I hear you there! I actually came across the 518/558's from my search as well.  So far they're my top pick.

Hey, guys.   I've been using a pair of MDR-V6's for computer use, which consists of listening to music, videos, VOIP, and some gaming, but usually only of the strategy and RPG variety, no first person shooters.  The headphones are nice, if a little subdued for my tastes.  The biggest issue I...

Thanks for the info.  After some digging around I found the AKG K81DJ for $37 on Amazon and I got a Zalman for it.  That's a little bit more than my initial budget, but it appears to be a great price for the headphones.

Hey, all.   At work we are expected to be ready to teleconference with others, so we were given a cheap logitech headset in order to do so. The problem with this set is that it bleeds sound terribly, so I'm thinking of getting a better set that is closed.  I know many people recommend...

Works for me.  A used Xonar DX and some monoprice cables are on their way.  Thanks again, guys!

Quote:   No return, just a pair of RCA inputs.  In case you're curious, it was a limited run amp made specifically for Head-fi by Jan Meier in 2006.  Somebody made a photo collection here.   Seems like I have two options then:   1. Go cheap - stick with onboard sound for speakers...

Awesome, thanks guys.  PurpleAngel, the Xonar looks promising, but will I be able to hook up my speakers and the amp at the same time?  The speakers have a standard 3.5mm jack, the Head-Five has RCA, so I assume I need a 3.5mm to RCA cable.  I'm worried that the Xonar will only have one 3.5mm...

Hey, guys.   I'm trying to figure out how best to improve my audio from my computer to my headphones.  First off, this is what I have to work with:   Sennheiser HD580 headphones Meier Audio Corda Head-Five amp  Motherboard's sound card   At the moment I have the Sennheiser's...

Hey guys, sounds like yall had fun at this meet. Unfortunately I haven't been doing much with headphones since moving up to Jacksonville..... but I have started brewing my own beer. Tyrion and JP, are you guys still doing that? Miguel, are you still living at SBC? Anyway, just wanted to...

Well, I thought I was lost in the paperwork, but I finally received my grills today, almost 5 months since I ordered, lol. The positive to this is that my headphones look great!! Who knew that a mesh grill could make such a dramatic aesthetic difference.

Well, I'm glad that I didnt go out and buy any new toys after the meet, as I am currently jobless! Selling my HF-1's seems mighty tempting right about now....

I never received mine, nor was my credit card ever charged. I guess they were just ignoring the "internet site motivated" orders.

Well, I've been really lazy about giving my impressions from the meet. There were many more experienced ears there, so please take all of my opinions with the proverbial grain of salt. First off, thank you Mike for arranging a very successful event, and John for recommending the awesome blues...

Hey all, Wow, time flies by very quickly. I've been very busy lately, so I haven't had as much time to log onto the site, but I am very excited for the meet. I need one favor though - could someone point me to the thread page that has all of the event information, or just repost it? I am...

Quote: Originally Posted by TheSloth They use very different DAC's. The Aria uses a USB/DAC all-in-one chip that is quite convenient, but in the grand scheme of things not a great 'audiophile' performer. The HeadRoom DAC uses the same chip as the Aria to convert the USB into S/PDIF which...