Yup, M-DAC is not "en vogue" here, but HeadFi.org "fashion" shouldn't affect our enjoyment of that fine DAC  

  Unpleasant story indeed...  Maybe try to contact the creator of these "magic" cans directly? - He should be responsible for his craftsmanship... Or try to ask for assistance from Head-Fi (the place you learned about these magic cans, I guess) admins in dealing with PriceJapan? - I think...

    It had a lot to do with luring a person to enter that adventure by purchasing a modded product basing on blurb about some magic cryo-treatment and hearsay. Off all sound-improving miracles in our hobby mods are most trouble-prone, now he bears the consequences messing with some obscure...

  Why irrelevant?  According to their self-testing (google-translated quote from http://www.ippinkan.com/stax_sr-009_sr-007.htm):   AIRBOW SR-SC21 is using the same "sounding body" and SR-SC11, but cable has been upgraded to the same silver-coated 6N goods and SR-009.By using the whole...

  IMHO,  Stax can not be responsible for their cans, that underwent some kind of tinkering by third party. To me that "cryogenic-treated SR-507" sounds the same as massaging IC cables with snake-oil...sorry my friend, but I think you'd fall victim to audiophoolery marketing blurb, as simply as...

  I like M-DAC digital filters, use 3 of them quite frequently to slightly alter sonic signature, when I wish. Kind of "3 DACs in one". It also handles Hi-Res up to 24/96 via USB flawlessly.    BTW, regarding Hi-Res Audio bandwagon - to my ears it's mostly marketing bluff. I do hear...

  There is better things to do with the time and the money...life is short and the sense of hearing doesn't improve as we grow older.  Once in a while (~7 yrs) I change the gear and spent the time listening to the music. Farewell, and enjoy the music דוד 

  Such an esoteric amp, with it's price tag and with ~2 yrs wait time is still a new toy, IMO. BTW, how did you compared them? You used blind listening tests? - You know, that's very subjective hobby...

  Ah...I see...according to dates in your album that sexy BHSE is a new toy......wish you to enjoy it thoroughly, but why to state that STAX own amps are inadequate, as in your reply to audiokid?

In my personal experience, the SQ of a system affected by: Transducer -> Source -> Amplifier (in that order). In my book, fancy interconnects and power cords are for audiophools. Having auditioned same dynamic cans with various amps my ears tells me that difference is negligible. Does in STAX...

Another vote for SR-507+SRM-323s combo. Having the combo for a week, wired to Audiolab M-DAC. My cochlear nerves are "rewiring" now for electrostatic sound after 20 yrs of listening to dynamic cans. I was afraid that they will lack in bass, but they produce a plenty of bass, quite on par with...

  Very odd, indeed...taking into account  that M-DAC is a great-sounding DAC with discrete Class A headamp in one nice package at very nice price.

I have this DAC for a month. To my ears, it has excellent synergy with Senns HD700 (a replacement for Grado G1000, that I had for 7 years), I like it's internal headphone amp more than my aging Aqua HEAD head-amp. According to M-DAC's designer on punkfishmedia forums...

Grado GS1000, if you have $1K

Count me in...if in Tel-Aviv