Before my comments - I'm a newbie :wink: I had a HD650 and an Oppo UDP-205 with a suspicion that the Oppo didn't quite make the most of the dynamics of my Senn. Starting afresh, I landed on the Topping A70 Pro with its (a) slick UI and (b) solid measurements. Anyhow, versus the Oppo's...

I have a set of headphones (Oppo PM-1) that I love that I've long used with the stock unbalanced cables that came with it. So far as I know these are relatively high quality cables -- OCC etc. -- that I presume set a good bar for performance. I've never explored balanced performance since I...

Yeah, I got a few hundred here that honestly I'm never going to listen to again. Some of it was good stuff--old poorly mastered Genesis, Dire Straits, etc. Some of it is just bad--Bardeux, Thomas Dolby, etc. And due to a habit of purchasing "bulk" collections from classifieds and auctions during...

Is anyone here an owner of the very first CD player model ever made, or the very first SACD player, or minidisc player, or...? The reason I ask is that we're not *too* far from the dawn of the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray era. I'm curious about what to expect from the first generation of playback models...

I've never really had my hearing checked, but playing with the tone generator in Adobe Audition, while doing some audio restoration, I got interested in checking to see how high my ears could hear sound. This is with my regular 'ol PC with on-board audio, connected via toslink to a cheapo Onkyo...

It seems that "power conditioner" actually describes two separate categories of equipment: line filters to remove spikes and noise from the line, and voltage regulators that regenerate power at a standard voltage. Is there any way, without making the investment up front, to tell whether...

Okay, I need some high quality RCA interconnects for multiple purposes and I want to keep a relatively limited budget for this. Question: is it better to get ten decent ($20/ea.) cables, or is it better to get eight cheap cables (say $5/ea.) and two nice (say $80/ea.) cables and move them...

... isn't actually a MP3 player. I finally got my Sanyo 5600 cell phone On the Sprint network, it's a rather lovely gadget, and after a solid day of seemingly non-stop usage, I am very impressed with the polish. This little marvel includes a miniSD slot onto which you can dump a variety of...

I recently concluded that my PC does not provide bitperfect output, and that it appears that my DVD player also mangles PCM with its DSP filters before sending it out via toslink. This means that I do not have any manner of bitperfect playback... and since I really want a decent PCDP, can anyone...

So, does anyone here listen to my personal favorite band, the long-since departed Mecano from Spain?

More of a general question here: what generally are considered the bang-for-the-buck cheap cables? By cheap I'm talking about cables in the $20 range for a 3 meter cable, or even less. Assume available online from semi-reputable sources, new, and not DIY. Is there anything? Is this one of...

I'd like to get some low-impedance (read: no amp) earbuds for about $60, give or take. I do *not* want canal phones. They are uncomfortable and irritating. I may be able to deal with a hybrid (that partly extends the driver or grill into the ear canal?) but I'd much rather prefer the standard...

I listened to some tracks from a CD at someone's place and was somewhat hooked. I'm willing to invest in an album. Can someone please recommend a single disc that is (a) mastered well, of course and (b) is a good sampler of her work? Thanks!

Is there a uniform, standard and/or easy way to actually measure the headphone jack output of a particular audio component? (Assuming, of course, that this information was not published.)

I'm looking to leverage my DAC1 (which I love) by getting a portable / mobile player with digital out and, preferably, the ability to playback audio data in a lossless format. It looks as though some Sony PCDPs (EJ2000?) have the optical out, and of course redbook CD is uncompressed and I...

I heard the G08 + SR71 combination at the Chicago meet and was floored - best sound I've ever heard. So far, the DAC1 feels a bit lifeless in comparison but my XLR-terminated Zu cables are in transit. I hope this will make a difference. To the vanishingly few who have heard both, in which...

I know we're at the twilight of cassette decks but can anyone speak to what would be considered the top players of the last three or so years? (I'd prefer to leave Nakamichi out of this discussion, having been burned pretty badly by service issues in old Nak decks twice in the last six or so...

Are there any cards I should consider other than the 1212m for 24/96 two-channel recording? I'm simply looking for lowest noise floor, best capture fidelity, and ideally very good capture fidelity at high frequencies (20kHz up) within my price range. Nice to haves are: - 24/192 recording - a...

Edit: oops, this should have been in the Portable forum... can it be moved? From http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs...fModel=SL-MP75, "Discover Digital Clarity with D.sound Technology Advanced D.sound technology is comprised of four components that work together to elevate your audio...

I realize the general consensus is that receivers usually have a poor headphone amp stage. However, are there any exceptions? Any surprises? Or bargains? Given how "simple" decent headphone amplification appears to be, I would imagine that there are at least a few receivers with surprisingly...

I need to pull the trigger and I think it's come down to this. Headphones: HD650 + zu mobius cable. No source or amp worth speaking of. 95% of listening material is digital (CDs, MP3s, etc.) Option 1. A decent amp for about $400ish (SR-71 in the lead) and the best possible analog-out source I...

Hi! First-time poster here. Yes, I am sorry about my wallet too. I need some help determining what to buy. I hope I am posting in the right place. I have a HD650 and am looking for an amp and source, and ideally the amp would have some portability as I'd like to get quality Etys or other more...