wbass

I'm in a place where I've only got my Neo Stream running into a Phonitor SE. I find the Neo Stream internal DAC underwhelming. It just seems... mushy? Can't tell if it's the same DAC as the Neo iDSD or one of the Zen DACs or what, but I just can't get on with it. Hence trying the RME. (Again. I trialed it a couple years ago, to mostly positive results.)

The Neo iDSD without HQPlayer is good, but there’s this little something missing that I can’t really put my finger on. Not bad, but a bit boring. I always wanted to update the firmware to try the other filters iFi provides meanwhile, but OTOH, it’s a bit pointless as I’ll use HQPlayer for real listening, anyway.

I really should experiment more with the Neo Stream and HQPlayer. I'm just not in a place right now where I have the computer set-up to be able to run any of the better settings. Hopefully some time within the next few months. But I'm just finding the Neo DAC un-engaging right now. It's annoying that iFi doesn't tell you which DAC it uses.

Totally agree. Listen to Warriors Dance by Prodigy. The LCD-4 takes you there like almost no other headphone!

Listened to mine the other night from the Mjolnir 3 and it was pure pleasure. I'm getting mine RD modded but there are moments like the other night when I remember that I like the stock one a great deal too.

I'd own one if each cup wasn't carrying 80 lbs of magnets. They aught to include vouchers for a chiropractor

And the Super 7 is... around the quality of a DNA Starlett? Below? Just different?

Different. S7 is better than Starlett if you have the right OPT (there were two versions) and mods.

Cool. Thanks for that. How do you tell which version has which transformers? And which are considered preferable?

I tried going back through the threads, but sort of lost track in all the talk of various mods.

Hmm, this appears to have worked! As the rep suggested, it made a god-almighty crackle in the left driver, but it does seem to have unstuck, and sounds like it's back in action. No clue whether this would've degraded the driver. Hopefully, the LCD-4 drivers can take a bit of abuse.

Back to running them with the Phonitor SE, a surprisingly good match, and the internal DAC in my iFi Neo Stream, which I don't care for, as I feel it sounds insipid. But I might try upsampling through HQP and see if that helps anything.

Either the rep is really good at it, or Audeze knows about this for a long time, of course I take the latter. So glad to see they are back alive!!

looks like a brick and mortar store: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qoM1Tb6HxzYCwAFFA

Even so, bank transfer would make me nervous

He's legit. Although he runs his business out of his home. But legit that Steve Guttenburg has been to this shop:
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/listening-to-luxury-what-does-a-350000-stereo-sound-like/

Yeah, I don't love bank transfer, but he lists it in all his ads (and annoyingly in this case, I can't to PayPal) as a preferred payment method. 1802 A'gon transactions and 99.5% positive. I think it's a reasonable risk, but wanted to check. A lot of folks seem to be going over to PayPal F&F and bank transfer. No doubt for tax reasons. In this case, I think it's fine. But I don't love the trend.

Courtesy of Luxman's website.

Missed opportunity for a haiku

Although I haven't used an electrostatic amp, I bought a Dynalo from Birgir and had a very positive experience. We had a lengthy email exchange prior to purchase, and he took care of me a couple of years later when the volume pot started having issues. Birgir sells a bunch of used amps on his site, including Tyll's old amp, which @Rthomas mentioned. That might be a place to start without breaking the bank.

I visit Mjolnir's used amp page often and have been mighty tempted. Still a fair spend over there. I think I got starry-eyed visions of a cheap DIY Carbon and a used pair of 007 for under $3k, which has gotten me tempted again. In my big TOTL-ish audition last year, including a visit to HeadAmp in C-Ville, I ended up not being sure if stats are for me.

But I do see plenty of reports that 007 and 009(S) properly amped hang in there with or beat the Sus. And the X9000, in a brief audition, were just a detail monster. Basically, in casting around for something "different," I've got curious about stats again.

I wondered at using the word "players." We never did. But I did an Oh-wait: we did call them "record players."

yeah mscaler + Dave. HQP also offers a lot of tweaking potential to find the exact sound you want if you're into that

Yeah, just started experimenting with HQP. Solid results thus far. Dave + M Scaler prolly not in reach tho.

it might be interesting for me to compare just Dave vs the HQP'd May next time since the price there is more similar if you include the cost of the high end pc needed for the HQP

The PayPal tax is for your safety. Friends don’t ask friends to do friends.

Yes, and yes. They have your money tied up for a month.

I dealt with a dodgy dude on US Audio Mart not long ago and disputed the payment with PayPal after he ghosted me. I think I may have pdf'd email correspondence and included it in my dispute, not sure, but keep documentation, inc. the email bounce back.

I got my money back fine, but it took 10 days after they gave him time to ship/respond. Sorry this is happening to you

Thanks for sharing that experience. I feel this is definite confirmation to always use PayPal G&S, even with the people who seem to get all huffy when you even mention it. If this breaks my unbroken run of solid internet purchases, I'll be annoyed, but it's probably worth it for future gut checks.

It's just weird to me this this guy would bother to carry on a detailed, enthusiast-level conversation if he always attended to ghost me. Just odd.

Forest Gate has some lovely areas. Manor Park and Forest Gate overground are only about twenty minutes from Liverpool Street.

The lizzie line is, I think, after my time.

the North London Line, and it's eastern branch, used to be a little-used gem: it is now better known and offers all sorts of connectivity.

I haven't set foot on Britain since 2019. And it's some years since I had the London tube network embroidered in my head. Now I stand with the other tourists, looking, puzzled, at the map

Slanted walls should actually be great as the waves are reflected into different directions and cannot as easily build up resonances. I think. :) Anyway, my attic is the best room I have, acoustically, by far. Rather too dry than prone to resonance.

Lately, it's been Glad to Be Unhappy. That and Bossa Antigua seem really hard to find on LP and are also $$. And the old RCA discs can be noisy. So, I picked up a Mosaic LP boxset as a compromise. I have a contemporary reissue of First Place Again and a couple copies of Desmond Blue (also great). It's too bad not to get the original covers with the Mosaic set, but they're usually good pressings.

It's funny b/c, as a recovering drummer, I usually like to hear more active rhythm section interplay, and Connie Kay, especially, just holds it down and rarely anything more than that. But I like Desmond and his tone and his effortless lines so much, it scarcely seems to matter.

Desmond is my absolute favorite. I used to think I love Brubeck, but I love Desmond.

How about instead of “Amplifier Porn,” we do “ The Amplifier Next Door”?

"Look but don't touch. Touch, but don't taste. Taste, don't swallow."

@wbass what makes this difficult is that it's easy to go through someone's A-list and throw a system together. The question is if the system would have any synergy.

Grados are efficient, but yeah idiosyncrasies may not suit you. I love Fostex, but the voicing on a lot of them can be weird (the TH-909 seems a step in the right direction).

+1 what @Ksaurav402 said, IEMs make more sense, but I understand the form factor doesn't work for everyone.

Oh, yeah, I've got a pair of Andromeda and JVC FDX-01 (or whatever they are) and a few other IEMs, but I don't use them, b/c I don't like the feeling of stuff in my ears. I've never gotten along with the Grados I've tried, comfort or sound-wise, but I haven't heard many models. Thanks for the suggestions tho.

If the ETA stuff is your thing, those pair well with DAPs. I had great luck with the HD660S from the 4.4mm out on the WM1A.

The Ikeda is one beautiful arm. Never read a bad word about them or Fidelity Research. But I'm more likely to get an SME Series 2 Improved or Series III for monkeying around with low-compliance vintage MM carts.

You've reminded me that I'll be heading back to the UK this year and have those two pairs of Quad 57 to sell

Oh, right! I'll send you a PM on that.

One thing I dislike about the maleness of this hobby is the weirdly arrogant/dickish behavior out of nowhere. I get that tire kickers abound, and I've kicked my share no doubt. But I've equally had dealers, etc. say, "Make me an offer," and then when I do, they basically chew me out for even bothering. It's enough to make you fed up with the whole audio world.

I’m with you there, all the dick swinging can get pretty old.

I ask people for a photo with a handwritten note all the time. It's pretty standard procedure to confirm ownership over the internet

That being said AI has gotten pretty good at faking these photos so it's not a guarantee