The All Purpose Advice Thread

Thanks for the response! I live in southeast asia unfortunately. Where i live in specialty hifi retailers are few and far (they usually only carry portables from big brands like senn, AT, beats etc)Shipped goods are subjected to government taxes beyond a certain amount ($400), and i usually pay for express shipping since im an impatient mofo The audiophile headphone community here is pretty small and scattered. Not alot of used deals i could hunt for locally.

Got most of my gear thus far from amazon, or direct from schiit, with a couple of good used deals locally (oppo pm3, ak jr)

Currently running
DAC: Modi (first version)
Amp: Valhalla 2
HP: HD650

 

So I have gotten tired of my closed back headphones and I was wondering if my current setup is adequate for an upgrade to the HD650. I am also kind of confused on the connection used on the HD650. Does it have a 3.5mm jack or a 1/4inch jack on the end? What is an XLR connection and why is it relevant to the headphone?

 

The stock cable has a 1/4" jack. If your amp doesn't have an XLR connection, then you don't need to worry about it.

What is your current setup?

 

The 650 comes with a 10ft cable that erminates in a 1/4", however it also comes with a nice adapter to turn it into a 1/8" (3.5mm). XLR uses 4 pins (instead of 3) to use a balanced connection. You would either need a new cable, or reterminate the stock one, in order to use XLR. However, it is all moot unless your amplifier supports a balanced output

 

Thanks for the extra info. I would say jump on that hd800. Probably a good deal for your location, and the valhalla2 is capable enough to give you a good idea of the difference between hd800 and hd650. Enjoy!

 

I see no reason a Modi/Magni stack wouldn't sound good with the HD650.

 

Marv:

I was about to pull the trigger on the Orbit Plus when I saw your comment. The Plus is 300 bucks. Between this and the VPIs is a huge gap price wise. Any thoughts on a good (not necessarily great) value proposition? I have to import the equipment and then start buying LPs (but that's a different story).

Thanks

 

Ravi:

The LP-1240 is sold in India at prices between 600-950 USD ! Go figure...

 

Go with small monitors, preferably with built in amplifiers so you only need a power cord and signal cord for the DAC. Try out a few and trust your ears. Get a sense for the sweet spot and you find out which one suits you.

 

@Koth Ganesh How is the Debut Carbon priced in your area? I feel like it's good value for the money.

 

USD equivalent is $900

 

Yikes! Nevermind on that one, then.

 

Been lurking for a good while (previously on Changstar obvs), seeking some advice (obvs x2). Anyway, I've got a pair of Fidelio X2 I've been using for over a year as well as Beyer DT-880 that I've had much longer, run off an Asgard 2. I think you can look up the rest of my entry level gear in my profile tho it's mostly portable stuff etc.

The Beyers were my first decent pair of headphones over $50, still kinda attached to them as far as comfort, build, etc but I've been preferring the Fidelio X2's sound sig; the latter are also marvelous for gaming yet they definitely don't work for all my music. The Beyers work better for some of it but I guess I'm reassessing whether to keep em or what. In some cases I even prefer the NAD HP50, though I mostly only use those for watching TV.

The HP50 are usually by my HT/TV, the X2 & DT-880 are in my home office where I invariably spend much more time (one might bounce back and forth). I looked at the HD600 when getting the DT-880 but they were priced pretty high back then and the build quality didn't look very convincing. Everything I read and have read since has me thinking I'd like to try them at some point tho, and Amazon is running that $400 + $150 gift card deal...

I'm just worried they'll be a bit too similar to the X2 to my untrained ears, despite preferring the latter I actually like having the DT-880 as something different to compare and contrast (and even the HP50)... I'll be adding a Modi 2U soon, maybe even a Vali 2 which I'm curious about (probably keep both & move whichever amp I like least to the living room). Thoughts? Should I be looking more at the HE-400S?

Am I just looking at too many side grades? I actually like comparing stuff and living with it for a while to figure out what I like, just haven't had a lot of time for direct comparisons lately and demoing stuff down in PR is challenging (read: impossible) so I prefer buying and reselling whatever I end up liking least or not using much.

Having three pairs of nice headphone (and 2 being open + 1 closed) is actually working out alright as far as having them in different rooms for different purposes, etc... But I'm not into collecting so I'd probably stick to 2-3 max, and I don't see myself spending much more than what I've stated on amp/sources. I guess I'm not (yet?) married to a specific sound, I like my lean Ety IEM as much as the fun albeit low end Xiaomi Pistons, my fun V-Moda XS, etc.

Hopefully at least one of you reads thru that diatribe... Otherwise I guess I'll keep waffling in private or go back home to my other hobbies at DPReview, Hard|Forum, etc.

 

TL;DR for my wall o' text above... Looking at HD600 for $250 to complement my Fidelio X2 and perhaps supplant my DT-880 for music.

Between sound sig (fun but spacious) and build/ergo the Fidelio X2 are just about perfect for gaming, I like them with some music but the bass is too heavy on other, similar hit/miss issue with the Beyer. I just want something that better complements most of my eclectic music collection (perhaps particularly when it comes to vocals)...

I'm not outright unhappy with the DT-880 but they definitely seem to work better with some of my music than the rest. I still want something that's distinct enough from the X2 to warrant keeping both, and I'm unlikely to invest in gear beyond the Asgard 2/Vali 2 price point. Would probably replace the Senn cable but just for something cheap/short.

Not sure if I'm just going in circles by looking at the HD600, if I should be considering something like the HE-400s, or if I should just save my money for camera lenses and PC hardware.

 

Nope, at least the Mogami Gold xlrs were not very good, dull, vague, and mundane.

As for RCA, these are better than Belkin, Monoprice, BlueJeans, diy cat 5, diy belden, etc.

Canare GS-6 and they are cheap!

Oh, and in some systems, removing the steel strain relief can have a positive effect, just be careful when removing cables.

 

thank you for the advice @bixby

I need about 6 FT and I found these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canare-GS6-...hash=item2313c663a5:m:mUEUF30UwMfiNa7ZmRPlHcw

They have a best offer option so I could probably get the pair for around $20 id the seller is generous.

 

One last question @bixby - what RCA extension cables can you recommend? DO these look ok (they aren't for serious audio , just for regular audio):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190836897682?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Pretty good price for 3 meter pair of RCA extension cables,

Or do you think these are better and are they the correct kind of RCA Extension cables:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/3m-Pure-OFC...108627?hash=item3cf452db93:g:XRIAAOSwBahU8j1J