Justin S

Congratz!!

Back to back with the 600s the 800Ss slay. They're proper moar.

IMO, nothing does layering like the HD800(S). Big E.S.T. fan here. Lots of neat studio detail to pick out. Leucocyte is my fave.

I saw est years ago along with the bad plus. Great show!

I feel like they've taken months to sort out. I was going to sell them to go the other way with a pair of Aeolus. I think I am going to hold on to them for a while.

Been there! Bought, sold, rebought. Luckily buying and selling used, didn't lose my shirt.

@yotacowboy , I feel like I have been doing this a lot lately - I am glad I caught them on the way out :-) I'll slow the Aeolus plans down.

They weirdly indicate towards the space of a recording really well. They're not immersive, they're like a good sketch. Perfect while I get myself back into running after 3 years of inactivity.

I've been really digging the BHA-1 and thought to get a Lyr+ in the future for a different flavour. Also - my main headphones are now the LCD-X which I imagine won't play well with the EAR+....but tubes! I did love this amp with the HD600/650s and Grados. Sold it to be responsible while I explored other things.

Never got to hear one of those...do you really miss it or want to try something new? I usually know when I really miss tube amps and have bought 3 of them again. :)

@CEE TEE , this is indeed the question. As much as it pains me, I think I am better off moving forward. Something like the Piety will likely play better with both my LCD-X and Sennheisers :-)

The term "self inflicted RMA" sounds... expensive. Thankfully it came back as good as ever it seems.

@Qildail , I bent the s/pdif jack by pushing the Yggdrasil back into a cabinet. They fixed it up perfectly and sent it back to me with a very thorough QC report. Great customer service.

It's such a great DAC. I've been running a BF2/64 in that system for 4 weeks while the LIM was in my office and while it went on its RMA field-trip. The BF is a good good DAC, but the LIM puts everything together with flow and in a way makes everything sound like it's in the right place. It even makes TV watching more engaging - when score or music become a dominant element, the Yggdrasil makes you lean in.

Ahahahah, Cee Tee: Bifrost 2, Soekris 2541, Jotenheim 2. All purchased twice, all sold again :-) it's been a couple years of lust and heartbreak.

Yer not a newb!

Well a noob in how I review stuff. I'm pretty excitable.

@crenca There'sa Focal version? Don't see it here
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/zmfpads

gixxer, see: https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/pads

On top of all the increased resolution and clarity, the slight angle to the pads puts things pleasantly out front. The 650s are back in rotation. I would be super curious to hear how the Focal pads work.

They really refresh the sound of the 6XXMs for me. They present a pronounced improvement to clarity and weirdly to the resolution. They don't mess with the mids, other than to bring them a bit more forward, which I like.

Yep, that is also the combination I settled on - perf suede on 600 and perf lamb on 6XX seemed to work best and as you said, big improvement to clarity with no significant downside

Like I am having a speaker-like listening tonight. Hilo->BHA-1->LCD-X, All balanced. Remarkable.

Hilo headphone amp is very good, but no match for the BHA-1.

Had a chance to listen uncritically at the Texas Audio Show. They're more neutral, the mids more present, and has almost, almost the same bass quality/quantity. Vocals stick out more (in a good way), the soundstage is more level. Absolutely worth the expense, IMO.

I like the Jot 2 with the Yggdrasil. I like the BHA-1 better with the Lynx Hilo. It is perhaps heresy, but I am leaning towards the Hilo/BHA-1 with the LCD-X. I'm going to live with this for a few weeks while I RMA my Yggdrasil for a damaged S/PDIF jack (I'm a dummy).

I'd like to hear the Jot 2, and I'm contemplating re-ordering an LGX (at sale price) just in case it really is all that with planars. But damned if I didn't AB with the BHA-1 and prefer the Bryston. And a previous audition with a Phonitor suggested it was very resolving. SBAF heresy!

The effect of the BHA-1 is cumulative, I think (still with the Hilo/LCD-X2021)) I just switched back to the JOT2. I find it more upfront and visceral than the BHA-1, but the depth and the refinement of the BHA-1 really draws you in. I am always surprised at how early impressions change over time with audio equipment.

Fun turn of events. The guy who bought my Jot2 is looking for a Rebel Amp, which I have. Did some horse trading and my old Jot 2 is on its way back to me.

@yotacowboy, that's some epic shit. Makes me want to fight with a sword. How does this stuff work with your LS3/5 setup? I bet it's great!

@Deep Funk. That older LP5 stuff is gold on the LCD-X. Beautiful.

BHA-1 and HD800S does not seem like a good combo to me.

@Armaegis My BHA-1 is a newer model (2019). Bryston said it is already lower gain. I'm at about 11:00 in low gain. I still getting used to it. It's not as slamming as the Jot2, but it is much clearer. Starting to fool around with a pair of LCD-X right now, too. @Claritas yeh. all tradeoffs. its about figuring out what I can live with.

FWIW, I think the BHA-1 is solid with the HD800S. Not quite the depth of the DNA Starlett but a touch of tube-like warmth. BHA-1 such a weirdly polarizing amp... I find it works nicely with most HPs.

Bf2/64 in my home speaker system is no slouch at all. Definitely more detail and "air" than the OG Bf2. Bass is a little loose, but I bet this tightens up in the next week. It's not a LIM but there is a family resemblance there.

The LIM + BHA-1 make the HD800S s sound warm blooded and on the side of full bodied which is amazing. How does this work - flat response, but moar moar than anything else? It's nice to be back home monkeying around with gear on a Sunday.

A day in, it sounds amazing. It really messes up my desk, but I'll figure it out. I bent the S/PDIF jack on the LIM (being a dummy) so I'm sending it in for repair. I'll try to get the 12dB mod done to the BHA-1 at the same time.