I I’ve not tried them side by side, but these two DACs sound very different. The MPD-8 is a very rich and organic sounding DAC. By that I mean that it has a very corporeal and weighty sound. System matching is key so if your headphones or amp can be lean sounding the MPD-8 is an excellent...

You're welcome man, and really loved reading about all your various explorations and moment of eureka! That was really insightful. I absolutely love the WA23. Interestingly, there was a readjustment period listening to the Taks again. They are so lovely and refined. Stock or with upgraded...

Yeah, truthfully the internals of the MU1 is uninspiring. When I received my unit, it was super light and did not instill any confidence. However, once I played music all doubts were taken away. Guido Tent and Eelco Grimm along with the folks at Grimm Audio really know their stuff. They're cut...

I have only heard the PSVane's once so I couldn't comment on them relative to the Takatsukis, but relative to the stock tubes the Takatsuki's open up the sound stage by a decent margin, and the bass quality, that is depth and texture is improved. There is also an overall refinement upgrade and...

To be fair, I don't think he was saying he subscribed to that view. I think he was essentially saying that people who only think of price = performance would never give the Tambaqui a chance, and that according to him would be very sad because the Tambaqui is over delivering, but would never...

haha saw this! Jay pretty much listen to a lot of "unobtanium" products for regular folks. Great to see his honest opinion from the perspective of someone looking at the Tambaqui and thinking it is too inexpensive!

Yep, I upgraded from the OOR to the WA23 and it was a massive improvement in all respects. These are different tiered amps especially when you have a great source behind it. Of all the "uber" expensive amps I've tried this one is probably my favorite. I personally wouldn't pair it with the HM1...

That was a really well thought out and informative review. Great work. It’s the best review of the E3 I’ve seen.

Those voices in your head just mean you need a better soundstage. See you folks in New York!!

I use the Mojo 2 with mine, and it's great. Leverage USB-C to USB-C.

The one that has worked wonders for me is the WA23 and slap some Takatsuki tubes in it. It produces the type of sound to die for especially if you have a nice source.

MU1 is really magical. It does the same thing to the Mola Mola Tambaqui and is perhaps one of the best things I've bought in this hobby. Something it does just allows you to get to the emotional soul of the music. Also paying attention to MU2 myself. Happy Listening! Bartok is a very nice piece.

The foam from Vesper Audio is very porous and in my view not fit for the R10. I’d urge folks to perhaps get the pads, but not the foam. As such the frequency response would be as you described. Lack of bass and Treble emphasis. Some of the qualities of R10 are there, but you should be getting...

Just know that you might feel like you’re running out of time to make a decision, but you can take a step back and relax. It’s not something you need. Just something you want. With such a costly entry point I would say get another proper demo if you can before dropping that kind of cash. Even if...

I reckon for bass weight: Expanse > E3 > Stealth. Note though that Stealth actually has more sub bass emphasis than both E3 and Expanse. It provides that low bass rumble you feel rather than hear. However, Expanse and E3 have a more fleshed out mid-bass which provides a more visceral impact to...

This is an excellent point. For low level listening E3 is incredible! I was just coming to the same conclusion last night. The bass impact and treble come through perfectly, and with the sculpted midrange, despite being just a tad V-shaped relative to Stealth, you can still hear it very well...

This headphone is very musically compelling. I find myself just wanting to keep listening. Leaving it to play for a few more hours and I think there is even further improvement from my initial findings. Perhaps a case of brain burning or whatever, but I am now noticing the soundstage and...

These are my initial impressions relative to DCA Stealth. Super early days with the E3. Sound Signature: The sound of E3 is a familiar one and as soon as I heard it I recognized immediately that just like the Expanse, and Stealth, these are headphones probably best understood and relished for...

@purk I know you’ll really regret this, but would you ever consider selling the ear pads?

How could I not get these? With the DCA club membership got a nice 15% off. This is perhaps the only manufacturer I purchase from blind. I regard the Stealth as the best headphones in current production. Really looking forward to trying the E3.

Yeah so many variables at play here including sensitivity to headphone position among others, but one critical factor to consider is that our perception of bass isn’t merely a matter of what’s there, but also what our brain is skilfully adding to the experience. One strategy often utilized is...

Corina is a different beast. I have only heard it in Can Jams. I would never advise anyone to assess a DCA headphone based in a Can Jam like setting, but I think I am in alignment with @number1sixerfan, and as he surmised it is not "groundbreaking", at least not in the same way I think of the...

Folks, note that Stealth is super transparent. It is very reflective of the source gear as well. I drive Stealth from the WA23 Luna and HM1 and have 0 issues with dynamics and impact. That isn't to say you need to go there to hear the Stealth. I think that the Ferrum stack and even the Topping...

I'm still a Stealth man, though Expanse is one of the few headphones I regret selling. Owning both seemed a little redundant at the time. Expanse to me had richer body and a more corporeal sound with a slightly warmer tonality, a more readily apparent mid bass and slightly bigger sound stage...