MellowVelo

@SoupRKnowva nice! I didn't see the page because it's not listed in the menu. Canare L-4E5C is standard, but if you want the slightly larger Canare L-4E6S, you can request it for a few bucks more. I had a great email conversation with Andrew at BJC. He's super knowledgeable and helpful.

So, what do you think of the HP cable so far?

@roughroad I haven’t done an A/B comparison (life is too short), but the Focal Elear sounds as expected. I purchased the cable because I wanted a particular length and termination. Canare starquad is well regarded for headphone cables. It’s durable and non-microphonic. Lots of folks on SBAF use it.

As with everything, the amp/source/chain/synergy matters a lot, but all things being equal, you'd be missing resolution, micro.

You're missing beryllium and swagger. ;)

Driver timbre is noticeably different between the two. Utopia also has incredibly smooth upper treble; still never heard a headphone with better performance there. Utopia also scales like mad with better gear since it's so resolving

https://dr.loudness-war.info/

Here's how I see DR. High DR doesn't guarantee a mastering will sound good, because there are other ways to bork a mastering, but a low DR almost always guarantees the mastering will suck because if the DR level is low enough there is no saving it.

Well said. Many older CDs have high DR but also sound thin and brittle. I seek out masterings with high DR, but I have to actually listen to know whether or not it sounds good.

https://www.patreon.com/SBAF

I just did the same! Very much feel the same way. Cheers :).

I used Decibel X but I think I’ve had similar readings from other apps in the past

@edd Thanks. I downloaded Decibel X. The results were really insightful. After getting settled and finding my typical long-term listening level, I measured the SPL around 60-65 dB. I also tried listening around 80 dB. Frankly, I would never listen at that volume. It was really uncomfortable for my ears.

Long story short, I don’t think that I’ll have any driver excursion issues with the Focal. Thank you to everybody who contributed to this conversation.

I have a special place in my heart for 701's.

The 701 really captures the magic of direct drive, and the tonearm was basically designed for the V15 Type III. A winning combination, if there ever was one.

And I say this as somebody who once paid full price for a GS-X mk2 and regretted the decision immensely.

nice man, that's what i hear. i'd like to hear one sometime!

would like SBAF ears on this as well. especially those that have heard BW2, 3F, Rag.

Congrat. Which amps do you pair with pmx2? I've seen several folks were struggling about how to (better) amp it.

Mjölnir Audio Pure Bipolar (aka SuSy Dynalo mk2). I haven’t tried the PMx2 with any other amps, but I like what I’m hearing. Think of the synergy between HD650 and Jotunheim, but Pure Bipolar offers more refined treble, better resolution, and no glare.

i think i appreciate my music listening time more due to the young kid constraint. kinda like food when you're hungry. their needs also put a good check on on my audiophoolery spending.

@Soups, I agree. The kids make me appreciate the time, and their needs encourage me to be content with my gear.

That's not to say I don't get play time due to kids. The mb42x was bought so the kids could listen to music in their room. They like Peppa Pig and Lisa Loeb.

Since I live in Chicago, I can go directly to Sensaphonics and have them make the molds, instead of going to an audiologist.

Make sure you play around with some of the filter mods suggested on HF.

I didn't know about the filter mods. I'll check it out.

Oh man, took me months to set up the vinyl chain and I'm not even done yet!!

Good things come to those who wait...

Age and hifi.

When you were twenty, there was a deck that you really wanted and couldn't afford. Forty years later, that deck is a classic... and you still can't afford it!

Pictures or it didn't happen :) enjoy man I'm using the same TT!

Ha! It's gonna be another week or so until I can set it up because we have family visiting from out of town. I'll be posting pics in the spinners thread.