I am about to start a build of a tube phonostage and I was wondering if it is ok to mount the tubes on top of a chassis versus directly on the PCB. I ask this because, c'mon folks, half the reason you buy tubes is to show them off. Any advice would be really appreciated!

Moderators: I apologize in advance if this post is out of bounds.    I am posting this thread and poll to see how members of Head-Fi feel about the ever-controversial topic of cable burn in. The poll itself is as neutral as I could possibly make it. I am NOT looking to start yet another...

I am posting this thread and poll to see how members of Head-Fi feel about the ever-controversial topic of cable burn in. The poll itself is as neutral as I could possibly make it. I am NOT looking to start yet another debate on the subject, just a kind of census to see where the community...

In a recent thread (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/544331/dunning-kruger-effect/15) that talks about the Dunning-Kruger Effect, a lot of people have made statements and cited facts about the superiority of so-called "trained" listeners versus regular folks.   What does this training...

[Stole this post idea from Syan25  ]     What is your favorite guitarist based on either virtuosity, technical skill, or creativity?Or all of the above, if you like!   My first pick would be Buckethead. Very eccentric, insanely talented.     I chose him because he meets (in my...

Main Article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning_kruger_effect    The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to appreciate their mistakes.[1] The...

I've had a pair of Samson SR850's for a while now. And while they are not as good as many other brands of headphones, I think they are rather over looked as a good starter headphone. They are cirumaural, partially open backed, 32-ohm headphones. For around US$40 they are a steal. They don't to...

There is something that has been bothering me lately. Whenever I look at hi-fi magazines I always see solid-state electronics with vibration isolation devices underneath them.   Why on earth would you need vibration isolation for solid state? This makes sense for tube electronics, as tubes...

  We, as audiophiles, have dedicated ourselves to the art and science of accurately reproducing music. This is more than just a hobby, this is our passion! We examine and scrutinize every single pedantic aspect of our gear in as scientific manner as is possible. So why has it taken the...

Ok, I need some help here.   Every time I listen to music through my SoundBlaster Creative external sound card I get an audio artifact that sounds like someone poured sand into the air chamber on my Grados. I do not get this problem from any of my other sources, so what gives here? The right...

The Dark Side of the Moon 180 gram audiophile record.   Hands down the best $35 bucks I've ever spent on anything. That album, heard in its intended analog format, is like smoking a Cohiba with a glass of Glenfiddich 18 yr after a massage.   What vinyl album does that for you? 

Before you go any further, please watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHHk7fB_h1Q   What an interesting concept! I know that the big power transformers mounted on power polls use mineral oil submersion as a method of cooling and protecting them, but I had never considered using it on...

[New to reviewing, please be gentle! ]   When I received a nook Color as a christmas present this year I was expecting to get a great e-reader with some tablet-PC-like benefits. What I was not expecting was that I would get a good portable media player and great internet radio, too!  ...

There are lots of posts about how to sort of hack an XLR connection for use with headphones, but not that much in the way of modifying your cans to receive a true balanced output signal. So my three questions are as follows:    1) I understand that not all headphones are capable of receiving...

I have a 30v +/- dual unregulated power supply that powers a 25 watt monobloc audio amplifier. Every time I plug the transformer / power supply into the AC mains, the LM1875 chip on the audio amp explodes. Yes, explodes. I believe the cause of this is an inductive voltage spike coming from the...

I'm going to be setting up an old Denon 30P turntable (my first TT) and I have no idea whatsoever on how to adjust the anti-skate. The only tools I have are force gauge and protractor. Any advice would be extremely appreciated!

My current cans are Grado SR-125i's. And while I get an enormous amount of pleasure from them, I want that upgrade. So my question is this, will I get more bang for my buck upgrading to 225i's or Senn HD595's?

It has been ages since I've posted here, but it's good to be back. I was wondering if anyone had a recomendation for a DIY desktop amp kit for around ~$200. Tube, solid state, or hybrid, doesn't matter. Thanks for the input.

Ok, maybe someone here can give me a straight answer on this: Which type of wire is better for signal quality; Solid or Stranded? For the majority of interconnect projects I've come across, DIY'ers have used stranded wire either for flexibility or out of habit. But what about when you...

Carrying around full-sized cans while on the move is really impractical. I tried using Koss Portapros but I gave up on them as they are uncomfortable for me, not to mention too ugly for words. So that leaves IEMs, which for me is a problem. I sustained some pretty serious ear damage...

Ok, here is the deal. While there are genuinely innovative cable makers out there, a lot of what people try to pedal is just snake oil. I do not want to pay $100, $200, $300, or more for cable with a fancy logo stamped on it. Besides, soldering cables to jacks and plugs is Manly-Art is it...

Dear Collective Forum Hive-Mind of Head-Fi, Head-Fi is an excellent site for audiophiles of every level of experience to find useful information and gain positive feedback. The only thing this site really lacks is a solid newbie guide. Before you start posting "Tried-that-done-that-let-it-go"...

With xmas coming just around the corner, and my SR-125i's all broken in, I figured it was time to try and weasel myself a headphone upgrade. So which one would you pick, and why: Sennheiser HD600 -OR- Grado RS-2i

I think that it would be nice to have separate threads for discussion of specific headphone brands (Denon, Senn, Grado, etc.) Opinions, opposition, thoughts?

You know, with silver being easy enough to find on the internet these days, what arent we using it more? p.s. Why does one make a 'cotton' interconnect?