Audiophile cables are just jewelry for your system. I don't think there are any differences in sound between a well-constructed $10 cable and a $1,000 wonder cable.

Quote: Originally Posted by 089709867 I have the 5230 right now and it sounds great but the volume isn't there, the iPhone is twice as loud.. I don't need it to be that loud but having it boosted a bit would be nice. I have the phone too, and the volume is pathetic. I often crank...

Quote: Originally Posted by Mehve No, the mod works. The bass response goes up by quite a bit, although in my own experience, you sacrifice a small degree of clarity in the bass frequencies in the process. Still, unless you're downright allergic to bass, it's definitely an improvement...

I'd bet a dollar that you would screw up the sound quality badly if you did this mod.

Wow, that last pic is pretty shocking. Also more shocking considering the actual cap is a 35V while the wrapping indicates 50V. Cap go boom!

Quote: Originally Posted by linuxworks often unsafe goods What do you mean by 'often' unsafe goods? Only a few examples come to mind, namely Chinese dairy and pet food controversy.

Quote: Originally Posted by tangent Okay, just realize that the higher the gain, the higher the noise floor. Raise it too much and you can get audible levels of hiss, especially with the more sensitive headphones.

Monster beats Solo - These headphones are very sensitive, so I keep it around 11 o'clock for massive sound. Klipsch S4 - Even more sensitive, 9-10 o'clock. Grado SR-80 - Much less sensitive than either of the above, so I crank it to around 12. Sennheiser HD580 - Also around 12. The...

Oh I forgot, I used an OPA2132 and an OPA132 for the ground channel. Gain of 3. I think I may bump it up to 5 to ensure that I can achieve earsplitting levels with any headphone.

Just finished the main stuff on the amp. Parts selection and assembly was straightforward with tangentsoft's guides, and soldering took just a few hours. When it came time to test out the amp with headphones, I was greeted with glorious music, no troubleshooting required. It surprised me...

People without an interest in high fidelity would probably hate the way they look. Personally, I think Grados are DAMN sexy.

Quote: Originally Posted by qusp sorry but that is just baloney, i'm assuming you dont know of the beta22, DIY T2, QRV08, ackodac, buffalo32 V2, and many even more extreme things that mad scientists like peufeu build in their garage; sorry but your denon receiver doesnt come close to...

Quote: Originally Posted by rds I don't think we're comparing DIY to what you can buy stolen equipment for Also, the CKKIII is a much better headphone amp than the crappy headphone amps in those denon receivers. And a Denon receiver is far more sophisticated than any 'headphone...

Quote: Originally Posted by atothex Are we talking just headphone amps? Headphone amps kinda don't follow conventional rules when it comes to value for DIY vs commercial. If we're talking mainstream audio stuff, we have a long history of great value products; one can pick up really nice...

Zune HD has a weak headphone out. I have one. It might not drive Grados loud enough to satisfy. IEMs on the other hand, are beautifully driven by a Zune HD thanks to their higher sensitivity.

My new roommate owns Bose around-ears and Dre Beats Studio. He had them when he moved in. It's good that he appreciates sound quality.

Alright, I think I'm going to build one of these babies. If I am, I would build it in the standard Serpac case with the 9V battery cover. Could someone give me tips on picking parts to strike a nice balance between SQ and battery life? I imagine that I would use this amp maybe 50% home, 50%...

Probably not, but I bought a cheap one from Radio Shack that was somewhat poorly constructed. It would cut in-and-out and make static noises when jostled. If yours doesn't you are good to go.

Quote: Originally Posted by scootermafia but as a rule of thumb silver-gold alloy sounds warm, silver plated copper sounds cooler, silver sounds detailed but less natural, and copper is right in the middle but a little less interesting than silver can sound at the best of times...

Quote: Originally Posted by drummerdimitri You see, i don't want to feel bad about having bought extra wires and banana plugs for nothing. In that case, what could I do with the extra wires and banana plugs? I mean if it doesn't hurt to keep it that way, then I wont change the setup. If...

Bought a Denon AVR-3805 for $100 a couple years ago. Absolutely mint condition. Also bought an Onkyo Tx-SR-600 for $50 on craigslist last year. Its in rough shape but functions perfectly. It now powers my computer audio setup VERY nicely. Klipsch RSW-12 subwoofer for $100, also on craigslist.

Or a Timex clock. With a sticker covering the LCD.

Quote: Originally Posted by plonter I think that in order to get good sound, a certain amount of money has got to be spent...let's say just for the discuttion: 600$ top for a good dedicated amp and another 600-700$ for a decent dac. I would not invest a lot of money in a digital...

Quote: Originally Posted by drummerdimitri What if I connect the speakers this way, will it make any difference? You don't want to do this because the second set of binding posts is meant to be used for a separate pair of speakers.

There is no point in biwiring. It makes as much sense as green CD marker treatments. Well, you do double the amount of wire, so I guess it CAN make a difference if you need really long lengths (which would be better served by using a thicker wire in the first place). And you can't bypass the...