The All Purpose Advice Thread

Discussion in 'Advice Threads' started by purr1n, Sep 26, 2015.

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  1. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    After thinking some more and if I forgo any tone tweaks, would a Schiit Magni 3 work about the same as a sys? I read something about the volume control coming before gain circuit but I guess that would be moot with the preamp function.

    And can I assume the pot in both are the same? Reason for the Magni would be to have a HP amp backup and when the time comes the resale is great on those things.
     
  2. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    How about JBL Nano Patch?
    Mackie compact mixers are very utilitarian, problem solvers. If you do any kind of audio production it is always handy to have a 402VLZ around, especially in this day of virtual meetings, zoom production, etc. Don't expect the Mackie to be audiophile, but it will be free of hum, buzz, odd artifacts, unlike some of the competitors.
     
  3. Boops

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    I'm looking for decent stopgap DAC to use at work on a short- to medium-term basis while I shuffle some things around. Looking for something with good synergy with an EC BW2. What's the cheapest thing I can get away with that doesn't leave too much on the table w/r/t sound quality? (Note: I've got a Schiit Hel I could use in case that's the answer.)
     
  4. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Not sure what input you need, but priced south of the Hel is the Modi 3 and Zen (both should be perfectly acceptable). Stuff priced lower than that is likely to be below Hel in SQ.
     
  5. Boops

    Boops Friend

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    Let me rephrase to make it more clear: what's the best bang-for-buck DAC for EC BW2 from a system synergy perspective?
     
  6. redrich2000

    redrich2000 Facebook Friend

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    Not sure where this belongs... I wanted see what you think of what we call "coherence" and soundstage. A couple of days ago I demo'd a Hifiman Ananda. As well as being too sharp in the treble, it felt kind of gangly, like a teenager after a growth spurt. There was a Focal Clear nearby and I tried that and it was so much better to my ears. It was much more what I would call coherent, like the hd650. Everything in its right place and fitting together correctly. Sort of a sense of stage balance. Is that what others call "coherent"?

    If it is, I wonder if it is a by-product of soundstage. The Ananda tries for too much and it falls apart a bit as a result?

    The Clears are the best headphones I've heard. I snagged a used set via an eBay miracle. Are there headphones with big soundstage that retain coherence? Is it better for manufacturers to go for a more intimate stage unless they really know what they're doing?
     
  7. lcmusiclover

    lcmusiclover Friend

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    Going out on a limb here ... I think that's a bit of the HifiMan 'house sound'. Lean, big, airy headstage, a little bright/sharp. Certainly what I hear from my HE-560 (although it's fairly V-shaped) and used to hear from my HEKv2. I will say that my HEKse has a fuller sound, with less perceived bright treble.
    Yes, that's certainly part of the story. I wonder what your source chain is like -- my experience with several Hifiman sets (not including Ananda) is that they move around a fair amount with different chains driving them. DD vs Planar sound will also create this perception. To my ears, all of my planars have more open staging than my two DDs (Utopia & Auteur).
    Yes, Clear are very good. A bit like the HD-650 in that you can say "...and they don't really do anything badly." You do see a few impressions which mention 'metallic sounding' ... I've never heard that.
    Staging really depends on both the cans and the source chain. For example, when I owned Empyrean I found their headstage fairly claustrophobic as well as a bit 'smeared'. When I switched chains from Denafrips Pontus ==> Bryston BHA-1 to A2 Gungnir Multibit ==> Liquid Platinum w/ Brimar CV-2492 tubes I felt like the stage opened up some and got a little more precise. Still nowhere near as precise as Utopia stage, but better. Utopia's stage is the most precise of any cans I've heard ('That instrument, RIGHT THERE!'). While Utopia's stage is not very big, it is quite even (Depth vs Width vs Height).

    Actually, it sounds like you might be looking for HD-800/800S. Personally, I had them and ended up preferring HEKse by a big margin. HEKse stage isn't as large as HD-800, but it's bigger than all my other cans (well Ether 2 is close), and I enjoyed the sound of HEKse so much more that keeping them and selling the HD-800S was a no-brainer.

    But that's all personal taste, so if you like their sound (and especially if you listen to a lot of classical) 800 will definitely be the cans with the biggest stage which still sound 'coherent'. As a bonus, they are quite comfortable as well.

    Your ears/my ears, of course :)
     
  8. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    @atomicbob yep unlike Presonus and Behringer. Especially the older USA Mackies. Tascam and Yamaha made some great hardware too but it’s spottier. Tascam is owned by Gibson now and has cheaped out a lot of their interfaces and pres recently.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2020
  9. murphythecat

    murphythecat GRU-powered uniformed trumpkin

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  10. nishan99

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    Yes this is what I call diffused imaging of planars or Hifiman planars at least. Some call it "ethereal", I prefer "diffused".

    All hifiman egg shaped do that tho it gets more tactile and focused the higher in price you go.
     
  11. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I'm considering taking the plunge for an iFI Micro Black Label, but it's quite expensive at 600$ and right now I don't absolutely need portable. I'm curious about advice on desktop amp/dacs in that price range that would work with iems, probably with an ieMatch adapter for CA iems. I'm looking at Schiit's DAC/AMPs. The Lyr or Jotenheim, but I have little experience with these esp the updated versions. With Multibit DAC modules of course. I'd want a sound that is incisive with good micro and macrodynamic and no flat or cold Kevin Gilmore bullshit, slightly warm, but not too warm as it would be paired with a CA Andromeda 2020 wihch is already on the warm mushy side. The iFI Micro synergizes pretty well with it, but it occurred to me that a home amp/dac at that price might perform way better and really make the Andro's sing.
     
  12. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Oddly enough, my googling found a comparison between the iFI Micro BL and the Jottunheim. He claims with measurements and subjective impressions the the iFI Micro is the "clear winner". Unfortunately it's on Audio Science Review and someone I don't know so I don't believe a word of it. Leaves a little question mark in my mind though...

    https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...dsd-black-label-dacs-and-headphone-amps.3717/
     
  13. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    I wouldn’t trust anyone’s review on ASR as far as I can throw them, esp with regards to older/non-op amp Schiit stuff.

    I assume you’ve seen Marv’s review thread on the Micro BL? Pretty informative...
    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...i-micro-idsd-bl-review-and-measurements.8842/

    Edit: updated link
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2020
  14. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Yeah, definitely read that multiple times. Thanks. I know not to trust ASR or any Randos for that matter, but it does beg for opinions from SFAFers.

    I have an iFI Micro here on loan right now and like it with the Andromeda 2020, just curious if a desktop DAC/AMP might potentially be much better. Only ones I know of are the Schiit's.
     
  15. monacelli

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    For desktop amps used to drive iems, the one that gets consistently mentioned is the THX 789. SBAF has figured out that the 789 is maybe on the boring/flat side for full-sized cans, but special for iems. You might ask @shotgunshane what he thinks in terms of pairing with Andro 2020. I'm sure the 789's OI is super low, so you might need to make an adapter if you want to tweak it. DAC + amp combos can be kind of limiting because you don't always have the ability to mix and match to find the right synergy. Sometimes the DAC doesn't suit the amp section (or vice versa) and you might be stuck buying a separate DAC anyway (if the AIO even has analog inputs). So if the AIO footprint really matters to you, then by all means go that route. But if you have a little more space, I think separates provide more flexibility. I bet Modius into 789 would make for a killer desktop iem setup. I'm not one of SBAF's resident iem gurus, but if I ever splurged on TOTL iems, I would definitely kick the tires on that setup.
     
  16. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    A noob question for a guy who's about to go 2-channel:

    When using biwire-able speakers (speakers that have 2 pairs of inputs instead of 1), I heard that 1 pair (usually the upper pair) is tilted toward higher frequencies and 1 pair (usually the lower pair) is tilted toward lower frequencies.

    1. Is this true? If so, what is the general rule of thumb if I were to decide not to biwire and just use 1 set of speaker cables: connect them to the upper posts or the lower posts?

    2. In biwire-able speakers, does biwiring almost always bring beneficial results compared to not biwiring?

    3. If I decide to biwire, is it optimal to use 2 sets of speaker cables per channel, or simply use 1 set of speakers and a pair of jumper cables? Is there a noticeable difference?

    4. Is I were to use jumper cables instead of 2 sets of speaker cables, should I connect the speaker cable to the upper post or the lower post?

    Again, I know many of these questions will sound dumb but please understand I have zero experience with bi-wiring. Any tips or suggestions will be appreciated.
     
  17. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    1. well, yes, this is logical. if there is a jumper wire or spade it does not matter which posts you use

    2. in my opinion it's a waste of time when using a single amplifier, but you should try for yourself and decide

    3. the whole point is to use two sets of cable per channel

    4. see above
     
  18. Elysian

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    I've been reviewing the last two years of threads on SBAF for a desktop IEM amp. It seems like most people recommend the Jotunheim and the Drop THX 789? I'd like to pair it with my unbalanced UE18 as it's one of my favorite pieces of gear.

    The Questyle CMA Twelve on the FS forum looks interesting but I don't see a gain switch. I was also thinking of building a SuSy Dynalo but don't know if it would be too noisy for IEMs.

    Also, is there a consensus on whether the HD600 or HD650/HD6XX is preferred here or scales better with amping? I read the HD660S threads and it doesn't seem like an improvement over the 600/650 and I see used HD700s go under $300 but they are verboten. After so many years, I'm surprised that the HD600 and HD650 are still the only options without upgrading to the Focal Clear. I'm in the process of babyproofing the house including personal electronics and need something that can survive a bit of abuse and isn't too expensive.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2020
  19. monacelli

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    I think the HD600 vs. HD650 thing comes down to personal preference rather than technicalities. For some, me included, the treble presentation of the HD600 is among the most natural of any headphone. For others, they have trouble with the "hot upper mids" of the HD600 (their words). This may be a genetic thing, like having the taste buds to enjoy cilantro (somewhat joking). I will say that I have heard setups that made the HD600s sound bad (I personally didn't like the synergy with MCTH). But this goes for the HD650 too. So it's really a matter of picking the transducer that best fits your desired sound signature, and then building a complementary system around it. As you probably already know, they love tubes. In terms of Schiit gear, you'll often see the Lyr 3 and Vali 2 recommended for HD600, and Valhalla 2 recommended for HD650. I can attest to the Vali 2/HD 600 pairing, it's a stellar budget setup. Here is a quote from Marv when asked about the relative merits of the HD600/HD650 in terms of resolution:
    I would be remiss if I didn't mention some changes that have taken place in Sennheiser's manufacturing. Somewhere around the beginning of 2019, Sennheiser moved production of the HD6__ family of headphones from Ireland to Romania. There were documented teething problems with the transition. Some buyers felt let down with the Romanian version of the HD650, while others say their Romanian HD6XX sound the same as their Irish predecessors. There are also some inklings that the Romanian HD600 may be tuned a bit differently, but I haven't seen measurements that documented this. When all of this came up, I bought a backup kitchen countertop HD600 (my preference). So something to be aware of, and ymmv. If you're interested, see [this thread and this thread] for more info.
     
  20. Metro

    Metro Friend

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    There is some evidence that biwiring can reduce intermodulation distortion. See this:
    https://www.qacoustics.co.uk/blog/2016/06/08/bi-wiring-speakers-exploration-benefits/
    However, whether the difference is actually audible is in dispute. If you are tormented by audio nervosa, you can simply buy a second set of speaker cables and see if it makes a difference on your system.

    The biggest benefit of biwire-able speakers is that it gives you the option to add a second power amp to bi-amp your speakers.
     
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