The All Purpose Advice Thread

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

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  1. Robert777

    Robert777 Acquaintance

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    Hello kind folks,

    Has anyone watching this thread had any experience with the Pathos Aurium headphone amplifier?

    I am tempted to pick one up off ebay.

    It is made in Italy so I do not think it has had much exposure states side.

    It is a hybrid design with a mosfet output stage. I mean, how much better than a Vali 2 can a hybrid really be? Especially as it is ten times the cost of a Vali 2 when buying new.

    Cheers.
     
  2. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Don't the T1a sort of get buried under their own distortion anyway, as you crank things? I seem to remember that this was one of the limitations to their performance, even with beefier amps.
     
  3. abhinit90

    abhinit90 New

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    I'm not aware of this phenomenon sadly.
     
  4. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    CBA to wade backwards through the thread to see if it's gen 1 or gen 2 T1, but distortion (especially in the bass) does seem to be a theme in the gen 2:
    Though it seems like the difference between the generations may not be enormous:
    So I would have a care spending too much futzing with your chain as it's quite possible that it's primarily your transducers letting you down.
     
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2017
  5. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    The T1 is a bizarre beast. The driver quality was all over the place, and you basically required an OTL amp, even on the "unicorn" T1s, to have the intended sound. I had a unicorn T1, and it was actually fairly awesome (imagery was surprisingly strong.) I'm talking about Gen 1 of course, Gen 2 is consistent....ly bad.

    T1 also says its 600 ohms, but it actually above it. Hell, the bass has an impedance swing up to 1400 ohms at its peak. A tube amp is required at that point. Otherwise, it sounds like a thin, bright mess.

    Years ago, when the T1 was about 400-500 for the Gen 1, I'd actually recommend it with the Valhalla or another tube amp. It was basically a picky-as-hell flagship. Nowadays, the HD800, which has a similar pickiness with amps (but to much, much lesser degree,) is at $600 used sometimes and better in everything but bass.
     
  6. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Big Ears- Needs Comfy Headphone recommendation.

    My ears are 67 mm top to bottom and I prefer to have circumaural cans that have cushions large enough to fit without folding top of ear or having cushion resting on bottom of ear. Not too worried if the ear touches cushion, most do.

    Preferences:
    I prefer a presentation that is above flat in the bass ie. Harmon curve like +4db 100hz on down flatly to 30hz or so and with similar Harmon curve into the mids up about 12db in presence region- 3.5k. Do not want a can that has peaks larger than the 3.5k peak in the treble up to 10k. Beyond 10k not too concerned.

    Price range $300-$400 used or less. Currently own Beyer DT-150 which do many things right just not all. I have owned the following and have moved on due to one of more traits not meeting criteria above.

    Senn HD 650
    HiFiMan 400s
    Mr. Speakers Mad Dog
    Beyer DT-880 600 ohm
    Fostex TP-50 Mk3
    NAD HP-50
    Focal Spririt Pro
    Shure 840

    I you have a headphone that you think might fit most of the criteria let me know and if you could take a quick ruler measurement of the cup dimension that would be very helpful.

    Plan to use with Magni3 amp and neutral dac playing at medium volumes.
     
  7. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    That sounds like the Beyer quality and consistency that we've come to know and love- a shame, those flashes of near-brilliance don't quite offset the Beyer's Remorse that people get once they realise what they're stuck with.

    (Of course, most people who haven't heard enough other cans to tell the difference will claim that theirs is totally stone cold unicorn-grade, so they wouldn't believe either of us.)

    Agree with the HD800 suggestion, assuming a tidy used pair, SDR modded- they take EQ quite nicely, which will give you a decent overall sound- though I have to admit that I still gravitate back to modded 650s more often than not. Tastes and all that.

    @bixby - a shame you're on a solid state amp, as those HD800 are amazingly roomy and leave lots of breathing space for the ears, too. I just fear they'd be a shade too pricey, and just a little bright from the Magni 3 (but this is a guess, haven't actually heard the pairing). They are insanely comfy, though.
     
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2017
  8. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    Yah, I listened to a couple of normal T1s that were just...bad. That said, a unicorn one isn't THAT fantastic in the grand scheme of things, but it's a great buy at $400 used. IF you get a good one, and that's a big-ass if. Hell, I'd even argue a good one is probably an error in the manufacturing, considering how many bad ones are out there.
     
  9. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    The HD800S work fine with the Magni 3. Just a tad bright and soundstage is just OK. The Vali 2 is a much better match for the HD800S. That is what I have been listening with while waiting for my new amp to be built. If you can stretch your budget to buy the HD800S you could well have phones you could live with for years.
     
  10. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Thanks for the 800 recs guys, unfortunately not a fan of the Senn 800 signature, besides it is about double the allotted budget.
     
  11. munch

    munch Friend

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    sorry for slightly re-asking a previously asked question by other members, but I wasn't able to really find anything that was a clear pick-

    looking to upgrade my gaming/work@home headphones, currently using Sony MA900 and the slight crossfeed sometimes gets a bit weird with trying to listen for positional cues, I think.
    I play only competitive FPS games currently, so my priorities are more or less:
    good imaging/staging, comfort, non-fatiguing and fairly balanced sound. not sure I can get much better than MA900 in comfort and non-fatiguing to be honest- but could downgrade a touch in those areas for something that sounds a bit better overall.
    will be using them for music as well so nothing too specialized like the AD900x which is what I had for games before :p

    open-back also, closed/sealed hps are a bit annoying when talking on the microphone I find.

    budget would be ~€800 (btw: not in Canada currently, need to update my profile...!) if possible. less is nice of course but depends on what's recommended, might allocate a bit more if it could be worth it!
    don't mind modding but I'm not the most experienced so pre-made mods would be really helpful :p

    oh and I only have a GO2A Infinity for my gaming PC, so it would have to pair well with it.

    I have not tried the HD800 with the 'latest' mods, only a very early mod iteration that was posted on IF a number of years back.
    but it might be within budget to try that one seeing as it has great imaging and staging- just a bit concerned about how it'd work with the GeekOut.

    ty ty guys!
     
  12. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    Why didn't you like the HD650? Seems like it would fit your criterias pretty well, on paper at least. If you want more bass than stock there are a few mods that help a little with that.

    The HE-500 has a very nice full-bodied powerful and meaty sound but I'm not sure if it's within you budget or if they would fit your ears. Your amp might also be slightly underpowered, not sure.

    There is also he HE-560, it's very good and might be an option. But again... price and possibly size concerns.

    You might like the old LCD2 if you can find one. I personally find the soundstage a bit cramped and congested and prefer headphones with an "airier" sound, but that's a matter of preference.
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2017
  13. eternaldrake

    eternaldrake New

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    didnt really seem worthy of making a thread anywhere, but at the same time i cant think of anywhere to post it so im gonna post here:

    im reading through douglas self's audio power amplifier design book, and in one of the earlier chapters hes going over basic NFB topology:

    https://i.imgur.com/g0QPFKw.png
    basic nfb with distortion block diagram

    the "simple" algebra behind finding the closed loop gain:
    [​IMG]

    if he divided through by Vin where did that go on the 3rd term? the surrounding text makes no mention of the value of Vin being essentially negligible (and I wouldnt think that it would be). i checked and older editions of the book are like this as well, so i feel like im missing something but i cant actually imagine what
     
  14. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    @eternaldrake

    I haven't sat down with pen and paper but it does look a little weird to me as well. It looks like he divides everything by (1 + AB) and then again by Vin. But in that case the very right term on the third row is missing a Vin? My algebra is a little rusty.
     
  15. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    This is probably a stupid question, but is there such a thing as an adapter that will convert my balanced 4 pin xlr plug to a SE 1/4 inch trs? In other words, my hd650 currently has a balanced cable (4 pin xlr). If I occasionally want to plug this into a SE 1/4 inch trs plug, is there an adapter that can accomplish this, without having to swap out the whole cable?
     
  16. captkirk

    captkirk Khan's BFF

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    I use one of these myself. Very common adapter cable. I'd recommend Lindsay with Impact Audio. I just had a cable re-terminated and a new adapter made,great communication, great build quality and decent price. There are less expensive options out there,

    [​IMG]
     
  17. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Good question on the Senn 650. I have owned it twice, so I do like it. It just does not have as open an upper mid as I would like. The bass is a bit light on the lower side but the upper bass is a bit too rich. Treble is okay yet just not enough in the 6-10k range.

    I have been diligent at reading Tyll's graphs and know what signature I like. It led me to some not so popular cans that almost floated my boat for a while. I did like Jexby's HE-500s with a slight outer back mod and preferred them over the 560s. I do like LCD2 but not enough to put up with the weight or the price.

    I have ordered my next can and I think it will suit me better now than what I heard 12 years ago and dismissed it when I bought my first HD-650. From the graphs, It has a little less rich upper bass, a stronger presence peak, and a bit more info in that 6-10k range. And it will fit my ears. Any surprise that I picked the Senn HD-600 given my preferences?

    thanks for everyone's suggestions, I appreciate it.
     
  18. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    I'm looking to buy some iems as a gift for a family member - any recommendations for something that I can order for under $100, preferable available from Amazon?
     
  19. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Depends? Teenager? Runner? Commuter? Traveler? Source? File type? small or large canals? You see the variables?

    or the answer can be like what you would get on HF, "just get the xxx they rock!"
     
  20. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    Ahh yeah, thanks for the clarifying questions! This is for a teenager who will use it from his android phone, probably largely in an indoor environment. I would say his ear canals are on the smaller side.
     
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