Greetings

[pathway]

2Hey all,

New member and using this post as an introduction but it is pretty much copied verbatim from my profile:

Who: Olly
Age: 37
Where: Rickmansworth UK.

Always been into music and technology but not been able to have my old system in action for a few years now (Roksan Caspian CDP & Integrated AMP + QLN Signature HD II Splitfield Speakers which are gathering dust in the loft and I pray still in good condition - they are well packaged and wonderful speakers).

Also always enjoyed headphone listening and this is most common for me nowadays and more often than not at work - usually streaming from Spotify or from my own ripped collection in iTunes from the NAS etc.

I'm not massively bothered by 'hi-res/lossless' for the sake of it - plenty of blind testing has proven to me that the differences are small and often inaudible unless very poor quality rips. Much more interested and bothered by well mastered and produced music which makes a far bigger difference in most situations.

Headphones I own and use most are my Senn HD580 and Yamaha HPH-MT220 (both outstanding in their own right and frankly amazing at the price you can get them) and I have an old MF X-Can V2 with 'upgraded' tubes. Also have a semi-portable Topping D1 Mark 2 Dac/Amp that is practical, tiny and actually pretty enjoyable + a couple of other headphones (AKG K550, V-Moda M80)

Am a member on a couple of forums - read often, post infrequently but stumbled across this place and it looks like a good source of information and balanced conversation.

Cheers,

Olly

[keiths]

Hi Olly and welcome to AoS :wave:

What music do you enjoy listening to?

Hope you enjoy it here.

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS Olly.

Nice introduction - enjoy the Forum.

[pathway]

Hey,

Thanks for the welcome

Keith, I see you run a couple of Topping TP20 Mark 2 as well - do you use it fed from the DAC as an HP amp in your setups? I've only used it as a combo and line out to the X-Can but for the size and price it's a fun little unit

I enjoy listening to a very wide range of music from classical (lots) through to very fast 'hard' dance on occasion (infrequent). The only music style I can never gel with is thrash/metal.

I love well presented female vocals e.g. Diana Krall (Live in Paris is pretty special) but find enjoyment almost anywhere - my music collection looks like that of 10 different personalities!

I'm considering getting a dedicated DAC mainly for use with my Macbook Pro as source and X-Can V2 as amp but that's for another thread!

O.

[keiths]

Keith, I see you run a couple of Topping TP20 Mark 2 as well - do you use it fed from the DAC as an HP amp in your setups? I've only used it as a combo and line out to the X-Can but for the size and price it's a fun little unit...


Hi Olly,

I use the TP20s to drive speakers in two little near-field systems - office and bedroom. They work really well in this situation with sensitive speakers so they are operating well within their power output capabilities.

For 'phones it's either my Schiit Asgard HP amp in the main system, DIY hybrid valve/MOSFET HP amp in the bedroom or from the Beresford Bushmaster MkII in the office system.

[pathway]

Cool

My mistake, I have the Topping D1 Mark 2 portable USB DAC/AMP not the TP20 (too many names to remember :) ).

How do you find the Bushmaster MkII - It is very high on my list of kit to try out - I want to try it as a DAC from Macbook (probably using the optical out) feeding my MF X-Can V2 amp for use with my Yamaha (37Ohms) & Sennheisers (300Ohm).

If I grab one I will, of course, try the HP amp section as well for comparison and it may replace the X-Can altogether (though can't see myself getting rid of it - like my HD580's it's part of the furniture after well over a decade!)

[walpurgis]

Hi Olly, welcome from me too.

I know Rickmansworth well, I'm over that way now and then.

Anyway, enjoy AOS,
Geoff.

[Eagle owl]

Hello and welcome Olly.

Geoff. :wave:

[pathway]

Thanks Geoff...and Geoff!

Usually people have little idea where Ricky is when I mention it - I'm not a native but have settled lived here for the past 6 years or so.

O.

[Floyddroid]

Welcome
2Hey all,

New member and using this post as an introduction but it is pretty much copied verbatim from my profile:

Who: Olly
Age: 37
Where: Rickmansworth UK.

Always been into music and technology but not been able to have my old system in action for a few years now (Roksan Caspian CDP & Integrated AMP + QLN Signature HD II Splitfield Speakers which are gathering dust in the loft and I pray still in good condition - they are well packaged and wonderful speakers).

Also always enjoyed headphone listening and this is most common for me nowadays and more often than not at work - usually streaming from Spotify or from my own ripped collection in iTunes from the NAS etc.

I'm not massively bothered by 'hi-res/lossless' for the sake of it - plenty of blind testing has proven to me that the differences are small and often inaudible unless very poor quality rips. Much more interested and bothered by well mastered and produced music which makes a far bigger difference in most situations.

Headphones I own and use most are my Senn HD580 and Yamaha HPH-MT220 (both outstanding in their own right and frankly amazing at the price you can get them) and I have an old MF X-Can V2 with 'upgraded' tubes. Also have a semi-portable Topping D1 Mark 2 Dac/Amp that is practical, tiny and actually pretty enjoyable + a couple of other headphones (AKG K550, V-Moda M80)

Am a member on a couple of forums - read often, post infrequently but stumbled across this place and it looks like a good source of information and balanced conversation.

Cheers,

Olly