I need to replace my w4r, so naturally the w40 seems like the best option. But for $100 more I'm curious about the w50. I can't seem to find much in terms of comparisons between the two, just a could reviews saying the w50 has a lot of bass. Do they sound like the w40 with added bass, or is it a...

So my beloved w4r's fell out of my pocket yesterday, and the left shell got stepped on. Split the case open, and broken the tip off where the tips connect. They are discontinued, so Westone won't repair them, they just offered a 25% discount on the w40. The custom reshell route gets very mixed...

I am considering getting portable amp/dac combo for my Westone 4r's. I'm currently using them with my HTC M8, and they sound great. I'm just wondering if they'll sound better. I've read a lot of people are pretty happy with the dac in the M8, but I'm sure there's better. Being IEM's, is an amp...

I juggle my Sennheiser HD650's between my Bottlehead Crack, Essence stx, and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. The Crack is for listening to music, the stx is for surround, and the 2i2 is the only thing that will properly output my guitar from amplitube. My computer is setup for my couch instead of a...

I have been doing reading on iem, and have seen numerous threads about reshells of universal iem's. Is there an advantage to buying universal to reshell vs a custom? I am trying to make a decision between a triple.fi 10 vs westone 4r vs westone um3x, and see that the price of them with a reshell...

I'm having issues with only being able to run one audio stream at a time. I'm currently running Windows 7->Essence stx toslink out->Schiit Bifrost->Bottlehead Crack->Sennheiser HD650. Before I got the Bifrost, when I was running rca out from the stx, I could pause a movie in jriver to watch a...

I've had my HD650's for just over a year, and they have been fantastic so far. I've recently noticed when bass is playing, and nothing else, I can hear something between a rattle or scratchy noise out of the left driver. Even low volume with bass playing softly as an intro, it's there. The sound...

I have read a couple of different posts on other forums regarding the length of an optical cable. It was in reference to a home theater setup, so I wanted to bring it here to see if it's orif it applies the same. I read that optical cables have a length sweet spot for quality between 7'-15'...

I'm about to pick up a Schiit Bifrost, but I'm going to get the upgrade boards separately. I want to be used to the sound so that I can notice the difference in sound when the upgrades are put in. My question is, which of the upgrades brings the biggest boost in performance? I'm trying to decide...

I'm looking into building an AC power cable for my Bottlehead Crack. The wire I'm not really having any issues with, but the connectors are something I'm wondering about. What are the advantages of going with a ~$100 Furutech vs a ~$13 Wattgate? Obviously materials are different, like gold vs...

I've read numerous posts and threads regarding the essence stx, and the quality of the dac. I've seen a lot of phrases like "should be", "about the same", and things like that. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a desktop dac to with my bottlehead. Ive been searching reviews and...

I just picked up a bottlehead crack, and I am getting some interference through it. It was worse until I changed to a different plug, but the interference is still very audible when music isn't very loud. I am running rca to the Crack from my essence stx. The essence stx is setup with asio...

Its time to upgrade from my starter kit of xonar essence stx and stock sennheiser hd650s. I'm about to place an order on a bottlehead crack, and want diy myself some cables. I want to make some cables for the hd650s, and some rca cables as well. There are tons of diy threads on making cables...

Currently I'm running my Sennheiser hd-650s through a essence stx. I've been wanting to add a tube amp, but hadnt been able to check one out for a frame of reference. I stopped by an audio store that was waaaaay out of my league. The advice I was given was to not spend less than a grand on a...

I have been running my hd-650's with an Xonar Essence stx for about 8 months now, and am still loving it. But I have been having that itch lately to pick up some new components. As the essence stx is solid state, I kind of want to try a tube amp. I'm not looking to spend a lot of money on it, so...

So far I have an ASUS Xonar Essence STX powering a pair of Sennheiser hd-650's. The sound is amazing, and worlds ahead of what I was using before. But I can't help but wonder how I can improve upon the sound. Any advice on what other components to add in? I'm not sure what an external DAC or amp...

I'm about to add a second video card to my computer, but I have a pci-e slot problem. The only way I can do both cards and keep my essence stx is to put it in between the video cards. Wen I say in between, I mean the shield would be extremely close if not touching the pcb of the second video...

I just installed an essence stx yesterday, and I'm running Sennheiser HD650's with it. The sound has been great so far, but I get a static in the background whenever there's no sound coming through. As soon as I start a song or unpause a movie it stops. Is this a configuration or driver issue?

I have been wishing for a pair of Sennheiser HD650s for years, but the wife always shoots me down. Then a thought occurred to me. She enjoys TV, so we spent a couple thousand on a TV. But I LOVE music, so why wouldn't I spent 25% of the TV's value on a pair of headphones that will outlast it...