The All Purpose Advice Thread

I ordered a Sine to pick up later today. I'll sell the PM-3 and either the Leckerton or the ALO once I hear how each one plays with the Sine.

 

IE8 isn't as good as many of Senns over-ear models. Esp the highs and resolution are not as good as my other in-ear pair, UE TF-10. Thankfully the Senns are much more comfy and easier to use. The cable is very nice. This is why I use them much more than the UEs.

 

Hi Guys,

1. Has anybody here tried the Earmax Pro tube headphone amp? It was mentioned on Headcase as a good match for the HD800....

2. I'm using my HD800S with a Valhalla 2 at the moment but I want MOAR. More slam and a bit more warmth and a chance to use the included balanced cable if it's going to make a noticeable difference.

My max budget is around $1200. Unfortunately the Black Widow and a pre built Torpedo 3 are out of the question as I need the ability to get service in the UK in case something goes wrong.

This leaves me with the Mjolnir 2 which is the only remaining SBAF approved option at this pricepoint. (Let me know if I've missed out any other candidates)

So if I go for the Mojo 2 and use it balanced with the HD800S how much of a jump is it from a Valhalla 2?

Looking forward to any feedback.

Thanks!

 

Planning my next IEM exploration and I could use some advice. Right now I've got Shure SE535s, the special edition red ones. Best sounding thing I've stuck in my ear so far, but there are some ho-hum impressions on here so I'm curious to explore other IEMs. Probably gonna stick with universals for a while yet, since they're cheaper/easier and fit and comfort never seem to be big issues for me. Some options:

1. I see a pretty good deal on a used Noble 4U. Could give those a shot and sell whichever pair I like less for a final spend of ~$0.
2. Sell the SE535 and maybe some other stuff and save my pennies for the CA Andromeda given Marvey's very favorable review. (Also I like the way they look, so that's a factor.)

I'm also curious what people are doing with amps/DACs for IEMs. I mostly play straight out of my iPhone/MacBook. The iPhone isn't bad at all, but I can hear the noise floor on the MacBook with the SE535.

 

The input you got from @Priidik was dead on. It was owning IE8's that actually inspired my HD650 purchase 8 or so years ago, and while they definitely share the Senn house sound, the former are indeed mid-bassier and less refined than the latter.

As an alternative to IE8's from the same vintage, I would highly recommend Westone W4/4r's if you can find a pair. The Westone's quad ba drivers don't move quite as much air as the dynamic IE8's, but they are overall better sounding and closer to the tuning of HD650's to my ears. They also isolate better and are much more comfortable than IE8's due to the lack of a port and the contours of the housing/diameter of the nozzle. Westone star tips are also about as good as it gets if you prefer silicone to foam, whereas most of the Senn tips are kind of "meh."

 

Hi Guys,

Is the ZMF Omni out of an Asgard 2 an upgrade over the HD6X0 out of a Schiit Valhalla 2?

I prefer the HD600 over the HD650 if that helps.

I'm considering a deal on the Omni so a quick answer would be great.

Thanks!

 

The Omni is a very bass heavy headphone, pretty v shaped. If you prefer the HD600, this may not be the can for you. I also think you may loose some resolution by switching to the Asgard from the Valhalla. Very different setups - don't know if I would consider it an upgrade, just very different sounding.

 

I agree with @JoshMorr. Don't have any Schiit but I heard the Omni on tour out of my iDSD. It's very different in character from HD6X0, more closed sounding than open to me. I have the Blackwood (which I prefer to the Omni) and a modded HD650, both good at what they do. ZMF has smooth mids/highs and slamming extended bass, and the Senn is resolving, has clarity and great tonal balance but lacks tight deep bass.

It would only be an upgrade if you preferred the Omni's sound over an HD600.

 

Thanks for the quick replies guys!

Maybe I will try a Blackwood to get an idea of Zach's house sound.

I also loved the Oppo pm3 except for the laid back treble.

Would the Blackwoods be a PM3 with treble if that makes sense?

 

When hearing the whole ZMF lineup at a meet I prefered and purchased the blackwood. The blackwood had a better overall balance, but it is still a closed bass heavy can. I haven't heard PM3's so use there. Compared to HD650's the ZMF has more bass extension, more slam but are fairly similair tone otherwise. The 650 had a crisper air-er and more detailed sound you would expect from an open headphone.

 

Idk, not really, I think you have to make too many "exceptions" to make such a comparison. The Blackwood has way more subbass, and yes is also more aggressive up top. The PM3 has more of a neutral level of bass that doesn't extend super low, and smoother midrange, and yes the somewhat rolled off treble. There's also the huge difference in form factors and efficiency, but they do isolate about the same (which is to say, well)

 

Picked up a Ragnarok, so I now have an amp worthy of higher end cans. Currently running HE-560's off a Woo WA6 and a KingRex UD384 dac.

Any suggestions as to what cans might be a better pairing with the Rag? I also have Beyer T90's which I could sell to offset whatever else I go for.

 

At a Bay Area mini-meet a few months back I heard several amps that I liked very much with my modded HD650s. They were all OTL amps: the Crack2, a rebuilt Singlepower, and the ZDS. What I liked was that they all had this punchy, lively sound. I guess you'd call that macrodynamics. In more poetic language, I'd call it a rowdy, rock-and-roll kind of character.

My question is how the Garage1217 Horizon III sounds by comparison. I don't believe I've seen any direct comparisons between the all-tube OTL amps and the Horizon. Can someone with direct experience with both comment, specifically about macrodynamics/rock-and-roll-itude?

 

Hey Guys,

What DAC do I buy to get a cheap taste of R2R magic?

I'm talking $200 used or new.

Right now I'm bidding on a Starting Point Systems DAC that Zach talked about on the ZMF blog but any other options would be welcome.

All I've ever heard are DS DACs and I want to know what the fuss is about on the cheap before thinking of dropping close to $800 on a Bifrost Multibit which is the cheapest well known and well regarded R2R DAC available in the UK.

Thanks!

 

Would something like this even give you a "taste" of the difference? If not, what would people think really does have a substantive difference for the least up front investment? Bifrost Multibit vs 4490?

 

Hey guys, for those of you who have heard both the original Lyr, and the Valhalla 2 with the HD650's how do they compare? Currently have Orange Globes in the Lyr and been using some Philips 7308 Miniwatts i borrowed from @Mikoss and it's sounding great but from what I have heard the 650 should have better synergy and sound even better with the Valhalla 2. If I am only planning on keeping these HD650's around for quite a while (maybe eventually get an HD800) would this be a worth while change or just a side grade?

 

Without spending a lot, where would be the next step over the Lyr for the HD650?