Clear MG has a magnesium driver. The Utopia is beryllium. But your description still holds. I found the Clear Mg treble a bit “grainy”, which could be the “magnesium timbre”? I don’t have an issue with the Utopia timbre, on the other hand. YMMV

These sold! Thanks for the interest :)

Schiit gear retains value really well in general, so it wouldn’t be too bad.

Up for sale is my mint condition HE1000se. Comes with original box and all accessories. Price is net to me (buyer pays shipping and fees).

It will drive anything short of Susvara and the likes (although it does get quite loud with Susvara, too), so it’ll definitely drive the Clear. The question is: can you handle the hiss?

The Enleum amps use discreet resistor volume control, so as long as it isn’t too loud on lowest settings (and it allows you some control without quickly getting too loud), then you’re fine. Traditional amps use volume pots that don’t track very well at low volume. In this case lowering the...

So... removing expectation bias, they sound identical? :D

Interesting you hear the 22 as brighter than OG. Most people report the opposite and that’s how I hear them too.

I felt quite a bit better than AC, but not to Focal Stellia level (from memory). Didn’t test for sound leaking out, though.

Bokeh was excellent with Bakoon HPA-21 in current mode, too! Honestly trading blows with the Atrium closed (in meet conditions, so take it for what it's worth) and a tonality that I found more even and agreeable on most setups (AC is quite V-shaped and can be too much on some setups). Really...

Which cutting board is that?

Just got a pair of HE1000se and they sound superb with the Woo Tube Mini! This is a close to 'full size sound' as it gets for audio dongles and the headphones tonality pairs extremely well with the Mini. The hiss doesn't bother me with these headphones, which is also a nice bonus.

Thanks for the comparison! Was the Z40 a big step up from the MZ3 in the technical aspects of the sound (detail, macro/micro dynamics, soundstage, etc.)?

the DDC only vs Streamer is decided by the USB input at power on.

The AMP-23R does the same and @GoldenOne made a video about it here.

I found the Z10 to bring significant improvements over the MZ3. I suspect the Ultralinear+ is even more betterer. Per the designer himself: The Z10 is indeed more neutral, more expansive and overall more detailed than the MZ3. But, as mentioned by @PaisleyUnderground, the MZ3 has a 'special'...

I call DDC a USB to Digital, but - technically - streamer to digital is also 'DDC' mode.

I never understood the manual’s directions or the configuration page. What I found was that: If you powered up the Red without USB cable attached, the streamer will run No matter what the setting in the config page, in streamer mode you can always use either the Digital (S/PDIF, AES and I2S)...

Great price! Especially with custom cable!

6moons shows how the upgrade is done: https://6moons.com/audioreviews2/vinnierossi2/4.html The DHT module has a spot for the HPA module. You’ll need a longer cable for it to reach the front jack. Vinnie told me he doesn’t sell those anymore, so you’ll have to build one yourself.

It is, but you’ll need to get the perforated top plate for it.

Not simultaneously, although I believe it can do streamer->USB out and USB in->DDC simultaneously. I only use 2 of the DDC outputs simultaneously, with streamer input.

It's part of the DDC outputs, and yes, I use I2S to my Rockna Wavedream and simultaneously S/PDIF to Vinnie Rossi L2 DAC.

Yes it can. That's how I use mine most of the time.

You can use the Raal TI-1b with the LCD-R and any amp, too. The amp will see 160 or 320 ohm on the 16 and 32 ohm input (respectively), owing to the fact the LCD-R is 10x the impedance of the SR-1a and CA-1a.