The All Purpose Advice Thread

PM3 definitely sucks out of my galaxy s7 but if your phone does better and is comparable to a portable or desktop amp, that's cool.

I agree MSR7 scales better, and is probably the better sounding headphone for my personal preferences. With its brighter presentation and dipped lower middle but excentuated upper mids, I don't always consider it as a blanket recommendation. I think we've maybe had this conversation before lol...

Also the PM3 is probably a bit overpriced, even with build, especially in Europe.

 

Considering I do not find the HD650 veiled (unmodded), it seems my preference leans towards the smooth and less towards the texture that the MSR7 provides. The thing that interests me most is the dynamics and transient response especially for the intended use of an all rounder on the go.
Very overpriced in europe, especially compared to others - Focals, Nads, Meze, etc. I am not sure they are a step up from these contenders, but this one I have not owned. The others I did.

 

Yeah of that's what you're looking for IMO PM3 is a better fit

 

That was a typo on my part - I did mean the K553s. And thank you for confirming that there is a difference, as it was just odd and confusing to read people noting time and again that this specific AKG model had nearly identical characteristics to a completely different type of headphone.

 

Someone help me out with getting System of a Down on vinyl? Looking primarily for Toxicity, Mesmerize, and Hypnotize. I only see these colored repressing a from ebay.

 

Suggestions for a budget audio interface other than focusrite? I've had the Scarlett solo and the 2i2 fail on me in the year and half just pushing mic's. Fixed one myself, just to have the other fail within a week (This one's going to the shop). Around or under $200 w/ usb interface, direct monitor, and two mic inputs would be fantastic.. Thank you!

 

Steinberg UR22 comes to mind.

 

UE4 or Savannah? Price is fairly similar w/ Black Friday sale on the Savannah. Any personal preferences from people who've heard both?

 

FWIW I owned the Savanna, and if you can get past the colorful language this review should give you a clear idea of how they sound: http://www.headfonia.com/review-noble-savanna-special-girl/

Warmer source much recommended.

 

I have heard of System of a Down but am not familiar with them. I do have quite a bit of experience with vinyl. I would be afraid that those colored repressing from ebay are likely to be "unofficial" - LPs cut from CDs (or even MP3s) by who knows who. I just did a quick search and ended up on Discogs (link provided). I did not go through all of them. You might want to do that. The ones that I did look at showed either "unofficial" or picture discs. Picture discs are more for looking at than listening to, IMO. (They usually don't sound very good.)

I see that they are on American Recordings label. They were pressing LPs after many labels quit, so there may be some official LPs out there. From what I found, it does not look good. Sorry, Ryu.

https://www.discogs.com/search/?q=System+Of+A+Down+vinyl&type=all

Click on an album cover and then "Vinyl for sale".

 

Looked into this a bit further as the subject piqued my interest as well:

1. Every System of a Down colored LP is a bootleg (whether on eBay or otherwise) and per anecdotal evidence, while sound quality may vary, they are considered pretty good for the most part.
   • A few common markers exist in regards to the SoaD vinyl bootlegs (some of which are common for unofficial vinyl pressings)
     • Records are colored (blue, yellow, etc.) as opposed to plain or pictured.
       
     • Sleeves are flimsy and thin.
       
     • Have been marked as being "Made in Austria."
     • May actually say "unofficial" on sleeve and / or record.
     • American Records upside down flag logo is present with Columbia text printed underneath.
     • No vinyl release was ever made of their self titled album (marking any available as a bootleg.)
   • Sources:
     • http://boards.vinylcollective.com/t...has-represses/?do=findComment&comment=2086229
     • http://boards.vinylcollective.com/t...has-represses/?do=findComment&comment=2084623
     • https://www.reddit.com/r/vinyl/comments/35p8yv/system_of_a_down_toxicity_blue_vinyl/cr6rk34/
     • https://www.reddit.com/r/vinyl/comments/1xpuiy/pretty_sure_i_picked_up_a_bootleg_record/
     • https://www.reddit.com/r/vinyl/comments/1xpuiy/pretty_sure_i_picked_up_a_bootleg_record/cfdikz2/
2. A full listing plus actual pictures of the System of a Down's album releases (LP or otherwise) are available at http://soad-collection.e-monsite.com/pages/system-of-a-down.html
   • Quickly perusing Amazon, eBay, and Discog does reveal a number of official releases for sale and cross referencing the site above, identifying them from the bootlegs should be simple (though there is quite a bit of noise.)
     • Prices range from $60 - $200 for new and used. I'd personally contact the seller to confirm that it matches up with the official release.
     • Considering bootlegs range from $10 - $30 and appear to be of decent enough quality, I'd consider going that route.
   • I was somewhat disappointed to see that many of the official LPs are picture albums (apparently Serj and SoaD have a preference for them) and no information is available on how they were actually pressed.
3. Serj released many of his solo, collaborative and remix albums on vinyl and a few are still in print. If these pique your interest, they are available at http://serjtankian.com/collections/music
   
4. In 2013 during an AMA on Reddit, Serj noted that he was unaware that their vinyl pressings were out of print and would talk to Sony about it. Apparently nothing came of this.
   • Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1jg0ph/i_am_serj_tankian_ama_part_ii/cbeaiht/)
5. musiconvinyl.com uploaded a catalog listing for a re-release of Toxicity on LP in April of 2014, but later rescinded it, noting it was a mistake.
   • Source http://boards.vinylcollective.com/t...epress-on-mov/?do=findComment&comment=1870158)
6. In an interview with SoaD in October 2014, they deliberately shut down any questions about re-releasing their albums on vinyl.
   • http://boards.vinylcollective.com/t...has-represses/?do=findComment&comment=2085576
7. A few very limited edition vinyl releases were made of some of their music:
   • Sugar was released as a demo / promotional single on vinyl in 1999, curiously enough. Was never widely distributed nor put up for sale. https://www.discogs.com/System-Of-A-Down-Sugar/release/1868967
   • A vinyl release of Toxicity limited to twelve copies with a wood burned cover / sleeve was released in 2013. I was unable to find anything besides the discogs entry that describes it. https://www.discogs.com/System-Of-A-Down-Toxicity/release/7922166

Hope that helps!

Matasho

 

I have kind of always wanted to own an Audeze can. For better and worse, I kind of like the house signature. But I have never owned one doe to combination about concerns over price, weight/comfort and QC issues. Audeze is now having their Black Friday B-stock sale with returned/refurbed LCD-2s going for $499 with full warranty. But you don't get to pick color/fabric options (you get what you get "as is"). Thinking about giving it a shot especially given 30-day return period. OTOH, same $500 may be better spent having my PM-2 modded into a PMx2 or going towards an Elear or Andromeda. Cannot do it all. I know Audeze is not too loved here, but any thoughts on the LCD-2 at that price in light of other options.

I would say I could also put the $500 towards a Utopia but unfortunately that aint going to happen unless Utopia prices really drop a lot.

 

after owning and returning elears i dont think lcd2 are that bad anymore imho, but all that hype on headfi being them 650x2 people got disappointed me included...for that money i wish i am US citizen, try them and if you dont like them resell them on ebay for same price, they still cost more than 1k euro here, you have nothing to loose

 

If you like the Audeze sound, then there's nothing wrong with going for the LCD2 at $500.
Or...
Wait until people start selling them after they regret their impulse black Friday purchase

 

Good morning Colgin! Oh man, it sounds as if you were just hit hard by FoMO - the Fear of Missing Out, which is what these sort of semi unannounced sales are supposed to play on to get us to pony up for things we didn't even know we need! So instead of saying "should I take advantage of this sale?" Or "is this too good to pass up?" Let's look at if this is ACTUALY a good deal for you!

So here's what I think is valid for your frame of mind and situation:

• Second hand (and even mint condition with the warranty still valid) LCD-2s routinely go for $550 or so on eBay and HeadFi.
• The "sight unseen" doesn't effect the sound, but it removes a small, but significant sense of choice and control for what is a hefty purchase.
• It sounds like you already have a pair of headphones you enjoy and just wish to jump into the Audeze pool, even though you don't know exactly how deep this one is.
• Between all the options you listed, it doesn't appear you've had a chance to demo any of them yet (neither the LCDs nor the Focals.)

Now I think you can take a deep breath and realize that with second hand prices so low, you aren't missing out - $50 or 10% isn't a lot to pay to be able to make a reasoned, relaxed decision that you'll be less likely to regret (the good ol' buyers remorse that can come in spades with this hobby.)

To the actual purchase, paying $500 + shipping is a lot to demo a unit, plus the cost of shipping them back if you don't enjoy them or reselling them is a small, but significant hassle. That you are caught up between wanting to enjoy the Audeze sound, but are keeping a mind on the Focal, a whole other beast, sounds to me that you'd feel better if you paid a little money to take part in a loaner program or to spend the time and see if there is someplace near by that has these on offer.

And seeing you jump completely to the Utopia is a big warning sign for me, because I've demoed both the Elear (the little brother at "only" $1000) and the Utopia, discovering that I preferred the former! Note too that this was after Iwas caught in the spiral of thinking the Utopia was my eventual end game that I was going to save up for.

With all of that established, my advice would be to pass this sale up as it came on suddenly, forcing you to make a decision on the fly. Especially as the price isn't so great that you'll be missing out on a boom or bust opportunity and may end up in a corner you don't need to be in.

Generally, what it really sounds like you need isn't a new pair of headphones, but a little room to breath and that sort of space can be hard to come by when there are hundreds of these five minute deals crammed into the span of a few days.

Take a step back and a deep breath, know that you don't have to worry nor fear about missing out, and instead spend the time and energy looking for a place to demo the cans you are interested in, enjoy the day, or simply go on about as usual.

Matasho

 

Thanks for writing all of this. However a number of your assumptions are not correct (not that you could know) . I am familiar with both Focal and all Audezes. Unlike at HF people here are more skeptical of Audezes though and I was just curious whether people who have owned them thought $500 was a decent value. My earlier post probably wasn't that clear though. At $1000 I personally don't think they are worth it given alternatives. At that point I am probably looking at used Ether open as they would suit me better overall. But they are a lot more than $500. At sale price it seemed like it might be worth giving it a shot to see if sound signature was enough to make up for other demerits of Audezes . But this is probably something only I can answer.

I agree that Focal are very different sounding.

 

Sorry for the assumptions, I was mainly trying to calm the sort of urgency I know can overtake any of us when a great sale comes along that forces us to make an almost on the spot decision.

Anyway, can't say I've owned the Audeze, but I have had extended time with them and the build quality seemed tolerable, but not nearly on par with either of the Focals. As for the price, I think it's a fair one, but the sight unseen would personally bother me even if I could flip them easily plus as I noted, it's on par with what you can get them for second hand.

I'd personally pass as though I do think the price makes them worth it, it can be had at a similar one year round and you are right, you need to figure out if you want to collect or go for what sounds like an end game you already have in mind.

Matasho

 

LCD-2 are pretty heavy, almost broke my neck. So I stuck with 650.

 

Hi guys, I'm looking to pick up a pair of IEMs for running. Can anyone recommend a pair that they use? Thanks!