I need a new DAC and I could use some guidance. I wish I could audition all of these before buying, but I am unable to, so I'd like to hear some of your opinions. So far these are my top 3 (in no order):   1) Musical Fidelity M1-A DAC 2) Schiit Gungnir 3) Music Hall 25.3   I'm using...

Can someone please provide a summary of the balanced headphone amp options on the market that fall under the category of "affordable"? I'd like to know if there are any that cost less than the headroom ultra balanced amp, and I'm especially interested in a balanced tube amp. An amp is...

I currently own the Little Dot MKIII, which I have done some tube rolling with, and although it was a great buy for the money, I've gotten to the point where I am a bit bored and am looking for better sound. I'm wondering what kind of increase in performance I could get by upgrading to a better...

Does anyone know of any stores, old or new, that carry a good selection of high-end stuff? Let me be clear, I've been to B&H and most of the popular audio stores in NYC. They all carry the typical stuff--grado's, sennheisers...B&H has a decent selection of some other brands but all hooked up to...