Working on a write-up of my sub-$1k single DD IEM showdown so I put on some headphones to listen while I’m rereading my notes and such. I just picked up a pair of HE560 V3s from the for sale thread here and I’m sitting here pretty shocked that this level of performance can be had for so little these days (As low as $249 new for the V4s and significantly less than that on the used market). I got caught up putting these bad boys through their paces and haven’t gotten to writing that yet. I stopped trying for a bit and decided I wanted to see what kinda chops these really have for my rock heavy library so I put on some albums that will teally put a headphone’s technical abilities to the test.
Edit: I started off listening to the HE560s off my JDS Labs El Stack 2+, but after being so impressed I’m moving into my music room to do some scalability tests to see just how much and how well they do scale. Time to see how they do plugged into the Ferrum Oor/Hypsos stack with the Holo Audio May KTE pulling DAC duties. This should be good…
4 Likes
Sweet. The May would definitely be endgame for me. I read / see such good things. And then to back it up with the Ferrum - Awesome. Great selections, too. Now I’m gonna have to spin up some Dream Theater tonight!
Saw them back in 2014 at the Warfield. Cool venue. Fantastic show. One of the best live bands I have seen. Spent most of the show just standing in awe.
1 Like
Dude, I totally agree about DT’s live chops. I have seen them live twice almost a decade apart and they didn’t miss a beat. If anything, I actually thought their performance was tighter the second time around.
RE the May KTE: I started off this year with a plan to sell off a lot of audio and drum gear and then use the cash to put together a super sick TOTL rig. After I settled on the DCA Stealths as my headphone of choice (the Expanse were released later and became a surprise addition lol), I started demoing or buying and reselling quite a few amps and DACs looking for the best combo. Once I heard the Stealths driven by the Ferrum Oor/Hypsos setup, I knew that was the amp I wanted as the backbone. Settling on the amp made choosing the DAC much easier because the Ferrum stack plays well with just about anything, but it has AMAZING synergy with the May KTE. I love it with the Gustard R26 and X26, I liked it with the Chord TT2, the SMSL VMV D3 was a unique option, and I tried it with a ton more, but none if them have the combination of spatial rendering, amazing detail and layering, perfect tonal balance, authoritative presentation, and effortlessness that the Ferrum stack/May KTE pairing has. I still find myself in awe of the level of sonic performance I have at my fingertips with this rig. I couldn’t be any happier or more satisfied!
1 Like
@Raptor168 mentioned Dream Theater so naturally I had to put some DT in the queue. Up now is A View From The Top of The World, their 2021 effort.
1 Like
LOL Dude, that is the one I am putting on next! We were talking about live performance and I decided to try the Radiance with some live music. I wanted a club vibe, so here we go!
A show recorded from Whisky A Go Go back in 1995. Showing my age a little bit here! And yes, the Radiance is doing a great job. Lovin it.
AMHD > Douk U2 Pro > Schiit BF2 > Singxer SA-1 Pre > SMSL SP200 > Focal Radiance
1 Like
No one should be too old or too young for some Crosby! I saw him at a Clapton and Friends show at the House of Blues in LA a long time ago. It was a series of shows that featured Clapton playing with a different series of guest performers every show. Crosby’s set was the highlight of that show for sure.
As for live music, if you’re a live music fan and a prog fan check out Mystery’s live album Caught in the Whirlwind of Time. It has some of the best live recording sound quality I have heard on a live prog album. BTW, Transatlantic has a new live album coming out of a show recorded in Paris in 2022. I’m definitely looking forward to giving that one a listen.
1 Like
Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Great American Music Hall sometime in the mid 90’s goes down as one of my favorite shows. We were in some sort of VIP setup in this balcony at stage right front. Hob-nobbin with a bird’s eye view of this incredible show. And they were so on that night. Stadium performance is compelling and larger than life, and it’s an amazing experience. But many of the shows I remember the most were experienced in the more intimate venues.
So yeah, I do like to listen to live recordings! I like to catch that spontaneity and energy of a live performance. Thanks for the suggestions, I will be checking them out.
1 Like
I know it’s not nighttime in SoCal, but it has to be somewhere so I’m gonna post anyways. Currently listening to my Softears Twilights plugged into my Cayin N8ii and I have a badass blues/blues rock album on that I have been meaning to rec to more people. The album is Ancient Noise by Patrick Sweany and if you’re into bluesy rock or good music in general, do yourself a favor and check this album out.
3 Likes
Tonight I have The Aristocrats with Primuz Chamber Orchestra at the top of my queue. This is an unbelievably good album. If you haven’t heard this album, assemble your best signal chain and give it a spin. Three top shelf prog musicians playing along with some very well executed orchestral arrangements and it’s all mixed, mastered, and produced at such a high level. It never gets old listening to great musicians executing amazing music at the top of their game.
Signal chain for right now: DCA Expanse into the Ferrum Oor/Hypsos stack with the Holo Audio May KTE pulling DAC duty and being fed bit-perfect from locally stored files. I’m definitely having one of those moments of near musical perfection where I’m kinda in awe that all of this is coming from a headphone rig that I can use on demand.
2 Likes
Happy New Year everyone! Good football day! But now it’s time for a session. Starting out with one I never got through in its entirety. I will fix that tonight.
AMHD > Douk U2 Pro > Schiit BF2 > Singxer SA-1 Pre > SMSL SP200 > HiFIMAN Edition XS
3 Likes
100 per cent. I listened to this one about a month ago. I may end up buying it.
1 Like
An excellent pick, my good sir! Perhaps SB’s best album, IMO.
1 Like
I like this one a lot. I had to change headphones, my lady is going to bed and the XS leaks too much sound. So presto, back on the Radiance with the same chain. Both of these react very well to this chain. Turns out the SA-1 is a good pre.
That vocal piece and then the transition at the end of “Afterthought” and into “Something Very Strange” is pretty epic. Probably my favorite bit on the album. And see, AMHD streams gapless, so you get the whole thing. 
1 Like
Gapless is clutch. Mind if I ask how the SA-1 is as an amp? I’ve been thinking about adding a solid, but not too expensive amp to give me a second option at one of my listening stations and the SA-1 is definitely on my radar. Sometimes I feel like the JDS Labs El Amp 2+ that I have there right now is too bright with some of my headphones. It’s great with others so I’m not looking to get rid of it. I just wanna add another option and the SA-1 seems to have a reputation for being a bit more musical/euphonic.
I have had an extremely positive experience with the SA-1. I know @WaveTheory called it “Meh”, and I guess that’s fair. But it hasn’t been “Meh” for me at all. I love mine. I find the signature to be engaging and very musical in its delivery. Having said that, though, I didn’t care for the XS through the SA-1 on its own. It struggled with those. I don’t know if it’s just the XS, or planars in general. It almost seems like it favors working with dynamic drivers. However, if you use the SA-1 as a pre to feed another amp, like I am doing with the SP200, fucking magic happens! Now the XS is stellar. So, there is a kind of utility and flexibility the SA-1 offers that I have also enjoyed. So there you go.
EDIT! I should note that my amp does not have the jumper mod done to it. I decided against it. I’m going to leave mine alone.
1 Like
Funnily enough, it’s mostly for some dynamic based cans that I would be using this second amp. The primary planars I use at that station (MM-500 and Aeon Closed/Open X) sound great through the El Amp 2+. It’s my Teaks, K812 Pros, K872s, and HD800s that don’t pair so well with it. Thanks for the breakdown. 
1 Like
Deeper into the night we go. Got this on right now
Starting 2023 off strong!
AMHD > Douk U2 Pro > Schiit Bifrost 2 > Singxer SA-1 Pre > SMSL SP200 > Focal Radiance
4 Likes
