The All Purpose Advice Thread

Are Dharma closed? I thought they were open. I did try the Blackwoods and they were very nice, I'm just thinking if I go down that route wouldn't it make sense to just spend a little (!) more and get the Ether-C? I guess you've heard both, do the Blackwoods compete with the Ether-Cs on technicalities?

 

Oh, I think you are right they just sound more closed, haha. Ether C in the setups I heard them was not worthy

 

Hey dudes, thanks for the thread

I've got an Audiolab M-DAC in my secondary rig. I've been hooking it up to the Valhalla 2 and driving HD650's (coin modded and rear foam modded).
I've also got a Cavalli Liquid Carbon on order.

A couple of days ago I received a stock Geek Pulse, and I'm pretty impressed by it. It sounds very similar to the M-DAC, to the point where I'd probably have a preference for whichever setup was playing at a louder volume level (as they're that close). This has lead me to consider getting a Geek Out V2 to pair with the Liquid Carbon for my secondary rig.

Do you guys have any thoughts on this pairing? Would this work as a high quality desktop setup? The portable factor doesn't influence me. Thanks

 

From the SchiitShow @ Marina del Rey thread;

So is there a closed headphone that gets it right (or comes close)? Or is that a UERM??

For reference I am enjoying the signature of my new un-modded HD800. It feels a little brutal at times but my ears have been opened...

 

Yep- I love the UERM and am listening to Bill-P modded HD800 right now...the Enigmas are my closed can of choice. I am still surprised so few of them seem to be out there in the wild.

 

Agreed. I have the Enigmas as well and they are fantastic. I think the only reason why they aren't getting more reviews is there just are so few of them out there.

 

I'm also interested in what people think of the Liquid Carbon. I'm thinking of buying either this or one of the first gen Mjolnirs.

 

I keep seeing first gen Mjolnirs for $450. Even though Mjolnir 2 is on my radar, the original is tempting.

 

I have a Geek Out 1000 and am very satisfied with it. However, I got an offer to trade it in and add some cash for a Schitt Modi 2 + Magni 2. Portability isn't really an issue. Is there enough of a leap or should I just save up my money?

 

I would say, stick with your GO 1000. Contentment is worth infinitely more than upgrades.

 

OPTION 2. I don't have my v2+ yet, but my go450 > leckerton is MORE than enough for my er4s and does very well with HD600/650 (and UERM for that matter). I will try the er4s with the 450 (no leck) tonight and report back. All reports from reliable sources indicate the performance of GOv2 is markedly better than v1. I think v2 is a no brainer for a budget set up, especially if you want a portable option for not much $$.

 

I haven't run my HD650 out of the Leckerton, but I can say that out of the GOV2 with a balanced cable, it is fantastic. I suspect that I'm going to have to spend quite a bit more money on an amp to do better. In fact, I don't really use my Leck anymore because the GOV2 is great with the UERM as well.

 

I think I'm getting a Geek Out 450 from my girlfriend for my birthday. Only question is, will I be able to use it with my vintage Pioneer receiver? I love the amp in the receiver to drive my HE400's but my computer audio is severely lacking. Basically, I only want to use the DAC from the GO450, but is there some way that this could work?

 

Absolutely. Your computer controls the volume on the GO450, so there will be no real change there. Other than that, the 450 has two outputs with differing output impedences. Everyone (even LH) recommends you use the higher one (47ohm) when using it as dac-only. There is even the little "line out" symbol stamped for minimal confusion.

 

Awesome. I saw it ranked above the lower Schiit dacs in the DAC chart and figured I'd check it out. Can't believe it's not too expensive.

 

^Many of us have 3.5mm TRS to RCA cables. This allows easy connection from Geek Outs to additional amps.

 

Hrmmhh... seems like wife's going to take a shot at TH900 (hey hey I'm not complaining, that's a much better choice than her spending it at a designer bag!)
Of Valhalla 2 or Lyr 2 (with LISST only), or even Asgard 2? Which one is going to be the better choice for amping the HD800 and this potential TH900 in the family?
*I prefer solid-state personally but... Opinions?

 

I think the HD800's sound absolutely amazing with the Valhalla 2 -but that is my personal opinion. AS far as the TH900, I haven't heard those cans so I cannot comment, but the V2 and Lyr have a low and high-gain switch since the TH900's are only rated at 25 Ohms. The Lyr 2 may also be a good choice as it does well with both high impedance cans and low impedance cans. Both the Lyr 2 and Valhalla 2 offer high and low gain switches.

Quote from Schiit's Website on Valhalla 2:

"Go ahead. Do things with Valhalla 2 that you’d never attempt with other OTL tube amps. Run low-impedance headphones. Use IEMs. Valhalla 2 is a complete re-imagining of Valhalla, with improved performance, higher output capability, lower distortion and output impedance.

Tubes Made Flexible
While most tube OTL amps are really only designed for 300 ohm Senns and 600 ohm Beyers, Valhalla 2 stretches to include headphones that you’d never expect to use with a tube amp. Go ahead. Use it with Grados. Run it with AKGs. Rely on it for many IEMs. You may even like it with high-efficiency planars like LCD-X, LCD-XC, Oppo PM-1 and HE-400."

Quote from Schiit's Website on Lyr 2:

"Lyr 2 is one of the most flexible headphone amps available, offering both tube hybrid and all-solid-state options. What's more, you can even switch back and forth between tube and solid state as you like! Lyr 2 is a complete control center for your desktop system, with preamp outputs for powered desktop speakers, as well as a gain switch for use with virtually any headphone.

Amazing Flexibility for All Your Headphones
Order Lyr 2 with tubes, and discover what a high-power tube hybrid amp can do. Or get LISST and go 100% solid-state. Or do both! No other amp (well, except Mjolnir 2) offers you this unparalleled flexibility. You also get gain switching and a 100% regulated heater and high-voltage supply that makes Lyr 2 fully ready for efficient headphones and most IEMs. And you'll have tons of power—our Dynamically Adaptive output stage transitions seamlessly from Class A to Class AB, for excellent overall efficiency.

From IEMS and Orthos to Active Monitors
Lyr 2 offers two gain settings. The gain of 1 is good for most sensitive headphones, including efficient on-ear models and many IEMs, while the gain of 8 is ideal for inefficient orthodynamics and high-impedance headphones. In addition, the preamp outputs can easily be connected to powered speakers, for a complete desktop system."

 

what do you guy think of the Sony Mdr SA5000? Is it worth 300$? Is the MA900 a upgrade to it?

 

@The Alchemist ; Mm hmm, I'm kind of worried of using Valhalla for a TH900 (aside from it being a tube amp too... hate dealing with fragile glass stuffs that get hot).
Lyr 2 with LISST is really tempting but well I've no way to test the performance of any of those units here so really have to trust the folks here for opinions, heh!