Good question. I've heard variations of this question before. I think it boils down to listener expertise. At some point, some listeners transform into audiophiles. What's the difference? It's probably easier to show than to explain. Your 6XX vs 8XX is a solid starting point. I own neither the...

Let's just say our standards for evidence and "fact" differ. Have a great day. Stay safe.

If you bought the original HD800, you received a certificate from Sennheiser that included the Individual Diffuse-Field Frequency Response graph for your particular headphone. My serial number is in the very low 300s. On my graph, the line is nearly flat throughout at 4 dB. There are strategic...

You're not alone. It's not for everyone. It's primarily for those who want to hear their music as it was recorded. With no coloring. They want to hear the entire spectrum of sound, every nuance. They want clear and clean imaging, separation, and dynamics. This type of analytical listening may be...

Hi. I didn't say it was "imagined." I assumed it's real and tried to explain why some or many experience pain/fatigue. When they're not hearing enough bass, they probably turn the volume up. In doing so, the entire spectrum is affected, and the treble becomes fatiguing -- especially at 6K...

Thanks, Project86, for this review. I received word from Drop yesterday that my HD8XX will be arriving on October 1. I'm one of the early buyers of the original 800 and liked it from the get go. I had no issues with the entire sound spectrum. The bass was punchy, quick, and never booming, and...

bvhme, thanks for this insight. To those having this RFI/EMI problem: You might want to check out these potential sources: Cellular networks Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices Power supplies Electric motors and generators Transmitters Transformers Electric blankets Electric bug killers Baby monitors...

Hi. Did you ever find someone to repair your B22? I also have a balanced B22 built by Ying (YBM Audio) and suffered the same accident when switching from balanced to single-ended. I'm looking for someone to repair it.

The Behringer USB DAC/ADC interfaces (UCA222 or UCA202) sound like a winner. It'll be one of my projects for the winter break. Thanks!

bigshot, your question about noise cancellation made me realize that I should've tested with the balanced versions of the cans instead of the single-ended. The results (see the added graph) were more or less similar, but with the results flipped.

castleofargh, thanks for the enlightening response and touch of whimsy :). Lightens the load. (Pun intended.) I'll need to decide in the next day or two if I'm going to keep the SU-8 or return it for a refund. After a few more test runs with balanced cans, I'm going to stop testing altogether...

Good question. The test DACs and amp are all balanced (XLRs at the interconnects), but I used single-ended headphone outputs. I did earlier tests with the Sennheiser HD800 in balanced mode and found a similar inversion, so I didn't think balanced or SE mattered. But this test wasn't systematic...

SoundAndMotion, thanks for the response and the clarification. If the inversion is basically inaudible in actual listening tests, then would it be safe to say that this "problem" with the SU-8 is benign abnd simply a design quirk or defect? I don't have a USB ADC. Can you recommend an...

Thanks for your reply, bigshot. I'm not sure if I follow you. The graph is a compilation of 6 different test runs -- not 6 runs all at once. All variables are kept constant, except for the switches in 3 DACs. I tested each DAC with 2 headphones. The purpose was to isolate the problem. Assuming...

Thanks for the response, and apologies for the lack of clarity in my post. Go to https://feifan2.wordpress.com/2019/12/12/graphs-for-smsl-su-8-dac/ to view a graph of the different phase results. Yes, I isolated the poblem to the SU8. The phase results for the headphones with the other two...

I did a frequency response test (using miniDSP EARS & REW) on my SMSL SU-8 v2 DAC and found that the phase performance is strange. I used 2 headphones: Sennheiser HD650 & Hifiman HE-4XX, both single-ended. I also compared the SU8 to 2 other DACs: Grace SDACB & XiangSheng DA-05B. All DACs were...

John, thanks for this solution. Another option for those experiencing this problem. My Phonitor (model 2730) is still running beautifully with no problems. I have it linked to a PSA Digital Link III DAC. My heaphones are Sennheisers: HD650 and HD800.

hi, daniel. "audioquest xlr noise stopper caps" - i never thought to control for noise from unused xlr outs. were you having a noise problem prior? my setup seems completely black even though it's surrounded by other equipment emitting extraneous signals.  

Hi, kawee, and welcome aboard. I added your name and equipment to the list. You may want to share your current equipment line-up, e.g., the DAC you're using, cans, as well as the genres you listen to.  

Hi, teddytejero. I just added you to the list. Please keep us posted on your experiences with the Auditor and M1 DAC, positives or negatives. If you have any questions, fire away. We can't promise you answers, but we're a diverse lot and may be able to help.  

I've been using the stock power cord with the Phonitor from day one so I'm curious too.

"Is it worth it?"   I know this sounds like a cop out, but it all depends. If you've been aware of the fixed speaker angles, centering, and crossfeed levels in recordings and wished you could somehow manipulate them, then it might be worth it. With the Phonitor, it's not just a single...

Zombie_X, nice description: "The V800 is much more detailed and very neutral. It was like opening a foggy glassed window." I've always been impressed with the V800's killer looks. Good to hear it has qualities I favor. My concern was the USB input, which maxes at 24/96? Granted, 24/192 may be...

Acix, thanks for the clarification. It's good to hear your confirmation of the Ayre DAC. I've never heard it described as "raw" before. I usually hear "refined." A lot of different variables could probably account for this difference. I've had my eye on the QB-9 for quite a while and the QA-9...

dukeskd, thanks for the heads up on the Mytek 192 DAC. You're right. "A/B analysis" is probably the best test. But it takes time and effort to set up, and there always seems to be variables that we can't control. It's funny, though, how time always seems to improve SQ. Some swear it's burn-in...