I guess it has been a while since my last update, new house, new studio, new computer setups:     Main and mastering PC setup, recliner with wireless keyboard/mouse.  Lights usually dimmed much more, turned up for picture.  Audio chain is Sources: i7-4790K, 32G, 3 x 1TB Samsung Evo SSD...

I guess it is time to update my pic, there have been a lot of changes since my old one:   Current setup is:   Sources: Bluesound Node/WD NAS, JRiver/Cubase/Maschine Studio PC, Linux PC, Oppo DV-970HD, Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2 Preamp/Headphone Amps: Oppo HA-1, Schiit Vali Amp: Rotel...

I have not, it never really fit with my setup.

The Vali does, very much so. The Vali is in a setup with a dragonfly 1.2 though, so no clue on the Modi.

I used the K240 for about 10 years exclusively, and another 3 after I had my K701s.  When my son destroyed the cable on the K240, I replaced it with a Q701, so now I just have Q and K 701s. The difference is very noticeable.  While the K240 is a great set of headphones, the 701s improve almost...

Headphones and speakers both have their place.  I wouldn't dare get rid of either pair of my 701s, but I listen on speakers much more frequently when just listening to music for pleasure. It is more engaging, you can feel the air move.  It also helps that I don't feel that I am losing much...

If you are looking for something cheaper, try using the dragonfly to feed a vali.  That combination is great with the Q701 without breaking the bank.

Bass traps in the corners, acoustical foam panels at the places of first reflection, those are the typical bits. Auralex is good, but Next Acoustics is also quality and cheaper on ebay. Or there is the DIY route, plenty of plans on line for bass traps.

I am not familiar with those particular speakers, but good quality passives make great nearfiled monitors.I am not much further away from my B&W 805s, I would still recommend a bit of room treatment to tame the bass and early reflections.  Then again, 1.8k can be a pretty good budget for actives too

Not familiar with the particular speakers, but yes, size does matter even in nearfield. Last time I used a speaker with 4" woofers, They sounded fantastic at typical volumes, but on occasion when I would turn them up, they would compress and not sound so great. My current nearfields are B&W 805...

There might be consensus that the 1.0 is a better deal than the 1.2, but I don't think there really is a consensus on the quality of either one.  Some prefer 1.0, some prefer 1.2

Now you are talking about a whole different beast.  I never said converters couldn't get better than what you find in a fairly basic pro interface.  There are many reasons people run RME, their DACs aren't usually one of them (certainly not the reason I bought mine).  Their DAC isn't bad, but it...

I think you would be hard pressed to find many people who agree with you on the D/A side of things with audio interfaces.  This doesn't mean that higher end interfaces are a waste of money, in fact they are a great investment to the musician.  Higher end interfaces often provide drastic...

RME is an incredible interface, but you are spending a lot of money for upgraded input preamps and the lowest latency drivers you can get. Important when making music, a waste when just listening to it. I have a dragonfly 1.2 that I use for checking samples, audio bits with a different app when...

And per channel, so to adjust the volume you have to reach behind 2 speakers and make sure they stay matched.