The All Purpose Advice Thread

Look at pro gear that use TRS balanced for something cheaper and effective. Then use TRS to XLR cables. Here is one example

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SLW333--hosa-slw-333

Bonus is that it allows much easier cable switching.

 

Can someone recommend a reasonably priced 1/8 (3.5mm) headphone extension cord - male to female - for use in connecting my Andromedas to my ADI-2-DAC. I need around a 15' length. Amazon has a few inexpensive ones including their own Basic line if anyone has any recommendations though for a particular brand that would be appreciated.

 

Hey guys, I've run into a DAC problem. A DC-1 I picked up used recently has kicked the bucket and now I'm back looking for a DAC. I got it over the Modi Multibit because of the inputs and other features.

I'm trying to find a DAC that uses either AKM or AD chips, at or under $500, and has coax and BNC input connections.

I've googled around a bit but I'm not able to find a good DAC in this price range that has BNC input.

Maybe I can simplify my chain somehow and get a Modi Multibit to work? I don't have the funds for a Gungnir yet. Throw in a SYS for preamp.

I have a USB into a Schiit Eitr using a coax cable with RCA and BNC ends. The coax on the DC-1 is taken up by my CDP.

Most of my listening is done with my two channel setup. I don't need a headphone amplifier.

If I got the Modi Multibit, I guess I could run a Toslink cable from the CDP and then run a RCA coax from the Eitr.

Any advice?

 

@treboR might be still worth looking for a used Gungnir maybe in the DS Version and then Upgrade it from there:

https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=gungnir

 

Why not just an RCA-to-RCA coax cable?
my mistake, didn't account for the transport

 

I already have that one hooked up to a CD player.

 

@treboR The Bifrost non-multibit has Gen 5 USB. You could use its USB input directly instead of Eitr, and your CD to the coax.

 

Either do as per @Metro 's suggestion above (and sell the Eitr) or go Modi Multibit and one of these to give you optical (h/t @neogeosnk ):

https://www.tindie.com/products/Beni_Skate/automatic-spdif-opticalrca-audio-switch/

That'd mean sacrificing either the CD or the computer output to optical - so on balance, you're probably better with the Bifrost (or Bifrost MB) suggestion and selling the Eitr to recoup some cost.

 

Cables do matter. I made an extension out of supposed to be great Mogami wire and it sucked.

My advice would be to go to proaudiola website and see if there is a custom option to have one built. Grimm TPR is all I use now on all my systems. $2.10 a foot in bulk and it sounds better than any of my $500 + audiophile ICs.

I am cure you could probably have them build a 15 footer with switchcraft or other good connectors for about $60 or so. They also carry Gotham which is liked by some folks here.

Here is a cheap good option:

https://www.markertek.com/product/s...o-cable-3-5mm-ts-male-to-female-15-foot-black

 

Which Mogami and connectors?

 

It wasn't their best stuff, if I recall their miniature flexible mic cable not sure of model # and probably neutrik plugs. A better solution was Belden 1800f with Neutriks, but still not great sounding.

 

Eh, just found out someone stole one of Questyle CMA 12 Master amps that Todd from TTVJ.com put out as a loaner on Head-fi.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/que...er-loaner-program.897788/page-2#post-14849584

Just more advice to NEVER loan out anything to people who have no established feedback or are not active or known in the community.

 

I find myself needing to stack Modi Multibit and EITR. Looking for super short coax cable that still has some flexibility. Any thoughts?

 

I bought a cheap descent RG59 cable and terminated it with rca plugs. Worked great. I know the 75 ohm blue jean cable works great too.

 

Email blue jeans cable and get a 8" RCA Coaxial cable made with Belden 1505F, which is very flexible. I had a 12" version between Modi and Eitr, was a bit too long but still worked fine.

 

In Singapore, the highest concentration of earphone/headphone shops are roughly near the start and end of Orchard Road.

Here's the shops I know of, with the buildings they're in and nearest train stops:
E1 Personal Audio https://sg.e1personalaudio.com/ (Far East Shopping Centre, Orchard MRT)
Music Sanctuary https://music-sanctuary.com/ (Far East Plaza--different building from E1's, and no they're not side-by-side, Orchard MRT)
Stereo http://stereo.com.sg (Plaza Singapura, Dhoby Ghaut MRT)
Zeppelin & Co. https://www.facebook.com/zeppelinandco/ (Sim Lim Square, Rochor MRT)
Jaben https://store.jaben.com/ (The Adelphi, City Hall MRT)
LendMeUrEars http://www.lendmeurears.com/ (The Adelphi, City Hall MRT)
AV One http://av1group.com.sg/ (The Adelphi, City Hall MRT)

It looks like E1, Stereo, and AV One have the RHA TrueConnect, among other stores (https://techcoffeehouse.com/2018/11/12/rha-announces-trueconnect-true-wireless-earbuds-in-singapore/)
I don't know if Music Sanctuary has any wireless earphones.
LendMeUrEars is worth a visit if you want to try a lot of lesser-known and/or budget brands, like Alpha & Delta (which is from Singapore), Dunu, TFZ, Vsonic.

All the stores listed above are places to audition gear, and fwiw I've made purchases from them except Music Sanctuary and AV One.

 

I'm going to try measure some speakers for the first time (Overnight Sensations MT, which use bass ports). Will be using REW and a MiniDSP microphone.

For lower frequencies, it looks like I need to do nearfield measurements to avoid room effects. But do I simply measure once near the woofer, or is it also necessary to measure at the bass port and somehow combine readings from both positions?

 

I'm looking for a DAC that can accepts both SPDIF and USB as the input. My budget is up to 300 usd. It will be used in conjunction of my ATH22Tube Headphone amp (I guess I'll eventually upgrade that but not right now).

In terms of headphones I mostly use a Fostex TH 900, a Beyerdynamic T90, a Meze 99 classic and a newly purchased MrSpeakers Ether CX.

So far I've looked at Modi 3, Modi Multibit Topping D50 and Cambridge Audio Dac Magic Plus...What would you recommend between those?

For most of my music, I stream with Spotify. To be honest at the risk of being derided here, I haven't really been able to here that much difference between flacs and spotify high quality streaming when doing blind tests, so I guess my hearing is not sensitive enough to pick up on it? or maybe with a good dac, I will be able to hear the differences?

The only real difference I've heard so far were when some releases in flacs I got were mastered differently with a higher dynamic range but then the difference is obvious and it's not a matter of format.

 

There is a Antelope Zodiac+ with Voltikus PSU for sale locally (800$).

Found very little impressions on this unit. Long shot, but any advice?