The All Purpose Advice Thread

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

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  1. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

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    That page is a little confusing though - the small print for UPS Standard items under $800 (tt), if I'm reading it right, seems to suggest they could charge $28.75. But I note your experiences and those of @wormcycle .

    No disagreement there!
     
  2. Pogo

    Pogo Friend

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    @wormcycle has it right - I handle import logistics for my company,have for 30+ years.
    If you can ship via your countries postal service, do so. It will be handed off to our USPS for delivery here and the USPS does not collect duties, entry fees,,exam,brokerage or disbursement fees on person to person items with a value < $500. Even if it has a product origin of China. But Ups,Fedx and DHL are well set up to Bill and collect these fees from consignees, private or commercial. And yes, especially on China origin goods although our tariffs by no means are limited to Chinese goods.
    EMS (intl express/airmail) is a great option for us in the US. For exporting, maybe not so much for the consignee, depends on what country they are in.
     
  3. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Anyone heard the Sennheiser momentum 3 wireless? Looking into some wireless headphones to go with my ipad and iphone.
     
  4. Armaegis

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    I haven't heard the 3, but I have the 2 and used to own or have heard the previous iterations as well. Sound progression over the generations was very small incrementally, so I doubt there's anything groundbreaking here. Frankly, the price of the 3 is almost doubled for something that's heavier and has less battery life. Chances are the ANC has improved a bit, but beyond that I can't see it being worth the huge price bump over the 2. Heck, go grab the HD1 which is sort of like a quarter generation before the 2 and even cheaper yet.
     
  5. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Hmm unfortunately i can't find the HD1 anywhere and i'd like to buy new because there are batteries involved. And the 2 is the same price here as the newer 3 (€350). I have a first gen momentum on ear i use in bed of which the sound sig is not offensive, bit too bassy and warm but not annoyingly so. Plus it survived a puppy attack and is still going strong this day.

    The Sony and Bose alternatives are quite a bit cheaper but i get the impression the Senns are better voiced.
     
  6. jnak00

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    Are you not able to try them at a store? I have the Sony, and like them, but they are on the bassy side too. The ANC on them is quite good too. Haven't heard the Senns though.
     
  7. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Only seems to be available online here. But we have a law here that online purchases can be returned without reason within 14 days. Not that i want to abuse that nor have the inconvenience of sending it back so i want to get it right beforehand by weighing my options.
     
  8. Armaegis

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    @Riotvan
    Bose: Really great ANC for constant noises like the whine of plane engines. Variable sound like people don't fare quite as well. Very lightweight, good comfort. Sound quality is acceptable, though don't expect much reach at either end. Passive isolation is meh, probably due to the lighter frame.
    Sony: Slightly better ANC for variable noises. Heavier frames, heavier sound, better passive isolation.
    Sennheiser: I think technically lags a bit behind Bose and Sony for ANC, but it's mostly an academic difference these days. Personally the most comfortable for me, but also warmest.

    My experiences here are 1 or 1.5 generations old though, from when I was shopping around last year. I haven't heard the latest toys for any of them.
     
  9. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Hmm yeah, i'm still leaning towards the Sennheiser. I like the fact you can pair up two devices at the same time and it will switch automatically.
    To be fair ANC is not high on my priority list, it's mostly for use walking outside with the dog and it's not terribly noisy where i live. Not sure about the others but for the momentum 2 you can get a new battery which is easy enough to replace. Probably the same with the 3.

    There is also the PXC550-II now which might be interesting, a bit cheaper but no transparant hearing which is something that is probably good to have for safety.
     
  10. Metro

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    You'll appreciate the ANC when you use it on an airplane flight. However, although Bose and Sony may have better ANC, on an airplane the Sennheiser should still work well because cancellation is so effective against constant drone. I think any of these headphones will meet your needs and you should try them in person for fit/comfort in addition to sound quality. When I was trying out ANC headphones a couple of years ago, Bose QC35 had the roomiest and most comfortable fit but I ended up with Sony for its ANC on my daily train commute.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2020
  11. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    I’m gonna order the Sennheisers and see if i like them to be done with it. Can only do so much reading and my head is spinning. They tick most of the boxes or at least the most important ones.
     
  12. animus

    animus Almost "Made"

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    I’ve been doing a lot of researching and auditioning and need some advice on DACs. At the moment I’m sitting and waiting on stuff that will/might be coming out soon, but wondering if anyone here can chime in on my little dilemma.

    Basically, I’m looking for something to pair with my BHA-1 and HEDDphone. For those of you who haven’t heard the HEDDphone, it’s Utopia-esque with less jagged treble, better bass extension, a wider stage, and a more (if not completely) upfront presentation. Currently I’m looking at the typical DACs talked about on this forum; the Schiit stuff, the Soekris stuff, as well as some of the pro audio DACs that are praised on here. However, I have issues with all of the following:

    The only Schiit DAC I’ve heard was the Yggdrasil A2. I was pretty impressed by how it did 3D staging and layered. But I couldn’t get past the timbral density and mushiness in the lower midrange area, and the hazy grey background was a nuisance. I’ve heard the Gungnir A2 is less warm and more lean, and that sounds like my preferred tonal balance, but it seems like a Gungnir 2 ala Bifrost 2 may be in the cards soon, and I’m not sure if it (the A2) actually fixes my issues with the thick timbre (not so much tonality).

    I liked the Soekris 1541 when I first heard it. Hard hitting attack transients and a clean, pristine sound signature. Then the problems began to creep in. It layers... kinda badly, if I’m being completely honest. With my IER-Z1R I think my WM1A layered better, and 1A is not exactly a layering champ. The staging was nothing to write home about either, unlike the Yggdrasil or my 1A. And it decayed too fast. Someone on here described it as a “here are the notes” presentation and that’s exactly how I feel about it. Some nuance is lacking. And I really could use a bit more dynamics, it’s possibly a tad too laidback. The 1541 has been discontinued, likely meaning a successor is in the works, and I’m waiting on that. But no guarantees I can hear one without buying it, and no guarantees it will fix any of my issues with the 1541.

    The Matrix X-Sabre Pro is one I’ve actually heard with the full setup that’s planned. Initially I thought it was pretty good. That is, until I used my WM1A as a source into the BHA-1. Instantly I realized that the X-Sabre’s tonal balance was screwing with the HEDDphone; it seemed to emphasize a center midrange oddness and uncanny valleyness not dissimilar to the Utopia’s honk. That one got wrote off the list immediately.

    Now onto the stuff I haven’t heard but am speculating about.

    The Dangerous Convert 2 sounds great on paper. Unrelenting dynamics, monster slam, the kind of shit I love. Only people seem to report that the stage is all kinds of fucked up, and I’m thinking it might make the already intense and upfront HEDD way too intense and upfront. Reeling it back in a little for some breathing room might be a smarter decision.

    The Crane Song Solaris almost feels like the opposite of my preferences. Laidback, airy, relaxed. I feel like I’d get annoyed with the lack of intensity. That and the waiting list that quite a few have reported turns me off from it.

    So that brings me to where I am now. Any suggestions?
     
  13. Ice-man

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    Best price for a DAP that can reasonably drive the hd58x. I'm a low to medium level listening and the features aren't very important. At least one card slot would be nice though.
     
  14. EagleWings

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    A used Hiby R6 for $350. But if you intend on using multi-BA IEMs, stay away from the R6. What are the other headphones/IEMs you plan on using and other general requirements?
     
  15. Baten

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    I'd personally recommend the Fiio M11, they can go for low in B-stock/used deals, with newest firmware it is a solid DAP. M11Pro(AK4497) and M15(AK4499) are only tiny incremental updates. The M11 with AK4493 is really good value imo. It's still 'velvet sound' AKM though, so keep that in mind. For on the go or at the office it works well.
     
  16. Ice-man

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    Mostly just plan to use this with the 58x as a transportable. There is a slight chance that I might go back to some iem's in the future but maybe not. Wifi not necessary. Just want to play music from the player and have good synergy with the 58x.
     
  17. wbass

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    Question about single-ended outputs on Schiit DACs:

    Based on searching the forums here, the Gungnir MB balanced outs are widely preferred to the SE outs. The difference between XLR and RCA outs on the Yggdrasil, however, is not as pronounced? The Yggdrasil's SE outs are not "gimped," in other words, correct? @atomicbob measurements, I believe, suggest as much.

    The Bifrost 2, by all accounts, does fine with both outs.

    Related: How about the Holo DACs? Balanced and SE outs are both good?

    I'm considering either the Yggdrasil GS or a Holo Spring (Level 1) for use with both a DNA Starlett and a Liquid Platinum.

    Already have a Gungnir MB that I'll be moving to my 2-ch system.

    Thanks for any thoughts.
     
  18. Metro

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    Nor the Gungnir, according to Jason Stoddard:

    https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-audio-bifrost-2.914084/post-15347597
    If you go back to the chapters that explain the products, here's what we said: Yggdrasil and Gungnir have summed single-ended outputs to retain the benefits of their hardware-balanced configuration (2 DACs per channel). Bifrost does not need summed outputs SE outputs, because it is not hardware balanced (a significantly less expensive approach).

    Due to this summing, the SE outputs measure differently, but if you go through all the nervosa where people tried balanced out from Gungnir and Yggdrasil though transformers, or used only a single phase, the results were inferior (or at least not superior) to summing.

    We didn't add the summing in to "gimp" the output. We added it to improve the output.

    Believe me, at the cost of producing Yggdrasil and Gungnir, if we didn't need to add it, we wouldn't have. So, seriously, let's stop this talk of "gimping." Repeating hearsay is never good. Especially when it's an opinion based on a misconception.

    https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...most-improbable-start-up.701900/post-15403342
    But, let me (again) dispel the notion that SE is "gimped" in any of our products. As I've said before, SE in Yggdrasil and Gungnir is summed from the balanced outputs, in order to retain the benefits of hardware balancing (that is, using one DAC per phase). SE is summed with a simple 2-JFET summer, and the balanced analog stage itself is also composed of 2-JFET buffers in these hardware balanced DACs.

    This is in contrast to Bifrost 2, which does not use hardware balancing, but derives its balanced and SE with op-amps (LME49724, as noted previously.) This is a completely different topology, so it will sound different (it absolutely measures differently!)

    If there's any confusion as to the topology/hardware balancing/output stages/etc, the Specs tab on every product tells what's in it.

    I personally prefer Bifrost 2 to Yggdrasil, through whatever output. But that's IMO. YMMV. And it's filtered by the fact I like the form factor. But not because the outputs of the bigger DACs are "gimped."
     
  19. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Yeah, the balanced outs on the Yggdrasil are better. At least for the A2.

    Bifrost 2 is the only one where that's not the case.
     
  20. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    So, split opinions on SE on the Gungnir and Yggdrasil....

    But some feel that Bifrost 2 SE > Gungnir MB SE ?

    But Gungnir Multibit XLR is still > Bifrost 2 XLR ?

    And Yggdrasil XLR or SE > Gungnir Multibit or Bifrost 2 ?


    Sorry for the tedious questions. I'm looking to make a smart buy on a second DAC to use with the DNA Starlett (which is only SE in). I might also go with a Holo DAC as a different flavor to the Gungnir Multibit I already have. I suppose the concern is that I'm not getting everything I can out of the the Starlett with the Gungnir Multibit SE.

    But, heck, if Jason feels like the SE outs are fine on Gungnir Multibit and Yggdrasil, maybe I lose the nervosa on it.
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2020
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