The All Purpose Advice Thread - Part 2

Thanks for that, I truly needed some rabbit holes to explore to help me forget the rabbit holes I am lost in!! Will do just that.

 

Couldn't share image....

https://ibb.co/FxXcqTv
Crap, have to click a link, sorry about that. But the top is the mofi and bottom is gold remaster. What image hosting do you all use?

 

You can use Imgur, it's what I've been using for a few years now— should have made the move sooner, frankly, as a lot of my earliest posts on here where I used tinypic etc no longer have the embeds, gah.

Just upload to the service, keep it "hidden" (this is a default setting I recall), copy the IMAGE LINK by right clicking the uploaded image (not the album link in the address bar after upload), and then paste that link into the text box that pops up when you click the icon that looks like a photo with some mountains and a sun overhead in the reply box here, the one to the immediate right of the smiley face.

 

Here I'm simply doing screen snip/paste into the forum.



Looking purely at the image, the bottom (remaster) appears boosted through most of song, except from 5-7min where it seems to be compressed which seems to fit with @Biodegraded 's comment.

 

Ya, I am not that educated with the why of those difference, but that is the same song. Dissimilar looking in so many ways, stretched and squished... I am sure this is normal. Just never looked before.

 

The jacket on my HD800 cable tore (the rubbery part near one side of the earpiece connector). The wires don't look frayed at all now I look more closely... but on the other hand the protection on my Lyr 3 kicked in (I think) in a way that I suspect had something to do with this and/or my probably inadequate attempts to paper over the damage with a lot of electrical tape.

I got a used fancy cable, but I preferred how the stock one sounded and would like to fix it so I can use it again (200 bucks for a replacement seems pricey). What good options do I have for this? Am I going to have to get soldering equipment and prepare for surgery, or is there an easier solution that doesn't put me at increased risk of later spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on DIY tube amps?

 

Not sure where that last sentence came from or what it's about, but if you're not used to soldering small parts then your best move is to get a Sennheiser replacement cable. The original HD800 cables are actually quite good and you could do a lot worse with aftermarket cables.

You could also do a lot better for $2k but if you want to save money and don't know how to solder small parts just get a replacement cable.

 

@Wilewarer I'll add that you might be able to buy a stock cable second hand as some people don't use theirs after going custom. Try a WTB thread here or on a larger audio marketplace. Might get lucky with a little patience.

 

The Y segment, ie the separate cables to each side, of my HD800 original cable is falling apart in that the outer insulation is splitting longitudinally. I am the second owner, so the the whole thing might be a decade old --- but I don't see why such a cable could not be made to last. Not good.

I thought of using heat-shrink sleeving, but an SBAF member pointed out that it is actually quite stiff. It also has to be large enough to go over the 'phone-end plugs for a solderless repair.

I've just bound it up with tape. Not great, but good enough for my these-days limited listening. A stock replacement was not available here last time I looked. Thanks for the reminder, I must check that again.

 

Definitely put up a WTB ad here or elsewhere when you can, as many who use aftermarket cables don't keep the stock ones. I already gave mine away here otherwise I'd help you out.

If you go the repair route, you can see if someone here or elsewhere can take a look unless you want to learn how to repair/build cables for fun. If you get a basic multimeter that can test continuity you might be able to figure out if/which wires are touching and isolate them. The HD800 cables I have worked on are enameled so usually ok if exposed, but if you have significant damage I suppose it could have gotten rubbed off and be creating a short.

 

So I had some money recently and have spent it on two amps here. Pietus Maximus and Valhalla 2. I have HD6XX, K702, MDR-Z7, TYGR 300 R and some iems. I don't get money to waste (gf's thoughts I am sure) and I have 229 smackers left. I almost bought a second pair of 6XX. Not sure if I should grab those or just wait for more money to escape the Mrs notice for something else. Or is there something that is as much fun as the 6XX around that price point? Any advice? I would save for an Urd but it will be obsolete by the time I put those funds together.

 

Do you have a DAC? If not maybe a Modi Multibit. There's a MM1 up on eBay right now for $160. Otherwise I'd probably get a used HD600 instead of another HD6XX, since 6XX is basically HD650, and you can see the differences between the two. Search on HifiShark.

 

+1 what @internethandle said. Did you ever specify what source/DAC you were using, Sofa? Can't recall

 

I do not have a DAC for the Valhalla, PMax has on board, just use DAPs foe VH. The DAC thought was forefront in my head. Will the Modi will help out the VH that much? And tha 600 idea is stellar, so simple I looked right over it! Fricken' love comparing. I really appreciate the ideas @internethandle and @Lyander.

 

Yeah the VH2 responds well to proper desktop DAC's -- I used it with both a Bifrost 1 Multibit and a OG Bifrost 2, showed the differences pretty plainly. Regardless, most DAPs are gonna have a delta-sigma chip in them (probably ESS or something similar), and a Modi Multibit will sound different, since it's multibit -- better or not might just come down to your tastes. I would bet better, though.

 

Thanks, I love thought snacks!

 

Hah, I just meant that I probably shouldn't get super into DIYing stuff... but I'd be pretty tempted if I started getting tools for it. Lots of cool stuff out there.

Anyway, the punchline is that despite the cable looking kinda dodgy, a bit more testing with other amps/HPs implies that actually either the tube or the amp is the problem. I'll have to figure that out later, but still glad I asked, because some of this advice will be worth keeping in mind. Thanks everyone.

 

Might be some corrosion on the tube pins or socket. Try re-seating the tube as a first step. The friction from doing so can be enough to deal with light corrosion. One of my amps is prone to getting static-y from corrosion on the pins. Sorts it out every time. Though that amp doesn't have a protection circuit so I might be way off. Got a spare tube?

 

I plan to buy an office stack, I am considering Pietus + ETA mini C or S.

I did not find any info on this combo, has anyone tried it ?

I can consider any other heaphone and dac/amp, but must be respectively closed and one box, and similar budget.

 

Im considering adding a sub to my tv setup now that ive moved into my house, but id have to update my setup for audio on the tv to do so. I'm not looking for surround/5.1 or anything, just want 2.1. So I started looking for preamps with bass control/subwoofer outputs, and like the only thing I could find was the emotiva pt1/2.

Anyone have any suggestions in this area?