Ear pads are one of the most widely discussed topics here. Ask a dozen Grado heads and you'll get a dozen answers. :) Personally I'm a big fan of the Nyczaj pads. They're soft and cushy and fit over the ear. Worlds better comfort wise. They will change the sound a bit. They pump up the bass...

What type of cable cup connectors do these use ?

I dont know where you work but I wouldn't bring a $2K Stellia into my office 😊

The 'x' series are the latest Grado models. The 'x' series is generally a shade warmer than their 'e' series counterparts. For someone who likes to capitalize BASS, the PS500e might be your jam 😁 if you can find one. There is no PS500x officially

But the particular DAC chip wasn't the only variable in that scenario.

The whole AKM ESS chip thing is one of those rockfights that I try to avoid (see also: cables, burn -in) 😄 But yeah . . . any commercial DAC chip is audibly transparent. Whatever difference people think they hear isn't because of that.

Jamie Branch - the "Fly Or Die" series. Thank me later.

An LG G7 would check your boxes if you want to go the phone route. A small budget DAP, such as recommended by BS5711 above is also a good bet. I have a Fiio M6 myself, which I got in an open box deal for about $100. It's a 1/3 the size of a typical phone, can run drive most of my headphones, and...

They're interchangeable measurements. If you have power and resistance you can calculate voltage; and if you have voltage and resistance you can calculate power.

A used or NOS LG phone for around $100-$150 is tough to beat as a DAP for its quality and versatility.

I'm a big fan of the Nyczaj (fka Shipibo) pads for Grados. They're miles more comfortable than normal Grado pads and pump up the bass a little. If you wander over to the Grado Fan Club thread we spend about half the posts comparing pads and the other half complaining about the cables 😜

Ozzy Osbourne: Suicide Solution Nirvana: I Hate Myself And Want To Die On a more lighthearted note, "Elevator Operator" by Courtney Barnett where the narrator thinks Oliver Paul is suicidal but really he's just unfulfilled because he hates his job and wants to be an elevator operator.

I think I've been to that same club. The dancers walk off the stage right back on stage.

Not only that, he remembers something silly that I posted; and his response to it. Truly a next level Head Fi-er 😜

The left positive has one half and the right positive has the other half ?