I'm highly suspicious of claims that vintage amplifiers are all that wonderful. The simple fact is, circuit components are better than what they were in the 80s and 70s. Testing and design tools are vastly superior today. I can't help but notice that the majority of -- if not all -- glowing...

It should be noted that the very fact that much of the audio experience cannot be measured, and so much remains unknown, should be a signal flare that basic knowledge of electrical engineering only leads to very basic understanding of audio reproduction. For example, what are the measurements on...

DSD much better matches the dynamic resolution of real audio. Indeed, it is much higher in terms of total resolution as compared to PCM. Early DSD (64x) on SA-CDs aren't THAT much better because much of its bandwidth is "wasted" on noise shaping. DSDx128 and above addresses that shortcoming, and...

After a lengthy wait, I finally got my DIY builder's DAC from China based on the 9018. It's got dual transformers for analog and digital circuits, high-end op-amps, WIMA, ELNA and Nichicon caps, 0.5 ppm clock. XMOS board. Listening to it right now via WASAPI push through a Wyrd. My initial...

I thought it was clear that the modded HD800 does NOT reach the level of the Abyss (which, I might add, was not amped to its abilities).

It sucks because many people can't afford it.   DSD is intrinsically superior to PCM for sound quality. That is simply a fact.   BUT: besides classic re-releases using analog master sources, there is only ONE record label (Channel Classics) that I know of that produces NATIVE DSD releases...

I would say it's still true BUT there is a minimum level every component in the chain must satisfy before they drag down everything else. In my current case, while in an equipment transition, I am using a Pioneer VSX-816, which has poor noise performance, making my HE-6 (when using speaker taps)...

So guys, I'm putting together a list of items for the HE-6 endgame.   First of all, I want to make sure the amp is NOT the limiting factor. Options I've identified so far include:   Odyssey Audio Hybrid Integrated Kismet: http://www.odysseyaudio.com/products-kismet-hybrid-int-amp.html -...

So, the main take-away I'm gathering from this thread is that the Abyss sounds the best. Great hopes were had for a modded HD800, but planars still beat dynamics, and nothing changes that fact.

Wow. I said I don't think there is anything better at the Yggdrasil's price point. But to say that it is competitive with better DACs is not very logical. The DACs I listed range from 5-7k, I'm not even talking about a Diamond V or Zodiac with atomic clock. Or the Dave. 

So I'm looking at this thing....   True balanced AK4490 Native DSD decoding FPGA-based DSD oversampling Non-oversampling option?? High quality single-ended output Preamp section CLOCK INPUT DOP over coax AND optical?? Transistor-based volume control Discreet headphone amp section...

Right now I'm driving them off of the speaker taps from a Pioneer VSX-816. Just a stop gap for now, sound quality is pretty bad at volume. It's rated for 110wpc, and I find that -23 dB provides a good listening volume, and if I want to crank it for certain tracks, I will go to -17 dB. It goes...

Is there room for other upgrades in the H10? Transformers, caps, fuses, etc?

It doesn't do native DSD, no. It must convert DSD streams into a multibit format first.   I'll also point out that the ONLY way for your typical commercial D/A chip to handle native DSD is to completely bypass ALL of its internal filters and volume control modules, as those manipulations are...

So the Abyss completely obliterates the HD800, as expected.

The  4490 is much newer, and so would benefit from faster circuitry, the latest and greatest filters, etc. Also, the 4490 can native decode DSD and the Sabre simply does NOT.

The Jitterbug is just a filter. Taking away from the sound is pretty unacceptable and I would have returned it instantly as well.   With my Modi 2, I tried a DH Labs Silversonic USB cable -- I heard no difference. Of course, that is by no means a high-end cable so take that finding for what...

What pro gear pure DSD DACs are there?

So. How DO you HE-6 owners connect these headphones to speaker taps? I've used a HiFiMan HE-Adapter to connect mine to a old Pioneer VS-816 (110w/c) -- and besides it sounding pretty inferior, the HE-Adapter is prone to getting very hot, and solder or something inside releasing stinking smoke...

I'm interested in these headphones, but not the price -- which seems way too high for a dynamic. Also consider the HD800 can be had used for well under $1,000 (not that I'm particularity interested in those either). But does the Master-1 really out-perform the TH900 in terms of bass performance...

I find the TH900 does an outstanding job at presenting string instruments. Very sweet, detailed / textured. 

The main issue with TOSLink (optical SPDI/F) is jitter and data errors. In order to transmit a fully intact clock, the entire TOSLink chain has to be able to handle at least 11 Mhz for a 48 KHz audio stream, but the cheap plastic components and cables can only manage 5-6 MHz. A good DAC will...

Hey guys. Isn't this just basically an unbalanced Sabre / XMOS DAC? Am I missing something that makes the M920 remotely worth even the Massdrop price?

Damn, the TH900 are fabulous. Bass phenoms, listening to bass heavy electronica with these tries to pulverize your skull. And the attack speed -- sweet Jesus. At first, the suddenness of TH900 going from black to peak output honestly made me wince until I got used to it. I don't know if it's...

I've heard that the HE-1000 is very "disappointing", and is beaten by the HE-6 in many ways. That honestly doesn't jive with literally every professional review of them which seemed to range from "what wonderful headphones!" to "the HE-1000 changed my life". Someone on Reddit even commented...