The Gold Violin

Eternal Luxury / Lux aeterna

In Greek Mythology, Hyperion came out of Uranus. So it is with much of our writing. It comes out of our ass.


We purchased a HiFiMan HE300 ($300) at first, to allow us to get into reviewing headphones. At the time (2012), we were considering a Honda CBR-125R Respol, based on the size, look, price, and low insurance. We had considered a Black 2012 Lamborgini Gallardo LP 560-4 for $160,000, with 1200 km, and no embarrassing wear, but the insurance and costs would of raised the total to $600,000.

Now a motorbike like the 125R is the sort of thing an child would like to drive. We though we would grab it, and learn to ride for 1 year, and then put it away for a son. We'd then grab the CBR-1000RR for our coffee trips down the road.

CD Playback: Audio Research CD2, Mark Levinson No.39.
Preamplifiers: Conrad-Johnson ART, Krell KRC-HR.
Headphone amplifiers: HeadRoom Max, HeadRoom Supreme, Musical Fidelity X-CANS.
Headphones: Grado SR-1, Sennheiser HD580 & HD580 Jubilee, Stax Lambda Nova Signature.
Interconnects: AudioQuest Opal, Kimber KCAG.
Accessories: Audio Power Industries Power Wedge 112, Magro Stereo Display Stand.—Wes Phillips

We have always wondered why Stereophile writers always included an "Associated Equipment" section near the end of their reviews.



There's a saying, he who has the gold, makes the rules. So it is in heaven, so it is, below. As such, we've purchased the following for this publication:

PC: HP Pavillion Intel PC
Headphone Amplifiers: Audio Alchemy HPA V1.0, Audio Engine D1 DAC, AudioQuest Dragonfly v1.0, Calyx Coffee DAC, FiiO Olympus, Stax SRM-007 Mk2, TEAC UD-H01 DAC, Trends Audio PA-10.1D Desktop Speakers: KEF X300A, TEAC S-300NEO
Headphones: AKG K550, AKG Q701, Audio Technica ATH-ADG1, Ferrari Calvino T250 Black, Ferrari Calvino T250 Tan, HiFiMan HE-300, Sennheiser HD-650, Sony MDR-V500, Stax SR-007II, Tumi Inspiration by Monster
In-Ear Headphones: Ajays 5 for IOS, AKG K323 XS, AKG K375, Astell & Kern AKR01, Atomic Floyd PowerJax, B&O Play H3, Beats x Alexander Wang urBeats, Sennheiser CX-500, Sennheiser IE80, Sennheiser IE-800

Interconnects: AudioQuest Forrest USB, iFI Gemeni USB
Accessories: Belkin USB, iFi iUSBPower USB, nGear USB.

Previous Headphones: Sennheiser HD-560 Ovation, Sennhesier HD-560 Ovation II.

The italicized items are and were for our pleasure. The others are for your review.


We'd sure like to keep our review purchase costs going forward below that of a Honda CBR-125. Likely, just in headphones, we'd be looking at $20K more, to get started, or about one year of insuring a Lambo.

JP 2014/11/20
www.hifiart.ca