This is ridiculous.  Hilarious, but ridiculous.  People are way to jumpy about anything with wires.  Because apparently wires = bomb.  Reminds me of when the bomb squad blew up a stuffed horse a while back.  Or the ATHF signs in Boston a few years ago.  Just...ridiculous.

My Alessandro MS1s have a lot more clarity than my Cyber Acoustics A3780 speakers. But then I usually find headphones to me more revealing than speakers.

Got a pair of MS1s a week ago, and I have to say, I'm in love. Compared to the not-so-hot 'phones I had been using, these are a fantastic breath of fresh air. And the more I listen, the better they get! One quick question: How do quarter-modded comfies compare to bowls? I've been considering...

Fantastic write-up. Would be great if this were to get stickied. Hopefully I'll have some free time to tinker with this in the next few days.

Quote: Originally Posted by DesmondDavidH Matter of taste. Alessandro/Grado are well know for other things. Anyway, Jimber_Jam, considering I'm about to order a pair of MS1 (my third Grado/Alessandro) tell us if the cup housing is still the old one with low profile. Post a pic if...

So, I just got my first pair of actually great headphones in the mail today: some brand-spanking new Alessandro MS1s (I actually hunted down the mailman to get them, as since nobody was home when he stopped by, he left a "will redeliver" note, but screw waiting another day!), and they are...

At this point I can't decide if I want to go with the original setup I had planned, or if I want to simply get the Asus Xonar Essence STX (yes, it's more expensive, but I like that it has analog out, and it has better reviews than the D2/X on newegg) and forgo the amp completely for now...

Ah, well on newegg.com, the STX ($199) is only $20 more than the D2, and the same price as the D2X. Is there someplace I could get it for less? EDIT: Excluding a $35 mail-in-rebate on the D2.

What's the reason for taking the D2/X over the STX? And yeah, now that I've seen the new Grados, I think I'll probably wait until I see more reviews for those before I make my final purchase.

Hmmm...I wonder if the Alessandros will be getting an update as well... Though, if they do, it probably will not be for some time, I would imagine.

Quote: Originally Posted by scytheavatar And for your information, the STX is far superior to the Zero DAC. STX? You mean the Xonar Essence STX?

Quote: Originally Posted by BigTony I'd leave tubes for amplification and not the output stage of a DAC. You'd be much better off buying a good dac and a separate headamp (with shiney glowing tubes). Well in that case, how do you feel about a Zero DAC paired with a Little Dot MKIII?

Hmm...are there any good tube amp/dacs? I just really have my heart set on tubes.

Well, I have never used the SR60s, but I can tell you that they have a 1/8" jack (computer audio jack), and come with a 1/4" adapter.

I would be greatly surprised (and saddened) if Grado, of all companies, went with metal for their new flagship cans. As for what they are doing with the rest of the line, well, I suppose we will simply have to wait with baited breath. That, or hyperventilate till we pass out.

Quote: Originally Posted by eddie78 I believe it does not make sense to spend to much for amplification in this case. The MS1 is easy to drive, and does not have so much resolution that you should be able to hear differneces between the amps. The Zero should definitely be enough...

OK, so I've spent the last week or so browsing and reading any even seemingly useful information I could get my hands on around here, and I think I've made some decisions about what I'm looking to get. Currently I'm thinking about: Source: PC* DAC: Zero Amp: LD MKIII Cans: Alessandro MS1s...