After much deliberation, the next DAC is...

[Yoga]

Ross,
make sure you can try the amp and DAC before or be able to send it back !
I dived in the LCD-2s on raves on Headfi and don't regret it !
( best headphones I've heard and so close to listening to a good pair of speakers without all the room acoustic problems ...)
I went also for the Violectric v200 without listening, which is great.
But those phones have a sound which you can tweak if you know them by the choice of amp and DAC.
I've compared the Audeze later with a Grace 901 and they sounded very different of course.
All I can say is those phones are so good you will want to have the right amp and DAC to really suit your taste !

"Funny how the budget always increases isn't it? I blame forums like this! ;¬)"
totally agree ! I entered here with a Caiman ... now look where I'm at ;-)

kind regards

Chris

Nice system. Which DAC did you go for?

I had my eye on the V200, but it lacks preamp capabilities (also feeding studio monitors).

Many people on HeadFi have complimented the synergy between the LCD-2s and Burson 160D, which is why it's top of the list at the moment (along with 3-in-1 capabilities).

[reader]

Ross,
two more things :
1.Don't let the wife close to the Audeze, she will re-discover listening to music and will hold on to them !
2. I see you've got Sen HD. You'll might want something clear and a bit on the bright side with the LCD-2 to match it which are more neutral ...

chris

[reader]

Nice system. Which DAC did you go for?

I had my eye on the V200, but it lacks preamp capabilities (also feeding studio monitors).

.

To start, I decided on the opto 24/96 option DAC. So I can still find THE DAC later on :-)
It has an internal dipswitch for converting the unbalanced input as an output.
It's line level so no gain control from the V200.
I'm all day between a Bryston STT4 and some PMC TB2s ...
Had a Caiman then a gatored one for the studio but took it home.

Have you ordered the Audeze yet ???

[Yoga]

Ross,
two more things :
1.Don't let the wife close to the Audeze, she will re-discover listening to music and will hold on to them !
2. I see you've got Sen HD. You'll might want something clear and a bit on the bright side with the LCD-2 to match it which are more neutral ...

chris

Thanks Chris. A question for you above you post also :¬)

[Yoga]

To start, I decided on the opto 24/96 option DAC. So I can still find THE DAC later on :-)
It has an internal dipswitch for converting the unbalanced input as an output.
It's line level so no gain control from the V200.
I'm all day between a Bryston STT4 and some PMC TB2s ...
Had a Caiman then a gatored one for the studio but took it home.

Have you ordered the Audeze yet ???

Not yet, going to have a trial loan period first (handy!). Waiting for the Burson 160D stock before proceeding.

[Yomanze]

Thanks for the info Alfie.

It concerns me that every single owner in the thread avoided mentioning the personal cost of the unit. When asked, the answer is a unanimous 'PM Keith'. You've just said the same thing too :¬)

It gives the impression that you PM Keith and 'get a great deal', which is kept private. Not the way I like to do things with items costing hundreds of pounds, as there is no frame of reference.

Transparency = trust

Read between the lines a bit. There is obviously an official RRP, and it would appear that Keith is offering the DAC for less than this. Thus you can understand why it is not being advertised at the cost that Keith has been offering it for, you can also understand why people aren't explicitly mentioning the cost as they have been given a deal below RRP.

I wish more dealers did this!

[Yoga]

Read between the lines a bit. There is obviously an official RRP, and it would appear that Keith is offering the DAC for less than this. Thus you can understand why it is not being advertised at the cost that Keith has been offering it for, you can also understand why people aren't explicitly mentioning the cost as they have been given a deal below RRP.

I wish more dealers did this!

Of course, and it's always welcome :¬)

Unfortunately it's not always the case when the RRP is not set in stone and there is a limited import channel. Many a business (in any market) have made large profits from that arrangement, which is why an RRP on the website is helpful (hence the comment on transparency).

Edit: I'll be contacting Keith regarding the possibility of a home loan :¬)