NSFW: SuperBAF Best of 2015 Golden Schlong Awards

@velvetx

I am going to nominate the zds (using a sylvania nos 6sl7 brown base driver tube) for e* on the condition use use high impedance cans and the H setting. This this is godly with senns

I was actually preferring my he1k to the hd800s for a while until i got my zds up and running. which for people that know me may come as a shock.

After i got the zds with this sylvania I am back to my hd800 fanboyism. simply spectacular.

It sucks with planars though so that is where the * comes in.

 

I'd like to say that the Riva Turbo X is VG/G when used for its intended purposes. At the very least, it sounds damn good in a demo room. I know a lot of you guys were raving about it when it was first introduced, and I definitely see why.

 

@purrin Chord Hugo seems to be G under M category. Suggesting S category as surstromming instead of special.

 

S should be for Sad

 

Hrm, maybe I'll treat myself to one come income tax time.

Edit: Wrong thread.

 

Quite curious where the GO V2 is placed when using the single-ended output?

 

Would that be the award list for gear that's bad yet somehow persists no matter how hard we try to get rid of it? 'Cuz if so, I'm calling out the O2 as the herpes of the headphone world.

 

I can't think of a reason one would buy an O2 over a Magni. The Magni provides more power and looks much nicer.

 

Earlier this month at MOOK festival Jakarta, I finally got a chance to listen to these:

• Pile of Schiit Yggdrasil + Rag driving Ether and Ether C
  • Under assumption that Yggdrasil and Rag got a good reputation around here, I'll blame the Ethers for the less than stellar presentation of the played musics. It's okay-ish but audibly lean sounding, not a good cans for its retail price I guess.
• Ultrasone edition 10
  • People pay thousands of dollars for this? Seriously? Ya it's pretty, it's comfortable, but...
• Geek Out Pulse driving the Senn HD650 (stock, silver driver)
  • I like it, it's engaging, I don't know why, I need a more intimate environment to properly listen to this pairing but this sounds nice, perhaps the Geek Out Pulse could be a candidate to be put somewhere on the schlong rank?
• Beyerdynamics A20 driving the Beyer T51P
  • A20 is a pretty box, will make a good paperweight in an office environment full of Apple products.
  • Switching the source to Lotoo PAW 5000, the T51P is a surprisingly nice sounding cans. Small, light, sturdy, coiled cable, comfortable pads for a portable, and got just the right amount of clamp for my head size. Cannot give recommendation for it over anything due to my lack of experience with portable cans but does worth a chance to try it next time you see it, you might like it.
• Sony ZX2 DAP feeding Sony PHA-2 that drives a Sony MDR-Z7 with custom copper cable.
  • Unfamiliar with all three of the devices here, but the resulting presentation is quite nice. The bass is nice, but the there's a lingering lean sounding presentation somewhere, more audibly in the vocal of the singer. Other problem is the resulting stack is thick and heavy so not really that portable, of course the cans itself is not in the portable cans size either, and the braided copper cable adds even more bulkiness to the setup.

 

I'm curious where the ZMF Blackwood would fall? A similar VG to the Omni? I know they were measured and discussed over at CS and here as well.

 

Given their discounted price of like $450 I'd say VG at least.

 

Yeah I just ordered the closeout regular blackwood for 529 after reading just about everything written about it recently (thanks for your review @keanex). Hence my sudden curiosity

 

For what it's worth, my opinions don't usually fully line up here. I mean I hate the HD650, and have an affinity for Audio Technica. Take that for what you will.

 

Don't worry it wasn't just your Blackwood review I took into consideration, (and I am a big AT fan as well) . I'm still chasing my ideal home closed pair. The THx00 are turning into more of a fun diversion, and want to see if something else can out compete my Alpha Dogs

 

lmao at the S class label

 

If anyone wanted to summarize the difference between SBAF and HF...just compare the purpose and implementation of this buy/please-don't-buy-for-your-own-good-but-if-you-must-you've-been-warned guide with the HF Buying Guide. Friends don't let friends buy overpriced, mediocre stuff...without warning them first!

 

That HD650 that I listened through a couple of weeks ago keeps on nagging me on the back of my mind... No, this can't be, I own its big brother already, I don't need it! Ugh!

I... might have been a bad friend then. A buddy asks me if it's wise to buy a GTX 960 for his gaming needs. With a long and masterfully delivered argument, I convinced him to extend his budget further to GTX 970. Turns out he only plays minecraft and other small indie games while here I thought I'm gonna have a new MMORPG buddy to slay a city-sized dragon together in a glorious 20-man group... oh woe is me.