The All Purpose Advice Thread

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

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  1. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

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    Quick DAC advice, if anyone has a minute:

    I've got a GO450 as a DAC. Is Fulla 2, Modi 2 or 2U an upgrade as DAC or is the next affordable upgrade the Modi Multibit? (Open to other brands, of course.) Amp will be Magni 3, headphone a HD600, so my headphones may be the weak link in my chain.

    Thanks all!
     
  2. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    You are suffering from upgradeitis. The cure for that is to go buy your kid a new bike and an ice cream. There's no resale on that, but it's a better return on investment in the long run.
     
  3. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

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    That may be! I'm actually very happy with my HD600 and I have no amp currently. Going off of my GO450. But since I'm going to order a Magni 3, I thought about getting an exteral dac as well...
     
  4. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    As a guy who's been dragging his feet trying to write up a shootout between several kilobuck dacs, I think dacs are a losing game and hit that wall of diminishing returns so fast. Unless you can sell the go450 for decent coin to fund the next one, I wouldn't bother. (that said, I don't know how good the GO450 is so I'm just blithering out my blah hole)
     
  5. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    as a GO2A Special Edition owner and modi multibit, if you are going magni3
    and IF you have the coin laying around order the modi multibit and be done for a long while.
    yes modi multibit DAC should be an easy, discernible move up from GO450.
     
  6. kida

    kida New

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    Not sure if this would help, but back when I was choosing my iem, I brought my lowly DAP and auditioned the whole JH audio line-up among others at a local shop. I had this same feeling about them being veiled. Then I put the andromeda on and the rest is history. I’d suggest you try them all out if you can, but I can assure you that andromeda is much clearer in clarity.

    These are the brands I auditioned back then (mostly full line-up & TOTL of the brand): JH audio, Noble, Campfire Audio, and UE

    Now my problem is inversed to yours: the Andromeda + ZX2 (which Igot after the andro) sound is much better/clearer than my hd650 setup and I need to get a better amp to hopefully lift the veil. o_O
     
  7. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    I'd really like to stay with a custom. I've yet been able to get a good seal and fit with universal.
     
  8. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    WRT your sound choices + custom, AAW W900? Any particular price point/voicing you're looking for?
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2017
  9. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    I've never heard a set of universals that could compete on isolation or seal with my customs. Better sound overall? Sure. But not a better seal. I don't pretend to have heard everything though. Closest were some etymotics with the ear-raping triple-flange tips, but still not as good in that area.
     
  10. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    The longer your in this hobby, the longer smaller things in equipment start to bug the shit out of you. There's a level of resolution and flavor in the higher tier of amps you don't get in something like the Modi Multibit. That said, in that higher echelon, it becomes mostly up to taste. For example, i hate some sonic attributes of the Gungnir Multibit
     
  11. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    It is definitely true that neither Modi Multibit nor Gungnir Multibit does amplification very well.
     
  12. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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  13. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    Thank you. This gives me some options to look into.
     
  14. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    After talking with and bugging everyone I could, I've narrowed down to two choices (with some sub-choices I guess: )

    1) The Dragon Inspire IHA-1/ampsandsound Kenzie Encore + Amethyst - I'm mostly staying with Dynamic drivers for now. To be honest...nothing in the Orthodynamic space has appealed to me for years. It's all kind of...shit. I can't explain it. The only Ortho I enjoyed in the past two years as the HE-1000, and I can't pay that much for that headphone. That said, it mostly comes down to how much I like the Amethyst and if I want to go down the Tube route. Since all the good tubes that aren't three grand are all SET, so I'm going to go with the DAC that, from what understand, is better than the Gungnir Multibit. Luckily, Zach is sending me that one, so I'll know for sure. So, unless Zach talks me into a balanced Taboo IV with a Yggdrasil, this is most likely what I'm going with. Truthfully, the Decware Taboo IV takes too long to get, and I'm not going to wait that many months.

    I'm aware that the upgraded Mogwai isn't completely up to par with the IHA-1, but it seems like the upgraded Kenzie Encore just might be. Unfortunately, I haven't found any comparisons between those two. If you guys have some, that would be awesome.

    or

    2) The Schiit Ragnarok + Schiit Yggdrasil - This is my back-up option if I hate the Amethyst or decide not to get into that "tube-life." I could have done the NFB27.77 for cheaper (as I understand it, the entire Master 9 is shoved into the NFB7.77, and it apparently gets close to the Yggdrasil as far as the DAC is concerned. However...the discord figured out that the issues are related to QC and I'm play that game enough with computer parts, haha.) I figured, if I'm getting a solid-state, I may as well go balls to the f'ing wall. I'd be spending about $200 more than even the Taboo IV with the upgrades + Amethyst, but...it's the goddamn Yggdrasil. I'll figure out the balanced tube life later.


    Right now, the cans I plan to drive this future set-up with are the ZMF Auteur (or Eikon if I like that better,) a Eudis-Modified D2000 with open cups, and probably the HD800S in the future. Let me know what you guys think. Honestly, it seems I'm going down the "I either spend more on the DAC or the amp" route with either of these choices.

    Didn't even realize I made that typo, haha.
     
  15. CoLdAsSauLt

    CoLdAsSauLt New

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    Hi folks. I'm in need of some advise here.

    My gear as for now:
    Streamer: Auralic Aries Mk2
    DAC: Auralic Vega (and Chord Mojo)
    Amp: Auralic Taurus Mk2 and DNA Stratus (and Icon Audio HP8 Mk2).
    Headphones: LCD-4, HD800S, HD650

    I know many of you think Iggy would be a solid upgrade...I'm actually looking into that. Question is: is this the first link of my audio chain that shoud be upgraded?

    Me myself is rather looking at my SS amp.I'm not so sure my Auralic Taurus Mk2 is up to the task/at the same level as the rest of my system. (Do any of you guys have experience with it?) I like what I hear, but there might be things left on the table, especially since I bought a second hand very power hungry LCD-4. Could you please advise me some under 3-4000$ solid state amps that will complement the Stratus on the same level? (So far as that is possible for SS). I know a lot of people swear on the Ragnarok, but I'd like to get some alternatives as well.

    Many thanks!
     
  16. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    Only one's I know of are the ADG Master 9 and the (now not made) EC Black Current. I know Zach (ZMF) recommended the Wells Milo to me also. Just avoid the Burson Soloist at all costs.
     
  17. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    @CoLdAsSauLt

    At your level gear doesn't get much "better", it does however get "different". So if you want to change something you first have to figure out how/why you want to change it. If you can't detect anything wrong with the way your system plays music and you just want to upgrade to upgrade... that's called upgraditis. And if you've got that I'm afraid it's fatal. Your wallet has 6-12 months to live.
     
  18. Greg121986

    Greg121986 Almost "Made"

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    I agree with the above post. You suffer from upgraditis, It cannot be cured. However, if and when you sell that Auralic Taurus MKII, please sell it to me because I need one. :D
     
  19. Imraan

    Imraan Friend

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    ==============
    Update 02/10/2017: So, the sale that I though I had closed on the Ether C's was actually a SCAM and the only reason I found out was because of my car wreck delaying me in shipping them out. What the actual F?!

    Things have been a bit manic since the wreck (total loss on the car, time off work etc) and I've been trying to deal with it all so only dropped in to reply to a few direct mentions.

    So, basically I still have the Ether C's and now I'm out a car...guess I won't be making any headphone buys anytime soon.
    I wanted to thank everyone for the very helpful advice I recieved - muchos appreciated!!

    Will post on the FS forum soon.
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2017
  20. CoLdAsSauLt

    CoLdAsSauLt New

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    That's quite allright actually. To be honest, I skipped the "mid level stuff" and went quite all in right away. Only two major buys since I stepped into this high end wold about 3 years ago: the Stratus, which was on my short list from day one. And the LCD-4 replaced my LCD-3 very recently.

    I'm very happy with how the Vega performs actually, but as I skipped the middle ground, I have not too much experience with other DACs. So it doesn't hurt to broaden my horizons and have some alternative experiences as well. I am more curious to how the Yggdrasil sounds compared to my Vega than I feel an urge whatsoever to replace the Vega.

    That being said, since moving to LCD-4, I noticed (ánd read) that it loves lots of power, far more so than LCD-3. Now I'm just wondering, since I never heard it on a more powerful amp than my own Taurus, if I'm driving the LCD-4 to it's full potential. Apparantly it gets even more of holographic 3D image when well amped. Thing is I don't know whether this is it, or there is something left on the table. Is this upgraditits? Maybe... About the DAC, agreed, but about the amp I'm questioning if my chain is still balanced since upgrading to LCD-4. I'm sure I would like its sound very much as well on my Mojo, which doesn't mean it isn't better on Vega+Taurus. I guess when you pay (agreed, ridicilously high - good thing it was 2nd hand) prices for a pair of headphones, you also hope to put that investment to full use with a chain that is equally up for the task.

    Anybody having experience with Taurus Mk2 + LCD-4? Any other amps you are advising?

    I'm afraid I live overseas... nasty customs and stuff.
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2017
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