Sorry for taking so long to reply, the Stellaris was lended to a friend and arrived today at my home. Volume is between 7 and 8 (stepped attenuator), balanced input.

Just came here to say that the Susvara + Stellaris pairing was the most impressive thing I've listened to since the HE90. Tube selection was U52, Ruby Tiger's 6N1P and AVVTs. Sold my Utopia the same day.

What an amazing collection of gear that you have, congrats! In due time, please share your thoughts on the Stellaris versus Studio listening impressions.

It has sentimental value.

Number 12 checking in. Where's my mug?

Sorry, I sold the HE1000 before I got a chance to drive ir with the Zana. But I bet it sounds awful. The HEK needs a great deal of current.

The harshness is on a relative scale compared to the Zana. I wouldn't call the Vio+Stella harsh, but the Zana sounds smoother.

I'm listening to the Stellia as I write. The Stellia has a lot of energy on the treble. The V281 sounds a bit harsh, a bit rough. The Zana is more enjoyable, but I don't hear a night and day difference. Regarding the Utopia, I don't even pair it with the Vioelectric. I bought the V281...

The Empyrean arrived today and joined the club! Extraordinary imaging and positional accuracy. I can finally perceive instruments clearly at different heights, before the Empyrean they were mostly horizontally aligned. I confess it didn't impress me right off the bat, as the Utopia did, but it's...

Sorry if this has been answered before. Th Empyrean uses mini XLR connectors on the cups. Is the pin layout the same as on the ZMF headphones? In other words, can I use a cable designed for the Auteur/Vérité with the Empyrean?

A feast for the eyes and the ears. What a pairing!

Yep.

Thank you for the tip, I bought a pair a few minutes ago. And you were right about the cost.

According to HeadAmp's website, yes.

Anxiously awaiting for the GS-X Mini. It'll replace my iFi Pro iCAN, the form factor and dimensions being very similar. To me, the LCD-4 sounds veiled on the iCAN, and considering the praise the GS-X MK2 gets in the LCD-4 thread, I bet the Mini will make for a terrific pairing.