The All Purpose Advice Thread

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

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  1. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Nah, I've got one of the first run LCs that I got used off a good friend here. If memory serves the LCX is supposed to be a fair improvement in terms of sheer technicalities but I'm quite attached to the form factor of the original.

    Sorry to hear about that— the cable was what killed it? That makes me sketchy of buying cheap aftermarket ones now, haha. Been wanting a balanced cable for the HD600 for a while.
     
  2. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Is the LCX meant to be better in terms of sheer technicalities? I seem to recall those who owned both saying the opposite, that the original LC was the better sounding amp by a few hairs.
     
  3. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Just going off what I've read in the LC thread on here, though it's been a while since then and I could be misremembering. Haven't had the opportunity to A/B test or even demo the LCX so I have no means of determining that for myself, but I'd happily acknowledge the original as being better :p
     
  4. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    Thanks, but don't be scared. It was a DIY cable I made that I tried something new instead of keeping things simple. At least I learned. That cable is now out of commission.
     
  5. redrich2000

    redrich2000 Facebook Friend

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    If I'm hearing some digital noise through my amp and the noise stops when the DAC is disconnected from the amp, does that mean the noise is coming from the DAC? Or could it still be the amp?
     
  6. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Could also be the cables connecting the amp to the dac catching interference. Can you reposition things to see if it changes the noise?
     
  7. redrich2000

    redrich2000 Facebook Friend

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    This is the testing I've done:
    FiiO M11 direct into amp = no noise
    PC>Modius into amp balanced = noise (with mutliple sets of cables)
    PC>Modius into amp SE = noise
    PC>USB dongle DAC = noise
    phone>Modius>amp = no noise

    So it seems like I have noisy USB from the PC, unsurprising I suppose. It's Dell PC.

    I guess I need one these little ifi noise reducers?
     
  8. colhd

    colhd Acquaintance

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    Regarding the MOTU Ultralite Mk4, for use as a DAC with volume control would the Ultralite AVB have the same audio quality? The Mk4 which is very well regarded here seems to be out of stock everywhere in the UK and looking at the MOTU website it looks as though they are almost identical except the AVB gains network connectivity at the expense of S/PDIF on RCA (AVB does have optical input).

    For context I am looking for a DAC and volume control for a balanced input amp. At best I would use the interface for MS Teams or a podcast so much of the functionality would be wasted. Likely USB although I am not sure if the AVB could be used if I got a USB C or Thunderbolt 3 to Ethernet adapter (laptop is a Dell Precision 5510 with i7-6820HQ, 32GB, Quadro M1000M, no built in ethernet port). Don't know if the AVB input would be superior to the USB? Need to read up on AVB.

    Modius never seems to be available and that is assuming a quality balanced preamp could be found that doesn't cost a small fortune.
     
  9. colhd

    colhd Acquaintance

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    Looks like AVB is only between other AVB products, PC connected by USB or TB only so don't have to worry about AVB being superior to USB.
     
  10. DrForBin

    DrForBin Friend

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    hello,
    it appears that the ac adaptor for my ancient Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex desk has gone off to electronic Valhalla. not such a big deal, however, my entire music collection is on it.
    searched for a replacement, all of the ones i can find have brands i have no experience with.
    the dead one is an APD WA=18G12U. can anyone suggest a good quality replacement?
    output 12V, 1.5A
     
  11. RedFuneral

    RedFuneral Facebook Friend

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    This can be fixed by switching to an optical connection between PC & DAC. You can also fix it by lifting the ground on the amp, I personally use a 'cheater plug' on my amps here due to this issue. It is worth noting that this isn't the best way to fix it simply the cheapest provided another input isn't available. I would advise doing your own research before deciding to try this solution.

    Something I haven't tried but have seen discussed is lifting the power lines on the USB cable(usually covering them with tape or another thin insulator. This is a safe solution but won't work with all DACs as some do use the incoming power from the computer.

    The root cause of the problem is insufficent isolation on the USB of your DAC along with a groundloop. I'm not sure why this seems to be a larger problem with modern budget DACs than it was with previous generations but it is what it is. It's not the fault of the PC per say, I suffer it bad here and I tend to pay more building my PCs to get higher quality power delivery & USB ports.
     
  12. Noodlz

    Noodlz Almost "Made"

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    Need advice for iems. I found the pairing of my RHA t10i to be quite nice with the Ifi nano BL, unfortunately the rha remains super uncomfortable as it kinda grinds against my ears. Any other recommendations for iems in the sub $300 range that’ll be comfy and would pair well with the iFi nano? Or even recommendations on how I can make the rha actually comfortable? (Any threads I should be reading through? Specifically comfort being the biggest issue for me
     
  13. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

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    I had something similar happen with an old hard drive and after I got a suitable adapter I found out that the connector on the drive was bad. So I bought a cheap Sabrent drive dock and removed the drive from the old case and plugged it in. I also considered it a sign that the drive itself might be next and then copied the contents onto a new drive. I've actually used the drive dock quite a bit as I have a small ile of old drives that I occasionally use to consolidate and move content.
     
  14. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    Mean Well makes about the best switching power supplies.

    Literally, any of these (although I prefer the Desktop Class I):

    https://www.digikey.com/en/products...7WaFh2Ko4gMoGswYZhJiAAtBDQcnFK9qq0FlapbCLCwkA
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2021
  15. ergopower

    ergopower Friend

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    That exact power supply is at Amazon for $10 link
     
  16. DrForBin

    DrForBin Friend

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  17. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    Quick question:

    Is it possible to wirelessly stream music from PI2AES to wireless speakers (such as KEF LS50 Wireless II)? Or can the PI2AES only be used with a physical digital cable via its digital outputs (AES, BNC, I2S, etc)?
     
  18. boredpanda

    boredpanda Almost "Made"

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    I'm looking for my next headphones, closed back in this case. Staying at home because for both working and time off makes me want to put on some closed backs and ignore the world for a bit, while not bothering my other half with my music.
    Anyway!

    Budget
    I'd say a budget is between $0 - $1500, but a bit tricky to say due to currency conversion and differing prices (I'm in Sweden).

    Music
    I'm a metal-head, so mainly metal music/hard rock. Occasional electronic music as well.

    Daily driver setup
    Not using any EQ. I'm loving the sound from this, and it'll be the same DAC/amp for the closed backs as well.

    Desktop PC -> Bifrost 2 -> SW51+ -> Sennheiser HD650


    For closed back, I only really have extended experience with Sennheiser Momentum 2 over ear. They're OK for on the go. I was also recently able to try ZMF headphones (Atticus and Eikon) at home, from a shop in Sweden who offers this.

    The Eikons didn't work for me at all. They felt like they couldn't keep up with my music which left them sounding muffled and muddy to my ears. The Atticus however slammed really well, and were able to keep up without an issue. Both the Atticus and Eikons are big boys and I kept seeing the cups in my peripheral vision, making me startle more than once.. They are also somewhat heavy, for extended use.

    Because of "fear of missing out" I'd like to hear from you if there are other closed backs out there I should consider, before dropping a lot of $ on those gorgeous looking LTD Atticus marblewoods... What say you, metalheads (and non-metalheads)? ;)

    Thanks for reading!
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2021
  19. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    pi2AES is just a HAT and doesn't have its own OS or brain. It sits on top of Pi and is a great solution for clean digital output. If your only need is to stream music to wireless device then there is no point of Pi2AES HAT and what you need is just Raspberry pi with OS that can stream wireless music.
     
  20. Metro

    Metro Friend

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    The wireless function is in the Raspberry Pi, not the Pi2AES add-on board.

    The KEF LS50 Wireless II spec says that it supports these wireless interfaces: AirPlay, Chromecast, UPnP, Bluetooth. The Raspberry Pi would need to act as an audio sender using one of those protocols. The hardware is capable of doing it and I'm sure that it's possible, but I wouldn't know which software to use. The streaming software that has been discussed (Volumio, MoOde, etc) can work as wireless audio receiver but I'm not sure about wireless sender. What do you want to do with Raspberry Pi that you couldn't do with the built-in streaming capabilities of the LS50 Wireless?
     
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