The All Purpose Advice Thread

Hello, long time lurker first time poster i think. I have somehow managed to lose a 3m long cable for my oppo PM3s and was wondering if you lovely people had any reccomendations for long (3m+), durable, preferably not too expensive cables i could replace it with. Do you have any reccommendations?

 

Doubling up the drywall is ok for:
1) increasing the fire rating of a wall
2) gluing the second layer on so your interior surface doesn't have nail/screws/etc for finishing purposes
3) sorta kinda adding some dampening between rooms when you don't have any insulation left
4) acoustic dampening by sandwiching insulation in between and floating the second layer on brackets rather than directly into studs... but this is only when you don't want to bother taking down an existing wall

The first three are worse than putting proper insulation in the wall. The last one is only useful for reducing room-to-room sound transfer through already existing walls. Since you're building from scratch, just stuff the rockwool into the walls and ceiling and you'll be fine. If you want more, it's not super popular these days but a carpeted wall works really well and doesn't actually look that bad as long as you're not doing 70's shag.

Is it going to be a drop ceiling?

If you have the luxury to do so, also consider putting your sound equipment on a small dedicated electric panel. Or at the very least on a separate circuit not shared with anything like a fridge, or lights with dimmers, etc

 

Ok so double drywall is out. I just thought I’d ask since I know people sometimes do it. The ceiling will be drywall, not dropped. Also, I think I’ll ask about price differences between pouring an 8 ft vs. 9ft basement foundation.

I definitely plan on doing dedicated outlets, I’m not sure if a dedicated panel is worth the extra expense, I may have to research that more.

I’ve been reading a lot on acoustical panels the last couple days, I think I could make acoustic room measurements a new hobby. I’ve been negligent about measuring in room response in the past since I knew my room sucked so bad.

 

Just stuff the extra rockwool into everything. You'll save on overall energy costs over the lifetime of the home, and it will feel cozier since sound won't bounce around the house. Extra handy when you have kids making a ruckus, or you don't want to kids to hear yours. My buddy built a nearly sound proof theatre in his basement years ago with a crazy expensive projector/speakers etc. You'd think he uses it more for movies, but really it's mostly where he and his wife get away from the kids.

As in digging your foundation a little deeper? If you're exploring alternative foundation plans, is putting in piles a thing in your area? My folks did that when they built their home 30 years ago and the house has been rock solid compared to the neighbours who didn't. (our land and climate here causes a lot of land shifting/swelling with the seasons)

A whole extra panel is a bit much (though not a massive cost in the grand scheme of things). Simply having the audio gear on a separate circuit will help though. Dimmers and motors/compressors are the big no-nos.

The current asymmetry actually helps here. Building the walls thicker with more fluff inside is also a potential option. I've also seen setups where the entire wall was covered in acoustic panels. But I'm not talking the ugly foams stuff. They were actually nice looking 2'x4' tiles (2" thick), burlap texture with (fake) wood trim that he built himself. A little retro but very cozy, and very easy to assemble or disassemble and stuff into the storage room.

 

Is the Drop thx 789 considered to perform better over balanced output? My understanding is that this is not an amp with a true balanced design. Just curious.

 

Anybody?

 

Back when I had it. Balanced was just louder, otherwise it seemed basically identical.

 

It depends on the specific materials of course, but in general... age and environment will have a greater effect than over-burn.

Also, consider the super simplified explanation that all materials have a certain range within which they can flex or stretch. If you take a "new" material, it's a little stiff at first, but the initial burn-in gives it some deformation, and then after that you're operating in it's sweet spot and you're good. It's only if you repeatedly crank it that you'll start to have issues. Think of it like breaking in a really nice leather jacket. The first few weeks feel a bit heavy and stiff, but then after that it gains the flex it needs, and assuming you treat it right you'll get a near lifetime of wear from it. Now, things like harsh winters or playing football or taking a tumble from a bike, that's a different story... but everyday wear? It should last you long enough until you don't care about it anymore.

 

Hello all. Just figured I'd drop-in since I'm looking to make a new audio purchase.

It all started with this: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1141633-looking-for-soundcard-or-dac-that-can-do-it-all

I just figured I'd drop-in here to ask for advice. Probably not a good idea to seek advice from a singular source and all.

From the thread there it ultimately narrowed down to Massdrop Elex + SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200. Does this sound like a good setup?

My tastes in sound are more highs/treble-sensitive than most. I think my preference is for the midrange to be the main feature (thus my love for Shure mids), then the highs, then the bass is in the back as a foundation of sorts -- and I like all of this to be in a good soundstaging environment.

Past favorites of mine has been the Shure SRH940 and AKG K7XX, and I did like my old Oppo HA-2 more than my Schiit stack I do believe, unfortunately I sold it when I got the stack.

Any thoughts, or has the advice I've been given thus far seem pretty accurate?

I suppose I'm looking at the $1000 range overall, since the Elex is $600 on it's own and the stack on top of that will probably push a bit beyond $1k. I'll be selling old equipment to try to make-up for costs -- I hope that a Schiit Stack 3 + Interprose with HD6XX bundle will sell for a fair bit. I'd thrown in my old K7XX and SRH940 if it could get me an extra $200.

Thanks.

(Copied from thread I originally posted in parent category)

 

@Alexander
How about skip the cheap SMSL stack and grab the Monoprice THX amp with built-in dac?
p.s. if you like the K7xx, I feel the K612 is secretly the best one in the AKG lineup

 

Hello. I would like to kindly ask you there for advice for nice single ended amp for my Meze Empyrean and Audeze LCD-2C. I have Chord 2Qute as source. Now using Lyr3 as preamp with Audio-gd C2 amp. It sounds amazing, but I am just curious if something better can blow my mind even more.

I am exploring over the web and I found that something like Chord TT2, Feliks Audio Euforia or Woo WA3 should be good.

Thank you.

 

I definitely would avoid OTLs generally for planar headphones. Your Lyr3 would actually be a great option for both.

 

I actually enjoyed Empyrean with Lyr3 when I had them. Empyrean treble was quite bothersome for me and Lyr3 helped me in taming it.

 

I can`t say anything bad about my actual rig. Actually Lyr3 alone sounds flat comparing to using it as preamp to C2. It has beautiful depth and dynamics. Really much better like using Lyr3 alone.

 

@Armaegis Well I've been trying to stick with Sabre DACs, and while I've gotten advice to go with the Monolith, it's an AKM setup.

I like the "edgy, clinical sound" of Sabres honestly. Seems like a controversial opinion among the current audiophile community -- but my ears want harsh, unforgiving detail, I wanna hear the "tsss" at the end of every strike of a cymbal, if you get me. I feel like the currently audiophile community really wants to railroad me into an AKM design though.

If we're considering AKM, I'm being told elsewhere that if neither DSD support nor balanced design is important to me (and true that I only listen to PCM sources), that I should just get a Geshilli Labs Stack and pay significantly less.

I'm just hesitant to buy anymore AKM designs -- I honestly really dislike the Magni 3 + Modi 3 stack. Crucify me here if you must, but I just feel like it's trying too hard to be warm and smooth, and I guess I've found that I prefer cold and transparent over warm and smooth. Would explain why I prefer the AKG K7XX and Shure SRH940 over the Sennheiser HD6XX as well. I feel like I'm in a bit of a more niche group to have this preference though, which has been making getting advice more challenging since most people prefer warmer sound signatures it seems.

Some are telling me that the THX amps are in-general above what I should be bothering with. Some have even said I should just get the Koss ESP 95X which includes an electrostatic amp instead of messing with the Elex and having to buy another amp/dac to go with it, and pair that with an SU-8 or Topping D50S I suppose.

I really don't know what I should do. Some have told me the "veil" and "warmth" I hear from the Magni-Modi is really just the Schiit in-house sound and "Schiit compression" or some stuff. So I don't even know if my issue is really an AKM issue or an issue I have with Schiit in-particular. All of it is just too many factors and becoming confusing for me.

I'm starting to consider just going with my gut instincts at this point.

Maybe I'll try this and see if my issue was really with AKM or just Schiit: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459

 

@Alexander
Dude, you're still in the learning and experimentation phase. The best thing to understand right at this moment is that everybody is wrong on the internet. There is no such thing as an endgame or perfect setup for you right now, especially if you're still worried about scraping the budget together. Spend your time and money playing around at a comfortable budget range on the used market. If you're careful and patient with the buy/sell/trade shenanigans, you won't be out very much money and your ability to determine what you like will be vastly improved.
I'm sitting on gear that's embarrassingly expensive for me, and am I satisfied? Meh, I'm just here because of the upgrade bug and my brain/pride/stubborness won't let me "downgrade". I miss the days of playing around with gear that didn't make me wince and fidget over insurance premiums. It was a happier simpler time.

 

Yeah I think I'm just going to get a Massdrop Focal Elex and pair it with the Monoprice THX Monolith AMP+DAC and call it a day. Seems like neither of those can really do me wrong.

I'll sell my Magni 3 + Modi 3 stack and old headphones to make most of the lost money back.

I just want good audio. I'm not going to get into obsessing about comparatives. Sounds like it's all splitting hairs for spoiled people, very "first-world problems" kinda stuff.

I doubt my hearing-damaged, tinnitus-ridden ears are going to be able to perceive the nuanced differences anyway. I mean yeah I'll know the difference between my K7XX and the Elex I'm sure, but I bet the AMP/DAC is gonna matter a heck of a lot less. I mean heck, I've plugged my HD6XX into my Schiit stack, then into my onboard audio, and honestly barely feel a difference, so that just goes to show (granted my onboard audio is designed to handle 600Ohm headphones).

 

Hi everyone. Any suggestions for deterring a cat from chewing on my cables? Our year-and-a-half old monster hasn’t grown out of this naughty habit and has a particular taste for the cables in my headphone setup. My chain has become MacBook Pro-->Massdrop Airist RDAC-->Schiit PYST-->Domestic Shorthair-->Schiit PYST-->ZDT Jr.-->HD 6XX. (Apparently Schiit makes some tasty as well as affordable treats).

I guess there are several options, from jury-rigging some sort of housing to wrap around the cables or using a cat repellent spray (having first unplugged the cables) to finding a local glue merchant or posting on the for sale thread. Any other, better ideas? (Just kidding about the last two options).

 

Our cat used to like biting a MBP power cable, after the second power brick was killed we got something like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Split-Tubing-Conduit-Flexible-Cover/dp/B07QQNW699/

Ours mostly liked white Apple cables though so you might try getting some less ugly wrap to change the appearance and/or texture but the above type product totally put him off and he went back to gnawing on metal drawer handles.

 

Semi serious about the glue thing... cats hate sticky things. Put some double sided tape (or loops or regular tape) around the parts that normally get chewed on. It'll get stuck on her fur and she'll hopefully learn her lesson.

(I can't guarantee it, but this worked for me to get the cat to stop scratching up one particular corner of my door frame)