darmok

@Armaegis if you're out of gain, you're out of gain. hi-z doesn't automatically imply low dB/V sensitivity and vice versa. but calling a load "hard to drive" has a meaning and the higher the impedance, the easier it is to drive

@Thad E Ginathom I've yet to find a dongle that handles the HD 800 S well. I had hopes for the Go Bar, but it's a big fat nope

HD800 at 300R needs 2Vpp and 7.3mA peak to reach 101 dBSPL peak. Average power is 2 mW.
HE-500 at 38R needs 2Vpp and 58mA peak to reach 101 dBSPL. Average power is 16 mW.

Is it wrong that I consider the 1500 to be a cheap turntable?

@Merrick not once you adjust for anything cheaper than the 1500 being garbage

The weakness is not just the tonearm, but the tonearm wire. The bearings also wear out over useage. This is why older SL-1200 MK2's are hard to find in good condition - not just the motor function, but I would say 50-70% of what you find out there is that the arm needs to be replaced. It would be nice just to replace the worn out bearings, but it is not like that. I have a Rega RB-250 arm with Cardas wire on mine.

Those pads are really good on the 650 as well. Gets rid of the 3 blob effect a bit and comfort is really good. You lose a bit of the intimacy but still worth it imo.

Finally got to hooking up the Cinemags to the Modius, and it’s goood. Too thicc from the GS2 XLR though.

I just remembered that I wanted to try the Custom Cans mass loading mod for the 6XX.

@darmok please do report in if you try that mod. I have that same one on the backburner, after some signal chain stuff. I'd love to know how it pans out.

Not weird at all. Use what works for you.

This is a recording of violin concertos. They're contemporary, so the works are under copyright, but plenty of recordings have been released in the US. Could be a rights issue, could just be that the release is fucked and there's no incentive for anyone to fix it.

It's odd that it's streaming on Apple Music and Amazon but not Qobuz. It's available for lossy purchase on the former two as well, but not for lossless purchase on Qobuz, Presto, or other usual stores. Fortunately it looks like Supraphon's Czech store doesn't check IP geo on download purchases and they have it in FLAC.

A long time back, I went through a tedious and unfriendly online purchase process of a major classical-music company, to buy a download of a very expensive boxed set. Only to receveive, right at the end, that nasty little putdown, "f**k Off: we don't sell to *your* country."

Fine. A rights-respecting buyer with cash in hand turned to torrents. With no feeling of guilt whatsoever.

@Merrick Nunchaku has gotten better as the tubes have burned in, but it's absurdly microphonic. Still don't think I'd recommend it for that reason alone. For phone battery drain, a magnetic charger stuck to the back of my iPhone is a better portable solution than the CB19, though I do use that when dozing off in the Eames chair...

I personally would not qi/magsafe charge a phone while also running a device that pulls a lot of power and generates a lot of heat. Great way to put a ton of strain on your battery, given that wireless charging is already less efficient and generates heat on its own.

@Merrick tbh I haven’t found that my phone is getting very warm while doing this, but also I’m usually starting with close to a full charge so the inductive power is just keeping everything topped up

Another vote for Slagleformers. They're the same one used in EMIA and iCon passive pres. I got the $400 modules, put them in a case and called it a day.

Would be interesting to compare to Kara. The problem is that passive is not always best and because of that, people will bitch. It's too niche for Nitsch even. There are too many stupid old fogies in audioland. Believe it for not, SBAF people are probably the smartest of the bunch.

LOL, I was just looking at weird steppers last night: https://www.dhtrob.com/impressies/amtrans_sats.php

@CEE TEE So buy now is what you're saying? The only problem is that I need another headphone amp like a hole in the head.

@CEE TEE , looks like there's a month's reprieve - stock up now!!

Oh! Oh...takes at least month and a half to two months to make and ship. But thanks! I have to try and figure out which parts to try and get ASAP. <3

Trust your ears

@joch totally, I’d just like to see if a two-conductor shielded cable brings a bit of the bass back without sacrificing the “effortlessness”, for lack of a better word

I like those WBC cables for certain uses. They actually have a pretty great selection of well-constructed options with reputed OEM cabling and connectors. I use them for my guitar cables too - could pay 3x for the EXACT same Mogami cabling and nuetrik connector with Mogami branding lol.

BJC LC-1's are exceptional too, half of my rigs are that.

What's the use case? Can it be used on the move or will it keep ringing?

@Ksaurav402 I expect it’s for sitting in the comfy chair listening to music, which is what I do

@edd right now I’m using Hosa, but the RCA connectors on these are super stiff and I don’t like that, so I’ll be looking for alternatives at some point

Got one of the Jensens. Thanks for heads up.

Modius + Jensens work well with the TA-66 too. I threw another balanced DAC on it (iFi Zen One Signature) and it didn't change much other than rolling off the highs, so this is definitely a particular synergy with Modius.

velvety and shrill?

@Gazny ”Velvet Sound” is AKM’s marketing name, but I’ve had multiple AKM DACs that all have this same treble fuckery

Me too, AKM just can't deal with it

The cutesy voice it uses is annoying, but there are worse things out there. ANC quality is poor. I was hoping it'd at least be fair, but it's really not good.

The good news is that the sound doesn't really change when disabling ANC, so it's possible to use it just as a pair of wireless closed-backs without too much trouble. It's somewhat bright but otherwise inoffensive, and that's a real achievement.

I can’t recommend these overall. They’re too bright and the sound signature is just… weird. Is this how IEMs are tuned these days? It’s an interesting antidote to the Beats et al of the world though

After dozens of reviews you do know how it sounds... it sounds GREAT! (and here's a link of where you can purchase it, so I can get a kick-back)

This is because you're integrated and familiar with SBAF. We use common descriptors and comparative impressions to convey how we think something sounds. Meanwhile most other reviewers just pull adjectives out of their ass that ultimately mean nothing.

@rlow and @dasman66 understood what I was getting at. :-)

BIS even messed up the Polish "ł"s on the insert of this CD, despite getting the Latvian diacritics right. Shame.

"Everything is in Korean for no reason" usually means I can't find the track anywhere else, too. The CDs won't go away without a fight.

I went a little crazy learning Hungarian orthography. No effin’ way am I doing East Asian languages! https://nontxt.com/typing-in-chinese/

I'd love to bring my Vali 2++ to work and swap out the Piety. Too many lookie-lou's

@Lyander occasionally the spicy treble of the MMB2 shows through but Vali 3 does a really good job of smoothing it out without smothering, which Piety sometimes did. I expect tube rolling could change this too

@Lyander rolled in a NOS 5670W and it’s SUPER smooth, maybe even a bit rolled off. Takes some of the slam away too, but it’s pleasing in its own way

BF2OG>DSHA3F>Clear OG remains, several years later, one of the best headphone systems I've heard at any price.

I wish I could afford a 3F because I really like Elex and clear OG in the stable. Listening with BF2 2/64, Liquid Platinum with some 12AU7 tubes and love it.

Guess I should hear a Clear OG at some point. A Utopia too for that matter.

Hot damn does this energizer pick up noise, though.

LMAO I've only ever heard the original ESP/950 but I think I get exactly what you mean. Not my cup of tea really, at least with stock gear, but can be really rather fun.

Any plans to try a different energizer (Stax)?

It depends what “not good” means. It might mean “has a really low tolerance for noise”, in which case it’ll help. I find it helps a lot with the Mojo 2’s USB for instance.

I, too, picked one up to use from iPhone to Yggdrasil Unison. Removes a bit of spitty hashiness in the treble; very good bang for the buck.

Worthwhile to get one with the fancy aluminum case (is it functional)?

Porta Pros are such a fun headphone and super practical. Try a Ksc75, as I legit think they are TOTL. Porta Pro very muddy but 'fun'. But Ksc75 is like a clearer hd600 with better transients to me..

KSC75 with the clips just don’t do it for me. You’ll need to mod it with a headband.

Nah, headband kills the stage and transients. Ksc75 sounds like speakers in a room with clips. With a headband they just sound like every other decent headphone.