The All Purpose Advice Thread

I don't see much talk about Beyers around here. Does nobody recommend them because they still haven't fixed their atrocious uneven QC?

 

Way too bright for my baby ears.

 

The only Beyers I like are the DT-1350’s which I own. But a good sounding pair can be hard to find. The other models are, for me, like @Bloom, way to bright for my not so baby ears.

 

Hey guys, need some advice on hooking up the Convert-2 to Valhalla 2.

Koth can chime in if he likes, but is the Jensen Isomax 2XR the cheapest way to use the Convert-2 with Valhalla 2?

Or would a Modi Multibit serve as better synergy with HD650/Val2?

 

i'm in the market for a new dac, MQA or not. on the high-ish end, i'm thinking Matrix x-sabre pro, or RME ADI-2 dac. on the value end, Singxer SDA-2, Topping D70 (AK4497 design), or SMSL M500. My thinking is buy high end and blow my load, or value-end and buy more headphones.

 

If you're considering DACs in the $2k range, the Chord Hugo 2 should absolutely be considered.

 

Under 2k for sure. $1600 is the ceiling.

 

Looking for DAP recommendations to power efficient planars and occasionally hd650. Budget is around $500 or so.

 

Check out the Hyby R5.

 

Hey now,

I'm thinking about adding a solid state headphone amp / pre-amp like a V281 or GSX Mk2 between my DAC (Metrum Acoustics Adagio) and tube headphone amp (ZMF Pendant). I currently set the volume of the Pendant by hand and then use the remote control on the Adagio to make fine adjustments while listening. This might be a dumb question, but could I still adjust volume this way if something is between the two? Are there any potential issues I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

 

Not so much the QC as the FR. Put on a T-90 compared to anything else on the market: it's like daggers in your ears. They're decently resolving, just bright as shiny shit.

 

@treboR , I had the Modi Multibit/ Valhalla 2/ HD650 for a couple of years. It's a proven trio especially for vocals/ small combo jazz. Good with other genres. Weak with hip-hop.

 

Have you considered using Y-cables or splitters from the output of your DAC? Often, the preamp outputs from a headphone amplifier are there for convenience and don't sound all that great, at least in comparison to a well-designed dedicated pre (even a Schiit SYS). This solution is cheap, easy, and no fuss. The one consideration is if one of the amps has a low input impedance, or does something goofy like shorting the inputs when the amp is off. As long as you keep these things in mind, then this option should keep the sound you're getting from the Pendant the same, without any coloration imparted by your new solid state amp. If you want a preamp, then buying a dedicated one would likely yield better results.

 

Yes, you'll be able to adjust the volume just as you do now -- the Adagio adjusts the level of its analog output according to the volume setting, so everything downstream of it will see that adjusted level. But depending on what you put between it and the Pendant, you may find that the sound quality is better if you leave the Adagio's volume at full scale and use the preamp's volume control instead.

What are you trying to accomplish? If you just want to switch additional analog inputs to the Pendant (and optionally control their volume), a preamp without a built-in headphone amplifier will probably do a better job for the same money.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking to add a solid state headphone amp just to try something different from the Pendant, while keeping the ability to use that one too. I love the Pendant but I'd like to incorporate an option with a lower noise floor.

I think it will be cool to experiment with the preamp function to see what sounds best. So far I've been perfectly happy with the volume control on the Adagio. I don't notice any loss in fidelity at low volumes, and I can always adjust the volume on the Pendant and my power amp for speakers as needed.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I only use one source.

 

Oh, I see. In that case, don't put the new amp between the Adagio and the Pendant; it'll undoubtedly make the Pendant sound worse. Instead, do what @monacelli suggested: Use a high-quality switchbox to direct the DAC's output to one or the other amp. I have no experience with these specific boxes, but they look like they'd do the job:

https://goldpt.com/sw4.html (RCA)
https://goldpt.com/sw2x.html (XLR)

The switcher and the extra set of interconnects will add some cost, unfortunately, but the other way really won't sound nearly as good.

 

I'll look into that option for sure. I'm currently using a splitter the RCA output from my DAC to connect my power amp and the headphone amp. I guess a switchbox would be able to do the same but for three destinations rather than two. I was kind of hoping to avoid using something like in my speaker system chain but it might make the most sense. Thanks again.

EDIT: Actually, it turns out that I'm an idiot. I can just use the XLR output of the DAC to a new amp and leave the RCA connections in place for my existing amps.

I'm sorry for the run around... It might be one of those things that I had to "talk through" to understand. Carry on!

 

If one is to use the Convert 2 with almost any consumer headphone amp (especially those which are SE), the Jensen 2XR is the best way to go about it unless one can DIY a similar trafo (I remember Marv using his own rig). The only amp I feel comfortable connecting directly to the Convert 2 is the SPL Phonitor.

 

On the value end, Bifrost 2. What is your current DAC?

 

My placeholder is a pro-ject pre box S2. Before that I've had DS Bifrost and both multibit gungnirs. I've had the Schiit house sound for so long, I feel like trying something else for a while.