I've been away from head-fi for quite a while now (not away from headphones, just these forums). Way back, almost ten years ago now, I remember reading about your journey with your HE-500 and your 337, and how you supposedly had this amazing custom amp in the works that would blow everything...

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with either of those amps. However, I would agree with the V200 being described as "liquid" and "tube-like."

I'm in love with it. It has a wonderfully lush, liquid tone, exactly what I wanted for my HD800 and T1. It has an almost otherworldly ability to smooth out glaring peaks without sacrificing any detail, remaining quick and articulate. The noise floor is imperceptible with any of my headphones and...

Just recently picked up a Violectric V200. Off frame to the left is my SAE 2200 which powers a pair of KEF Q300 loudspeakers.  

Your rig looks spookily similar to my own, right down to the Ergotron monitor arm.   Sorry for potato pic; I'm on my way out the door at the moment.  

  I've only had the T1 for about a month. The HD800 is definitely the more transparent of the two but there is something about the T1's liquid smooth mids and mind blowing levels of clarity and finesse that is really addicting.

Haven't been around Head-fi for a couple of years. There are some beautiful setups here as always.   This is the current state of my somewhat modest rig.  

What a fantastic display of absolute bigotry. I can see I've gotten all I can from this thread. Unsubbed.

Quote:   My Lyr sounds fine with the source I have and even right from an iPod because it colors the sound in its own way. I'm not willing to spend 4000+ on a new amp and source when I already have what I want from my current rig. I'm enjoying it just as much as anyone else here, if not...

That is what I did not like about the GS-X Mk2. Detail, clarity and transparency were impressive, yes, but I found it a little dry and unengaging. I much prefer an amp that imparts some warmth and character into the music, even if it isn't as true to the source material. Not saying the GS-X is...

  It may be uncomfortalbe for some people but I don't really think there is much cause for concern over injuries from these headphones. 550 grams is barely more than a pound. Most motorcycle helmets weigh 1500+ grams and I've never heard of any injuries due to the weight of a helmet, even...

Quote:   I'm not offended by derogatory comments about the Lyr. I simply wanted to ensure that someone who likes tubes doesn't disregard the Lyr just because it's a hybrid design.

Quote:   Lyr isn't any less of a tube amp just because it's a "hybrid." The tubes are on the input stage and the SS stage is transparent enough that the sound of the tubes comes through quite clearly. This is apparent in how responsive it is to tube-rolling. The Lyr is more "tubey"...

Quote:   It can be difficult to strike a balance with EQ because of how the bands interact with each other. Raising one band is the same as lowering all the others. If you try to EQ up the bass, you will probably perceive, to some extent, a loss in "detail, clarity, airiness and...

Quote:   What exactly are you trying to change about the HE-500's sound?

Is there any difference sonically between the standard Orange Globes and the A-frames?

Quote:   I'm not simply repeating what others have said. I own both of these headphones and my assessment is my own, based on many hundreds of hours of listening. I frankly do not like the Q701. I'm sorry if that upsets or offends you.   In my opinion, the Q701 and HD800 are...

I opted for function over fashion.  

Quote:   Like I said, as long as you aren't melting things you should be fine    There are people plugging their HE-500 into 150W speaker amps. That I would be worried about.

Quote:   I'd be more worried about my ears than the headphone. The HE-500 can take A LOT of juice. I don't have desktop speakers, so when I need to take the headphones off I actually turn the volume up on my Lyr loud enough that I can hear the sound while they are sitting on my desk...

Quote:   +1 I don't pay much attention to graphs or measurements. I just listen to what sounds good to my ears 

For me it isn't so much the treble as the ringing in the earcup. It creates a very uncomfortable and fatiguing feeling inside my ears. When I listen to music with the Q701, regardless of how quietly I listen, it feels as though the muscles in my middle ear just will not relax. After a short time...

  Don't drop your Hot Pockets on the Stax on the way out of the microwave.

Quote:   I can't speak for the ALO cable but my Moon Audio Black Dragon, which uses a pure copper conductor as opposed to SPC, noticabely reduces the treble peak around 6-7KHz without losing any detail or soundstage. It's also built a lot sturdier than the stock cable.

Quote:   I'm not sure what you mean by "less reliable". I've never had any issues with mine.