The All Purpose Advice Thread

This also reminds me to again look into a starting point for trying a planar. The Hifiman cans are planars from what I remember reading and could be a good place to start. I never heard a planar so this could be cool to try. I don't see the various Fostex as a good start. I could be wrong.

 

Are there any recommended generic powered USB hubs for connecting mobile devices to DACs? I've searched here (and elsewhere) and there is lots of mention of using them to avoid power draw from the phone/tablet, but very little about which ones are better or if it doesn't make any difference. I've seen mention of Anker hubs being "better", but nothing qualtitative to explain why.

Wyrd and other USB defuckifiers are obvious answers, but I'm wondering about generic devices not catering to the nervosa crowd.

 

you're actually not the first to suggest paradox. I'd rather go closed tbh. The issue now is, i've done enough of 'blind buying' to not do that anymore, and who knows how long it will be before i can even get a hold of some of these headphones. (P.S: i hated the beyers i've tried). The local shop has some good selection of a FEW headphones like mrspeakers aeon and a few others. At this point i think i'll just go to the local store and try out a bunch of stuff and buy what i like. my HOPE is that i wont miss headphones i'd have liked BETTER or smthg htat i'd have liked as good AND a lot cheaper just because it's not sold locally.

 

@gixxerwimp

Linear PSU's are by far and a way a better design choice than switching PSU's for audio. Considering the Wyrd has a linear PSU it's actually not bad in term of price. Those things are expensive and you'll be hard pressed to find something under $50 with a linear PSU. Will you hear a difference? Maybe... maybe not. But linear is the inherently superior design with the lowest noise, I think few people will argue that.

 

Has anyone had the chance to compare the HD650(KISS) and the Meze 99 Classics, obvious differences between open/closed backs aside?

I'm wondering whether it'd be feasible to swap my HD650 for the 99s given the high praise the latter's received within its category, or if I'd be better off simply purchasing the 99s as a complementary pair. I'm pretty sure that the latter option is my best bet, but I'd appreciate feedback from people who've listened to both headphones.

 

Get a dac with a battery?

Not ALL linear supplies are better than a switcher, but generally they are. And if someone finds a linear powered USB hub shoot me a link...............other than the pricey stuff.

Anecdotally the ifi $50 switching power supply for various devices has some saying it is good on their routers, external hard drives etc. so maybe it might power a hub nicely rather than the included usually poor switcher.

 

I've got one already (micro iDSD). No battery level indicator, so the occasional listening session gets involuntarily aborted. I could also use that as a DDC, but keeping it charged is a PITA (as are previously mentioned abortions).

The precise application I'm considering is using an old Android phone as a source and my non-battery-powered iDAC2 as a DDC for a TBD DAC (way too many TLCs), possibly Modi Multibit. This would be my budget route to convert USB to S/PDIF, repurposing gear I bought while riding the HF hype train.

I figure, if I'm going to spend Wyrd or hub+iPower money, I might as well plunk down for an Eitr, since that's the precise functionality I'm after.

Barring other suggestions, I guess the way to go would be to first try a generic powered hub with my iDAC2 > TBD-DAC and see how it sounds.

 

Using old and new Android phones as a source to feed a decent desktop dac compared to alternatives is probably one of the worst choices I made. Even tablets and Win tablets were subpar to me. I tried for years to get them to sound great, never happened. got off that train eventually.

Laptops, a bit better but those screens are noisy and it does affect usb sound and folks spend a fortune to try and fix it. If you can go with a quieter source the game gets a lot better and if you do things to keep all usb stuff minimal or eliminated except the dac, you don't need all the decrappers, etc.

And FYI, the Wyrd did nothing positive in the systems I used. At least it was in demand and I did not lose too much when I sold it.

 

I'm not sure if this is at all what you are looking for but I use a Novation USB audio hub almost daily. It has a DAC and a head-amp in it. Its DAC is neutral to my ears and works well enough. The head-amp is meh but it works.

From what I can tell, this is not a general consumer item and is meant for DJ's to plug various music and mixing gear into for playback. I got it at a music store in the amp/PA section, so that may be a place to look for one if not on-line. Note that I am not suggesting that 'DJ' means good quality at all. Its just what its intended purpose seems to be.

Since its meant for general audio gear use, it may handle a DAC, etc. Its recognized by Reaper DAW, and foobar2000 with not much issue at all. I ran it on W8.1 so far.

 

Hey everyone,

Looking for a headphone that is better than the HD800 but doesn't cost like $5,000 lol. Any recommendations would be very helpful.

Thanks!

 

There isn't one. Buy speakers.

 

Nice. I checked out the HD800 only once so I would like to see how people reply to this.

Better in what way? What is lacking and are you looking to improve?

 

Hd650m, Atticus/Eikon, HE1K.2, uhhh... That's my short list. Why?

 

I guess I am just checking. My HD800's are old and starting to fall apart. SO I guess it was more of a curiosity if any headphone was better.

 

Would you consider doing a long-term use review or assessment? That could be useful.

I have not taken the plunge on the HD800 due to lack of knowledge on this and how this relates to price.

 

I've never been a fan of the 800, so assuming you want the same sound, I'm not sure I should give advice on it. I like the Eikon as my end game FWIW.

 

Non-gear Q - I sent my CD player in for repair, and when it came back, the computer sized screws had clearly been reinserted with a drill (extremely tight fit). Got most of them out with brute force, but one won't come out The top is now stripped (the Phillips head, not the screw itself). Any suggestions are much appreciated.

 

Falling apart in what way? Maybe a repair, or are you just ready to try something different? If you enjoy the Sennheiser sound, upgrade to the 800 S model. For something different, look at planar magnetic.

 

Try the rubber band hack. Place a section of rubber band over the stripped head and use a Philips screwdriver to loosen the screw. Works on the youtube video not sure about real life.......................

 

@Ziva

You can also attach something to the the screw with 2-component super glue overnight, will be very tight. A small drop on the tip of an old screwdriver is usually enough. Just don't put on too much and let it leak down into the groves or you'll be effed.

Worst case things like this can always be drilled out... but that's not so nice.