The All Purpose Advice Thread

Whoa. Focal used is skeezy.

Check that the warranty is transferable, its often not (it varies by region/distributor) and if you're out of warranty its 250$ to get new pads and 800$ for a headband when it gets dirty.

No, i didn't mistype those prices.

 

58x all the way. Hifiman purchases are a piss in the dark...no telling what you're going to hit. Senn products are tried and true and last decades if well cared for. Pairs very nicely with Val2. Grab one while you can and then thank me later.

 

Keep it this way until you either hear something you prefer or there are niggles that keep getting louder every time you listen to your system..dB

 

Truth. My HD650's are about 11 to 12 years old, and they still sound great.

 

And you can give it to your grandkid one day and get to say to him "you'll thank me later".

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for a phono preamp? I've been using my dad's old receiver but I was hoping for something more desk-friendly.

 

Does a cheap, good sounding easy to use DAP with the ability to be used as a digital transport exist?

My previous DAP passed away sadly, and all I have at the moment is my PC and I don't want to use my phone as a DAP.

However, I cant spend much. Maybe US150 at the most. I have been looking at the Hidiz, Cayin and Shanling offerings, but I am a bit hesitant to choose one.

Any body has any other options or thoughts on the matter?

Thanks in advance

D

 

I don’t know how well it works as a transport but I’ve been using the Shanling M0 with my iPhone for a few days (Bluetooth AAC from iPhone to M0) and it is a noticeable improvement in audio quality from using a lightning DAC dongle with my phone with a Massdrop Plus IEM. So at the very least, it sounds good to me. I would read more about it in the product thread. I think some people have tried using it as a transport. https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...g-m0-tiny-dap-for-109.5998/page-5#post-211589

 

I wouldn't go for the Clear (or Elex for that matter) if you enjoy the stock HD650 sound signature. Both of them are a good amount brighter than the HD650 and have rougher treble to boot (esp Elex). I've heard good things about the Atticus paired with the MCTH; I haven't heard them myself but you could expect something closer to HD650 tonality there, with some improved technicalities.

The cheapest way to improve your setup would be to add a LPS for your MCTH. It will tighten up the bass of your HD650 a good bit and clean things up overall.

If after that you're entirely happy with the HD650, I'd spring for a Gungnir Multibit, either with Gen 5 USB or Eitr. Your HD650 is more than capable of taking advantage of a better DAC.

 

Atticus with Suede pads, yeah? With leather pads its darker/warmer than my 6XX. Eikon was halfway between a KISS'd 650 and 600 to my ears, and the treble not as smooth.

But again, the only upgrades you can do to a 650 is give it sub-bass and better staging, really.

If all you're after is sub-bass on top, the AFO is worth a listen? with the heaviest of the provided paddings it felt close.

You pretty much have to pay 1000$+ to beat the 650 on both and keep everything else - Auteur with Eikon pads - so unless those are paramount to you, upgrade the rest of the chain.

 

Definitely an Atticus or used Auteurs. At least Zach is reasonable when it comes to price when fixing out of warranty headphones. I wouldn't recommend the AFOs since they sound flat paired with the MCTH and the HD650 have better synergy with that amp. I have mine boxed up for this reason.

 

I forgot to mention that I already add LPS into my chain, even swap a tube to a really old Amperex A flame from ebay( the text screens are almost gone, luckily it didnt blow my amp up) for softer sound. I could easily listen at low volume without missing anything after adding LPS.

Actually..after I got back from work to listen the music, my thought of chasing the dragon was gone. I do not know if there is anything I missing in those songs due to my lack of experiences, so I decided to keep it this way according to
dBel84 's advice. Thank you.

 

I would also +1 a Gungnir Multibit upgrade. I too really enjoy the MCHT+LPS+650 combo...as @Biodegraded and I found out, not even closely matched Amperex A-Frames from Holland sound the same but the differences aren't massive.

Another thing to try is a plug-in like Sonorworks and their Headphone profiles -- I really like it as it brightens things up a touch and moves everything a little more forward.

Edit: Also consider waiting to upgrade the amp until the new Cavalli+Monoprice amp is in the wild. It could be more of the same, but better. Timbre is the best part of the amp I feel and going to a totally different brand, even if more expensive (ie: EC) doesn't automatically mean you'll like it.

 

I'm looking for advice on a DAP. I have not kept up with this market. I have about $400 to spend but $300 would be better. What I'm looking for:

1. Best sound quality for the money. I favor a more neutral signature from the player.

2. Reasonably portable but mostly for around the house and occasional travel.

3. Ability to drive 58x and my gr07 be (2017).

4. Balanced option would be nice to drive the Senn's.

5. Good screen is a plus but not mandatory.

6. Not really streaming music. But I'll need memory expansion for a 200gb card.

7. Used deals are welcome.

 

You have plethora of options.

1. Sony ZX300 - Get the 300A from Joybuy.com for around $350. Comes from HK and takes around 2 weeks to arrive. Checks all your boxes. Great UI, amazing battery life and Bal has sufficient power. I wasn’t impressed with the out-of-the-box SQ. People say that it improves after burn-in. Sony themselves advise 200hrs if run-in to break the caps. The sound is a little forward. Bass wasn’t powerful enough, midrange lacked a little dynamics and treble had some harshness. Decent soundstage. I made a post on the DAP thread not too long ago.

2. Shanling M3S - Amazing player for the price in terms of features and SQ. Has more power on Bal than the Sony. You can find my review on head-fi. The only thing I hate on this device is the navigation using the wheel/knob. You could pick up a used unit for as low as $200.

Your other options:

3. Opus 1S - Although I haven’t heard one myself, the people I trust, highly recommend this. You can pick up used one or a new one from MusicTeck for $400.

4. Cayin N5ii - I have read nice things and seems to meet all your criteria.

5. Hiby R3 - I have the bigger brother. These guys know how to get the UI right. Only thing I am not sure about on the R3 though, is the power output. But should meet all your other criteria.

6. Cowon Plenue R - Very good feedback and seems to meet all your criteria.

P.S: The recent Fiio releases in the price range have not been great is what I hear.

 

The Sony looks on point for what I'm looking for. Not sure about joybuy...reputable?

 

I felt the same way. Took the risk and ordered on the 23rd. Player showed up last Monday. Never received a tracking number but would definitely do it again. Just could not justify the US cost of the higher capacity model. I do not have any balanced cables and it isn't broken in, and so far only used it with the andromeda but so far I love it simply based on UI, build quality and battery life.

 

They are pretty good. I had to return mine as my unit’s USB DAC functionality did not work with my Mac. I was pretty amazed by their customer service. They provide a tracking number a week after it ships from their warehouse. As they ship items in bulk as a consignment to a proxy location and only then it is handed off to a shipping carrier. The item should arrive 2 weeks from the date of order.

 

That's good enough for me.

 

Say what are people Experience with running the zmf Auteur out of a solid state amp instead of a tube amp. I've got a tube amp but it's kind of meh sounding.

My headphone amp is the SPL Phonitor E and Dac is Bifrost Multibit