Nice upgrades - you one upped me   I hadn't thought about the jacks and wiring.   FWIW I finished building/burning in a Millett MiniMAX.  I'd say the  MiniMAX bass has a little bit more punch, but the detail on the EF3 with Tung-sol tubes is better.  I kept switching back and forth on a number...

Ha!  Yours is squeezed in too.  It's pretty tight in there, but it works.   Did you hear a difference?

Great!  Post the pics - I'm sure yours will look much better than mine.

Sorry I don't know about the SD600.  However, a simple tube swap is cheap and easy.  The Russian 6ZH1P-EV tubes sound great and are easy to get from Yen Audio on ebay.

What about a minimum amp for driving the HE-560?   I just finished building a Millett Minimax with a few boutique parts.  Is this enough to get some enjoyment out of the 560's?   I'll be upgrading the amp somewhere in the future.  So this a temporary situation.   (I love my DT880 600ohms...

Hey iano,  have you started yet?   One thing I ran into was the PCB holes.  They barely fit the larger leads.  I had to carefully ream out any excess solder.  It wasn't a problem just made the process slower - care is required.

I'm building up my system part by part.  Right now I have 3 amps (EF3, LittleDot MkIII, Millett Minimax) and 2 headphones (HE-300, DT-880) and one DAC (Schiit Modi).   Is the Modi DAC now my performance limiter?  Given the existing equipment, what difference should I expect to hear if I...

TomB has them listed on his site:  http://beezar.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=76

  I found the calculations for DB drop (easier than I thought). Given R1 = 5k and R2 = 10K, there is only a 3db drop without load. However, with load it all changes and I really don't know what that might be.   Before I hook up the Minimax with fixed resistors as a test, I'd like to double...

  Thanks for the starting values nikongod!  I'll pick up the parts and give it a go.

If any lurkers are interested in the EF3 mods ....   My Tung-Sol NOS tubes came and I finished the comparison:   Chinese 6j1 (OEM): This one is the weakest stage of the whole amp.  If you get one, junk these tubes. Voshkod 6ZH1P-EV:  These are a sweet addition.  Definitely worth a try.  You...

Hi!  Welcome from another nub.   I'm on the hunt too and reading lots of great threads here.  I don't want to over load you, but this might be helpful:   http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone-list/   You can set your criteria and narrow it down to a manageable number of options.

I need a universal pseudo-balance control to move between stacks.  I say pseudo, because I don't need a full/classical sort of balance control.  Just an adjustment on one side.   Reason: I have hearing loss on the left side that varies from 3 to 10 db, depending on volume levels.  I'd like to...

    I need to find a meet in the SF Bay Area.  You are right, I should sample before purchase.  The HE-300's are barely comfortable enough.  So, I take your warning seriously!   I like the headband idea on the 560's, but should try those before purchase too.  Also, I should compare them with...

The HE-560 was near the top of my covet list.  Fortunately, they disappeared from the HifiMan and head-direct websites.     Maybe it's sold out?  Recalled?  Dunno, but they are not there.

StanD:     HAS!!   I didn't know the disease was so easy to catch.  I'm pulling up couch cushions trying to collect enough loose change for an LCD3 right now.   To answer your earlier question, I decided on the 600 ohm DT880.  I heard it was brighter for these old ears.  I'm really happy...

I got an email response back from iBasso:     I found the X3 & X5 have +5 db on the balance control.  That's a help, but I'm not sure that's enough.  I can't tell from online information if the equalizer has separate settings for left and right.   Can any Fiio X5 user confirm this?

I'm shopping for a portable player that has a balance control priced somewhere between $200-400.   Due to hearing loss on the left I need 6 to 10 db extra on that side depending on volume level.  Actually I only need the boost from 250hz to 3khz, but precise parametricEQ is a lot to ask from a...

Thanks for the offer, Mullet.  However, I think that sort of project is a bit beyond me.     Actually it seems most of the better DAC kits are made up sections.  It's nice so you can pick and choose.  However, I'd prefer a ready to buy system at this stage in my learning.   I'm leaning...

Thanks 00940.  That is a great list of attributes to look for.  I checked out the Curryman unit, but there were some complaints about fulfilling the orders.  Being in the 'States' I think I'll skip that one.   I'm still pondering the kits available...

I'm looking to make a DAC (not DAC/amp) kit.  I'm running a Modi right now and would like to step up from there.  However, mostly I'm doing it for the fun.   Some of the requirements:   Complete 24 bit (not 24 bit chip with 16 bit interface) 192 sample rate is a big plus Optical or USB is...

Wow oh wow, what a combo when it’s all done and all for less than $350!? I started modding the he-300/EF3 combo a few weeks ago and have just finished all the tweaking I think it could stand.     HifiMan has priced this combo at $250, which pretty sweet when you consider they sold the...

I'm with superjawes.  Noise canceling is complicated circuitry and really only effective for consistent noise - like engines..  Using them in a private plane is important as you can still communicate and not drive yourself crazy with engine/wind noise.   Also, as superjawes said, if you want...

Thanks everybody.  Decision made.  I will be going with a standard configuration: HD600 and Millet Hybrid kit.   Later I'll move on to an pure tube amp and some planar cans.   Ya all gave lots of food for thought and fodder for the research mill.  Thanks.   PS. Davidsh if you really are a...

OK full disclosure.  I'm reaching the the mid-point of my 50's. So, I kinda need a brighter headphone.  I mod'ed the HE-300.  Simply removing the felt caused too much sound reflection or something.  So I replaced with a combo of wool fabrics to make it juuust right.   That brings me to the DT...