The All Purpose Advice Thread

Hi guys, my first post here. and seeking valuable advice..

ill make my question short and precise, i have an HD600 and a DT770 pro 250ohm and a monk plus if i want to travel light

for DAC i have an oppo HA2 SE

looking to try tube amps..

1st question, i read that littledot amps are frequestly unrecommended here? why so? was thinking before of getting a little dot 1+ just to try out tubes (please bear in mind that i know nothing about ubes and tube amps - this is my first, hopefully, venture into tubes) and they're not that expensive, so it wouldnt hurt too much if i didnt like tube sound. what do you think?

2nd questions, was looking into also buying a 2nd hand lyr 2 or valhalla 2 if the little dots are a big no... which of the two would give me a nice tube balanced neutral sound.... my favorite sound is nice detailed sound with mid presence and very tight bass...

any advice would be gretly appreciated

 

Yes, start here before you do anything else:

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/must-read-for-new-members.3/

 

IME, Lyr 2 is warmer, less detailed, more intimate, but has great bass slam and authority in comparison to the more neutral, resolving, airy Valhalla 2. So unless you want to add some slam and warmth, or want to try a larger variety of headphones like planars, I'd go Valahalla 2 based on what you said. I've had an Oppo HA2 and either one will be a huge improvement with the HD600 from an amplification perspective.

The Lyr2, Valhalla 2 and the Schiit Amp Compendium (http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...ompendium-guide-to-schiit-amps-headamps.3058/) threads around here will give more insight

I can't speak to the little dots but I believe the general consensus is they're cheaply made and don't sound that great.

 

If you have to gamble, try a Vali 1 or 2 first. Pretty affordable and a good first step according to most Schiit veterans here.

That is what I am going to do. I start with affordable and pay more when I trust the manufacturer completely.

 

I don't know how much this will help but I will make a quick comment on my experience with vali 1 and LD 1. This was a long time ago...word of warning.

I personally didn't like the Little Dot as much as the vali and that's why I still have my schiit (although I don't use it these days).

I will say the difference is significant but there are some characteristics that I would like to point out:

- the LD is very sensitive to interferences and i mean a lot
- I got a more humms and hisses with the LD
- the LD sounds much more unnatural, everything goes everywhere.
- not much impact but the bass control was a little all over the place
-I liked the volume steps more on the schiit.
- LD get's really, really hot and there's no cover.

After this last sentence I just realized that I was thinking about little bear 1 and not little dot. /facepalm

I will keep it in case someone else is wondering.

 

Personally, I ended up just going for a Sony WM1A and getting my favourite IEMs cabled for balanced. It sounds better than a lot of desktop setups that I've heard.

A WM1A and a pair of Andros would probably be above your budget unless you found either or both used, but the SQ would probably not disappoint. Do try to audition the Andros first, though, in case (like me) you can't get them to fit your ears.

 

I've done some research on getting the most out of a portable setup, this is the stuff on my shortlist:

Headphones (Roughly in order of best tonality)
Hifiman Edition X V2 (Not sure how well a Hifiman planar will cope with life on the road)
Oppo PM2 with PM1 leather pads (more compact than the others and folds flat)
ZMF Eikon
Fostex TH900 with TH610 pads (apparently the pad change brings the tonality close to the THX00)
Focal Elear

DAC/AMP
Geek Out 2A (balanced output)
Schiit Fulla 2 (supposedly comparable to the Schiit-stack)
miniDSP HA-DSP (Portable PEQ! An unknown quantity at the moment)

Dedicated AMP
Neco Soundlab V5 (I've heard this one and it is fantastic, but was a bit too smooth for my liking)
Meier Corda Quickstep (Wired up to 2x 7.2v PP3 batteries in series)

 

Hello - second post here (kudos instructions)!

I'm still pretty new to the scene and want to purchase a solid mid-fi setup for the office. (Am within the return windows for an AK T1p and Roland UA M-10).

Couple questions:

1) I notice very nominal differences between my iPhone SE DAC and the UA M-10; should this be considered normal? Or, am I better off investing in another portable dac/amp solution?

2) For closed headphones, it seems hard to find a better reference champ than the PM-3 in terms of value. Am I overlooking any gems in the space, though?

 

At least with regards to this, you can refer to zerodeefex's "guide" in the DAP thread, even if your portable transducers are not IEMs. https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...ormerly-best-daps-2015.174/page-28#post-98628

 

Good read!

Think I'm beginning to understand the market forces for DAC/AMPs a bit better now... I purchased the M-10 on the heels of this review:
https://www.head-fi.org/f/showcase/...sb-audio-interface.22058/reviews#review-17473

However, given some comparisons with the Fulla 2, the M-10 leaves room for improvement on two significant fronts: power output and DAC selection.

Portable: Fulla 2 / UA M-10
DAC: AK4490EQ / AK4414EQ
Power: 32 ohms: 360mW RMS per channel (max) / 195 mW @30 ohms (measured)
Output Impedence: .5 Ohms / 10 Ohms?

Sure - that communicates nothing from a sound quality standpoint, but I suspect the Fulla 2 might be a more efficient performer at 32 ohms (which could make a tangible difference.

On the softer comparison front...

Portable: Fulla 2 / UA M-10
PCB Design: Concise / Complex
Driver: Universal / Proprietary
Shielding: Casing / Casing + Material
Fabrication: USA / Japan
Assembly: USA / Taiwan

So, at the end of all this, I think I'd rather put the coin toward a Fulla 2 or Jotunheim with DAC.

 

Jotunheim with the Oppo PM3 is a nice combo. PM3 has a dip in the mids which counterbalances the Jot forwardness and a slight roll off up top which counterbalances the Jot steeliness. The PM3 can be run balanced into the Jot with an XLR to TRRS cable. Plus they isolate well and are small enough to wear in public without looking like a complete bozo. Check the fit though, if you have large ears they may be a bit uncomfortable.

 

Don't get it. Can't you put the Hugo into a box, if it's too small?

The Yggdrasil is awesome btw. That bass!
If you preferred Bifrost Multibit to Mojo, then I would guess that you will prefer Gungnir Multibit/Yggdrasil to Hugo 2.
Most folks seem to describe the Chord stuff as bass-light[er]. Seems like Schiit stuff might synergize better with HD800*

NOS is something else again, I think you have to hear for yourself to decide. But I would say the two Schiit DACs I've heard also do most of the same good stuff, and with better value. My NOS experience is pretty limited though, and doesn't yet include the Holo Spring.

Not strictly true... I was given all the following specific dates by a local dealer here in the UK (home of Chord):

• by the end of Feb
• late March
• beginning manufacture now, shipping from 18th April
• all remaining back orders due before mid May
• delayed till July/Aug

I look forward to hearing it around Christmas. 2018.

For now, here's a direct quote, purportedly from Chord, with some juicy details (my highlighting):

 

I'm going to preorder the A16 Smyth Realizer. What would I need in the chain to make the most out of it for PC gaming?

Current setup is Toslink-Modi Multibit-Mjolnir 2-balanced-Ether Flow w/ Electro Pad cups

 

HD800

 

Anyone know if a Fulla 2 will have enough power to drive a pair of Fostex T50 RP MKII respectably?

Never heard any planars before and this Massdrop deal: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-fostex-t-x0-planar-magnetic-headphones looks like a decent place to start. Inexpensive and additional modding potential, but I don't want to buy if it's going to sound like ass because its underpowered.

 

The Schiit Fulla 2 should have enough power to drive the Fostex T50 RP MKII unless you want to really crank them up to extreme levels.

The Fostex T50 RP MKII's are rated at only 50 ohms while the Fulla 2's Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 230mW RMS per channel

Others can chime in, but I think the Schiit Fulla 2 can drive them decently.

If you really want to crank them up and depending on your needs, I would seriously consider the Schiit Magni 2. It is the same price as the Fulla 2 but can deliver Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.0W RMS per channel - so much more powerful for a 50 ohm load at the same price as the Fulla 2.

 

Here is a question that is a bit out of left field... I have been looking into the raspberry pi with the appropriate additions to make it into an optical audio source. As an alternative, I have considered the possibility of using a first generation apple TV, running off of a USB drive to output an optical signal. What is the general impression of the Apple TV (Gen. 1) as a source? It is more than capable of running a 3rd party linux based OS and quite easy to mod (Remove old hard drive/fan, boot from USB, etc).

The ATV is SUPER cheap right now because it is a very outdated solution for video. Nevertheless, I am left wondering if it wouldn't qualify as a decent option for audio.

I have tried to find impressions on the audio quality, but they range from those who say that it is mediocre, to those who are comfortable using it in a system with speakers that cost more than my car. Any thoughts?

 

Don't bother.

If you've the aptitude to get a Raspberry Pi-based solution working, then you'll be much better off doing so. And if you're adding things to a Raspberry Pi to get your digital output, and you're not forced to us optical as the input to your DAC, then go with something that supports isolated COAX S/PDIF.

 

Hi Everybody,

I'm looking for some advice (again). A lot of you have really nice listening areas so I am hoping for some guidance.

My headphone rig is next to my desk because I often listen and work/read. I want to replace my office desk chair with a new office desk chair that is comfortable enough for long late night listening but functional enough for daily work use. I almost imagine a La-Z-Boy (with a foot rest and recliner) but that can also double as an office chair (on wheels, etc). I'm okay with a stool for a foot rest. I imagine something like this:




But maybe less bulky and on wheels? After all, I do have to actually work in it too. Any suggestions?

 

Sorted. Thanks.