The All Purpose Advice Thread

My absolute max budget is £800, which is about 900 USD I think, but that is only if something absolutely perfect comes along. I would rather spend closer to 700 dollars if I can.

(My phone just updated and I cannot find the dollar sign)

Thanks.

 

You sound like me. If avoiding steely treble is your top priority, I'd recommend the Valhalla 2 over the Jot because the latter's versatility and impact won't matter if you're too sensitive to that steeliness to keep listening; that was the case for me.

From my experience, the Valhalla 2 is slightly rarer in Canada and sells quite quickly on the resale market as a result -- they're usually gone within a day or two of being listed, whereas I've seen Jotunheim ads stay up for a week or more. If you dislike it, you shouldn't have trouble recouping your initial purchase price, excluding taxes and customs fees.

 

My 2 cents here:
I have the TH-X00, Jot, and Vali 2; and heard the X00 with the MJ2.
If you like your sub bass more powerful and textured, the Vali 2 might sound a bit rolled off and bloomy with your 900.
The Jot has good synergy with X00 and brings the (sub)bass to the next level, the treble might be more present as well but nothing like Jot and HD800 pairing.
I see you'd like to try tubes, the MJ2 has stronger slam than the Jot, sound "thicker" and more engaging but not full on tubey. The MJ2 will have better synergry when you get different headphones.

If you end up getting Jot or MJ2, be sure to reterminate the cable to XLR-4. The SE out on both amps have considerably less power.

 

Appreciate the info here @Mdkaler!

As a Jot and a TH-X00 SE owner myself, did you have a chance to compare the benefits of SE vs XLR-4 on the Jot yourself? If so, what characteristics or sound qualities did you notice when upgrading to the more powerful XLR-4?

 

Hi, I am a newbie . I like somewhat tubey sound from my system. My CDP use Amperex 7308 x 2 ; Preamp use 12AT7 x 2. , Power amp (hybride) use 12AT7 tube x 2

If I get the Schiit Freya, for enjoying tubey sound, should I replace its stock-tubes or replacing the tubes on the CDP ?
I appreciate your opinions and suggestions and thanks

 

Only listened to it for 5 minutes and made sure it worked LOL. The cable looks buff and you would think the wires are too; but each wire was thinner/smaller gauge than the Mogami 4 core I was working with.

The difference is subtle I'd say. Bass hits harder and separation is better. Layering and soundstage don't improve much, for that you will need another amp or preamp. Still sounds like X00 and Jot. The difference may be smaller than adding an Eitr.
If you end up reterminating it to XLR4, make sure you solder a phase/polarity reverse cable as well. That will make your work worthwhile.

 

Anyone know of a good, readily available CD/DVD drive that rips CDs accurately? I have an external DVD drive but it's a pain in the ass to get an accurate rip from it. Preferably something under $100. Can PS2s be used to rip CDs? I remember those having good drives and I have one in the trunk of my car somewhere.

 

Does it have to be external?

 

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MR3UBDRW16/

Would recommend this one. Ignore that it's a Blu-ray drive, it works a treat.

 

Doesn't have to be external.

 

LG BH16NS40

I've ripped more than a few long videos to BluRay and a few DVDs full of audio for the car. It's never produced a coaster for me.

Edit: I've ripped plenty of CDs from it to wav/flac as well. No apparent issues there either.

 

I'm looking for an endgame, or at least long-termish, amp/DAC upgrade to go with my recently purchased HD800S headphones. Right now, I'm using a Lyr 2 with stock tubes and a Modi 2 Uber. While these sound good, I bought them when I was listening to HD598s, with a subsequent (and only partly regretful) upgrade to HD700s. So I'm sure I the 800S are capable of taking advantage of better amplification.

Right now I'm shopping in the price range of $1200-2000-ish for the amp, with a plan to upgrade my DAC later on. Options that have stood out, based only on reviews and what I've read here, are the EC Black Widow and Schiit Ragnarok. I'm leaning toward solid state, simply because I haven't found any interest in tube rolling with my Lyr 2. And not having to worry about tube life fits pretty well for me.

The BW seems like a winner based on what I've read, but availability seems spotty. Whereas the Rag is just a couple weeks away while backordered.

Honestly, I'm kinda looking for a religious experience in an upgrade here. Maybe that's not realistic -- whether as a consequence of my price range, or because that's not likely where I'm at now. I'd appreciate some perspective adjustment if it's appropriate.

Thanks!

 

@Luckbad the drive that @Elnrik is the same as the one in the external that @k4rstar linked. I think there's a bunch of us that use the same drive here. If you don't need an external drive, then definitely just shop for price on the LG drive. You can usually find the drive itself for less than $100. I found this sale for $52, but I don't have the time to double check to make sure it's legit.

 

That seller has a 82% satisfaction rating and kind of looks shady AF at first glance. 33% of the reviews in the last 30 days were negative.

Amazon has a used one for $59, factory refurb. New from Amazon is $88. I'd probably go for the refurb if I was pinching each penny until it screamed.

 

If you haven't already, check out this thread:
http://superbestaudiofriends.org/in...s-for-the-sennheiser-hd800-2017-edition.3408/

 

Looks like the LG BH16NS40 and LG WH16NS40 are the same, the latter just doesn't come with software and can be found for considerably less money. Edit: Maybe not... W version only has 1.02 firmware listed while B version shows 1.03.

The ASUS BW-16D1HT might also be a rebadge of something else with less frequent firmware updates. $56 with a rebate on Amazon presently, though.

It does seem like LG is the only manufacturer that makes firmware readily available. I see a lot of complaints about drive failure for just about every similar drive (including the LG).

 

I have. And the closest thing to a consensus I could glean from it was that the BW is a stellar option. And, heck, for the price I'd love to try one. But I'm not sure about it given that it doesn't seem to be made currently.

 

hi guys what is the best place to buy tubes for in the US ?

 

IMO Vintage Tube Services, Brent Jessee and Upscale Audio. Expensive but consistent.

 

Replacing the tubes on my CDP(Amperex 7308x2) or on the Freya stock tubes , for a tubey sound ? Thanks