The All Purpose Advice Thread

Ive got a Torpedo 3 + Gungnir Multibit at home and need a pair of headphones that are a bit more relaxed than HD800s for when I'm working. I enjoy 650s but was wondering if there was anything else out there that would scale well with my rig. TH-X00 are out i tried some on (big head / ears) and they don't fit at all.

 

@Alaarx Perhaps the Nighthawk is worth an audition from the reviews I read.

 

Ill see if I can find a pair to try. Has anyone tried the Meze 99 classics on a decent rig?

 

Meze review by Tyll. He certainly has a decent rig. You have to try this one out for the comfort factor given it is not a real over-ear design. It seems a larger cup version is coming down the road.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/category/full-sized-sealed-headphone-reviews

 

@Claritas mentioned a Mousai, which happens to be up on Massdrop right now and within your budget for $279: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/mousai-msd192-dac. Would it happen to be the same one though?

 

That's the one. Levaix brought it to a mini-meet. I liked it with my ESP950 and I would've bought it, except I'd already ordered the Beresford. I can't say which sounds better because I heard the Mousai for only 45 minutes. But it didn't piss me off.

 

Anyone know of a good quality cable maker who makes balanced cables for IEMs? I checked SurfCables and it seems they only do them balanced for Pono.

 

Give Lindsay a shout. He could probably hook you up.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ImpactAudioCables

 

Perfect, thanks!

 

I'm happy with my Bryston 2B.

 

Curious to get opinions on what is the least expensive DAC I can use temporarily with the ZDS and without gimping its performance. Can the GOV2 handle the job or do I need to be looking at something else?

FWIW, I will replace whatever DAC I temporarily purchase once I find a black Yggrasil and after I move back into my home which is under construction. I dont want to use my ModWright 9100ES because it is in storage with my CD collection and I'd like to create a temporary rig with Audirvana Plus, TIDAL, and my HD 800 headphones for the next three-four months.

 

Modi Uber, or if the Modi 3Balls comes out soon, I'm actually surprised it hasn't been released yet.

 

Bifrost Multibit/Bifrost 4490+ Black Widow or Ayre Codex for my HD800S?

I want to add a bit of warmth and also get Max performance from the headphone...

Anybody have an opinion?

 

Heard great things about the codex but I would have a hard time saying no to the BW / Bifrost combo. BW will give you the warmth you seek, and I've had a hard time saying that the Gungnir Multibit is significantly better than the Bifrost Multibit I owned. I was pretty happy with Bifrost Multibit, I think I could have saved the $600 difference.

 

Thanks!

 

Heard Codex with HD800 several days ago. While it was a good-sounding combo, the Codex did not have enough power for the HD800 via single-end connection. I did not have a balanced cable with me to test the balanced output. Plus, an adapter cable is needed to common balanced cables.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

Any recommendations on a sub $125ish closed headphone that isolates well and is comfortable and has treble laid back enough to listen to for hours? Was using my QC15's for this purpose, but after a couple hours, my ears get a bit hot and fatigued.

 

I personally can't recommend any headphones below $300 but if you aren't adverse to IEMs, the Carbo Tenore is usually <$50 and has a smooth sound signature without sacrificing detail. IMO, that would be my recommendation.

 

I prefer to have over the ears for long term listening. I love my Shure SE215s for what they are, but they tend to have a couple hour time limit like the QC15s.