The All Purpose Advice Thread

I'm not an expert, but if the units didn't go into protective shutdown, nothing sparked or smoked, and nothing otherwise went amok, I doubt you did anything. If you connected an input to an input, but nowhere in the chain you connected an output, a line-level voltage would not have been transferred. Methinks. If if sounds fine, it's probably fine.

I did a similar stupid thing a few years ago while rearranging my rack. I plugged my DAC into the pre-outs of my Woo 3 and tried listening to music through my headphones. Oddly, it worked, but was very hollow sounding. I basically ran my entire amp in reverse and nothing bad happened. The tubes didn't blow up, either.

 

Is there any difference between an analog XLR cable and an AES/EBU digial XLR cable? Asking because I decided to randomly use a monoprice analog XLR cable to run Pi2AES -> Modius using AES, and it sounds really great. But just want to make sure I'm not screwing something up really big here.

 

They have different impedance and possibly shielding. As far as if those differences are audible, hard to say.

 

Proper AES/EBU cable is 110 ohm. For a short length that shouldn't make a difference really but proper cables are better specced for digital transmission and a proper terminated one should really be used if you use longer than 3ft. cables

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for a portable/pocket projector? Would be used for workplace meetings and projecting maps downwards on a tabletop for playing D&D (threaded tripod mount would be helpful). I don't need the highest resolution or super long range, but longer battery life and moderate brightness would be ideal (I know those are kinda mutually exclusive). Price is flexible. I'm not looking to spend $1k, but I'm willing to spend a few hundred on something that isn't some random clone of a clone.

 

Does anyone know the post that @purr1n made that list his personal headphone favorites? I know the Utopia was on it. For some reason I can't find that post. Thanks!

 

I think it's here?
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...-politically-incorrect-audio-blog.7261/page-9
Sorry I don't know how to locate to a specific post.

 

That it is, thanks!

 

It's... in the rolling banner up top? )

 

I didn't see it on top.

Edit: OK, I see it now.

 

You could grab an older Motorola Z series phone and the projector Moto Mod. It essentially gives you a portable projector with Android OS & Wi-Fi access making it easy to transfer stuff on/off of it. Should be able to get a phone under $30 & the projector for $100. On top of that you'll want to budget for a USB Type-C battery bank. I'm currently running an original Droid Force Z and the runtime is about an hour after three years usage, if you can find a NOS phone they're good for 6 hours or so(before adding on the projector.)

May not be the best option but it gives you a projector with local storage/internet/Android OS. I've never used the projector but I have used a battery Moto Mod for years and can confirm the ecosystem/connectors hold up.

 

The impedance, at least in theory, may affect AES/EBU clocking. Whether it is audible of not I do not know. 110 Ohm impedance cable can be used for audio without any problem but other way around ... AES/EBU protocol is pretty complex. Why use audio cable , they cost roughly the same?

 

I'm looking for an integrated for my desktop speakers. Right now I'm using an M-22, but it's not a very practical setup. I'm curious about Hegel. Either an integrated or a preamp/power amp combo. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Speakers are Harbeth PSE3R. Might possibly add a sub at some point.

Oh and I don't want a warm sound. I tried the Yamaha A-S2100 and it's way too warm. I also don't plan on using an external DAC.

 

The lower powered Hegel integrateds (at least the two I’ve had which are the H80 and the Rost) are slightly warmish, although I don’t know how warm they are compared to the Yammie - might be only mildly so. They are also just slightly rolled off in the treble, but very tight/strong on bass and dynamics with good bass control due to high damping factor. The DACs in the older ones however sucked IMO- boring as sin. Not sure what the latest models are like.

 

Slightly warm might be fine. The Yamaha I would consider very warm. I plan on using an external DAC, updated my post above.

I'm curious about the H120, but I wish they had a non internal DAC version. Seems like a waste paying for something I'll never use.

 

Exactly! I have wanted one of the higher end Hegel for a while, but I just can’t get over paying for something I don’t plan to use - I like my Yggdrasil, it’s not going to be replaced by their DAC no matter how much they claim to have improved it. I like their amps I just don’t want their DAC (or to pay for it).

 

I'm a member at Avsforum, and to them, Emotiva is their Schiit. Highly regarded.

 

Hegel is well regarded by Alan Shaw (speaker designer and owner of Harbeth). He has mentioned Hegel on occasion in the company's user forum and has H360, H390 in his lab (among other amps of course), and uses Hegel at hi-fi shows.

One point Shaw has made is that Hegel is one of very few integrated amps he has tested where you can use the full range of the volume control without the preamp section clipping. He said that in almost all of the others, the output of the preamp section is overdriven and begins clipping very early (e.g. volume knob at 12 o'clock).

But yeah, unfortunately Hegel's integrated amps are all bundled with DAC.

 

I wish @schiit would come out with a great compact desktop speaker amp - I’ve been looking at nearfields for a while now and can’t pull the trigger because I just don’t know of a great small class AB amp that will do the job without breaking the bank, and I can’t invision going with powered monitors with integrated class D and AD conversion and DSP and all that extra crap.

One I have been looking at for a while now is the Dayens Minuetto, but they just don’t show up used in Canada, and without being able to try it, I’m not willing to pay new prices. You may be able to find one in the states. Not sure what your other requirements are @Melvillian regarding features, power, price etc.

 

We may see that in the future based on their willingness to evolve. When they first arrived on the scene, they stated their dislike for op-amps in favor of fully discrete and all-in-one dac/amp in favor of separates. Since they are now willing to use op-amps and move away from class A, it may only be a matter of time before we see class D from them.