Rega Mira 3 vs Heed Obelisk Si
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7896 Registered: Feb-05 | As early as next week I may have an opportunity to do a head-to-head between these two fine integrateds. http://eugenehifi.com/ Scroll down on the web page I provided and you'll find info on the Heed. Online details seem pretty sketchy on it so I'm looking forward to listening to it in my space. Been having more fun with the cheap speakers in my office than with the main system. Lovin' the little Epos ELS 3's and now I'm breakin' in a pair of Atom Monitor V5's for use as rears in HT. For now they're gettin' heavy use in the office. Great little speaker! It will remain to be seen what the Heed will be able to drive with it's 40 watts per channel...certainly my Creek 4330 does a fine job driving most anything I throw at it. Like Naim and Cyrus the Heed has an option to connect an external power supply for extended power and performance. If I like it and buy it that would be something to consider in the future. Anyone experienced the Heed and have a comment, or just a comment? |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3264 Registered: Sep-04 | Well??????? The Heed looks an awful lot like the Ion Obelisk. I believe the man in charge at Heed is related to the original Ion people somehow. Ion was a Naim competitor in the late 80s. I believe the Heed has a similar approach to music making as the flat earth Naim and Rega crews, but the Czech manufacture should keep prices honest. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7921 Registered: Feb-05 | "but the Czech manufacture should keep prices honest." Please elaborate if you will. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3278 Registered: Sep-04 | My apologies, Heed is actually made in Hungary. For more info: http://www.heedaudio.hu/en/about.html |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11017 Registered: Dec-04 | Will that have a similar effect on pricing, Frank? |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2043 Registered: Jun-07 | Ha Now Rega Ha NOW!!!! Pitch it in there Rega come on NOW!! Im cheering for the Mira 3.lol Kidding. Let the best amp win. When is the comp. going to happen? The Mira 3 is such a good INT amp. I hope it smashes this HEED. Hail Britain, leaders of PRAT! lol. Lets have a group hug. Art I am coming down to Oregon just to hear them both.lol How far is Oregon from Kingston Ontario? |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7951 Registered: Feb-05 | Canada has Mapquest eh...lol! I talked with the boys today and they only a couple more listens to do and then it'll be headin' my way. They are pretty impressed with it and they have good ears so I'm looking forward to the opportunity. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3288 Registered: Sep-04 | Well, it should. East European manufacturing costs are a lot lower than South England. I doubt that the Mira will SMASH the Heed. From what I saw when I looked at the innards, the Heed looked nicely put together, and don't foget that many of the principles of the Heed come from the original Ion and Nytech designs. I think they'll just have different presentations and one will be preferred over the other, but a bet would be won on a coin toss. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2054 Registered: Jun-07 | lol we do indeed Art. Frank- I agree. Which will Art prefer?hmmmmmmm |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7956 Registered: Feb-05 | The Boys told me today that the Heed could be on it's way next week. They sent a set of van den Hul "The Waterfall" cable for me to audition this weekend...looking forward to it. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3296 Registered: Sep-04 | Is dey de Boyz 'N' De Hood, bro'? You watch dem Hungaro Type Man. Dey Be like Da Mafia, only worse.  Hey Art, I thought you couldn't afford any outlay due to familial commitments?? |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7957 Registered: Feb-05 | No outlay involved my friend, just auditioning. If I were to want any of what I audition these fella's will work with me...best in the biz. I call them the boys because they are young business owners and they are brothers. Actually I have nicknames for everyone I know....for Dale and Chris it's "The Boys". No one provides better service in the industry...period. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3300 Registered: Sep-04 | Nice of them to give you a run with their kit... |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7960 Registered: Feb-05 | Listening to "The Waterfall"...best interconnect I've ever heard in my system. Absolute knockout! Van den Hul scored big with this one. All the detail and color of The Well (and more) with the 3 dimensional soundstage and imaging of The Wave...a complete winner. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11038 Registered: Dec-04 | But it's gonna cost ya, huh Art? |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7961 Registered: Feb-05 | Well yaaa...... |
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Silver Member Username: SoundgameRichmond Hill Toronto ..., Ontario Canada Post Number: 258 Registered: Jun-08 | Art, I hope less that two big one's eh? http://cgi.ebay.com/VAN-DEN-HUL-THE-WATERFALL-HYBRID-INTERLINK-INTERCONNECT_W0QQ itemZ330277701668QQihZ014QQcategoryZ295QQcmdZViewItem |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3305 Registered: Sep-04 | So what about that Heed then Art? |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8009 Registered: Feb-05 | Well yeah George...perhaps. Still waiting Frank...supposed to be here this week. I've got a long weekend this week so I'm hoping... |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8041 Registered: Feb-05 | Mutual decision on the part of the boys and I not to demo the Heed. They tried it with R5's last night and felt that it does not have the drive for the R5's. They had been running it with Devore Fidelity speakers (FABULOUS SPEAKERS!) and it really performed well. The Rega R5's and ofcourse the Totem's would be too difficult a load for it to perform at it's best especially without the external power supply. That said we both decided to not go forward with the demo. They told me I could have it for demo anytime. The sound I'm getting out of my system is nothing short of spectacular so I'm not looking to make changes (or even mess with it...jinx!). So for now no Heed...just joyous sounds coming from the Mira 3.. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3321 Registered: Sep-04 | Shucks - I was looking forward to your analysis. Oh well, keep enjoying the music! |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11079 Registered: Dec-04 | My guess is that the boys came up with the same results that Art would have, although a 'sweetness' detail would have been nice. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8066 Registered: Feb-05 | I believe that they were expecting the amp to be a $3000 amp killer and that would be unrealistic. Talked with them again today and they told me that they would still like my impressions and that they will send it up anyway. No timeline...I will resurrect this thread when it happens. I'm bettin' it's a great amp but the fella's have gotten a bit spoiled listening to Mastersound and Sonneteer...I had the impression that they would concur with that. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3339 Registered: Sep-04 | Sonneteer, schmoneteer. We had a customer's Sonneteer CD player in at the weekend and it was the most garbled sounding mess of nicely made product I've heard in a long time. Depressing... I'm surprised that the Heed wasn't considered man enough to drive R5s - they're not a difficult load. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8144 Registered: Feb-05 | Sorry to hear that Frank...I'm guessing from your comments on this forum and the sound I've heard at the boys place that you all value different things in hifi..not making either of you wrong or right, just at opposite ends of the continuum. I could be wrong... |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11099 Registered: Dec-04 | Sonneteer, schmoneteer.....shvincter? Not a glowing appraisal, Frank. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8145 Registered: Feb-05 | Again Frank has different values in audio than the fella's here who sell the Sonneteer. I would leave it to the folks, and there are a few here at ecoustics, to evaluate the type of service and quality of sound that the boys value. I'm quite sure that Frank has discriminating taste as well but again I think that we have Frank being a bit snobbish about gear he doesn't like. You won't find me bashing Chord Company cables in such descriptive (lol!) terms as I know that there are folks here who like them. I have not listened to that Sonneteer piece that Frank discussed but I will ask for an audition when I go to pick up my P3-24. I do however trust the boys judgement about gear...that doesn't mean that we will always agree and indeed we don't, but it does mean that I don't believe that they would sell junk to anyone...period. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3351 Registered: Sep-04 | I'll be the first to admit that 80% of the time I have no clue what on earth people are hearing when they give glowing reviews to certain products. Also, it was in the context of our shop so it's perfectly possible that our combinations of interconnects and kit acted as a mismatch to the Sonneteer CD player - it's very possible, indeed likely. My apologies for my forthright description! It was remiss of me. But Chord cables are the best Art, you know that, even if you won't admit it... |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8148 Registered: Feb-05 | Thanks for the clarification Frank. I spoke to the fella's today and they clarified a few things for me. First they do not carry or recommend every piece from every manufacturer that they represent. They only recommend the products that they have listened to and like. To understand where they are coming from it's important to understand that their priority is analog. that is the sound that works best for them and they carry turntables, cartridges and phono amps that show their dedication to analog. For those of us with significant CD collections they recommend the Rega CD players... Relative to Sonneteer they really love their amps and highly recommend them. If you aren't buying tubes then they recommend Sonneteer, Rega or Heed. They are still listening to the Heed stuff and are trying to determine it's best application. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3358 Registered: Sep-04 | I like the way they do things. Until recently it's been the same in the shop I work in. Lately there's been more pressure from central office to sell the higher profit margin stuff, but generally we do choose the portfolio that makes sense to us. That said, some manufacturers insist on a certain minimum 'showing' of their range in order to support them correctly, which makes sense really, but it means for example that a dealer can't deal in the Linn LP12 without also stocking quite a bit of their electronics. |
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