The All Purpose Advice Thread

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

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  1. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Are the newer ZMF headphones are still on the heavier side of things? I had the Eikon and while I like the sound sig from that, it was just too heavy/bukly for my taste. Would like to spend up to $1500 for a headphone in the future that has a similar turning to the HD600. The Clear was a good step up except I hated the headphone band with a passion. Thinking about the Bifrost 2 with maybe the THX AAA that's on my desk and call it a day with a new headphone.
     
  2. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    For $1500 you can have my... HD600! :D

    Sure, they are beautiful. Why pay so much for something that is like them?
     
  3. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Cause I'm dumb and it is my money. Always curious on the trends.
     
  4. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    If your PC has enough juice to run the Roon core and RAAT networking generally there is no need for a dedicated Roon server. Certainly no SQ benefits if your endpoint is on pi2aes.
    But..if you want your Roon server quiet (fanless NUC?), immune from Windows patching and"upgrades" (ROC OS is Linux), where nothing can really screw your Roon database, dedicated NUC with ROC OS makes sense. My approach would be if you already have good PC use it for Roon server, if you are planning to get something new then NUC with ROC OS.
     
  5. johnnypaddock

    johnnypaddock Facebook Friend

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    If your budget stretches a little you could get a Verité on the used market for around $1800. They have an open design (less wood to weigh them down) and come standard with magnesium hardware which is lightweight. I found my pair to be a bit more comfortable than the Eikon.

    As for tuning, I think you could look at it as somewhat similar to the HD600 but it's very subjective of course. I found it to be on the warm side, with a more colored presentation compared with the relatively neutral HD600.
     
  6. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    @YMO I'm a bit hesitant to recommend the Verite as @johnnypaddock did for someone who is looking for a headphone similarly tuned to HD600. I love the Verite, but the tuning is definitely not for everyone. While technically superior, tonality is a bit off with uneven treble and lacking presence. Auteur would be a much better choice if you want to try a ZMF lineup that is similar to HD6x0 tuning. If weight is a concern, I highly recommend getting the Auteur w/ magnesium chassis, as it will shave off the weight considerably.

    Comfort:
    Sennheiser HD 6x0 > any ZMF w/ magnesium chassis > Focals >>> Audeze LCDs
     
  7. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    Has anyone played with the HeadAmp Pico dac/amp? Is it any good? It uses the older WM8741 flagship DAC, and the amp part was rated very highly on innerfidelity. Just wondering if it is worth anything in SQ.
     
  8. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

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    Quick question: Picked up a TR-X00, good deal for casual listening. Anything to be gained with a Fulla 2 over my Leck UHA-6S MKii? (Source laptop.) The Fulla 2 has a 6.5mm jack so that's appealing, but maybe I should leave well-enough alone...
     
  9. nerone

    nerone New

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    Since the last version (1.7) Roon team said that Roon OS is now the best OS to run Roon. Previously they always said Windows was better for some needs due to the use of Microsoft .NET Core Runtime that is now added to Roon OS.

    https://blog.roonlabs.com/roon-1-7-valence/

    I've assembled and installed some Roon Rock for friends and considering it's reliability and lack of fussing around, It's a great option.
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The natural step up for Modi Multibit would be Bifrost. Gungnir is higher performance but more bitchy to get right. Tonally the Bifrost and MM are more similar to each other than Gungnir MB tonally. Gungnir can sound cool and needs other synergies to make up for this unless you just like the sound as it is. Also, Gungnir MB RCA output is hazy, so you really need to use the XLR outputs for best performance.

    Consider DT880 or DT990 (U shaped), but the 600 and 250-ohm models respectively. The higher impedance models are more resolving of fine details and more nuanced in terms of volume levels. You may need to resort to EQ, especially on the DT990.

    Sennheiser HD650 or 600 might also be options. Of the woody Drop TH-XX headphones for something a bit different but not too expensive. Heck, Grados even, but with the TTVJ pads. Basically any dynamic is great with the WA6SE, which a fine amp, and my favorite Woo amp. If you want something similar to WA6SE in solid-state form, I would say Asgard 3 or Black Widow (if you can find one). If you want something that has slightly differently flavor and more solid-state sound (but good solid-state), ask me again on Black Friday.

    Beyer A2 amp is a colossal rip-off. Buy the AliExpress knockoff for $75 if you really like its sound.
     
  11. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    I heard it ages and ages ago so my memory is very fuzzy. It was nice... but $500 nice? A decade ago when iBasso was your only real competition? Sure. But nowadays you can get a complete DAP that also functions as a dac/amp that's smaller and lighter with arguably the same/better sound, and possibly cheaper.
     
  12. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    A friend of mine bought a much-used Audio Research D - 160 amp. He is good at servicing but needs a service manual especially detailed circuit diagrams. Is there a legal/easy way of getting this? Thanks
     
  13. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    It wouldn't hurt to ask AR directly. Many companies help people in need so who knows? Maybe they'll help?
     
  14. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

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    This manual has detailed diagrams:

    https://audioresearch.com/ar-package/d160_manual_schem-pdf/
     
  15. Leito360

    Leito360 New

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    Hello. New member here.
    First of all, my headphones: SHP 9500 (32 Ohm, i know, they don't need an amp). I also use a set of passive speakers that came bundled with a stereo from Sony (LBT-D105). I won't change any of my gear in the near future, i'm not interested right now in do it so.
    Main use: Gaming (please, don't put me with all those people who likes RGB and buy everything that has a "gaming" tag on it, i like to inform myself before buying something and my PC has zero RGB), but I also listen to even more and more FLACs with each day, and I also enjoy watching movies on my PC.

    I started to look for a better audio solution than the onboard audio of my PC when i bought the SHP 9500 and then I learned about the EVGA Nu Audio (I think that probably every audiophile hates it because it is internal), the idea was to get the NU for $150 on sale, then I started reading and, since I want it to last for several years, the drivers/software will become a problem because someday will have some incompatibility with the OS, or won't be supported by it at all.

    My first option was the DX3 Pro from Topping. It is more expensive than the NU by 70 bucks, assuming I will get the card for $150. I learned about the DX3 Pro issues when it first came out, and then I learned that Topping made several revisions to the device, and now its HP output impedance is <10 Ohm, in theory, that will generate distortion to my SHP 9500.

    I'm seriously considering to get the Topping MX3, as you may know, it's technically inferior than the DX3 Pro, but it has the same functionality overall.
    Some people said to me that I should get the Schiit Hel because (it really has) everything i need, but I find it quite expensive, and my biggest problem with that unit is that I need to unplug the headphones to make the line out active... so i will have to plug and unplug them every time I want to listen to music or a movie through my speakers... that's practically a deal breaker for me, but I had to admit that it's fantastic how it can drive cans with high impedance.

    Important fact: most of my information and assumptions came from reading ASR. I know they aren't very popular here, and I personally think that the judgement of Amirm is heavily biased in some of his reviews.
    Also, ZeosPantera (From Z reviews) basically "sold me" the Mx3.

    My questions are:

    1) Is the NU Audio a truly crappy option for $150? Is it inferior to the other three DAC/AMPs I listed in the post? (I already know it's a USB DAC/AMP that connects to the PC through a PCIE-USB bridge)

    2) Am I going to have a bad performance if I connect my SHP 9500 to the DX3 Pro? (considering that the DX3 has an output impedance of <10 Ohm)

    3) Is the Topping MX3 as shitty as Amirm said in his review? Because Zeos said that it was a pretty cool unit, capable of manage 50 Ohm HP without trouble when it shouldn't suppose to, so i'm kinda confused.

    4) Should I seriously consider the Schiit Hel? I really don't like the price, and also I don't like what I said about the line out, but again, I'm a newbie in this area.
     
  16. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

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    I used shp9500 for a couple years as my work headphones and they sounded great from a Fulla 2. I recommend checking out the Fulla 3, which has a mic input. If you want a good mic the vmoda boom pro works great with the 9500.

    P.s. there are 2 line outs on the Fulla 3 and at least one of them is always active even with headphones plugged in.
     
  17. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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  18. Leito360

    Leito360 New

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    Thank you for your answer, what about the other options I have available?
     
  19. Sound N00b

    Sound N00b New

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    What spinfit single flanged tip fits the blon bl-03 best? The 2 which seem most likely to work are the cp100 and cp145. Would one work better than the other on the blon?
     
  20. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    My bl-03 came with various tips (supposedly current production has more tips than first run), with one set resembling the single flanged spinfits a lot, in S/M/L size. I put those on in 'L' and those worked well so far. I have CP100 in L as well, did not yet use them since it seemed unnecessary. Will tip-roll later on if I feel like it but stock comfort/sound is good.

    The bl-03 is surprisingly good sounding since I bought it as a cheap-as-f**k beater IEM.
     
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