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After being asked for the 308th time, Merv lists top 5 headphones
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IMPORTANT: New Members Read This Don't Be a Measurement Fascist Merv's Top 5 Headphones - 2023 Edition $1000 Challenge

Last Activity:: Jul 13, 2025 at 11:50 PM

Joined:: Nov 13, 2015

Messages:: 127

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Birthday:: Jun 6, 1966 (Age: 59)

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GoldfishX

Almost "Made", Male, 59

Focal Bathys w/full ANC - meh, very meh Focal Bathys w/partial ANC - good, VERY good. Like, 500% better than the full ANC Jul 4, 2025

GoldfishX was last seen:: Jul 13, 2025 at 11:50 PM

1. GoldfishX
  Slowly discovering how much I prefer techno/electronic music on speakers (vs headphones). Really digging some Ridge Racer tunes right now.
  
  Feb 18, 2023
  2. View previous comments...
  3. GoldfishX
    I'm generally happy with mid-bass on headphones in my setup for stuff like pop or even metal or EDM, but electronic stuff that isn't really melodic grates my nerves. It needs room to breathe.
    
    Feb 18, 2023
  4. caute
    hp that are good for metal or EDM are usu good for any other genres, ime—if they can do those challenging ones, they are typically also good allrounders
    
    Feb 18, 2023
  5. Phantaminum
    Found this little gem the other day while browsing YouTube.
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twBcMibg1Vs&list=LL&index=2
    
    Feb 18, 2023
    
    Sqveak and GoldfishX like this.
2. GoldfishX
  No scientific evidence to back this, but noticing better playback on internal SSD vs external USB HD. More focus, more engagement, etc
  
  Jan 29, 2023
  1. internethandle and Abhishek Chowdhary like this.
  2. View previous comments...
  3. internethandle
    You can also play around with stuff like Foobar's "Ram Disk" plugin, which will sort of on the fly load tracks to RAM for playback and flush them when new tracks are sent to it. Fairly similar principles. There's other playback software that plays with loading tracks to RAM too, though, if you poke around.
    
    Jan 29, 2023
  4. Biodegraded
    PlayPcmWin is another RAM player (free).
    
    Jan 30, 2023
  5. Thad E Ginathom
    Unapologetically copy/pasting from a few minutes ago. It seems to be the day for this...
    
    You can play music off a CD, which must be slowest storage device on any computer that doesn't still have an antique floppy drive.
    
    Importance of storage device? Hmmm... maybe punched cards wouldn't work too well.
    
    Jan 30, 2023
3. GoldfishX
  Audioengine 6's with Yggdrasil make a great travel pair. The 6's definitely let me know if the warmup isn't done yet (upper mids are nasty)
  
  Aug 31, 2022
  2. View previous comments...
  3. Thad E Ginathom
    Whoops... wrong place
    
    Aug 31, 2022
  4. rlow
    Personally I like to strap my Yg-gy to the back of my phone.
    
    Aug 31, 2022
    
    Soups, Boops, nithhoggr and 6 others like this.
  5. Thad E Ginathom
    *ROFL*
    
    Aug 31, 2022
4. GoldfishX
  I'm a Schiit fanboy for one reason: Before their MB DAC's, my music sounded good but not addictive. Now, it's on a whole different level.
  
  Jul 30, 2022
  1. atomicbob, zottel, Riotvan and 3 others like this.
5. GoldfishX
  Reading impressions, it sounds like the Magni Piety compares more to the Vali 2+ than the 3+. 3+ upper mid hots are a no go for me.
  
  Jul 24, 2022
  1. Lyander and Merrick like this.
  2. Gazny
    No tube, no worries
    
    Jul 24, 2022
    
    Lyander likes this.
  3. Lyander
    Tube sound without having to worry about tube longevity seems to be the endgame (for me, YMMV, etc)
    
    Jul 24, 2022
    
    Thad E Ginathom and Gazny like this.
6. GoldfishX
  Trying to acquire as many of the Rock Candy reissues as possible. A lot of care went into these remasters and can tell they are real fans!
  
  Jul 17, 2022
  1. Cryptowolf likes this.
7. GoldfishX
  A lot of the vinyl resurgence is due to people not knowing how to squeeze as much potential as possible out of digital media.
  
  Jul 15, 2022
  1. Cryptowolf likes this.
  2. View previous comments...
  3. GoldfishX
    @purr1n You'd be surprised how many people are not aware of the role of an external DAC in the system. It's probably not helped by the fact that it's impossible to find even a budget DAC on store shelves, but you're almost tripping over budget turntables in the stores. More of an awareness issue than a setup issue. Imagine if Walmart started stocking Modi's or something like that.
    
    Jul 16, 2022
  4. purr1n
    If you are talking regular folk, digital from an iPhone > random Numark table at Best Buy. I still think it's curiosity and novelty, especially given how modern record releases don't sound all that good. In some cases, they sound much worse than from iTunes or Spotify.
    
    Jul 16, 2022
    
    Qildail, Thad E Ginathom and GoldfishX like this.
  5. GoldfishX
    Yeah, regular folk. Ones that aren't going to be auditioning a digital rig against their Numark turntable and PC speakers, but still pay that premium for vinyl (novelty, as you say). The difference in pressings is another reason I'm far more comfortable in the digital realm. I've been very pleased with a lot of remasters of late (compared to the junk from the late 90s and early 2000s, especially on rock/metal).
    
    Jul 16, 2022
    
    Thad E Ginathom likes this.
8. GoldfishX
  Does anyone remember the Digizoid Zo? Some of my favorite IEM pairings were with that thing (first one). Impossible to find nowadays.
  
  Jun 30, 2022
  1. FlySweep, Claritas, shotgunshane and 1 other person like this.
  2. Claritas
    Which IEMs?
    
    Jul 1, 2022
  3. GoldfishX
    I used a pair of Brainwavz B2 back in the day. Fairly bright/neutral, but paired well with the Zo's crazy warm signature and big soundstage. I stopped using IEM's because of constant ear infections.
    
    Jul 1, 2022
    
    Claritas likes this.
9. GoldfishX
  Keep trying to follow ASR logic, but it seems like a cult that doesn't actually listen to gear or music.
  
  Jun 26, 2022
  1. PsiPhi likes this.
  2. View previous comments...
  3. Cspirou
    @Thad E Ginathom - “Avoid Amir everywhere else”
    
    He’s infected all my other audio groups. They post his measurements all the time even if they contradict other sources. Even online merchants feature an ASR stamp of approval on their products
    
    Jun 26, 2022
    
    Case, Thad E Ginathom and Cryptowolf like this.
  4. Thad E Ginathom
    @Cspirou
    
    Ye Gods, that makes Amir more dangerous than Coronavirus!
    
    So glad I don't have to view SBAF through protective goggles. I have given up other audio sites, except for checking the for-sale forum of a local one. But I don't post there. It's the opposite to ASR: full of radical subjectivist bullshit! They'd hate Amir, but for all the wrong reasons, lol.
    
    Jun 27, 2022
    
    Cspirou likes this.
  5. atomicbob
    "so much work to offer nothing of value" except this type of effort skews the marketplace significantly to appease those same, self-serving deaf ears stroking their own egos while lining pockets.
    
    Jun 27, 2022
    
    PsiPhi, Thad E Ginathom and GoldfishX like this.
10. GoldfishX
  Got my Valhalla 2 out of storage. Was never in love with it, but might try rolling WE 396A's into it to liven it up. Great soundstage!
  
  Jun 22, 2022
  1. Qildail, Gazny and CEE TEE like this.
  2. View previous comments...
  3. GoldfishX
    I've never read anything that explained why I should upgrade from 1 to 2. It's warm and slammy, but I struggled to find tubes that sounded good in it. Used "holy grail" Voshkods for years, but I much prefer the 396.
    
    Jun 23, 2022
    
    Case likes this.
  4. Case
    I upgraded from Vali 1 to Valhalla 2, but never fell in love with it either. I listen to a lot of shoegaze, a poor match. Should have held on to the Vali
    
    Jun 23, 2022
    
    GoldfishX likes this.
  5. GoldfishX
    I believe it was purrin that suggested 396 w/adapter, I think in a Vali 2 discussion. I stumbled on that discussion one random night on here, lol. The price was right.
    
    Jun 23, 2022
    
    Case likes this.
11. GoldfishX
  The way I would describe Mike Moffat bass is "you hear it, you want to eat it, you can't get enough of it and you don't gain weight"
  
  Jun 21, 2022
  1. sheldaze likes this.
12. GoldfishX
  https://www.discogs.com/release/1979379-Cheri-Keaggy-Child-Of-The-Father Testing some tubes in Lyr 1/A1 setup. Great female vocals. <3
  
  Jun 18, 2022
  2. Senorx12562
    Phil's daughter?
    
    Jun 18, 2022
13. GoldfishX
  Prediction: In two years or less, MiL will be tweaked to be the best of the new Yggdrasils. For now, going with LiM upgrade to my A1.
  
  Sep 17, 2021
14. GoldfishX
  My stonks are starting to run. Starting to desire more gear. Let's go!!! $SNAP $AMD
  
  Jul 28, 2021
15. GoldfishX
  Dragonforce's Killer Elite GH album is a great remaster/remix of their stuff. Space between instruments now, not an all out wall of sound <3
  
  Jul 21, 2021
  1. Sqveak, Magnetostatic_Tubephile and Cryptowolf like this.
16. GoldfishX
  Having a love affair with the Mahogany X00 right now. This is basically that mainstream-ey, yet revealing/mildly analytical sound I wanted
  
  Dec 30, 2020
  1. Sqveak, Lyander and Merrick like this.
17. GoldfishX
  Lyr 1 really likes 1974 and 1975 Voshkods. My other headphones really like the Lyr 1 with said tubes. Really dialing into the differences
  
  Dec 18, 2020
  1. Gazny likes this.
18. GoldfishX
  Constructive feedback for Schitt...The True Multibit cards would be so much more compelling if they used Unison or SPDIF. As is, I'll pass.
  
  Oct 17, 2020
  1. rlow, Rustin Cohle and Inoculator like this.
  2. Inoculator
    I think that is my biggest issue with the fully loaded Ragnarok 2 as a prospect for me. If I could run a pi2aes to it I would love one for my living room.
    
    Oct 17, 2020
    
    GoldfishX and Rustin Cohle like this.
  3. GoldfishX
    It's good for a utility feature, but I think the performance overall of the USB input would hurt the chain downstream. I'm contemplating a Lyr 3 and I'd rather just ship my DAC's in for Unison installation than get the card installed.
    
    Oct 17, 2020
19. GoldfishX
  Is there a tube that makes Lyr 3 work with a stock, unmodded HD800? Enough to tame the brightness and keep the speed? Or deadend here?
  
  Oct 13, 2020
20. GoldfishX
  Question...when people talk about the mids "sucked out" on Elear, are we talking lower or upper (2-4 khz)? Is it a "dark" headphone? Thx
  
  Oct 1, 2020
  2. nishan99
    They meant the upper. idk if it's dark or not. but Focals have such sharp leading edge that's satisfying even if it's dark. Other rounder edges such as Hifiman egg shaped phones need brighter tuning to be "balanced" or satisfying.
    
    Oct 1, 2020
    
    PTS likes this.
  3. dubharmonic
    I bought one before hearing it, just after they were released (bad idea) and for me the "suck out" manifested in being unable to find a satisfying volume level. I didn't find it to be a dark headphone.
    
    Oct 1, 2020
    
    SoupRKnowva likes this.
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