The All Purpose Advice Thread

Discussion in 'Advice Threads' started by purr1n, Sep 26, 2015.

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  1. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    If you're at the point where you're worried about the impedance mismatch causing issues in a digital cable, then the switch is going to be just as bad since it's a discontinuity.
     
  2. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    HD600 cable (original), $10 from Audio Advisor:

    https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-81435-cable/dp/B000KPSLZG/

    Got mine for $14 from Full Compass a week ago. Kids use my HD600 and pulled the left channel to the point that it became intermitent.

    All is good and looking awesome now.

    Note: Mine did not come with the 1/4" adapter, which was fine because my 1/4" HD600 adapter is good.
     
  3. Olias of Sunhillow

    Olias of Sunhillow New

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    Thanks for the link... and holy smokes, that is cheap! :headbang:
     
  4. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    I'm looking for feedback on what makes the most sense upgrade-wise (ie., bang for the buck for noticeable sonic improvement).

    I have two headphone rigs...

    Home:
    EITR > Modi Multibit > tricked out BH Crack > HD600
    listen to anything except Country, EDM/Trance. Predominantly Jazz, Classic Rock, Funk/R&B, & Singer/songwriter type stuff. Moderate volume levels

    Office:
    Metrum Amethyst > MD CTH > ZMF Eikon
    listen predominantly to classical (all types) and jazz... fairly low listening levels

    I prefer a slightly warm sound and I am somewhat treble sensitive. I'm looking for opinions on whether I would see more improvement from replacing the CTH with a A&S Mogwai SE or replacing the HD600 with a ZMF Auteur.

    Thanks!
     
  5. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Hm.

    I think the Auteur simply because you're less likely to notice improvements in the office - which I assume to be noisy since a) it is a workplace and b) you went for a closed set.

    You seem to have your setups finely tuned though, I advise you to audition the Auteur, since it's not cheap.

    On Auteur pads it has an almost hd800 quality, along with a similar, though smaller, treble peak, and the pad swaps that tame it also make it darker.

    @cskippy has done excellent work on all the possible pad swaps so you really want to look up his measurements and impressions carefully.

    They're also not as open sounding as HD 6 series cans. I love my blackwood pair to bits but I'm not going to pretend they're perfect.
     
  6. ohshitgorillas

    ohshitgorillas Friend

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    I have two optical sources hooked up to my speakers (TV and Chromecast Audio), and a DAC (AMB gamma2) with one optical input. There are switchers out there but of course I get the digital nervosa about adding some cheap component with a switching power supply to my chain. Why do these things even need power supplies if all they're doing is switching from one signal to another? Then again, it's optical, so it shouldn't be affected by electrical noise. But what if the switcher is trying to reclock things and does a bad job? Could I use a passive one-in-two-out solution as a two-in-one-out configuration and just make sure that the TV is off when I want to listen to the Chromecast and vice versa so the signals aren't getting confused?

    You get the idea... I've become lost in a forest of nervosa. For the time being I'm just switching the cables around but I'd prefer a better solution since my experience with Toslink jacks is that they can be fragile. Could someone provide me some insight into the best way to approach this probably asinine problem?
     
  7. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    Actually, that was true when I purchased the Eikons because I was in a cubicle farm at that point. I've since moved into an office with walls/door and I could easily use open headphones now. No real noise problems and no issues with open headphones disturbing anyone else around me.

    So, I'm really interested in thoughts based purely on potential for sonic improvement and not environment.
     
  8. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Hm, then it might be your office setup.

    I mean, Auteur is an incremental upgrade to a 6-series, mostly in easier detail retrieval (I'd rather not get into religious arguments over sennheiser veil and whatnot, so let's just say the 6s still have it it's just more work to listen to it) actual sub-bass, and more precise imaging/staging/blah, at the cost of being slightly closed.

    MCTH to Mogwai SE is a transformative upgrade from a very very nice budget tube hybrid to a proper trouser-wearing, bike-riding, big-boy tube amp, at the cost of I really really hope your aircon is good in the summer.
     
  9. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    What's the consensus on refurbished headphones? Okay or best to avoid?
     
  10. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Any one have experience with the Lab 12 Dac1 SE?
     
  11. Alexander

    Alexander Acquaintance

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    Thanks, sorry I had tuned-out of the forums for a while after posting.

    Well, I've got AKG K7XX's. HD600 is on my list to buy sometime but I've been pretty satisfied with my AKGs.

    I kinda concluded that the Jotunheim is over my desired pricepoint. I am still wondering if I want a Magni + Modi stack OR a Vali + Modi though... I've never tried tube amps before, so I don't really know.

    I've just been asking with Christmas coming up and everything.
     
  12. Alexander

    Alexander Acquaintance

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    I've never tried tube amps before, and I'm wondering if I should jump into it or stick to solid state.

    My last combination was the Oppo HA2 + the Shure SRH 940. I'm an... analytic/details kinda guy I guess? I really like to hear the details in everything, and I just found that Sabre DACs combined with the SRH940 really brought it out. I like hearing that top-end sharp tinge at the end of a cymbal getting hit, or swords clashing, do you know what I mean? I think my ears are more fixated on treble than bass, honestly. I notice details in the bright parts of songs, and can get annoyed when something sounds "muddy" or "veiled". Basshead headphones are NOT my type.

    However, doesn't mean I don't need bass. Things too treble-heavy sound like the "body" of the sound has been sucked-out. That's a problem as well. And the mids are the main content. I honestly feel like Shure really gets the mids the right - making them the most forward, followed by treble, followed by bass. Which is kinda how I like it - bass is the bottom foundation, treble is the house built atop it, and the mids are the people that live inside, ya get me?

    But I conceded that staging and all weren't existent on it, and got an AKG K7XX. This seems to be more to the other end of the spectrum, but that can be a good thing for other uses.

    I found myself in a situation where the SRH940 is my go-to closed headphone, and the K7XX is my open one. If I want to hear details I go SRH940, and if I want staging the K7XX.

    Well... recently, the USB Type-B port on my Oppo HA2 went loose or something. You can only get it to work by wiggling it a certain way and it's getting less and less reliable.

    So now, I thinking of either switching to a Schiit stack, or get an internal sound card for my computer.

    And if the option is the Schiit stack, then what Schiit stack exactly.

    Anyone have any suggestions? Kinda lost on it here.

    Thanks.
     
  13. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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  14. Alexander

    Alexander Acquaintance

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    I decided to ask here instead because that was the wrong forum category.

    And it's old too, honestly I shouldn't have even revived it by replying in it.

    It should be removed in any case.
     
  15. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Posts moved. Carry on :)
     
  16. Alexander

    Alexander Acquaintance

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    Well I was kind-of avoiding the megathread because in my experience that's where you go to get lost in a sea of other people asking things and you're less likely to get responses (and often times you just won't get one) - so I tend to make my own threads instead. Besides, what's the sense in even having a full-blown "Advice Threads" category if you're going to have a catch-all megathread anyway? Doesn't make a lot of sense to have both. May as well just collapse the forum category into the megathread and move the megatread up a level as a pinned topic to the General Audio Discussion board instead. Of course people are gonna make new topics instead if you allow it.

    Not meaning to be rude and critical or anything, just saying that's why I had a topic in the Advice category instead. The other topic was over a month old and in entirely the wrong forum category and I revived it by necro-posting to it, which I shouldn't have really, I just wasn't really paying attention (I hadn't even logged-in in a month).

    Anyway!

    Yeah from my posts you can get where I am I guess. Just trying to decide between the Magni 3 and Vali 2 at this point. I know nothing about what tube amps sound like. I'm only 25 so I grew-up in a time well after tube amps became niche. Solid-state is all I've ever known and I figure it's safest I just stick with it - but I thought I'd ask anyway and just see if anyone goes "WHOAAA Vali 2 way better than Magni 3" or something.

    I just want something that sounds true to the source, and good to my sound palette, which I described in earlier posts.

    I gotta say that tube amps look way cooler, but I know that's a hella stupid reason to get into it.

    And tubes - like... I know nothing about them. Do they have to be replaced or maintained? How much does a replacement cost on average? I don't really have the money to be fueling it if they cost a lot and will need replaced more than once per two years or so. Just a broke millennial.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2018
  17. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Last edited: Dec 4, 2018
  18. Alexander

    Alexander Acquaintance

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    Any specific reasons?

    Vali does look really cool, and people go on about how good tubes sound.

    Hope I didn't sound too scared of tube amps which got me the Magni suggestion. I just don't know much about them.
     
  19. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

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    @Alexander , given your preferences for hyper-detail, Ultrabikes recommendations are what are probably best for you. I have a Magni 3 and its a fantastic amp for how cheap it is. I prefer a MCTH for it's more relaxed and engaging sound, (which I use at home) but the Magni 3 gets more listening time on my desk at work.

    However, if you have some extra money to experiment, consider picking up a used or B stock Vali 2 sometime. Despite your preferences, you owe it to yourself to experience some tube stuff, and it may possibly be a revelation to you. If not then you could sell it and move on.

    Many of us here on SBAF prefer multibit DACs for their retrieval of low level detail and smoothness across the frequencies. But I get how some people like Sabre DACs. One persons criticism of them being etchy and having exaggerated detail is another persons happy place. It's OK to like different stuff.
     
  20. Alexander

    Alexander Acquaintance

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    @crazychille Thanks for the more explained response, it's the kinda thing I look for.

    Yeah I suppose it makes sense that I should get a reliable solid-state before playing with tubes anyway.

    The issue on the topic of DACs is that I just really have no sense of relativity/perspective on it. Of course I think the Sabre DAC sounds good because it's the only dedicated DAC I've ever had.

    So I really have no perspective to be able to know any different.

    But yeah, in any case, I figure everyone should have a reliable solid-state before getting a tube amp, yeah?


    One last thing - is there potentially any sense to getting both a sound card and an AMP+DAC? The AE5 I was looking at supports a lot of technologies and I was wondering if there'd be sense in getting one and connecting it to the Modi 2 via optical-out or something (optical-out is still processed by the card beforehand, yes?)

    Just wasn't sure if there might be some benefit to having both.

    The AE5 advertises 32-Bit 384KHz (and it's a Sabre DAC), but does that really have any sense or bearing to it? Depending on where I look, people seem to say that 32-Bit isn't really 32-Bit and that nothing above 24-Bit 192KHz makes any sense, or something like that.

    So I've honestly been wondering if I should be so sold on Schiit or if this card is a good bang for buck?
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2018
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