From a personal perspective I won’t be buying the headphones in a hurry <smile> but the Chord Headphone amp certainly has my interest aroused and I know exactly where I can lay my hands on one too which is even better.
> On 7 Dec 2015, at 6:41 AM, Anders Holmberg <and...@pipkrokodil.se> wrote: > > Hi! > Please give us a review if someone buys some of these cans talked about. > I am very intrested in this magnetostatic headphones. > /A >> On 06 Dec 2015, at 06:51, Dane Trethowan <grtd...@internode.on.net> wrote: >> >> Hi! >> >> >> >> I came across this article in last Thursday’s local paper and scanned it in >> as I thought other list members may find it a good read, the article deals >> with Headphones as well as using headphones with a Smart phone which is a >> frequent topic of discussion here it seems. >> >> >> >> <snip> >> >> , Egoista is not a dirty word, by Marc Rushton. >> >> Listening to music with headphones is a pastime that spans generations. For >> many, it's just an alternative to listening to music loud, without upsetting >> the rest of the household. >> >> More recently, new generations have embraced listening through earbuds, >> thanks mostly to Apple's iPod and smartphones. More people appreciating >> music is never a bad thing. >> >> Listening through headphones is a personal experience, intimate even. With >> the driver or "membrane" so close to your eardrum you also remove the chance >> of problematic room acoustics, resulting in more natural and accurate sound >> quality. But to experience and enjoy the very best musical fidelity you'll >> need to aim higher than the buds that came bundled with your smartphone. >> >> For those on the go, you already have a highly capable music player in your >> pocket. Unfortunately, phones have a less than average digital-to-analogue >> convertor, or DAC, built in. That's the circuit that turns your digitally >> stored files back into music when you press play. >> >> They also have an even less impressive amplifier. After all, phones weren't >> primarily designed to play music. >> >> Thankfully, there is a solution. The MOJO ($899) from Chord Electronics is a >> portable headphone DAC and amplifier that's small enough to fit in your >> hand, but powerful enough to drive just about any pair of headphones, or >> even high-end buds. The in-built DAC is also world-class, thanks to >> revolutionary technology that rivals products costing many times the price. >> This simply connects to your smartphone via a USB cable and has two >> headphone outputs. >> >> While useful for the travelling listener, it's more than capable connected >> to your computer at home or in the office, and will certainly elevate your >> headphone listening experience to new levels. >> >> But for a less portable headphone system - and when the very best is in >> order - you'll be looking a few rungs up the ladder. >> >> Resembling something more akin to Frankenstein, the Model AB-1266 Deluxe >> headphones from JPS Labs Abyss are handmade in the USA. You won't be wearing >> them on a train. Arguably one of the best headphone sets on the market, it >> uses a proprietary planar magnetic transducer design with a very thin, very >> low mass diaphragm. >> >> With a very broad frequency response covering 5Hz through to 28kHz, where >> the AB-1266 excels is in its exceptional ability to retrieve low level >> detail in the bass, mid, and high frequencies. Each driver is hand matched, >> and by design the lack of any rear magnet structure eliminates annoying >> reflections from behind, allowing for a completely open sound. >> >> The unique aesthetic design does serve a purpose, of course. The rigid >> chassis is machined from solid aluminium and has a two-piece headband that >> allows for complete adjustment and fit to your head shape and ears, while >> allowing you to tune the sound to your preference. They're presented >> beautifully with leather, lamb wool, and a handcrafted, felt-lined wooden >> box. While oozing high-end luxury, Abyss AB-1266 commands an asking price of >> $7659. >> >> To do such a high-end headphone justice, you will need a similarly high-end >> dedicated headphone amplifier. Viva Audio of Italy delivers this in spades >> with its Egoista valve headphone amplifier, weighing in at $15,999. Egoista >> is a 30kg beast delivering 15 watts per channel of pure class-A >> amplification to the most demanding of headphones, with unparalleled >> resolution and dynamics. >> >> Just like the Abyss, Egoista is handcrafted and finished with the finest >> automotive lacquers in a virtually unlimited array of colours. It features a >> multitude of inputs and offers two quarter-inch headphone outputs, while >> providing all the beauty and theatre of vacuum tubes. >> >> Natural, majestic and unwavering in performance, a pairing of such refined >> products can deliver an uncompromised listening experience that may even >> surpass the accuracy and realism of many full range traditional speaker >> systems. Be warned and keep the wallet open, though - you'll still need a >> high quality DAC and cables. >> >> Rushton is the publisher of Australia's largest independent Hi-Fi and home >> theatre publication, StereoNET. >> >> <snip> >> >> ********** >> Those of a positive and enquiring frame of mind will leave the rest of the >> halfwits in this world behind. >> >> >> > > ********** Those of a positive and enquiring frame of mind will leave the rest of the halfwits in this world behind.
