Quote: So you are saying that all USB cables transfer data at precisely the exact same speed, regardless of length and material? I'd like to see some proof on that. Or how would you explain the fact that the USB specification does have a restriction on the maximum round-trip delay of USB...

Quote: Streaming audio signal is very different from copying files to/from a thumbdrive because streaming is highly time sensitive. Whether a 0 or 1 arrives at the DAC slightly late or early can affect what you hear.

Quote: I'm not an expert either, but I know almost for sure that USB cable DOES make a difference. From what I understand, this has to do with two clocked events: PC sending data at a certain rate and the DAC converting at a certain rate. These two events have to be synced to avoid buffer...

Quote: From what I heard the usb version has an alright dac in it but not on par with m-stage's amp quality. So unless you're looking for portability it's a far better choice to get just the amp version and pair it with a standalone dac.

I pair my Q701 with the Audinst HUD-mx1 and I am very satisfied with the sound. Cheers.

I highly recommend the Grado SR80i.

I sort of believe it. It might has more observable effects on some headphones than other. But I'm just too lazy to actually spend time burning mine in. Plus all the headphones I've bought sound decent enough out of box.

As a Q701 user I don't think this will necessarily end up as a bad thing. But again, I don't know anything about this Tiesto guy and I'm not sure if his music style fits well with the AKG sound.

Quote: Thanks a lot!

As you said, the rattle seemed quite unique, so I doubt anyone here would have any experience with it. It's probably the best to just take them back to Grado Labs. Where is the Mercedes?  

You may also want to check out the Ultrasone HFI-780. I've never tried them personally but I hear very good words about them. They are currently $189.85 on Amazon, but you can probably get some used for cheaper.

Anyone know if the DAC M-Stage is any good? I'm currently using an Audinst HUD-mx1 for both DAC and AMP, and I'm considering getting an M-Stage. Should I replace my HUD-mx1 with a DAC M-Stage or keep it as a DAC and just get the normal M-Stage as an AMP?

Quote: How do these two compare in terms of sound?

Quote: You have such awesome friends. I let my roommate who owns Beats Studio try my TF10 once. He put them on and listened for about 10 seconds before pulling them out and complaining, "They sound like crap. I can't hear the bass at all." Sigh.

I own both and I use both frequently, but for different music genres. The IE8 is great for classical, especially symphonies because of its gigantic soundstage and deep bass. But the TF10 is way better for melodeath since its treble is a lot more defined and its bass is fast and punchy. In your...