The All Purpose Advice Thread

Nice page for reference. Kind-of an information overload though, yes I do hope to hear from someone with experience who can maybe cut that list down to fewer choices - omitting the ones that are incompatible or absurdly priced (over $100 or so) leaving just the ones that are actually worth considering for someone with good ears buying a Vali 2.

I did mean to ask how often tubes need replaced as well. I may still just buy a Magni if they need replaced more often than once per year or so really.

 

I was also told to not turn off a tube amp that has warmed up and then immediately turn it back on aka. Don't hot start it. Let it cool down for a few minutes before turning it back on.

 

According to Schiit:

So that's what it has in it. It's not one listed on that site you linked. I can't seem to find what country of origin it is.

-------

Reading into these things more though, I suppose I will get a solid state first. It seems to be quite a bit of maintenance aspect to these, and I think the main fanbase for them are people who's ears were naturally acclimated to them because they used them back in the old days.

For someone like me who's grown up in the digital age and solid-state is all I've ever known, solid-state is probably what I want I suppose. Basically, I think it kind-of appeals more to older people, like my dad who thinks vinyl and literally anything analogue or from the 50's to 80's outstrips digital in quality (which I have had many a debate with him about, telling him lossless is lossless and vinyl is subject to physical deterioration and stuff like that. Nope, won't have it, vinyl better ).

I think it's that some people's ears are just adjusted to them, maybe. I really don't know, I think I can hardly tell the difference between a good tube amp and a good solid state, probably. I mean ideally, sound is just sound, it is what it is and if it's accurately reproduced it can only sound one way. I'm not trying to do gymnastics with the sound to make it sound better or anything.

Not to mention I don't think I really want to deal with issues like possible hissing, ensuring the tubes don't experience any vibration, risk getting burned, having to wait 30 minutes for them to heat up, and then not being able to leave them on all the time either, and having to replace components fairly often. It just seems rather finnicky, and this is supposed to be a computer-connected AMP, so I kinda just want to be able to fire-up my computer and start browsing.

I've been quite happy with my Oppo HA-2 so far, which by what I can tell was a very digital/solid-state sounding device according to reviewers. With it's Sabre DAC it was on the deep cold end of sound reproduction.

So I'm definitely going to just get a Magni first. Mess with tube amps on the side afterward, if I have the extra cash leftover. I'm just a bit hesitant because people are complaining of "Velvet" sound with it or something.. and so I become apprehensive of a dreaded "veil" argument, like people had with the HD650 over the 600s.

Still open to hearing more about them though of course, to keep in mind for when I do decide to try one out.

 

....... looking at images between Vali and Magni ....

.... but tube amps look so cool......

Nnnngh...

 

Has anybody here heard a burnt in set of the RHA CL2 headphones? I'd love to try them but there isn't a retailer in Australia and its not exactly an impulse purchase. I've heard divided opinions and I know a few people heard them at IHA but if someone has more recent experience I'm all ears.

 

Way over thinking it, especially if you are considering the Vali 2 - it is about as no fuss as they come. This is not something you can figure out thinking about it out loud on the internet.

 

@Alexander , sage advice in the last 2 posts. If you've never tried tubes before, the Vali won't break your bank if you don't like it. You describe yourself as neutral & detail oriented; but - speaking as a K702 owner with ears older and therefore almost certainly less sensitive than yours, who's only heard one tube (hybrid) amp (MCTH) and who owns a Magni 2U - you might find the tube-rolling flexibility of the Vali to be an asset.

At worst, if you don't like it and want to go back to solid-state, the resale market for Vali is good and a new Magni is $99.

As the guys said - don't over-think it!

Edit: If you do decide on the Vali and want to obsess about tubes (which seriously is not necessary), look for posts by @mrflibble in the Vali 2 thread.

 

Do you have much experience with IEMs? Do you know if you'd really like them? If not, I'd suggest going with a good cheap pair before making any other decisions - ie, I agree with @Zed Bopp . If you decide you do want IEMs, I'd repeat the mantra that variability in transducers >> amps, so spend money on those first. Solaris's impedance curve isn't crazy, but it's very low (see the measurements at https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/campfire-solaris-iem-measurements.7004/ ). Your micro iDSD should be pretty good for it whether straight out or via IEMatch; but maybe less hiss with IEMatch.

 

Hope this is the right place for this. Please forgive my ignorance but I'm new to this type of thing.

I want to use a Magni 3 as a HP amp coming off my Oppo 105 BRP. I listen to movie playback using HPs exclusively. I just purchased a pair of TH-X00 EB's and the Oppo just just have enough grunt to run them properly. Hence, the Magni 3. Do I need a DAC b/t the BRP and Magni 3? If I didn't have a DAC, would it sound pretty awful? Thanks for indulging my rando questions.

 

Looks like the oppo has stereo outputs. Just use those and RCA cables to connect the Magni 3, and you should be good. Unless...

You also have a cable/satellite connected to your TV, or other devices that play through your TV, or you use your TV's built in tuner to pick up over the air broadcasts. Then I would connect everything to the TV, then take a digital output (TOSLINK or whatever the TV has) and ouput that to a DAC. Connect the DAC to the Magni 3. That way, regardless of what source you use on the TV, the sound always gets output to the DAC and then to the amp.

But if all you're going to use is the BRP to the TV, and that's it, don't bother with a DAC and just use the stereo outs from the Oppo.

 

Thanks Elnrik. I've been cable-free for years now and don't miss it at all. Just do streaming. I'll pick up the Magni 3 asap.

 

Anybody?

 

There just aren't many passive preamps with 2 balanced outputs. For a single balanced output, you could look at Freya in passive mode or the Goldpoint SA2X. If you find any other compelling options with 2 balanced outputs, come tell us about them.

 

Goldpoint has a 1-in 2-out configuration. Most of the pricey transformer based ones (baby reference etc.) can be configured that way. Or add a splitter or Radial box.

 

Thanks for the responses. Only other option I see is Luminous Axiom, but can’t get that with 2-in, 2-out XLR.

Anybody have any input re Khozmo vs Hattor?

 

Anybody own a pair of wireless earbuds they like to use while doing something loud like mowing the lawn that they want to recommend/give a shout out to?

For the sake of protecting my hearing I've decided it might be in my best interest to stop dialing my earbuds up so loud that they're louder than the mower is next summer... also, the earbuds that I use aren't great, sound-quality-wise, anyway. I don't particularly like ear-buds (ONLY wear them for this sort of use-case) the same way I don't particularly like mowing the lawn... but have refrained (up until now) from spending any time or money trying to make the whole ordeal suck even a little less.

I know that what I'm seeking here isn't very "audiophile" and is quite "common consumer":
- Wireless
- Active noise cancelling
- Not particularly pricey (at or near $100, if possible) since I plan to wear them while doing "dirty jobs" like lawncare and working up a sweat.


But since joining SBAF and buying a few pairs of "better headphones," I've learned that mass-media headphones reviews can't be relied upon, as the reviewer often doesn't value the same thing(s) in their listening experience that I do... so I figured I'd ask if there was a "better option" than just whatever Wirecutter or Headphones Addict recommends near the top of a Google search...

 

I've found that adding sound to nose just means lots more volume overall. Maybe try something like the Audio Technica ATH-ANC23? I haven't used it myself, just spitballing ideas.

 

You might be best off with one of the etys that are made in the housings they sell as workplace hearing protection tbh.

They're a little hard to find since you mostly find their commercial stuff and their product stack is unholy mess that an elder good of the deep would be proud of, but when it comes to noisy environments there's no replacement for isolation and you don't get much more isolationy (that's a word now) than hearing protection.

If those can be hooked up to a BT iem necklace you're golden.