The All Purpose Advice Thread

It won't help you with the LP but Marv did a comparison BT the MCTH & Vali (and Project Horizon) here:
http://www.audiophool.org/blog/inde...headamps-garage1217-project-horizon-compared/

 

I am also interested in this question. Back in my net admin days I used to occasionally have reason to use units like this, particularly on large/expensive color laser printers that were for whatever reason particularly sensitive to voltage variance. I have read various opinions from audiophiledom that these units (unless they are bespoke versions from "High End" manufactures) cause more problems than they solve, but these are audiophiles saying these things...

 

I have not heard the LP, but I do currently have a Vali 2 and CTH. With the stock tubes the CTH is a noticeable step up from the Vali in all most every way. But if you swap the tube in the Vali you can alter the sound to your preferences, more bass with an Amperex tube or more air/treble with a Gold Lion. It still won't reach the technical abilities of the CTH but it gets closer over the stock tube. If you are looking for something fun to listen too, you can't go wrong with either.

 

I have two similar units roughly in the same power rating. I mostly use them for PA duties in venues with questionable wiring, though have snuck them in for home use on occasion. I have never noticed any negative effects.

 

Just a suggestion, but win 7 for audio is ancient. Grab a used pc with win 10 (USB audio drivers now), get great player SW and dedicate this pc to music. Total cost for a used desktop is about $150 w/ monitor. The get a good dac with well implemented USB or use your SDAC. You can split hairs with dacs, amps make way more difference in SQ.

 

In my experience with about 10 conditioners over the years, cheap to expensive, I have learned the best sound in my circumstances was with the digital and analog stuff NOT going into a conditioner. Computer, monitor, switch, disks, modem, router, etc into isolation transformer based conditioners like ONEAC or PowerVar.

Not sure if thisTripplite has isolation via transformer or not, I think it does. What you want is to not let the computer supplies crap getting back into the ac circuit. But plugging your music stuff into a socket that has a 10 cent mov for surge suppression does suck some life out of the signal.

You may recall when you came to my mini meet, I have all my daily computing equipment running off the kitchen circuit and only the music stuff off the living area circuit. It makes a difference with all that crap on my desk staying off the Music room ac. Only the dedicated pc and monitor in the music room are plugged into the Powervar. DAC and Amp go directly to the wall and sound best that way. Good luck!

 

Thanks B.

I'm worried more about the voltage regulation adding noise to the loop. I imagine it will, but to what extent is the concern. I get a bit of brownout issues any time the weather changes, it seems, and I just wanted more stable power to the gear for the gear's health sake. I don't want a UPS in the chain though. I've seen enough of those die at work to want to avoid them.

I guess there is one way to find out, and that's to try it.

 

Does anyone have any experience with vinyl rips or sampling vinyl to a computer DAW like ableton etc? I don't need the absolute best quality but is there a straightforward way to go from phono to the computer?

 

Need some DAC advice. I am sort of stepping back in to lo-mid levels and plan to get a ZMF Aeolus with velour pads as soon as I can afford one to go along with my HD650s. On the desk ready for a shootout, I have a Vali 2, MCTH, Pass WHAMMY, and soon an ECP L2 thanks to Ogodei's generosity. I currently have both a Modi 3 and a v1 Modi Multibit.

I was wondering if there was anything around $500 (preferably less) that would better take advantage of the amps and headphones. Aside from nice tonality and non sharp/brittle/fatiguing treble, I'd like as much spatial info as I can get. Would something like a Bifrost Multibit be a worthy upgrade for the money? Apparently the going used price for a Modi Multibit v1 has tumbled to below $150, so it would be 3x additional outlay to upgrade. Are there any other contenders that would be a noticeable step up in this range? Apparently I can send my Modi Multibit in to get the firmware upgrade, understanding that if the new USB tech ever trickles down, I'll have to get a new one.

 

Ableton should work, audacity works, I use VinylStudio.
You either need a turntable with USB out which has a digital signal or something like the rega fono mini a2d phono stage (owned one not bad at all) which yields a digital signal via usb or an audio-interface like a Steinberg UR22 (still own one). Nowadays I use my RME ADI-2 PRO, did the first recording in 32/96, was shocked by the disk space used and do 24/96 rips now (which the UR22 is capable of, too). This will allow you to join the dark digital side.

 

Others will hopefully answer as well. I had the version 1 modi MB and version 1 bifrost mb at the same time. They were extremely close. I convinced myself the bifrost was better because I liked the form factor better. In truth, the modi mb was the right choice, at least with the v1 units.

 

I have 2 of these to protect my 2 home audio systems. I haven't noticed any sound quality losses, but then I'm not golden-eared.

http://www.furmanpower.com/product/conditioner-power-ht-15-amp-ELITE-15i

PS: I took the recommendation from here.

 

Thanks for that.

I hate to say it, but I consider most Furman power product to be cheaply built crap. I've had their products explode a HT setup, and working with them after was a nightmare. I won't buy another one of their products.

For example, the SS-6b surge protector and "power conditioner":


Versus the Tripplite Isobar



The Isobar is only $25 more, and I'd say it's well worth it.

Hell, Belkin blows it out of the water for less.


I appreciate the suggestion. I really do. You kind of hit a trigger of mine though. =) Thanks for looking out!

 

I'm thinking of adding the hd800 back to the collection. I really miss it TBH. I'm planning a trip to Germany in a few months and wondered if it might be cheaper to get them while I'm there. Any thought?

 

So i went to an audio shop and tested out some headphones (The Audio Technica m50x and the msr7) with a dac/amp (Fiio q2 mk2). I enjoyed the msr7 much more than the m50x (which i find the sound distance and somewhat veiled, kinda felt like noise cancelling headphones). I felt like the msr7 sounds much closer to the instruments, yet I also found that instruments tend to overshadow vocals when i try vocals on the msr7 (which was less of an issue on m50x) and that female falsettos tended to be kinda shrill at the top ends (the song i tested was female vocals, the soft, airy type with a slap bass & electro disco backdrop, i found that the highs of the electro discos really overtook the vocals at certain points; could also be cuz i dont have access to very high quality recordings i dont know). Both failed to create the epic feel when listening to movie soundtracks, I think it may be attributed to how I couldn't really hear the lower ends that well? How does the 4xx and 6xx fare in respective to these? Are there some closed backs you would recommend? I went and realized how leaking open headphones (i initially was thinking "oh how bad can it be" and realized oh people 3 feet away can hear me) are and kinda is thinking of shifting to closed backs instead.

 

Both are very different from the audio technica. It's been a long time since I've heard AT, so I'm not really sure I should try to make any comparisons.

ZMF Eikons, E-Mu Teak, both for completely different reasons. Other than that, other people should chime in. I'm no longer well versed in lower priced closed headphones.

 

I've spent a couple weeks so far listening to my home rig, but I'm wondering if maybe I don't have the best synergy or my DAC is holding back my setup's full potential.

I've talked to famish99 privately about the DC-1 since he owns one and I agree with his criticisms. It definitely is lacking in microdynamics, there is a smoothness in the transient response, soundstage seems a bit closed in and there's not a lot of great layering. Even its ability to resolve is underwhelming. However the bass is well controlled and tactile, but I think that might be more characteristic of the Vidar since many owners have praised it for that quality. Other owners of the DC-1 have said the bass is a bit bloomy, and I can sorta hear that in some tracks.

I just wonder if my downstream components don't warrant a DAC that costs more than $1k. Obviously something like a Yggdrasil doesn't make much sense since I doubt I have the setup to take advantage of its resolution and precision. I listen to every genre of music, but most of my listening is dominated by pop. Convert-2 would be preferable but again I doubt I have the gear to make much use of it.

I'm looking for a DAC that is immersive and engaging, has liquid fluidity, a cohesive "organic" feel in the music that is both pleasing and fulfilling. I feel like all of that is missing from the DC-1, although the clarity is pretty good and damn nice timbre. I don't like analytic, sterile, cold sound. I do like a bit of warmth. I'm in a carpeted room with a bunch of furniture around which seems to help there.

Maybe a Gungnir A1? I've read the A2 is more on the neutral side.

I dunno maybe I'm being way too neurotic or just an overall idiot here.

Any advice or calling me a moron would be helpful.

 

@treboR

I recommend you to more thoroughly investigate which part is the bottleneck now. All your mentioned shortcomings can be attributed to speakers (more likely and evidently).

Hook up any well-received-in-sbaf dacs in your rig, and see whether you can feel positive changes. If changes were unsatisfying, then it's likely because of speakers. To do this, you will have to find a chance to borrow high-quality dacs, request home auditions (it depends on shops and dealers), or order a new product from stores having generous return policy.

Saying this because, while I don't know much about emotiva t2, the bookshelf version of the same product line and lsr 308 were both not very resolving to my ears. So, I am suspecting your two sets of speakers as a possible bottleneck.

dc1 is not bad in my experience years ago. Of course it cannot contest against super-performing dacs (Gungnir Multibit also included in this group imho) but jumping from dc1 to such dacs NEEDS revealing downstream.

 

Hello dear ones,

This is my first post and I am looking for a specific headphone recommendation, because I have limited ability to audition.

I am a borderline basshead, yet somewhat counter intuitively HD800S was the best bass I have ever heard in a headphone which probably alludes to the idea that I much prefer dynamic bass vs planar. I have owned LCD-2C (sold after realizing the bass wasn't authoritative and fast enough, plus the FR dips were kinda fatiguing and forced me to listen loud) HD600 (old unit, but the high frequencies were making weird unpleasant sounds even low volume crackling on some recordings) Campfire audio Vega (the bass was spectacular with WM1A, but still not authoritative like HD800, it was a good sinewave bass if you will - trully spectacular with low rich black men voices even though I much prefer high white women voices, but poor synth bass, plus I think I will never own in-ears again due to brain fatigue or whatever that bothered me). I have auditioned some more headphones like Focal Clear, Elear, OPPO (OPPO PM-1 may be my favorite planar bass, but I haven't heard TOTL planars), HifiMan Edition X and other hifimans that I remember now which tells me that planars are not the bass I'm looking for, even m50 sounds more authoritative to me than any planar I've heard, but instruments and voices do shine with many beloved planars. I also owned audio technica m50 and what got me into good sound in the first place and made me a bass head was Audio Technica ATH-CKS90 in ears.

I am going to use these headphones for producing synth sounds of particular frequencies and so very flat isn't a high requirement for me. I will also do some other kinds of production so I am pretty sure the soundstage of HD800S will always remain useful even if I buy another great headphone that reproduces my bass synths better. Right now I see the Utopia as potentially a better transducer for me because of the things I've read, but I never got a chance to hear it. Another dilemma I have is that HD800S has a relatively low volume level on the low frequencies and as I said I am a bit of a basshead. Really if not this small big issue I would buy hd800 in a heart beat since the good value for price.

I am not rich, but very enthusiastic about sound so I am willing to work for something if it's really worth it. I am thinking of owning a complimentary AEON flow open to give me what LCD-2C gave me (which HD800 never could I think because of driver technology) without the huge dips in FR and an easy non critical listening experience for a fair price, plus I own a really good cable for these phones. Reading this forum though I see that maybe HE6 modded would be a good complimentary headphone, but I've never heard it and cannot tell if it's a contender for AEON flow open.

If anyone can relate to what I am saying about the HD800 bass, could you tell me if I should have my eyes set on the Utopia? Since the CFA Vega is dynamic and yet the bass isn't authoritative the way I'm looking for it to be, I am postulating that maybe it has something to do with the extremely light driver of the Vega which make it sound a bit like planar to me - good with sines but not so much with saw tooth and the like. Could it be that Utopia would have a similar issue? I just cannot relate pretty much at all to people who say planars like LCD-2 or hifimans have good bass (although I recognize some great features of those phones that HD800 cannot offer) and so I cannot really completely trust what people say about Utopia even if I know it's a dynamic headphone. I'm looking for the absolute best bass that a headphone can get me and am willing to spend the bucks on Utopia and cables if it really does it better than HD800 not to mention the bass level issues with HD800 and HD800S.

Thank you very much for any advice or insight




PS. I am yet to buy HD 800, but I've heard enough by auditioning them in a shop