darmok
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May 12, 2025
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darmok

Almost "Made", Male, from Tree Town

Contributor

DSO last night was lightning in a bottle. Prokofiev 1st VC was pure fireworks and Shostakovich 10th was just brutal. Glad I could be there. May 11, 2025

darmok was last seen:
May 12, 2025
    1. darmok
      darmok
      Oh schiit, Gjallarhorn F. I'd love one on my desk with a Saga 2 if it weren't for that fat-ass brick. First world problems, I know.
      1. darmok
        darmok
        I suppose one solution would just be to switch the power strip that's hanging under my desk to something mounted right-side-up on a tray that's hanging under the desk. Then I can hide the brick without worrying it's going to fall down and break a toe while I'm working.
        Mar 6, 2025
        joch likes this.
      2. SofaSamuraiX
        SofaSamuraiX
        Oh that smashed toe thought is a terrible one!
        Mar 7, 2025
      3. Biodegraded
        Biodegraded
        Mar 7, 2025
    2. darmok
      darmok
      Headphones.com customer support wins, Shopify still loses.
      1. Lyander, HotRatSalad and netforce like this.
    3. darmok
      darmok
      FiiO DM13: gapless playback works perfectly on the latest firmware, and it drives the E3 pretty darned well! I'm impressed.
      1. yotacowboy likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. yotacowboy
        yotacowboy
        The internal amp is a touch upper-mids pushed, but far from a deal killer, but I agree for $150-ish it's quite good especially with slightly dark headphones. DM13->MMB (OPA modded)->Vali3 is a stellar "cheap" combo. My only real concern is longevity of the transport mech.
        Mar 5, 2025
      4. darmok
        darmok
        @yotacowboy ha, DM13 -> MMB2 -> Vali 3 is my current setup for dozing off in the Eames chair
        Mar 5, 2025
      5. darmok
        darmok
        to the extent I've noticed it, I think the upper-mid-forward thing is a common trait in CS43131 DACs. It doesn't bother me nearly as much as upper-treble fuckery does, and in the case of the DM13 I've heard worse things for quite a bit more money
        Mar 5, 2025
    4. darmok
      darmok
      Bokeh Open in assembly. Waiting impatiently...
      1. HotRatSalad likes this.
      2. RestoredSparda
        RestoredSparda
        Just got that update as well. We need to combine our powers of patience, of which I have none.

        Team Nocturn or Emberstone?
        Mar 3, 2025
        SofaSamuraiX, darmok and HotRatSalad like this.
      3. darmok
        darmok
        @RestoredSparda Emberstone! Can’t wait to see it in person. And sorry, no extra patience here either
        Mar 3, 2025
    5. darmok
      darmok
      "Currently, you can’t change the email address that you use to sign in to Shop." All the middle fingers, Shopify. All of them.
      1. joch likes this.
      2. Lyander
        Lyander
        Isn't shopify also that one platform that's oddly keen to host all the white nationalist, hate-speech-forward stuff on their platform? All the middle fingers indeed.
        Mar 1, 2025
    6. darmok
      darmok
      Just realized that neither Pietus nor Jot 2 can make their rated power into 32 ohms with a 2Vrms input.
    7. darmok
      darmok
      ddHiFi TC100S: finally, a correctly designed USB to coaxial S/PDIF adapter that doesn't cost a million bucks
      1. View previous comments...
      2. yotacowboy
        yotacowboy
        I've been using this: https://a.co/d/fSkWROA with a Modi MB that doesn't like chewing on modern USB, and it's pretty flawless. I've no use for I^2S, but the option remains.
        Feb 28, 2025
      3. darmok
        darmok
        @yotacowboy I bought and returned one when it came out bc it didn’t work on the Mac. What’s the maximum sample rate it exposes?
        Feb 28, 2025
      4. yotacowboy
        yotacowboy
        I've only run it out of iPhone running Roon Arc and Shanling M6U running Qobuz, 24/96 the highest thru Arc; played fine. At some point i'll have to try it on my MBP/MacOS.
        Mar 1, 2025
    8. darmok
      darmok
      Any experiences/impressions of the XD05 Pro? Thinking about a beefier portable DAC/amp for the newly arrived DCA E3
      1. Gazny
        Gazny
        It’s nice, I just didn’t like the quarter inch jack. Didn’t make it as portable as I had hoped.
        Feb 26, 2025
        Merrick likes this.
      2. Josh83
        Josh83
        Feb 26, 2025
        darmok and Merrick like this.
    9. darmok
      darmok
      Wouldn’t the opposite of a balun be an unbal?
      1. Thad E Ginathom likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        I have long since thrown away my medoms, and haven't seen a balun in decades.
        Feb 26, 2025
      4. Senorx12562
        Senorx12562
        Nulab
        Feb 26, 2025
      5. darmok
        darmok
        Feb 26, 2025
        Claritas likes this.
    10. darmok
      darmok
      Discount issue sorted, and the closed back headphone I’ve been lusting after for a while is on the way!
    11. darmok
      darmok
      Edit: nevermind, I don't think the offered discount in question ever actually worked...
      1. joch likes this.
      2. Claritas
        Claritas
        The ethical aspect is more important than the legal aspect.
        Feb 24, 2025
        joch and darmok like this.
      3. darmok
        darmok
        @Claritas yeah, I was joking off the old gravity meme there. I figured the ethical concern was covered under the "good idea" thing...
        Feb 24, 2025
        joch likes this.
    12. darmok
      darmok
      Push notification: “track your Bokeh Open package”. omg! except it’s actually the Mega Salire I ordered with it. boo! (but still cool)
      1. darmok
        darmok
        I also keep getting emails from ZMF about my wood. What do you know about my wood, dude? Nothing, that’s what.
        Feb 20, 2025
      2. RestoredSparda
        RestoredSparda
        What a tease
        Feb 21, 2025
    13. darmok
      darmok
      I'm going to reach through the internet and slap the next person I see asserting that high-impedance headphones are "hard to drive".
      1. View previous comments...
      2. darmok
        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
        Feb 18, 2025
      3. darmok
        darmok
        @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
        Feb 18, 2025
        Thad E Ginathom likes this.
      4. atomicbob
        atomicbob
        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.
        Feb 18, 2025
        Lyander, darmok and joch like this.
    14. darmok
      darmok
      Advice to vinyl newbies, aka me a year ago: don't waste money on cheap turntables, go straight to the Technics SL-100C/SL-1500C.
      1. Azimuth, Merrick, Slade01 and 2 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Merrick
        Merrick
        Is it wrong that I consider the 1500 to be a cheap turntable?
        Feb 17, 2025
        darmok likes this.
      4. darmok
        darmok
        @Merrick not once you adjust for anything cheaper than the 1500 being garbage
        Feb 17, 2025
        Merrick likes this.
      5. Azimuth
        Azimuth
        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.
        Feb 19, 2025
        darmok and Merrick like this.
    15. darmok
      darmok
      HD 58X + ZMF Perf Suede + TA-66 + Modius E + PI-2XX + L-4E6S = bliss
      1. Riotvan
        Riotvan
        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.
        Feb 14, 2025
        Biodegraded likes this.
      2. joch
        joch
        Finally got to hooking up the Cinemags to the Modius, and it’s goood. Too thicc from the GS2 XLR though.
        Feb 15, 2025
    16. darmok
      darmok
      Still liking the HD 58X with ZMF perforated suede pads better than the 6XX. Am I some kind of weirdo? Probably.
      1. CEE TEE, robot zombie and Lyander like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. darmok
        darmok
        I just remembered that I wanted to try the Custom Cans mass loading mod for the 6XX.
        Feb 11, 2025
        robot zombie and Case like this.
      4. robot zombie
        robot zombie
        @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.
        Feb 11, 2025
        darmok likes this.
      5. Sqveak
        Sqveak
        Not weird at all. Use what works for you.
        Feb 11, 2025
        darmok likes this.
    17. darmok
      darmok
      "due to territorial constraints ... you currently can`t purchase this album" this is what you get when labels stop releasing things on CD
      1. Qildail, Jinxy245, Lyander and 3 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. darmok
        darmok
        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.
        Feb 9, 2025
        Lyander likes this.
      4. darmok
        darmok
        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.
        Feb 9, 2025
      5. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        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.
        Feb 11, 2025
        Sqveak and darmok like this.
    18. darmok
      darmok
      Picked up some dongles before prices go up. DC Elite: superb, as good as any other DAC I own. Nunchaku: save your pennies, get the DC07Pro.
      1. Merrick, Slade01, yotacowboy and 3 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. darmok
        darmok
        @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...
        Feb 9, 2025
        Merrick likes this.
      4. Merrick
        Merrick
        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.
        Feb 10, 2025
      5. darmok
        darmok
        @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
        Feb 10, 2025
        Merrick likes this.
    19. darmok
      darmok
      The world could really use an autoformer volume control that doesn't cost a million bucks. Paging @CEE TEE to the NITSCH phone...
      1. CEE TEE, Merrick, gsanger and 2 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. gsanger
        gsanger
        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.
        Feb 4, 2025
        Brian D likes this.
      4. purr1n
        purr1n
        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.
        Feb 4, 2025
        gsanger likes this.
      5. CEE TEE
        CEE TEE
        Feb 4, 2025
        gsanger likes this.
    20. darmok
      darmok
      Be prepared for Chi-Fi to get a whole lot more expensive. $800 de minimus tariff exemption on Chinese imports is going away.
      1. Walderstorn and bixby like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. darmok
        darmok
        @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.
        Feb 3, 2025
      4. Biodegraded
        Biodegraded
        @CEE TEE , looks like there's a month's reprieve - stock up now!!
        Feb 3, 2025
        darmok and CEE TEE like this.
      5. CEE TEE
        CEE TEE
        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
        Feb 3, 2025
        Lyander, darmok and Biodegraded like this.
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    Gender:
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    Location:
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    Honorary member of ORFAS