wondering about my audio rigs quality

My current rig is very, very revealing in nature, as of the equipment and headphones I'm using. But my question is, would my audio rig be considered high-end? It's a question that has been haunting me. I can hear EVERY little detail there is in the music! I mean, if that tiny detail has been recorded into the CD, it's reproduced through my headphones! But, just curious if my rig is high-end or not. Thank you guys! :-)

Equipment used is:

Sennheiser hd650
Moon audio blue Dragon v3 headphone cable
Marantz cd5004
Little dot mk3 tube amp

November 2, 2014 - 1:47pm

Catch22

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Yup

Quite easily.

November 2, 2014 - 6:19pm

Spiderking31

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You mean, quite easily high

You mean, quite easily high-end? :-)

November 3, 2014 - 2:11am

andy_

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Spiderking31 wrote:

Spiderking31 wrote:

My current rig is very, very revealing in nature, as of the equipment and headphones I'm using. But my question is, would my audio rig be considered high-end?

Like many audiophile words high-end does not have a defined meaning but more associations that vary from person to person. If you and your peers consider your rig to be high end then that is probably about as good as it is going to get.

Speaking for myself, high end is associated with excessively expensive, strong visuals that are often garish, poor and sometimes silly technical performance,... That is, luxury products that are produced for a group of people to which I do not belong. So it is not necessarily a positive term for those that do not wish to possess high end equipment.

Not that my judgement should be worth much to someone that aspires to high end but, for me, your cable and valve amplifier look high end, your headphones are expensive but they also have a good technical performance making them borderline and the CD player is perhaps not expensive enough to be high end although being a dedicated CD player helps so perhaps borderline.

November 3, 2014 - 6:43pm

Spiderking31

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I would agree with you, but

I would agree with you, but also i have read the measurements section of the Marantz CD5004 article on the stereophile website, and was totally blown away by what i read! Stereophile said that the Marantz CD5004 is actually a superb CD player! I think that for just $350, this CD player was worth every dollar, and after reading that measurement article, i was totally blown away by what i read. Just my honest opinion, and an excellent read! :)

November 4, 2014 - 12:55am

andy_

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Spiderking31 wrote:

Spiderking31 wrote:

I would agree with you, but...

If you considered good measurements to be important for your CD player were they considered important when you opted for a valve amplifier with, presumably, poor measurements and a cable with, presumably, no measurements?

November 4, 2014 - 6:22pm

Spiderking31

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the little dot mk3 valve amp

The tube amp I'm using, the little dot mk3 is a very superb amp IMHO, as it doesn't give much distortion, and with the driver tubes I'm currently using, definitely bring out much more detail, and sounds way better than the stock tubes :-) tube amps aren't all bad, as many audiophiles, including myself prefer valve amps over SS amps :-) and I was looking for a superb CD player from marantz, and I got more than I was asking for! In a very, very positive sense! ;)

November 5, 2014 - 1:23am

andy_

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Spiderking31 wrote:

Spiderking31 wrote:

The tube amp I'm using, the little dot mk3 is a very superb amp IMHO, as it doesn't give much distortion, and with the driver tubes I'm currently using, definitely bring out much more detail, and sounds way better than the stock tubes :-) tube amps aren't all bad, as many audiophiles, including myself prefer valve amps over SS amps :-)

If the distortion in your valve amplifier was to be reduced to inaudible levels it would have a neutral sound like all competent transistor amplifiers. This may not be your preference which is fine but it does require the amplifier to generate high levels of distortion in order for it to be audible. This seems to be completely at odds with your CD player which has levels of distortion way below anything that is audible and yet you consider this to be a good thing. It doesn't make sense but it does seem to be high-end.

November 5, 2014 - 6:22am

wkhanna

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Smoothing Effect...

I have known many who often prefer their digital source 'tempered' by valves.
It can sometimes help alleviate the edginess that is associated with less-than-optimal digital electronics (DAC's)& digital source format, especially when it has undergone noticeable compression.

Regarding distortion & 'high-end'......

Many find even-order distortion pleasing.

I think you could call a set of Carver Silver Sevens 'high end' despite the measured distortion.

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please –

November 5, 2014 - 8:07am

#10

Spiderking31

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My telefunken driver tubes

I just swapped my Amperex 6HA5 driver tubes for a pair of my Telefunken 6ak5w's, and it seems to be taming the bass actually. This is the first time using my Telefunken's with this specific David Chesky recording....Amber Rubarth, Sessions from the 17th ward....bass seems tight, very nice detail, and just natural sounding. I'm going to listen to the whole CD with these tubes in, but for right now, they're sounding awesome with this CD :) so far, so good

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