Exactly my thoughts as well. I used my SE846 a lot at the time iPhones still had 3.5mm jacks, that worked really well. The dongle is not very powerful, but a clean implementation that sounds really good with efficient headphones. Or in-ears.

Adapter cables from 3.5mm output to RCA input should be rather easy to find actually. If your DAP supports a line out function all the better. I’d stay away from adapters from 4.4mm to RCA, could ruin your DAPs output stages. For balanced your amp should have XLR inputs.

Would be very interested in hearing your comments on both…

I was looking forward to trying out the new Master, but unfortunately Ultrasone did not exhibit at High End this year…

Good point. Yes, Fletcher-Munson curves never sleep ;-) Louder is more impressive at a short listen, so show impressions are always to be verified later on. Personally I like the Composers balance since treble never gets strident and bass reaches so deep it makes itself heard despite the a bit...

Yes, show conditions are hard for open headphones. The Composer does have a bit less than the newer Harman target curve in bass, so I understand if the balance you expected might be a bit different. But maybe you find an opportunity to check with your normal listening level.

Sorry, it was not intended to be. I just tried to not make it sound like bragging or a private product announcement :wink: Nevertheless it was nice to exchange a few words with the guy behind all this. I guess I have to get a few more shares in that company.

As mentioned above, John Grado told me he took that photo himself. There is something in prototype state, not finalized and no timeframe. It won’t come with Cardas cables.

According to Beyerdynamic their drivers don’t need run-in time anyway

No, they work as a passive headphone in wired headphone, i.e. they are not tuned via DSP but as a normal headphone. Obviously the EQ won't work in that mode. Turning them on doesn't even work when the cable is inserted: I can move the switch into the "on" position, but the light doesn't...

Nice find! I was in that room more than once, but didn’t see that small detail…

Today I had a short opportunity to talk to the person who took that photo… yes, there is something in development, but it’s not ready yet. No timeframe either — as expected ;-) And no, there won’t be a Cardas cable included. Which I’d see as a positive, given how those are done… I also...

Soundwise the CMA 18 is very nice. For me it’s too large though. But for stationary use that would not be a problem of course

Not quite… take a look near where the gimbals are meeting the cups, on the side near the back or your ears. The normal DT770 has a small hole there, the M version does not have that hole. Sorry I don’t have a DT770 on hand to post a photo of what I mean.

According to Beyerdynamic their headphones don’t need run-in time. What’s more likely is that you get used to the sound. And over time pads degrade, changing sound a bit in the process.

In addition to the differences mentioned by @RPMDJ between the regular and the M version DT770 there’s one crucial thing to mention: the cups of the DT770M are completely closed, providing additional isolation but a less coherent sound.

That’s it earpads actually, it’s spacers just for storage ;-)

Only thing is… the DT770 cups look better to me ;-) I also like the design of the headband better than the DT700 version.

Yes, the completely closed cups have adverse effects on sound quality. This is not much of a concern for pure monitoring for a drummer, but if you’re looking for sound quality the M version might not be what you need. The 35dB would be about the maximum of isolation possible as far as I know...

While unfortunately I can’t help with your question about isolation of the X10, Beyerdynamic offers a special version of their DT770, the DT770M, that is completely closed and has 35dB isolation. Might be worth a look for your use case.

If you liked the old AKG professional models, Austrian Audio is well worth a try. They do show the heritage of the development team.

Thank you, sounds promising. The Vali 3 looks tempting as well

I currently consider the Asgard 3, the class A mode used for lower output should work well for Grados I think. Did you try that one as well?

I'd add that the RS1x has less bass than both the GH2 and the RS2x with GH2 > RS2x > RS1x in that regard. The RS1x has the most focus on the mids of those three

Hm, maybe a drop of MOS2 oil at the side of the screw head?