How about the rme adi 2 fs? There seems to be a huge following with this dac
Itās alright imo, itās great if you like dsp or eq and the features it has, but if you donāt plan to use those features, I think you can get more for your money imo
yeah Im not much into EQā¦ Thanks for all the help! Iāll go with the bifrost 2 unless something better comes out within the year. My wallet is still bleeding from the clears I hear theres a rebel dac in the works
I ordered a Clear Pro today, canāt wait to hear it! Going to compare it to my Elex, and the Sundara too.
As a side note, Sweetwater has the best customer service. Five minutes after I purchased the Clear, they hooked me up with a sales representative who personally called me to make sure the transaction goes smoothly.
Could someone compare the Clears with Elegias? (elegias without seal issues)
Clears are very open sounding, amazing clarity. Punchy, and a neutral bright.
Elegia is closed off sounding but not very intimate. Decent sub bass and punch, detailed, and a little mid focus.
Both have a somewhat metallicy timbre.
Elegias can run off anything, Clears need a good quality amp, like the rnhp.
Spot on. Iād also add that they have an intimate staging/presentation.
Yea, not too wide but very open lol if that makes sense haha
It does.
Theyāre pretty open (physically), they basically have a metal mesh behind the driver!
Accurate description in my estimation (having owned and loved both).
If you have the money, Clear no contest. If you want closed back, Elegia. If you canāt spend $900+, Elegia.
I want add a headphone to my collection. I have dt1990ās and hd600ās. Would adding clears make my hd600ās obsolete. And if so, would something like a hifiman arya a better option because I donāt currently have a planar in my collection.
there is a lot going on in this question. I feel like it would matter a lot on what you are looking for. Do you want a different signature or mostly something similar to something you already have with improved technicalities? Do you want something similar but with with more bass or less bass for instance?
Depending on what you like with the hd600s, you might find the clears better than the hd600 across the board, or you might find the midrange of the hd600 more āorganicā than the clears. What kind of soundstage are you looking for? How much does extension, imaging, timbre, ect matter to you?
If it was me, i would want something with elevated bass and/or wide sound stage to compliment what you already have. Clear is pretty neutral and Arya is neutral or neutral bright. Based on my criteria, neither would make sense, but if you wanted something with a similarish sound signature to the hd600 but with more impact and extension and more stage but still not very wide and retains a full, intimate sound, then the clear would make sense.
Planar to contrast with the dynamics you have is fair enough, to get the most different signature, I think an audeze could make sense, but if you like the bright sig of the 1990, then it probably would not make sense.
Hard to fully recommend anything without knowing a bit more of what you like/dislike and are lookign for. Also, if the hd600 is made obsolete, perhaps just sell it?
All good points. I really love my 600ās and would ideally like something that compliments it rather than replaces it. My preferred sound signature is neutral or harman target i guess. I used to own argons and i found myself never using them because I wasnāt a fan of the sound signature. I think im after a different listening perspective more than anything and i thought that the arya might offer that. Something that offers a close sound signature but with more soundstage and easy to listen to for a long time. I listen to alot of rock, alternative pop and some classical music. I dont live near a shop to audition headphones so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
@HotSpicyMixtape
What amp do you have and what is your budget? Clears and Arya will need a different amp for them to be at their best.
If you donāt have a tube amp, both the 1990 and 600 are great on a tube. Have apos price match drop and get the darkvoice for 200 and buy some upgrade tubes. Or maybe a spend some more on a higher tier ampā¦ But darkvoice should be a good first tube amp.
I have an asgard 3 currently. Thats not a bad idea. What tubes would you recommend?
First impressions on the Focal Clear (Pro) after about an hour comparing to the Elex:
Just as impressive as the Elex in terms of dynamics, speed, clarity, frequency response, etc. The bass is not as warm and bumped as the Elex. The transition from bass to lower mids is more linear on the Clear, giving more clarity. The bass also extends more, has more impact, and does sound more detailed. The mids are about the same as the Elex, but it is maybe a little more even on the Clear. The treble is probably the biggest difference, itās got more air than the Elex. Stuff like cymbals, bells, and overtones just sound more true to life. I am still hearing the same peak around 10.5 kHz as I did on the Elex, but somehow it doesnāt sound as metallic to me. Iām willing to bet this is because of the better voice coil and the better controlled driver. Speaking of that, the Clear does sound like a better controlled Elex all around.
I didnāt do any pad swaps yet, but my Elex pads are a bit more squished and worn, so perhaps that is contributing to the warmer sound compared to the Clear, which are brand new. I tried squishing the pads on the Clear while on my head, and the sound changed a little to be warmer, but not enough to make it sound like the Elex.
Edit: Just did some pad swaps with the extra pads that came with the Clear Pro. Elex became a little brighter, and to my surprise, a little harsher. The Clear is smoother than the Elex with new Clear pads. Bass is now very similar, but the Clear still sounds more detailed and more extended. Itās not a big surprise, but I like the Clear more so far.
But do you think it is worth going from the Elex to the Clear?