Buddy Shagmore

How about the Schiit Jotunheim? New $399. It is both a headphone amp and a preamp. Edit: Whoops, no remote though. The Schiit Freya has a remote I believe.

I succumbed, once again, to my hi-fi/head-fi jones today. I have been good since February, when I bought a Schiit Lokius eq for my main system. I have been impressed with the Lokius, so Schiit products have been on my radar. I decided I "needed" a second system, in my office, dedicated to headphone only use. I already have the fabulous Heritage Klipsch HP-3 cans, so all I needed was a streamer, DAC, and headphone amp, and associated cables. So I ordered an ifi Zen Stream, Schiit Bifrost DAC and Jotunheim headphone amp. Both have balanced XLRs. I hope it all works out well. I was working within a budget, didn't go high-end by any means lol. A couple of years ago, I ordered a Klipsch headphone amp, but they were discontinued, and I had to cancel my order. Anyone else do something similar?

I have an A-S2200 and Chorus 2s. I have no issues at all with the sound quality of the Yamaha. In fact I think their slogan "natural sound" is truthful. Mine is here to stay.

So after checking streamers out (on youtube) for a few days, I am going to take y'all's advice and try a dedicated streamer. The ifi Zen Stream at $399 fits my budget and has good reviews. My question is: can I still use my laptop to navigate thru Tidal, and feed that into the Zen, since it has USB in and out? Or forget that idea and use my cellphone? It seems using the big screen in my laptop would be a lot easier navigating thru Tidal than scrolling thru the tiny cell screen. Thanks guys!

Appreciate all the comments. I was feeling like a slacker with the junky free USB cable I had in my otherwise quality hi-fi system. So I got the Diamond...listening now...subtle improvement...nothing like night vs day lol. It might be overkill but my Chorus IIs and I are bonding with the new cable. 😃I am fine with my laptop streaming at this time...maybe later I will "upgrade".

She was a triple threat musician - singer, songwriter, and keyboardist. And world class at all. I always loved her silky smooth vocals over Nicks' goat-like bleating. But both are genius! May angels sing her songs in the hereafter.

Not so sure that isn't just speculation. My laptop functions solely as a dedicated streamer. It sits on the top shelf of my component rack and has no other function. It never moves and I don't have any other apps on it. It just streams Tidal. Isn't a component style streamer just a crude computer? What additional digital information does a streamer send to my DAC that my laptop doesn't?

After reading some of Steve Huff's reviews (he loves Klipsch Heritage) and looking at his gear list, I now have a concern about my own system. I am still using the free junky USB cable from my laptop to my DAC. Everything else in my setup is high quality, including a good power conditioner. Anyone here a Believer in high end USB cables? Like the Audioquest Diamond?

There's the lambswool grillcloth too...and sourcing and shipping the wood comes into play. If the exotic look adds to your high drool factor, it may well be worth the extra scratch.

Good point MC. May I offer up Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band...stripped down band, smokin instrumentals. Really well recorded! I am an instrumental freak I suppose.

When a friend or relative comes over, I sometimes offer to demonstrate my hi-fi for them. So, what to play? It has to be very well recorded, and we all know that limits our choices. Or, I may be home alone, and want to listen and enjoy something solo. Never disappoints...Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band...totally satisfies my ever-lovin' hi-fi jones! Very well recorded and super tight!

No, it has a trussrod.

Here is my latest. Marc Rutters Cabronita style T. Marc lives in TN and also makes his own bridges, knobs, etc. He did an excellent job building to my specs. Very lightweight swamp ash at 6.6 lbs. The pickups are Creamery Black Cat filtertrons. It rings like a bell and is a blast to play.

70 db-ish.

Was that the Hi Fidelity Workshop? I bought my first good system (Sansui-Dual-Jensen) from them.

I have Chorus IIs. Previously had Forte 1s. Agree that CHIIs offer an overall bigger, fuller listening experience. I played them side by side before my bud picked up my Forte's. However, listening to my holy grail bottom end reference tune, "Declan" from Jeff Beck's You Had It Coming, surprisingly the Forte's went deeper...the Chorus just wasn't able to dig down and deliver the lowest notes like the Forte. Maybe something to do with my room? (16x28 w/cathedral ceiling, wood floors on a raised foundation)...but the listening experience with the volume turned up with the Forte's would make my wood floors vibrate with serious authority...in my sweet spot, I could feel the deep bass in my body...with my eyes closed, it was perhaps like the spiritual experience of a fallen Viking warrior entering the Halls of Asgard...always gave me goose bumps and a central nerve system high unlike anything else. By the old gods and the new, I swear this to be true.

I added the Lokius to my gear a few months ago, and am now wondering why the heck didn't I do that sooner? My Chorus II's have never sounded better, with an enhanced low end, if desired, that was missing before. That plus fine tuning the mids and highs is just the ticket. The XLRs give you some brag swag. Plus it's silver! 👊

Lokius for the assist!

The Klipsch spec sheet shows the lowest frequency response on the 3 & 4 to be 38hz. The Forte 1 & 2 - 32hz. That said, I am in no way knocking any Forte version. I am just suggesting, wouldn't it be great if the Forte got down to 32hz again? forte-brochure.pdf Forte-IV-Spec-Sheet-v01-1.pdf

Good video! Hopefully the V will return to the 12" passive. No shame in admitting it was wrong to switch to the 15 incher. A real head scratcher as to why they did that in the first place, knowing it lessened the impact of the low end. Edit: The II version also got down to 32hz...my bad! Guess maybe it was more about the woofer than the passive?...😬

I was reading a thread on a guitarist's forum regarding audiophile definition. I may be an "audiophile", but I am not totally convinced. One of my friends say I am. I don't study specs, read audiophile magazines, and I don't have super high end cables. I surely am a "hi-fi enthusiast" though. One poster with a history in home audio sales defined it well: "I have often hypothesized that there is a "Hi-Fi" gene. Either you have it, or you don't. An audiophile most definitely has the gene. When exposed to really good playback of music they like, people with the "gene" experience an emotional, physical and aural stimulation well beyond what people without the gene do. For me, hearing my first good component system was like taking a new drug. I had to have my own system! I wanted to feel the bass, and hear with clarity the midrange and treble. Not just any system could do this. Hence the hunt for equipment that could. Although audiophiles can and do get burnt out on often what can be a compulsive hobby, for the most part they have a lifelong interest from time of exposure, until late into adulthood. Due to health, money, or space constraints, they may not necessarily be active with the hobby at all times, but the appreciation of good sound never goes away. In the 70's, it was "in" to own a component stereo, so it became a mainstream purchase. The decades after have seen a development of the quality of mainstream audio playback. Now an iPhone with earbuds or Bluetooth table radio satisfies many of these same people who used to own a good hi-fi system." Makes a lot of sense to me. For example, no one else in my family gives a damn about listening to my system, or even knows how to fire it up with Tidal. Sometimes I come home, and the wifey is listening to music on a DirecTV music channel, thru the soundbar. The bug bit me at age 17, when I was lucky enough to listen to my friend's dad's McIntosh separates into Klipschorns. I was stunned! Flabbergasted! As soon as I could afford it, I bought a decent component system. Back then, there were only 2 things that really mattered to me: my car, and my stereo. I do have 3 or 4 buddies who have the "hi-fi gene". Sadly, I don't know a single woman who has it.

Listening to its sibling, my A-S2200, as I write, thru my Chorus IIs. Quality time with Junior Brown! You will be pleased with the Yamaha/Heritage pairing. I sure am 👊

You may be right. However, I had my Forte 1's for 30 years, and had no issue with the stock woofers. But please explain, if possible, why then did Klipsch switch out the passives from 12's to 15's? Are you suggesting that switching out the passives had no negative effect regarding getting down to 32hz? Could it be that they did it (raising the bottom hz) on purpose in order to push us towards K Horns, since that was/is the only other Heritage model that gets that low?

I had Forte 1's for many years. However when I bought them new in 1988, it was from some outfit in NYC, and they shipped me a mixed pair; not consecutive serial #s. Plus the grill covers were slightly different. One was black, the other a green/brown. I didn't even catch it for many months. as my apt was rather dark. I was just thrilled with the sound. A few years ago, I scored a mint pair of Chorus II's. I sold my Fortes to my good buddy (he loves them for sure). I did play them side by side before he picked them up. The Forte's went deeper (32hz), but the Chorus's have a wider, fuller overall sound. I am happy with them, but there are times when I miss the Forte's. There are several tracks by Jeff Beck (Declan and Suspension) that really gave me goose bumps thru the Forte's, when turned way up, that just isn't happening with the Chorus'. The floors of my house (wood floor over a raised foundation) would become extensions of the lowest notes, and it sounded and FELT so good, that it would take me briefly to a higher emotional plane, sending shivers thru my body... hard to explain, lol. Rather like a spiritual high. I somehow was thinking the Chorus II's would be able to duplicate that experience for me, since they are bigger, but sadly, it is not so. Has to do with my room too. The Forte's now at my buddy's crib are not able to duplicate the same experience for me, due to his room. It seemed odd to me that Klipsch came out with the later versions of the Forte, that did not dig as deep, and they knew it. The 12" rear passive was the secret sauce. They should've kept with the original design, with the 12" passive, and just upgraded the squawker and tweeter. Maybe the Forte V will go back to that?