What amp are you using with the Stealths? if you don’t mind me asking 
I got a an ex demo Elears just at start of lockdown they are a great pair of phones. My cable is now beginning to come apart where they go into the right 3.5mm jack though so will be looking to upgrade the cable when money allows. Still work fine mind it just loose and I know will pull out completely at some point.
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The supplied cable is worth upgrading anyway, it’s heavy and too long, lots of after market choices like Custom Cables.
I don’t mind the cable but it does have a mind of its own like NACA5. I have one of custom cans cables on my Mezes in my bedroom rig which fits the Focal it’s just not long enough where they live in my main head rig.
Appologies if uploaded before my Audeze lcd-2 pre-owned a snip at £475 had been a long time Focal user starting with the Elear and going through all flavours up to theStellias
but after a visit to this years CanJam show in London was very much surprised at the Audeze 'phones never had Planer Mag phones before and was very impressed im hearing things ive never heard before instrument separation being just one in short ive discovered a new CD collection…mine![quote=“steviebee, post:13, topic:8095, full:true”]
My Audeze, open and closed.
AKG701’s gone AWOL…hiding somewhere (victim of domestic tidy up I suspect)
[/quote]
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Whoops uploaded another photo apologies to the owner! mine are the Audeze
Hi, i use an EAR hp4 headphone amp.
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Yup, my name is Bruce and I have a Grado habit too…
As second fiddle to my lovely ZMF Verite, mainly for portable use I am just burning in these new RS1e headphones. All the usual Grado vices; defiantly bizarre fixed cable, homespun packaging and design, hard foam cups. All the usual Grado pleasures; lovely wood finish, defiantly different design, simple but effective headband, long extension cable included.
They are very, very light, and although they feel small on your ears and a bit odd at first I find them really comfy. Musically they are typically Grado too. Nice textured bass, good separation and detail, slightly forward mids (great with voices) and for now a bit tight treble. Might improve after a few more hours. Most important they are just so likeable and might just be the performance/value sweet spot in their range, especially as the ‘e’ has been superceded by the ‘x’ so a few bargains around at the moment.
.
Previously, GS3000e now regrettably on apparently permanent loan to my brother, PS1000e very mixed bag (now sold) and SR 80 or similar my first decent cans some years ago. Plus still have the GR10e IEMs and their Bluetooth GT220.
My name is Bruce and I have a Grado habit!
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Join in the Grado love…
Grado Statement Series GS1000e Headphones used with Headline/NAPSC.
Not getting as much use since I moved the system down to the man cave and away from the bedroom upstairs. For comfort reasons I do prefer ‘over the ear’ vs ‘on ear’ design.
The Grado’s do sound great as well as look great!
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The Mcintosh looks cool, is it their version of the atom HE I.e. a stand alone box?
Gary
Not quite. It has a built in DAC but no streaming platform (I’m using my NDX 2 for that). I always kind of liked the looks of Mcintosh and the headphone amp seemed the most sensible option to have some of their blue watt output meters integrated with the rest of my Naim system.
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Adding a bit more to the Grado love in with these Statement Series GS1000e temporarily hooked up to an Astell & Kern A&futura SE 100.
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Deleted, please remove.
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New headphones for 2023
Dan Clark Aeon2 Noire
To be driven by a Burson Soloist SL MkI taking input from the Tape-Out of the Sim Audio Moon i5 (which has no headphone output).
Had an extensive listen to these, the DCA Aeon2 Closed, Audeze LCD-X, the Audeze LCD-2, Focal Clear MG, Meze 109 Pro (thanks to Hifonix, Birmingham, UK)
Through a Burson Amp with a Naim Atom HE streamer (not quite the same as my NDS/555DR streamer but good enough for demo evaluation)
The Meze were extremely comfortable, but not quite at the races against the Planar Magnetics (& my existing B&W P5 Wireless, wired with Silver Litz cable), the Focal great dynamics but not the delicacy of the Audeze & DCA.
It was a tight choice between the DCA and the Audeze LCD-X (which were on offer at the time, so in the same price band, same as the Focal Clear OGs).
The DCA Aeon2 Closed & Noire needed more power to shine, yet the Audeze LCD-X had such great forward presentation and insight into the material easy to see why used in studios, but is that presentation liveable long-term and they are heavy?
The DCA give the same insight, just more laid back in presentation. Comfortable and half the weight of the LCD-X
Then Aeon2 Closed vs Noire with the Noire just taking the line with a better treble definition. However, could have easily lived with either.
And back on my own system, out-of-the-box, yes, everything heard during the demo is still there.
Was waiting for a 10ft VIVO Cable upgrade, which has now arrived, so the burning-in can begin.
Oh and yes, I did try the Audeze LCD-X and DCA Aeon2 Closed/Noire driven directly from the Atom HE, but the dedicated Burson Amp was just better in terms of giving these headphones the power they required, especially the DCA.
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Glad you like them. I have the DCA Aeon2 Open and they have become my favorite headphones. As you mentioned, they do require some power.
-pat
Did you compare them to the Closed or Noire? I wanted to, but Hifonix didn’t have the Open in stock, which was a surprise as they had a very extensive range on demo.
I certainly listen to 6 different pairs over an afternoon.
But the reports are that the Closed given a very ‘Open’ presentation, which is what I heard compared to the LCD-X (& LCD-2, Meze 109 Pro)
I wanted to hear the closed, but didn’t get the opportunity. I was a bit concerned when I first got them, since they leak a bit, and I had also heard the Closed have an ‘open’ presentation. Which you have confirmed. If I was traveling, or didn’t live alone, I would get the Closed or Noire as well.