TheIceman93

https://ifi-audio.com/products/idsd-diablo-2/

Many of iFi’s product designs baffle me

Is it metal now?

I would say the best aio is the Soekris 2541. It’s even better than the ifi idsd pro, so I think it’s safe to assume is better than the Neo and the idsd Diablo

@Cellist88 I previously had a Soekris 1541 and I thought the amp section was kinda weak. Is it any better on the 2541?

Yea maybe Asgard 3 with ESS DAC then. I'm not sure if that smaller multibit card has warmup time. I sort of like Schiit all in ones because you get just the basics. All of the Ifi stuff etc has things I'll never need like bluetooth and wifi.

Picked it up for gaming but it's not bad at all for casual music listening.

^this tells me the GS-X Mini > GS-X mk2, the latter of which to me is an abomination.

My new amp arrived today and in my excitement, I plugged it in and turned on the power strip, not realizing that the amp switch was in the "on" position from the factory.

depends on the amp design. For Ayre MX-R, it makes amp unhappy, but probably harmless. Most will be just fine.

It's bad for the (mass)drop & monolith Cavalli amps as they have an internal start up and power down procedure that can be interrupted by externally powering them on and off.

Sorry to hear that. Left a profile post recently about how much of a mess FedEx seems to be lately.

@k4rstar How long did it take Justin to throw in the towel on FedEx finding it before he shipped out a replacement?

this was back in 2018, he contacted Fedex and they said they couldn't find it, he sent me another amp with the next batch he built 20 days later. granted that was a much less expensive amp.

That’s what I love about the Elex as well. Crank the leftmost knob on the Loki and enjoy low-volume listening while working.

@zonto - The headphone does begin to fatigue at higher volumes. It's like Focal is forcing me to not exceed safe listening levels.

@TheIceman93 Agreed. Haven't used mine in a while, but when I measured Utopia at normal listening volumes on Ragnarok 1, anything above 80dB average on rock/punk was too much. Could go a little bit higher with Ragnarok 2. Need to get a new headphone amp...

mike sanders from quicksilver has been making tube amps since the 80s. his stuff is legit but not mainstream because he's always been against giving review units to the big mags. this amp looks good, he winds his own transformers and I have never heard an EL-84/6BQ5 amp I disliked.

Even if Mike says no to a loaner tour, I might be tempted to give this amp a shot. There seems to be a very strong following for his speaker amps.

Lol, that looks like any other DIY project, simple psu with electrolitics for convenience. I woudn't pay 100$ for that messy wiring.

I just started playing with Roon today. I have a slight hearing imbalance so I was wondering if there is a way to correct this in Roon.

in DSP add the filter 'Speaker Setup' and then - dB of channel of your choice

Boom, thank you. Totally missed that because of its name.

Could be the ground tab if you have one.

Found it. Its pin #1. It looks like it's designed to move a little forward and back while the other two pins are stationary. Interesting.

Sounds like that's question for a gynaecologist.

My EQ geek brother has made his 2 fazors sing. I'm jealous. I might have to buy a pair. They are not neutral but they crazy fun to listen to. Addictive bass for days, good detail, upper midrange recession is mostly fixed. Ugh, I miss my Classic's.

Did you try the EQ profile from Audeze? I thought it was a substantial step-up

No, he's running Equalizer APO. I've heard good things about Reveal as well.

Yes, I do. If you use the super search you’ll find threads where it comes up. Atomic bob likes Waves NX, I think it shifts timbre way too much. Can opener 3 is great. I use the Mix Engineer presets, HQ mode on, crossfeed on “most realistic.” Right width will vary with the can, esp. open or closed.

Sold headphones to buy an amp?

Sold my 1541 to fund a Bifrost 2 which unfortunately is stuck in backorder hell due to Covid. Now I can't listen to anything. I should have checked on the Bifrost stock before I sold my Soekris.

If you can't buy it twice, don't buy it once

Might I tempt you with a pair of Auteurs (friend priced)?

@brencho Thank you for the offer buts it’s probably out of my price range. I’m trying to keep my whole kit under $1500, which leaves about $700-$900 for the cans. Keeping my eye on the Borealis thread. Although the unbeatable comfort of the Aeon 2O is tempting me even if I’m not totally in love with the staging. I’m placing greater importance on comfort and portability now.

@TheIceman93 contact brencho

I guess I would need to see an audiologist to know for sure but everything seems slightly off center, pushed to the left.

I use a CD player as a source so I require an analogue balance control

Ah, understood. I was thinking you could use some sort of digital tool to estimate the loudness imbalance, then attenuate one channel to the level you'd need. I guess that's complicated vs. just a balance control off the shelf.
Are there audiophile balance controls?
Actually, don't answer that.

Lyrics used to be Tool's strength. I hope that will return at least partially.

I guess different strokes for different folks, but I always found Tool's lyrics a bit of a weak point. Of course based on my tastes and sensitivities. YMMV.

Lyrics can keep songs and albums coherent. Instrumentally the album can be awesome but sometimes lyrics add a dimension that make the music more memorable. Fear Inoculum lacks some coherency for me. You can go Rush, you can go Journey (yes Journey) but a story of some kind helps.

You seem to have a bone to pick with this company. I imagine that it is difficult for Chinese companies to establish a good dealer network outside of their home turf, especially when hifi retailers are struggling to stay afloat and only want big brands they know will sell.

From a dealer perspective, the margins are probably too thin on cheaper gear. Outside of the Kinki dealers changing hands once or twice, the Kinki stuff seems to be very well built and performs well above its price range. I'd say the HP amp is at least worth a listen.

I asked Powell about the Kinki situation. He still recommends their products but doesn’t want to support the Chinese government so he’s sticking to US/ Euro companies.

Uh oh.. it says “Made in the USA” clearly he hasn’t had a convo with Jason’s friend

I gotta confess - I know this is crazy stupid but when I saw the name of this I thought it was a play on words making fun of stereotypical Japanese or Korean accent. I read it like, “Fide lice.” I was like, “wow, that’s not cool.”

Fancy Focusrite?