What’s the new RAAL?

New. Not used. Not secondhand. $1000 or less.

Cool. I can’t even find those first two for sale new. Is there an inexpensive amp I can buy that’s still being made today that can drive Corina?

What’s the least expensive amp that would drive these well?

What was the cable, then?

Qobuz on an Astell & Kern DAP to USB-C out to Chord M-Scaler to Chord Hugo TT. And I didn’t completely eliminate it. What’s your preferred chain for this headphone?

Which Utopia? They felt too close and too warm for me (2022). LCD-5 would be behind the Yamaha for me, but that’s the detail and imaging of the YH-5000SE doing crazy things to me.

I JUST got to listen to these and… only the Dan Clark Audio electrostats competed for my attention. I heard extra treble energy on the eses (sibilance), but it was minor at best and everything else this headphone delivers makes me feel like I’d get used to it. When I listened to the Utopia...

Power isn’t all about gain. While low volume is the most obvious sign of an underpowered driver, dynamics will also suffer without adequate power. I’m going to do comparisons driving my Planars (when they arrive) on both my RU6 dongle and my LittleDot MkIII SE. If it’s anything like my Edition...

My Avantone Planar the II come tomorrow. I’m currently using a LittleDot MkII SE, but LittlDot makes a new DAC/AMP called the LD-ZERO that looks pretty good. I like that it coverts a signal to LDAC too, so if you have LDAC Bluetooth headphones, you can use them with it...

I’ve already had to EQ the Edition XS to bring up the mids from 1.5–2.5khz. This reduces the spaciousness somewhat, but the mids were absolutely absent otherwise in the XS in my chain. My chain also makes the XS ever so slightly “chalky” at around 6-8khz unless that 1.5-2.5khz area is lifted...

So I’ve EQ’ed the XS for a slight rise starting at 1.2khz and going to 2.5khz (less than 3.5 db, though I used to have it at 3db), and that wide sound stage is specifically the effect of the scooped mids. The problem is with the XS you lose a lot of vocal presence and detail to pay for the...

Better have power to drive them

Can someone compare these to the Edition XS (my current main headphone). I had to EQ upper mids back into the EDX. I have a S4X and it was my main headphone until I got the Edition XS.

Update: I bought a Douk Audio U2 Pro and an optical cable and I’m back in business! It was solely the USB on the BIMBY.

You’re a lifesaver! I just ordered that Douk u2 Pro and an optical cable to see if my original Bifrost Multibit will limp along using optical (the USB input no longer works) while I save up for something more expensive like the Gustard R26! (I might still get Draco, tho)…

What’s a good, inexpensive DDC with which to start?

I’ve heard there’s a steep learning curve. Anyone done a tutorial on it?

Looking for advice: My current play is to first buy a Denafrips Ares 12th Anniversary and run balanced to my LittleDot Mk3 SE. Then, I’ll run balanced to my HiFiMan Edition XS. My laptop is an M2 MacBook Air. Eventually, I plan to pick up an Arce Streamer and run through I2S from Arce to Ares...

Was thinking about Denafrips Arce, which does support. Also, re: HQ Player—it says it’s an upsampler. Does that mean it samples lower rez files to a higher Rez somehow? If so, how?

I looked it up and it says it is, but that it doesn’t go up past 24/48khz. Does NAA require a cable, or is it a wireless connection (from HQ Player)?

Would consider Arce. Most of what I listen to on Apple Music Lossless isn’t higher than 24/48khz, is it? I’ve looked for music I like in native DSD and it’s a desert of genres I don’t generally like.

This is a wild question, I realize, but how much of what I love in the Edition XS is amplified in something like the eye-wateringly expensive Susvara? I’ve heard some flagships (most notably the DCA Expanse, Meze Empyrean), but not the Susvara.

Are streamers as much of a problem with a Mac and AirPlay? For the most part, that works for me. Something like HQ Player’s settings might be a steep learning curve, tho.

Upon some time to reflect, I’m probably being way too hard on Schiit here. I got the BIMBY shortly after it released and it’s been through seven or eight moves. Stuff breaks. I got nearly eight years out of it. Can someone please just verify the newest Bifrost 2 works well with M2 Macs? Also...