MichaeLeroy
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Mar 25, 2024 at 5:29 AM
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Birthday:
Mar 1, 1961 (Age: 63)
Location:
Wisconsin
Occupation:
Bureaucrat, Geek

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MichaeLeroy

Almost "Made", Male, 63, from Wisconsin

Contributor

Dunu Zen Pro is legit. Impressive on first listen, very natural and decently resolving; overshadows its brother SA6. Cable is a bit cheesy Dec 4, 2021

MichaeLeroy was last seen:
Mar 25, 2024 at 5:29 AM
    1. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Modius in house. Perhaps more in your face, less subtle, than Bifrost 2, but pleasant, may get out the D50s for contrast, whupping
    2. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      After Modius discussion, got a couple of Neutrik NA2M-D0B-TX XLR to RCA xformer level adapters from Mouser; not Cinemag but worth a try.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        @Melvillian, thanks for the suggestions. Of course it is silly to spend much on conversion for the sake of squeezing a bit more out of a $200 DAC. But if later I'm interested in say a CONVERT-2, I'd want to know that I could send its output to my favorite HP amp without audible distortion. The modius may have prompted me to think and act on this, but it is not the end goal.
        Jun 4, 2020
        Melvillian likes this.
      3. Melvillian
        Melvillian
        @JK47 It's the PC-2XR, I think it's 4:1
        @MichaeLeroy I'm curious too for higher end systems. I hadn't seen your second post about how it's more of an experiment. Let us know how it turns out.
        Jun 5, 2020
        JK47 and MichaeLeroy like this.
      4. JK47
        JK47
        Yup, it's the 4:1
        Jun 5, 2020
    3. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      My GF who dismisses HPs in favor of 2 channel listening tried my Bifrost 2>T4>HD650. Her reaction: this is good, no this is really good!
      1. crenca
        crenca
        That was close...you almost had to throw her back in :)
        Jun 3, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
      2. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        To be fair her two channel system sounds quite good. Probably it's better than any HP setup that I've heard when you are in its sweet spot and listening to a good recording. So she'd be forgiven for thinking that a very good HP stack is not quite as good as it should be.
        Jun 3, 2020
    4. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      1. neogeosnk likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. e.schell
        e.schell
        They've been around for at least a few years now... but yeah stupidly priced for me.
        Jun 2, 2020
        MichaeLeroy and Thad E Ginathom like this.
      4. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        @MichaeLeroy, maybe I'd vaguely heard someone hear refer to them before, but you prompted me to actually look... So thanks :)
        Jun 2, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
      5. SineDave
        SineDave
        I am acquainted with the owner of BJC, so he's sending me some Iconoclasts to play with. Note, this is not a BJC product line but Belden's. BJC is just terminating them/sonobond welding on the spades/banana plugs.
        Jul 9, 2020
        Thad E Ginathom and crenca like this.
    5. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Time to reread some John Brunner classics; The Sheep Look Up "It’s from America. The wind’s blowing that way."
      1. crenca likes this.
      2. crenca
        crenca
        The trad conservative intellectual side (not Brunner's of course) has been talking about 'Weimar America" a lot recently
        Jun 1, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
    6. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Comparing Lyr 3 and ECP T4; finding the need for better testing tools & techniques. Prefer T4 but Lyr 3 is no slouch; HD650s treble weak
      1. crenca likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        I'm afraid that my biggest driver is 12", So I'm afraid that I do not qualify :-).
        May 31, 2020
      4. dark_energy
        dark_energy
        12" is BWC lol.
        May 31, 2020
        AdvanTech and MichaeLeroy like this.
      5. dark_energy
        dark_energy
        That's what she said
        May 31, 2020
        crenca and MichaeLeroy like this.
    7. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Took a break from fatal crash data to get my new ECP T4 going. Snap judgement, effortless clarity with HD650s, can't wait to hear ZMF VC
      1. Jinxy245 and crenca like this.
      2. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        First track, Nightwish's The Greatest Show on Earth, emotionally moving, dynamic music. Particularly startling bass quality from HD650s. The Bifrost 2 might be a little hot, I have the volume dial somewhat below 9 o'clock.
        May 29, 2020
    8. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Damn @purr1n, I have to seriously consider CA Aras; intrigued by the FR and SQ but just about sold by fit, long nozzle, less snug perfect.
      1. crenca
        crenca
        I have never seriously gone down the IEM road, partly because I have an intolerance for the feal of them. The cost of entry is seems inexplicably high as well. The next time I am at RMAF I guess I will have to give them a serious go.
        May 28, 2020
        Thad E Ginathom and MichaeLeroy like this.
      2. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        They can be nice under the right conditions, long walks, train or plane rides. I had some etymotics a decade ago, which served me well but were fragile much time passed without and I got some EE Bravados at a good price. Technology and durability is much improved over that of a decade ago.
        May 28, 2020
        crenca likes this.
    9. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Glutton for punishment; I listened to the most recent Headphone show. All tube amps dismissed as too distorted, because guitar amps, LOL.
      1. dark_energy, crenca, DigMe and 2 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        He also interviewed Dr. Fang Bian of Hifiman. It is early days for this incarnation of his you tube career, so I don't know that he has that much of a history with the interviews, but he does OK on the couple that I have seen. If he develops this skill and gets a wide variety of figures to do half hour interviews, that woiuld be good. dsavitsk would be cool.
        May 27, 2020
        crenca likes this.
      4. TheIceman93
        TheIceman93
        May 27, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
      5. Gazny
        Gazny
        Best guest is always darthpool. 2nd harmonic distortions are too important for my listening experience, just don't think the science has caught up yet in regards to sound from a psychological perspective.
        May 27, 2020
    10. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      I got a boot camp buzz cut with pet clippers. Bright side; no more need for a buff pirate hat means a slightly better HP fit.
    11. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      NDH 20s in the house; super interesting HPs. 1st thought incoherent; 2nd I can make out individual tracks; 3rd fracking articulate bass wow
      1. Hrodulf, Lyander, dark_energy and 2 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        Thanks @Azteca. I'm an EQ noob. Getting the NDH 20 is my way of jumping into the deep end to teach myself to swim. Even on initial listen, I get the hint that these are special HPs. I do expect to have some fun learning how to get the most of them.
        May 20, 2020
      4. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        Burning them in in a parallel setup. My only reservation so far is the cable. The straight cable is stiff and has a rough texture, so rubbing against surfaces is audible. What looks to be a proprietary connector may make adding an after-market cable difficult.
        May 23, 2020
      5. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        The cable on this HP is bothersome. There are a couple of variants of Sennheiser locking 2.5mm TRS connectors at Moon Audio which offer hope of building or buying a better cable. I may just buy one of each and see which if any works best.
        Jun 14, 2020
    12. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      First Upscale Audio order; pricey AQ Forest USB C to B. The StarTech version of this cable is unreliable. I'd love a Pyst USB C to B
      1. dubharmonic likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Gazny
        Gazny
        May 20, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
      4. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        Thanks for the suggestions. Yes I felt silly paying $80 for what should be a $20 cable. The StarTech gets good ratings yet a touch or vibration causes playback to stutter. @atomicbob has done some usb cable shielding resistance measurements that hint at better construction in audio name than generic cables. So I got the AQ on that basis. I'll bookmark both suggestions and maybe try those later.
        May 20, 2020
      5. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        I've been using the AQ Forest USB C to B cable for a week now. It provides a reliable connection, unlike the StarTech, I'm not a fan of AudioQuest, but this cable is worth it for not interfering with my listening. I'm sure that there are less expensive cables that do the job, but I'm not going to go on a quest form them having found a satisfactory solution; will be moving more to other inputs as I adopt Pi2AES.
        Jun 8, 2020
        Gazny and Michael Kelly like this.
    13. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Replacement Ly3 arrived with AK4490; tempted to try opening to see if the wedged together first unit was a fluke. AK4490 good as aux input.
    14. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Apos emailed on pre-orders of Topping A90. Resisting temptation to post to D90 thread about A90. Possibly would be off-topic incitement.
      1. crenca likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Gazny
        Gazny
        Is it a differential amp, or just SE like the thx 789?
        May 18, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
      4. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        No clue. I do see that it uses 4 TI TPA6120A2 chips. So it appears to have the op-amp count (8) to be fully balanced ii the cascade is a pair or op-amps. I lack experience in reverse engineering products from a BOM.
        May 18, 2020
      5. Baten
    15. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Inspired by a couple of Digital threads, I've ordered a Pi2AES. I already have an under-used Ultracurve DEQ to throw into the mix. Fun.
    16. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      My ZMF VC has graduated from Sanding and Finishing to Assembly, after nearly 3 months, the wait may be ending soon.
      1. dark_energy
        dark_energy
        Probably singular company whos HPs I would like to own someday besides my Sennheisers. Not high priority atm.
        May 12, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
      2. ChaChaRealSmooth
        ChaChaRealSmooth
        The best way is to forget that you ordered it, and be pleasantly surprised when the tracking email comes. Learned my lesson after my Auteur.
        May 12, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
      3. MichaeLeroy
        MichaeLeroy
        @ChaChaRealSmooth I appreciate that wisdom. But if I had forgotten that I had a VC in production I might have ordered an HD800s when they went on sale today :-). To tell you the truth still kind of tempting as I am down to an HD650 as the only decent HPs that I have on hand right now.
        May 12, 2020
        Gazny and ChaChaRealSmooth like this.
    17. MichaeLeroy
      MichaeLeroy
      Taking plunge, posting into as new member then going to sleep.
      1. Jinxy245, famish99, BillOhio and 4 others like this.
      2. JK47
        JK47
        Yesss... Yesssssss
        Apr 3, 2020
        dark_energy, Deep Funk, YMO and 2 others like this.
      3. ChaChaRealSmooth
        ChaChaRealSmooth
        The bar analogy works great to describe us. We're not all completely assholes (we can be grumpy though). And also, we're not serious at all (just look at what it says at the top of the site); only thing we're serious about is promoting good sound.
        Apr 3, 2020
      4. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        Welcome.
        Apr 3, 2020
        MichaeLeroy likes this.
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  • About

    Gender:
    Male
    Birthday:
    Mar 1, 1961 (Age: 63)
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Occupation:
    Bureaucrat, Geek
    Gear List:
    Chromebook > Schiit Bifrost 2 > THX AAA 887 > Nightowl
    Musical tastes

    Broad but not all inclusive; varies with mood. Currently exploring Prog Rock and Technical Metal, but I often go back to Industrial/EBM, post jazz-age Jazz, all shades of the Blues, Pop that is sufficiently dark and different, post Romantic era Classical


    Extended Gear List for what it's worth

    Home System (full time for GF, weekends for me)—Squeezebox 3 | Bluesound Node 2i > AVA DAC MK 5 > AVA FET Valve Preamp > AVA FET Valve AMP > Odyssey Audio Meadowlark + Adire Audio Rava > challenging room

    Apartment Desktop (weeknights)—Linux Laptop > Schiit Gungnir Multi > Schiit Freya > Focal Shape Twin Monitors

    Office System (weekdays)—Chromebook > Schiit Bifrost 2 > Monoprice THX AAA 887 (ECP T4 Pre-Ordered, in production, waiting for wood?) > Audioquest Nightowl (ZMF Verite Closed, Sanding and Finishing)

    Portable (kind of) System—Samsung S8 > ifi micro iDSD BL > Empire Ears Bravado