my god the feeling of “i’m not getting the best” is super uncomfortable
with my M50s it was like “yay im getting what are aparently the best i can do”
“no they suck”
“wh-what… what do i do now”
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thinking about it, i definitely got this way when it came to buying a TV. Especially when it came to the OLEDs… really wanting one but stressing about the potential for burn-in. I ended up NOT getting one and getting a samsung TV… but then my brother got an OLED at some point later. After seeing his… I ended up just selling my TV and buying an OLED and said “F it” to the burn in stuff… haha. I’ve been good ever since though.
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one of my favorite parts of the video is where he says “you’re just bored”… because yeah… thats the exact answer, im bored, i’m used to how the things sound and i dunno what to do and spending money on stuff makes me less bored, maybe the problem is more my DAC (but then again i didn’t feel like my M50s were really improved by the dragonfly black i got years ago), or maybe i just need a new cartridge for my turntable (though i dunno what i would buy because im using a uturn which makes it annoying)
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I run into these feelings all the time, especially since I grew up purchasing items based on “good-value” or good price, which is a different issue on its own.
This video actually reminded me to rewatch another important video that I think it may help people that are looking to purchase. It’s quite lengthy, but good advice to narrow down choices:
That’s what makes this hobby addictive- you get used to a sound (no matter how good it is). So you want a change to chase that “new and better” feeling.
“Like that first line of cocaine, walking into a new woman’s bedroom for the first time. Bliss on tap!”
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Audio systems are like beautiful women, eventually you get bored with the one you’ve got and you go out looking for something different.
Ok so i gather from this video and the experienced gentleman being interviewed that Giova is a whiner, and he does not appreciate what hes got. wow, get it together Giova, man.
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yeah man… always gotta have more… GIVE ME MORE! More clarity! More power! More bass! ahhh! It’s never enough!
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rofl, yeah i know how you feel. if i had the money id get a XE and a RME DAC and a Utopia.
What about the focal amp that some say is the best they have heard with focal headphones? (personally don’t agree with that but I have only heard it briefly so I can’t really say much)
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I would really like to hear the Focal Arche… but to be honest… it wouldn’t fit well with my desk setup. Lol That is a deal breaker for me for purchasing anything… it has to be able to slide under my tv… I was only able to get it to happen with the SPL Phonitor E by removing the feet and using aftermarket anti vibration feet that weren’t quite as thick.
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I always wonder if a brand headphone would sound best on the same brand amp or dac. i mean they know their headphone the best. wouldnt they know how to make the best amp for it?
It makes sense and of course typically an amp and dac made for a headphone sounds very good, but it typically isn’t the best out there because there are just better amps made by other companies. At the end of the day it is preference though, they could be going for a different sound then you prefer with their companion amp/dac then you wanted
This review makes the arche sound very intriguing for sure…
Sound
The first word that comes to mind is “rich”. Rich enough it makes the another new unit I had around (the Matrix Element:X) sound a bit lean. There’s some underlying AKM “Velvet Sound” going on here, which will be apparent to anyone that is familiar with it, but the richness exhibited here is more than just some extra presence in the lowest registers.
It’s a VERY pleasant and engaging sound, and that remains true whether using a Focal headphone (I initially tried the Clear, Stellia and Utopia, both on their pre-sets and with the unit just in “Voltage” mode … and while they’re audibly different if you pay attention, I didn’t have a clear preference for either the specific settings or the general with any particular can) or other headphones (most recently the ZMF Vérité and Rosson Audio RAD-0).
At a high-level I’d say this is comparable to the DAC section of an RME ADI-2 DAC fs combined with a truly proper headphone amplifier that’s been voiced for some extra tonal weight and density AND that has the ability to be driven from something other than the built-in DAC.
It does a great job of extracting and relaying details, timbre is natural above the lower-bass registers (where things like double-bass take on a bit more “mass” than they perhaps should), and the “richness” doesn’t detract from it’s speed or impact at ALL (this thing hits pretty hard).
Playing with the just the analog in/out chain, I’m not even sure where I’d place the amp section. On par or probably ahead of the Pro iCAN I think, in SS mode. A bit richer than the Azure, but with a similar projection of stage and layering. Definitely more engaging than the current-darling THX AAA 789, and highly resolving both in terms of raw detail and micro-dynamic resolution.
The Matrix is purer sounding and perhaps a little more technically adept … but this is just much more fun. And the amp-stage on this runs rings around the Element:X.
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I did order the Ares 2 btw… but its back ordered so dont expect it to arrive for at least a month or 2 from now.
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The thing is all these amp brands and companies are brands ive never heard of before. And you start reading about them and it sounds good then you find out its 2500$
I’d love to hear what you think. That will likely be my next DAC – I’m working with a Bifrost MB at the moment.
Personally, I think you might want to take a larger jump to get more of a difference imo
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who are you speaking to? I hope you aren’t suggesting I should spend more than the Ares 2… lol