The All Purpose Advice Thread

Yes the second ones look fine, just be sure you have a decent level signal coming through not something in the low millivolts range like from a phono cartridge.

I bought some relatively cheap RGB video cables years ago that turned out to be pretty good sounding rca analog interconnects.

I might be a bit worried about buying from Europe just in case you get a bad pair, but at that price, not sure you will find lower locally.

 

@bixby would you recommend the first ones for rca extension from a phono record player?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190836897682?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

Going to get some advice here on my next investment. Currently, I'm running with a Grace m9xx and HD650. While the Grace amp is nice and all, I feel like I can definitely get more bang for my buck. I put up my m9xx for sale on HF and am currently debating what I am going to do next.

I'm thinking about simplifying even more and going the way of a GO V2 balanced and just pocketing the extra I get from the m9xx.

My other option is going for a separate amp and DAC. I'm a complete newb when it comes to tubes, but they seem to be the way to go if I want better quality. I was thinking about going for a Project Ember and some kind of budget DAC that won't break my wallet.

Any suggestions/advice?

 

what is your budget for a DAC? Schiit makes a different range of DACS that are great regardless of the price.

 

Why limit it to one brand?

 

Probably up to $200 or so after calculating the price of the amp. Obviously, the Modi 2 Uber is always there, but I am not sure if I want to go that route just yet anyways.

 

TL;DR The HD 600 or 650 can be an end-game HP. Look at the HD 650 mod thread and in a few simple steps you can make this your main HP. The HD 600 is more neutral comparatively. Just ensure that immediately or over time, you bring up the other parts of your music chain (DAC, Amp) to snuff to make the Senns really work for you. Good luck.

 

I was in a similar position not long ago where I had the Beyer DT880. Eventually got the HD600 and ending up selling the DT880. I don't think you'll find the HD600 too similar to X2. They are very different sounding and should complement your existing setup very nicely.

 

The most immediately noticeable difference is that X2 has a spike in the mid-treble and DT880 has a chunk in the upper treble. I can't use either of those phones for that reason. If you like them, you might find HD600 too smooth. Regardless, you should buy one at some point to see how neutral you want to go. The Black Friday price is $275 max, or you can buy used and maybe save a few bucks. Best luck!

 

Does anyone have advice regarding a Windows laptop/tablet setup that is fanless? Looking to eventually replace my cheap Acer Aspire laptop with something that doesn't have a fan and works well.

 

Get a Microsoft Surface 3 perhaps? The non-pro one. Nifty Windows tablet with a keyboard which works as a cover as well.
Microsoft Canada currently has a bundle which starts from $798, but try to get the 128GB/4GB RAM variant.

 

I'm wondering whether to add a subwoofer to my Audioengine A5+ vs replacing them with floorstanding speakers with a dedicated amp. Right now I'm going PC -> Bifrost Multibit -> spliiter -> A5+. They sound great to me, but there is a massive dropoff below 60 Hz.

Easiest option would be to add a sub, but I'm not averse to changing everything, and I've always liked the idea of just having two speakers. Budget of about $2k. Would prefer something neat and smallish so my wife doesn't complain.

 

Most bookshelf speakers are going to drop off significantly on the lower end, smaller ones even more. If you plan on keeping active speakers, most will lack the low bass you are describing. I think this might be a good situation for a sub.

 

I should probably search around first but I am kinda lazy.. Does using a tube amp make a huge difference compared to using a solid state? I have the Magni currently and was considering upgrading to the Lyr for the tube option. Does the tube option really warrant me upgrading to it? I will be pairing it with my HD650's that are in the mail right now.

 

That is kind of how I feel about my HD 600/Liquid Carbon pairing, which I basically do not enjoy.

 

I think whether there is a huge difference depends a lot on you and your ears, etc. For me, with the HD600 rather than HD650, the Lyr 2 made a slight but enjoyable difference compared to Asgard 2 and Magni. That said, I've only tried two kinds of tubes in my Lyr 2 (Amperex Orange Globes and stock).

Should also mention that I love the HD600 with my solid state Violectric V200. Still a favorite combination.

 

I think the A2s are great computer speakers if you don't need near field monitors for some reason. If you are considering giving up on them, consider opening them up and see if something has come loose. Could be a tear in the diaphragm in which case, you might have to look for new speakers.

 

Gah, completely agree. I have also found my preference for SS amps are usually Class A with the 650's. Hans, did you have a chance to hear the GOv2 driving the 650's? It's a SS amp I could be happy with for a long while.